Akerman LLP’s Post

From The Daily Signal: "In an explosive report by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, William Flanders analyzed data from Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction and revealed that the sudden tidal wave of new students displaced by the end of school choice would have overwhelmed the state’s public schools, severely compromising the quality of education available to Wisconsin students. For example, the Milwaukee Public Schools would have gone from a surplus of more than 20,000 seats to a deficit of more than 17,000—necessitating the immediate purchase or construction of at least 17 new school buildings. Likewise, to maintain its current student-teacher ratio, Milwaukee Public Schools would have needed to hire almost 2,400 additional teachers—a nearly 57% increase in its current teaching staff." https://lnkd.in/gWNws3X7 #wisconsin #schoolchoice #supremecourt #educationforall #educationreform #parentalchoice #parentalcontrol #studentsuccess #studentsfirst

📆 Save the Date! 📆 Mark your calendars for the 2024 MCHEP Convening taking place Sept. 25-26 in Raymond, Mississippi. This annual convening gathers leaders from across the field to engage in solution-focused discussions about best practices, policy updates, and #Pell implementation. Designed to support colleges, universities, and prison education partners, the event aims to enhance the delivery of meaningful instruction that leads to degree completion. 🔗 Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q02KGHhG0 #HigherEdInPrison #PrisonEducation #NormalizingOpportunity #JusticeImpacted

New Personnel Files blog post by Sandra Andre: What’s All The Fuss About? The EEOC Weighs In On SCOTUS’s Race-Conscious Admissions Decision Read the full blog post here: https://ow.ly/nBwB50R7NTH #MJEmploymentLaw #MJLaborLaw #WomenofMJ

Debate opens doors - big time! We're accutely aware as a debate coaching organization of the many doors that open for our students. Both our student and staff alumni communities boast a variety of competitive educational and professional achievements, and we couldn't be more proud! The #Stanford National Forensics Institute also shares a great deal about the importance of the skills debaters build and points to this illuminating statistic: 60% of congressional representatives and 30% of Supreme Court justices have a background in debate! What benefit did you find from debate class in your own life? #debate #insights #publicforum #pfdebate #speech #publicspeaking #afterschoolactivities #extracurriculars #politics #success #studentsuccess #collegeadmissions #careersinpolitics

Thank you, Bridget, for sharing the insights from Georgetown's Center on Education and the Workforce. The findings indeed underscore a critical challenge: despite previous affirmative action policies, the progress in enhancing diversity at our nation's top institutions has been limited. This highlights a pressing need for innovative approaches to achieve meaningful and sustained diversity in higher education. It suggests that moving beyond traditional affirmative action, we must explore a range of strategies, including holistic admissions processes, targeted outreach, and support programs that address broader systemic barriers faced by underrepresented students. It’s vital that we continue this conversation and work collaboratively to develop effective solutions that create more equitable educational opportunities. #DiversityInEducation #EquitableAccess #BeyondAffirmativeAction #InclusiveAdmissions

Trump's Education Plan: State Control and Eliminating Race-Based Programs Discover Trump's proposed changes to the education system, including shutting down the Department of Education, returning control to states, reintroducing prayer in schools, and criminalizing race-based advantage programs. Is this a genuine policy proposal or just a scare tactic? Find out in this video. #TrumpEducationPlan #StateControl #EducationStandards #PrayerInSchool #RaceBasedPrograms #EducationReform #EducationPolicy #TrumpCampaign #EducationSystem #EducationDebate

Accountability and Forward Progress: Reflecting on Recent Events at Indiana University Bloomington I am writing this post to reflect on recent events at Indiana University Bloomington (IUB) and address concerns raised by members of our community. The recent message from IUB leadership outlined actions taken regarding the Dunn Meadow protest. However, accountability and transparency are not values that were expressed in this message but are paramount in fostering trust and understanding within our community. We must acknowledge the discontent stemming from the decision to involve law enforcement, especially given the prior vote of no confidence. As a community, we must ensure that our actions reflect our commitment to open dialogue and accountability. Moreover, it’s crucial to address the concerns regarding potential threats at a peaceful protest and the presence of snipers due to these so-called threats. Such actions run counter to the principles of safety and free expression that we hold dear. The disproportionate disciplinary actions against students and staff during the incident are deeply troubling. We must ensure that our disciplinary processes are fair and just, reflecting our values as an institution. Moving forward, we need to be committed to fostering dialogue and collaboration to address these concerns. Establishing a task force to review event protocols is a step in the right direction. However, a task force is not what the community is asking for. They want a union and they want to protect the students, staff, and faculty in the community. Including justifying the heavy sanctions brought against over 40 students, staff, and faculty that have been arrested in the last few days. Indiana University Bloomington please listen to your community and address the items hundreds of individuals are advocating for, not the items you believe are most important. My heart aches for all those people who have lost so much in the recent days. My heart is with you. Kiarra Boenitz, Indiana University doctoral student #IUBloomington #IUAdministration #DunnsMeadow #IUSniper #Callforpeace #Solidarity #IUonStrike

Trump's Education Plan: State Control and Eliminating Race-Based Programs Discover Trump's proposed changes to the education system, including shutting down the Department of Education, returning control to states, reintroducing prayer in schools, and criminalizing race-based advantage programs. Is this a genuine policy proposal or just a scare tactic? Find out in this video. #TrumpEducationPlan #StateControl #EducationStandards #PrayerInSchool #RaceBasedPrograms #EducationReform #EducationPolicy #TrumpCampaign #EducationSystem #EducationDebate

Shared this article with a teacher mentor/colleague of mine and ended up having an amazing conversation that has got me thinking about the heart of education. They pointed out a significant challenge - teachers often prioritize relationships that make instruction easier, rather than fostering genuine student transformation. This also has me pondering on the socioemotional learning of adults and its impact on student-centered relationships. They rightly highlighted the need for SEL in teacher prep and PD. Healing from our traumas is crucial for guiding students through tough times. To add more complexity to our conversation, I also brought up the importance of having multiple layers of healed adults in students' lives, especially during critical transitions like moving from grammar to high school... it got me wondering, are there SEL metrics for these transitions? Check out the article, reflect, and share your thoughts. How can we reshape education to truly nurture student growth and SEL? #Education #SEL #StudentGrowth #ReflectAndTransform

Key word - Centered! I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had about the missing link in a classroom. Relationships. Has to start with adult to student but our students need to see the value of those relationships so they can then be cultivated amongst their classmates. With pressures of getting through curriculum, students won’t get far without being seen, heard and knowing they are valued. That happens with relationships.