PERRY, Florida, April 16 -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida issued the following news release: Late Friday, a federal judge granted a request to approve a new map for the Taylor County Commission and School Board districts, amending consent decrees in twin Voting Rights Act lawsuits brought by Black community leaders in 1983. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Florida represents a class of all Black Taylor County residents, led by class representatives Shirley Scott, Vel  more

MURRIETA VALLEY, California, April 16 -- Equality California issued the following statement on April 15, 2024: * * * Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, released the following statement from Executive Director Tony Hoang in response to the Murrieta Valley Unified School District halting their forced outing policy following communication from the California Department of Education: "We can't say it enough: forced outing policies are unnecessary  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 16 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following attestation examination (No. 2024-193) on April 11, 2024, involving St. Lucie County District School Board - Florida Education Finance Program. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF ATTESTATION EXAMINATION Except for the material noncompliance described below involving teachers and reporting errors or records that were not properly or accurately prepared or were not available at the time of our examination and  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 16 -- Florida State University issued the following news: By Chelsey Falb As the nation faces a growing shortage of skilled trade workers, the Florida State University Facilities Department has launched a work-based learning program for local high school students. The new program, Pathway to Success, provides practical, hands-on experience and a resource for the potential employment of student trainees upon completing the program and graduation. Students from Waku  more

TRENTON, New Jersey, April 16 -- The New Jersey Assembly Democrats issued the following news release on April 15, 2024: School districts facing aid reductions in the proposed Fiscal Year 2025 budget would have the opportunity to apply for increased funding under legislation approved by the New Jersey General Assembly today. Bill A4161 would provide grants to eligible districts in order to prevent teacher layoffs and cuts to crucial programs. The bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Roy Freiman and A  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 16 -- The American Library Association issued the following news release on April 15, 2024: Today, the American Library Association (ALA) officially launches the annual #FundLibraries campaign, calling on advocates in every congressional district to ask their members of Congress to cosign Dear Appropriator letters to fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. The LSTA letter, circulated by U.S. Senator Ja  more

TALLAHASSEE, Florida, April 16 -- The Florida Auditor General released the following attestation examination (No. 2024-193) on April 11, 2024, involving St. Lucie County District School Board - Florida Education Finance Program. Here are excerpts: * * * SUMMARY OF ATTESTATION EXAMINATION Except for the material noncompliance described below involving teachers and reporting errors or records that were not properly or accurately prepared or were not available at the time of our examination and  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 16 -- The American Library Association issued the following news release: The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its fifth Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant to the Hoboken (NJ) Public Library and the Independence (KS) Public Library. The winning libraries will bolster their initiatives aimed at promoting food security and addressing homelessness within their communities. The $2,000 annual grant assists school, public, academic, tribal and spe  more

TOPEKA, Kansas, April 16 -- Gov. Laura Kelly, D-Kansas, issued the following news release on April 15, 2024: Last month, Governor Laura Kelly's bipartisan Medicaid expansion proposal received support from child care and family advocates across the state during the Kansas Legislature's Medicaid expansion hearings. Their testimony was submitted for hearings in the House Health and Human Services Committee and a joint session of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee and Senate Ways and Me  more

NEW YORK, April 16 -- New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued the following statement on April 15, 2024: * * * New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement in response to the $237 billion Fiscal Year 2025 budget agreement reached by New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York state Legislature this afternoon: "This budget will be a win for New Yorkers. Every day, this administration works to deliver on our vision that supports working-class families by protecting pu  more

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma, April 16 -- Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education issued the following news on April 15, 2024: More than 100 aspiring education students, P-12 educators, professional teacher education faculty, and education stakeholders participated in the 2024 Teach Oklahoma Conference on April 12 at Oklahoma City University. Hosted by the State Regents' Oklahoma Teacher Connection (OTC) program, the event featured remarks from Secretary of Education Nellie Tayloe Sanders and k  more

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 16 -- The American Library Association issued the following news release: The American Library Association (ALA) has awarded its 2024 Peggy Barber Tribute Grant, a programming grant named after the transformative ALA leader, to the Library System of Bradford County (New Albany, Penn.), Danbury (Conn.) Public Library and Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Libraries (Mount Pleasant, Mich.). The $2,500 grant, open to public, academic, K-12, tribal and special libraries, supports mea  more

AUSTIN, Texas, April 16 -- The Texas State Teachers Association issued the following news release on April 15, 2024: The Texas State Teachers Association and its national affiliate, the National Education Association, have endorsed Democratic nominee Colin Allred over incumbent Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate race in Texas, TSTA President Ovidia Molina and NEA President Becky Pringle announced today. "Public education is in Colin Allred's DNA. His mother was a public school teacher who instilled i  more