Each week, NWPE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week: suspending suspensions, growing support for teacher pay, angry teachers, and more!

California Looking to Hold Back Suspensions: A new bill is making its way through the California legislature that would end many school suspensions. The bill would prevent schools suspending students in Kindergarten through 8^th grade for reasons such as disobedience, classroom disruptions, or willful defiance. High school students could still be suspended for those reasons although they could not be expelled. Students in all grades would still be able to be suspended for violence. This bill would apply to both public district and public charter schools. The bill is a response to a growing body of research finding black male students are more likely to be suspended for these reasons, even when their behavior is no worse than their white counterparts. A similar bill was vetoed by the governor last year.

Poll Shows Growing Support for Teacher Pay and School Choice: Education journal, Education Next, revealed the results of their annual poll this week. The poll is one of the most comprehensive that explores the attitudes of teachers and the public concerning education issues and serves as an important data point in the changing attitudes about schooling. The poll found growing support for voucher and tax credit programs, charter schools, increased teacher pay, higher school spending, Common Core State Standards, and free college. Some of the positions seeing increased support seem to be at odds with each other. Paul Peterson, senior editor for Education Next, claims this might represent an overall desire for change. The public seems to be fairly satisfied with local schools but are more critical of the system at large.

Clark County Union Members Angry, on Verge of Strike: As contract negotiations drag on in Clark County, Nevada, members of the local teachers’ union are fed up. On Thursday, 1,200 union members packed a school board meeting, causing it to be cut short. At issue is a provision in the contract that would acknowledge teachers who have completed additional training and allow them to receive a higher salary because of it. The district has provided such salary bumps in the past, but now says it lacks the funds, angering teachers who pursued additional degrees and certifications to receive the pay bump. Teachers were made even more angry when they learned that the district paid for the superintendent’s exercise bike while still claiming a lack of funds. At least part of the blame is being put on the state, which failed to pass legislation to adequately fund schools in the upcoming school year. The Union says it will strike September 10^th if its demands are not met.

Happening Elsewhere:

White House Sought Ways to Block Undocumented Immigrant Children From Attending Public Schools

Over 100 Blue Bird Electric School Buses Plugging into Districts

School bus crash demonstration shows importance of seat belts to keep kids safe

School uniforms are on the rise — even for toddlers — and it’s changing back-to-school shopping

KIPP co-founder Mike Feinberg sues charter school network for defamation

Colorado School Safety Committee wants your input, ideas to make schools safer

Hawaii school board elevates seriousness of high school bullying, harassment

Colorado School District Providing Kitty Litter Buckets for Kids to Use the Bathroom During Lockdowns

SoCal school district "strongly" condemns video showing students giving Nazi salute and singing Nazi song

A California high school found students' cellphones too distracting, so they're locking the devices up

California may tighten background checks, credentials for charter school teachers

Raising the bar or moving the goalposts? Changes pending for Colorado school rating system

New law changing way Maine teachers work in classroom

North Carolina schools add e-cigs to ‘no smoking’ signs

NC Blocks Istation Reading Contract For State Schools

Poor school districts are funding the Pennsylvania’s cyber charter schools, research shows. That wasn’t always the case

After a Philly charter school operator gave Pa. lawmakers $360,000, a law was changed. A critic calls it ‘very suspicious.’

Portland Public Schools Respond To Fraudulent $3 Million Construction Payment

Cyberattack shuts down Nampa School District network

First day of school uncertain after Kennewick teachers vote to strike

What’s going on where you are?

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