“Lockdown, lockdown”: Dumbing Down the U.S.A., June 2018

“The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.”-George Orwell (aka Eric Arthur Blair)

 Disappearing Students Syndrome (DSS): A phrase created by me to describe a phenomenon taking place across the United States, affecting both privately and publicly funded schools, from Kindergarten all the way through University levels.

Incomplete (Tip-o-the-Iceberg) list of publicly announced education related layoffs, shutdowns and crimes, June 2018:

ALASKA: No incumbents seeking reelection to Fairbanks school board

Fairbanks school bus contractor on road to improvement

Students take hunting challenge

ALABAMA: Locker room attack victim calls for firing of Davidson coach

School board approves Baldwin County dress code changes

Teaching offer rescinded for Limestone County superintendent’s daughter

ARIZONA: Organizers of education funding initiative defend taxing Arizona’s wealthiest

Arizona to use VW settlement money for new diesel powered school buses

Arizona Summit Law School on verge of losing American Bar Association accreditation

State education board votes to put over-budget Phoenix school district into receivership

Poverty is so bad that…Tucson-area schools, centers offering free meals… and …Back to School Clothing Drive supports classrooms

School districts release teacher pay info

ARKANSAS: Safety panel backs arming Arkansas school staffers

Rules to accredit Arkansas schools revised

State places school district on probation

Arkansas Teacher Salary Falls Three Notches

statewide teacher shortage

North Little Rock school exec to get $213000 to resign

Earle School District improperly spent about $766,000 on personnel costs using state funds specifically meant for education

Arkansas No. 1 in percentage of students at risk

CALIFORNIA: U.S. Education Department opens investigation into USC after gynecologist scandal

Acclaimed UC Irvine geneticist resigns due to sexual harassment

Three UC campuses did not consistently discipline faculty accused of sexual misconduct, state auditor finds

LA Unified’s spending

High opt-out rates on state exam continue to frustrate school district

California Will Be Fourth State to Sue Over Student Loans

COLORADO: After 47 years god’s own alternative school La Academia shutting down in Denver due to The Rapture, although they’re actually blaming it on competition from other schools.

Colorado Springs charter school on brink of closing stymied by D-11

Colorado approves $447 million in school construction

Colorado Dept. of Education worker sentenced to 12 years for ‘upskirt’ photos, videos

Board of Education rejects proposal to have students discuss gun benefits

Four Colorado Springs-area school projects benefit from marijuana-funded grants

CONNECTICUT: New Haven Public Schools issued 1-thousand-1-hundred layoff notices, due to a sudden budget reduction of $5-million USD as a result of state taxpayer funding cuts!  Washington based online used book seller Thrift Books Global issued a shutdown WARN for its Windsor Locks location, 54 jobs gone by July.

School safety bill vetoed by the governor

Region 10 School District to Arm Security Guards 

Student arrested for East Hartford High School social media threat

Coach Resigned, 2 Teachers on Leave Amid Investigation

Torrington Superintendent Resigns Amid Allegations of Neglect

Nearly $1 million was stolen from Connecticut Higher Education Trust

Ansonia’s mayor blames superintendent, board for school budget crisis

Ansonia and Derby Consider Merging School Districts

Windsor Lock revising grading system after backlash

Plainfield Mom Furious After Son Gets ‘ADD Award’

School Districts Struggle To Comply With New Student Data Privacy Law

DELAWARE: Delaware Backs Down on Letting Students Self-Identify Race, Gender

Sussex Tech School Board facing calls to resign 

Teacher Faces Sentencing on Child Sex Charge

FLORIDA:  new home for Troops to Teachers program 

Duval schools continue to lag in state reading, math

Florida Education Association employee arrested for shoplifting

GEORGIA: DeKalb schools sue to block Atlanta annexation

Georgia universities seek more rural students

Dying teacher’s request: Backpacks filled with school supplies

Kroger to give school supplies to GA teachers

Teacher pension funding behind cost increase for local taxpayers 

State taxpayer funding for Georgia teachers’ pension should begin to ease

State to hire construction managers for 4 taxpayer funded university projects that will cost at least $104-million

Polk School District created a dedicated taxpayer funded school Police Department, they’ve already got new taxpayer funded cars and locks on school doors 

Richmond County schools are failing, state taxpayer funded Department of Education taking over

Ever hear of the taxpayer funded Stop the Bleed program? Neither have the schools it’s supposed to support!

GUAM: Island paradise is short 300 teachers!

10 simple steps to become a University of Guam student

U.S. taxpayers (via U.S. Department of the Interior) giving Guam $2.5-million USD in fiscal year 2018 for various programs including scholarships 

Election complaint names GDOE superintendent

HAWAII: 84% of teachers choosing to leave Hawaii

Hawaii Will Pay $10.25 Million To Settle Special Education Lawsuit

Hawaii Schools fail To Address Bullying

Hawaii Farm to School program gets $100000 in federal tax funding

IDAHO: The state Board of Education approved an alcohol permit for home games at University of Idaho.

Idaho is tied with North Dakota for last place in the nation in early childhood education participation.

Taxpayers funding the largest Summer school for immigrants yet (200 students) in Minidoka County

Test results show Idaho student SAT scores dropped

Idaho Latinos least likely to have college degrees

For some reason ‘holocaust’ education is being forced upon grade school students.

Moscow School District ramps up vaccination rates.

District 93’s Special Education Program Struggles to Keep Up

Idaho Teacher Accused of Feeding live Puppy to Turtle Charged With Animal Cruelty 

Idaho school office dig fails to find body of missing woman

U.S. News & World Report: Idaho has the highest rate per capita of child marriage in the United States.

ILLINOIS: Western Illinois University suddenly laid off 24 people with only two days notice, and 62 vacant positions will not be filled, due to crashing enrollments (DSS).  God powerless to stop ‘his’ DePaul University from suddenly eliminating 62 jobs due to The Rapture, I mean DSS.  In 2012 the university had more than 16-thousand undergraduates, by 2017 undergraduates dropped to 14,816.  The Illinois Institute of Art-Chicago issued a shutdown WARN, 155 jobs gone by Xmas!

Six-Figure Illinois Educators Cost Taxpayers $3.7 Billion

Illinois Teacher Shortage?

Teachers take gun class at Farmer City

‘No way in hell’: School board member accused of using racism to ban books 

Illinois Among Biggest Spenders For Higher Education

School leaders worry about cost of mandated pay raises for teachers

INDIANA: Carmel Clay Schools spending taxpayer money on rebuilding/relocating two elementary schools despite their own 2016 survey results showing enrollments declining by 4-hundred by 2020 and by 9-hundred by 2026!    The global dairy collapse hitting even Andrews University, which decided to shutdown its 111 years old dairy school in 2019.  The shutdown will not only affect students and employees, but 1-thousand-2-hundred cows: “In the last two to three years, we have lost between $750,000 and $900,000 a year!”-Stephen Payne, VP of integrated marketing & communication

More Indiana children living in poverty but state rates well in education

Teacher pay in Indiana continues its downward slide

teacher resigns over transgender name policy

middle school math teacher shortage

Court rules Police officers working in Indiana schools must advise students of their Rights!

IOWA: Educational assessment company Pearson-ACT shutting down its Iowa City location, which will result in more than 2-hundred jobs lost by Xmas!  Company execs blame it on increasing numbers of people deciding not to go on to college/university.  God’s own Cedar Valley Catholic Schools warning it might have to shutdown three elementary schools due to deterioration of the buildings and The Rapture, I mean crashing enrollments. Alternative plans are being discussed.

Nine of every 10 public school districts in Iowa have buildings exposed to pesticides, and school officials don’t even know it!

Mystery complaint against multiple school boards over special education: “We’re not even really sure what it is about.”-Becky Wichers, Muscatine School Board

KANSAS:  Atchison school may close amid debts

Kansas Supreme Court: School funding is inadequate

Kansas Supreme Court upholds repeal of teacher tenure rights

Schools hold job fair as vacancies grow

Regents approve tuition and fee increases for state universities

Inside Wichita State’s latest tuition increase

Kansas teacher gets probation in student sex case

Kansas school official accused in sex messages case

KENTUCKY: Kentucky’s new school vaccination laws

State board of education OKs Bible literacy standards

High school student fools Trump fans

College and University admission standards changed

school districts get creative as teacher candidate pool dwindles

Two juveniles arrested for middle school burglary

LOUISIANA:  Tuition-free college? Louisiana teachers will be eligible 

Lack of diversity among teaching staff

15 new Louisiana education laws parents should know about

‘Too many broken promises’

LSU students to see another fee increase to help with pay raises

MAINE: School District to Remove Native American Imagery

Boy Drowned at State Park During school Field Trip

School Bus Driver Took Upskirt Photos of Students

Running Back Held Without Bail in Classmate’s Death

MARYLAND: MS-13 threatens a middle school, warn teachers

Prince George’s high school officials accused of boozing on the job

Transgender teen gets ‘permanent’ access to boys’ locker room

Nearly 1 in 5 Maryland students is chronically absent.

School Bus Aide Accused of Choking 7-Year-Old Boy

More than 32000 tickets issued to drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses 

MASSACHUSETTS: By the end of the month Dighton-Rehoboth Regional School District notified 84 people they were being rendered jobless, school officials are hoping cash strapped voters will approve additional tax spending in July.

“Lockdown, lockdown”: kindergarten uses Police State nursery rhyme to teach shooting response

High School Apologizes After Nazi Quote Is Printed

Hispanic population rapidly increases

Asbestos found at Healy School

MICHIGAN: God powerless to stop the shutdown of ‘his’ Saint Mary School in Mount Morris due to The Rapture, I mean declining enrollment, declining church attendance, rising costs and more families seeking tuition assistance.  Dream Center Education Holdings issued a shutdown WARN for its The Art Institute of Michigan, 114 jobs gone in August!

University of Michigan to raise in-state tuition by 2.9 percent

MSU expands sexual misconduct workgroup

teen sentenced in mass school shooting plot

Parents pull elementary students from school because of hit list

U.S. weighs in against University of Michigan bullying policy

MSU’s bond debt to jump because of Nassar case

Detroit-area high school raises nearly $150k to help homeless

MINNESOTA: Minnesota high school grad rate ranks 35th in U.S.

Saint Paul schools fail to meet state law on teaching the arts

1700 reading, math tutors sought for Minnesota schools

 school district tussle over girl’s need for special ed

Minnesota’s largest school district begins work on its biggest construction project ever ($249-million taxpayer dollars)

MISSISSIPPI: 2-thousand vacant education jobs

lottery announced for special needs scholarship program

teacher facing allegations of ‘improper conduct’ with student

32 arrested in online sex crimes against kids

executive order to establish School Safety Task Force

MISSOURI: University of Missouri suddenly laid off 30 people due to a shortfall of $45-million USD, a total of 185 jobs will be killed, one local news media source called the situation “chaos”!  Lindenwood University revealed that it had laid off 17 people in May.  God’s own Fontbonne University suddenly laid off 27 of its employees, due to The Rapture, I mean enrollment is down to just 1,375 students.

KCU begins construction of ‘future-proof’ $33M simulation center

Medical student accuses UMKC of racketeering, fraud

Missouri Southern faces a $1.1 million fine for tuition hike

coach’s lawsuit alleges racial discrimination

Eight northeast schools fail bus inspections

School shooting training at O’Fallon

New suicide policy

MONTANA: Missoula school cop accidentally fired gun

Gun found at Sentinel High School, 2 boys shot

Helena teacher says school cop shooter drill caused hearing loss

Billings teacher terminated following misconduct investigation

schools begin carrying drug to reverse overdose

Roosevelt Elementary School closed 

 school food truck serves free meals all summer long

NEBRASKA:  State will intervene at Schuyler Central High School 

Nebraska to implement ‘good behavior game

Taxpayers to spend $420000 on consultants for troubled schools

Property taxes remain high due to school funding

School bus crashes into utility substation

State Board of Education revokes license of substitute teacher

NEVADA: CCSD cuts electives due to lack of funding

CCSD budget reductions result in loss of 563 jobs!

Controversy erupts because of 2005 sex offender amendment

Solar panels help local school buy laptops

Questions raised about marijuana revenues for education

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Students Caught Sending Nude Pics

state’s role in bullying cases limited by current law

student behavioral issues escalating

$10M more approved to ‘harden’ NH schools

NEW JERSEY: School Didn’t Do Enough to Stop Her Suicide

school superintendent caught crapping in public, multiple times!

School District Mandates Clear Backpacks

Upper Freehold School District put on lockdown

Parents infuriated after short notice of christian school closing, especially after they paid more in tuition to keep it open

NEW MEXICO: APS submits plan for failing Hawthorne school

Parents fail to attend school choice expo for Hawthorne

La Resolana Leadership Academy’s charter is not renewed

SFPS finds state taxpayer funding for school security not worth it

Albuquerque Public Schools increases pay for employees

Taxpayers fund border-crossing students

teacher evaluations flawed

superintendent accused of faking credentials 

New Mexico ranks last in child well-being

NEW YORK: Van Trans-Attendant lost its taxpayer funded contract with state Department of Education, 333 jobs lost by September!  Taxpayer funded Cardinal McCloskey Community Services shutting down its Head Start Programs due to losing the federal contract, 202 jobs affected by July! Center for Family Support issued a shutdown WARN for its NYC ops, 80 jobs gone by September.  God’s own Saint John Villa Academy issued a shutdown WARN, 71 jobs gone by the end of August.  Lifeline Center for Child Development issued a shutdown WARN for its Queens-NYC pre-school, 41 jobs gone by the end of August. ‘Global learning company’ Channel One-Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company issued a shutdown WARN, 28 NYC jobs gone by the end of September.

NYC’s ‘shadow school system’ 

NYC Spent $136 Million on temporary Teachers 

What’s Going On With New York’s Elite Public High Schools?

Elite Girls’ Schools Admitting Transgender students

NORTH CAROLINA: After 117 years (surviving The Great Depression and numerous recessions) King’s College shutting down when the 2018-19 school year is done, administrators say their own studies show that what I call DSS will only get worse.  

40 state education staffers laid off, 21 vacant positions eliminated

Good test scores but too much Bible

 private school voucher millions still lack accountability

teacher among 3 charged with child sex offense

Class size and hunger top two problems for grade students

NORTH DAKOTA: teacher facing 3 new sex assault charges

Fargo teacher accused of bullying will be back in school 

kindergarten teacher appealing life without parole sentence

pilot shortage takes a toll on UND

OHIO: Taxpayer ‘sponsored’ (but independently operated) Phoenix Academy suddenly shutdown its alternative high school campus in Toledo, blaming lack of money.  GC Services warning that it could lose its taxpayer funded U.S. Department of Education contract, 123 jobs gone by August!

Taxpayer funded schools lose more than $24 million tax dollars to the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow charter school 

Summer schools now about feeding hungry children

Hamilton City School District arming school staff in response to complaints about security

State Bureau of Workers’ Compensation giving schools $8-million tax dollars for school security

Deficit-ridden Niles schools back under state watch

Sex abuse inquiry on Ohio State doc now includes high school

OKLAHOMA: University of Oklahoma warning of mass layoffs, claiming it lost $15-million USD to escalating operating costs.

tuition increase at Oklahoma State University

State Supreme Court Voids Challenge To Teacher Pay Tax

Troops To Teachers Program Looking To Ease Oklahoma Teacher Shortage 

‘We are in a teaching crisis in this state’

OREGON: Sate Department of Education creates 3rd Gender Option

School’s out for summer, but free meals for low income students are still on

Marcola teacher files complaint with state alleging ‘racist’ mascot

Taxpayer funded Eugene teachers knelt during national anthem

Students and parents bully bus driver, then they lie about it on social media! 

PENNSYLVANIA: plan to ax school property taxes is misleading 

Most school districts plan tax increases

State overwhelmed with tracking charter school taxpayer funding

All newborns will get a $100 investment scholarship for college

students given bulletproof backpacks for starting high school

Freshman student stabbed at Pennsylvania high school

school districts implementing trauma kits in classrooms

PUERTO RICO:  A quarter of Puerto Rico’s schools are shutting down

Judge blocks closure of nine schools

It seems that many school districts along the east coast of the United States have been taking in hurricane refugee students from Puerto Rico, as a way to shore up their declining student enrollments.  The result is that Puerto Rico is shutting down schools due to lack of students.

RHODE ISLAND:  Legal counsel Attorney for state Dept. of Education not a member of state Bar

teacher absenteeism rate third-highest in nation

SOUTH DAKOTA: South Dakota teachers rank 30th in buying power nationally

educational cooperative business employee charged in a financial misconduct scheme

More than half of South Dakota communities losing population

TENNESSEE:  Meharry Medical College suddenly laid off 55 employees. 

Tennessee law says anybody entering school, including colleges and universities, must be vaccinated

Benefits for Hamilton County Schools retirees delayed

Hamilton County Schools investigating state data leak

Five years later Achievement School District fails to improve

Parents dealing with growing wait lists for Pre-K programs

Metro Schools teacher arrested for meth use

Balmoral Ridgeway Elementary School PTO president charged with theft

Bledsoe County school district accused of racism

two Blount County Schools teachers lose their license to teach

TEXAS: Huntsville Memorial eliminating its Joe G. Davis School of Vocational Nursing due to increasing competition from area nursing schools.

Enforcement of school vaccinations causes shot shortage in Ector County

Mom caught son in bed with junior high school counselor

Student kills self at McKinney North High School 

The Fall of Dallas County Schools

Cypress-Fairbanks school district mandates clear backpacks

2 Teen Boys Wore Dresses To Texas School 

Texas school district can exhume unmarked graves

Pine Tree ISD manages to lower tax rate and give pay raises, all while operating on a deficit!

UTAH: Most Utah schools spent $1000 or less on suicide prevention programs

tug of war for teachers leads to higher salaries 

Two employees at Sierra Bonita Elementary School accused of sex crimes

high schools in Utah do not allow Pacific Islander students to wear leis at graduation

University of Utah Professor appointed chairman of Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission.

VERMONT: Merger madness

$50K theft from Pownal school account

South Burlington High to provide condoms

Vermont Law School laying off Tenured Faculty

VIRGINIA: School drops Confederate name in favor of Barack Obama

School being sued for not protecting girl from known sex bully

Manassas schools ‘on lockdown’

Richmond schools out of toilet paper?

teacher accused of being drunk at school

WASHINGTON: free city bus passes for high-school students

Durham offering $4K signing bonus, $17 an hour to entice new school bus drivers

Principals can’t hire enough special-education teachers

Homeless but not hopeless: Spokane high school students

Spokane school zone speed cameras snare $4 million in fines

superintendent expected to plead guilty in child sex case

Fife school board finds principal sexually harassed teachers

WASHINGTON DC:  DC-Area Schools’ Vaccine Requirements

 

WEST VIRGINIA: Mental health crisis in schools

More than 3,000 students awarded PROMISE Scholarships

Low income school clothing allowance deadline extended

WISCONSIN: School’s Closed. Forever.

Gunshot detection technology

volunteer tutor accused of sex crimes

Madison School District losing $7 million in state tax funding

Oregon School District increasing the number of school breaks in an attempt to stop flu outbreaks

WYOMING: Four schools set to close in Casper and Mills

Riverton High School hazing case

Evanston school district sued over new gun policy

Teton County School District No. 1 slashes employee benefits

Dumbing Down U.S.A., May 2018: “MORALE HAS NEVER BEEN LOWER.”