Financing March 2018

Zuckerberg, Chan Give $30M To Harvard And MIT For Literacy [Education News]

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, are giving Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology $30 million to help improve the literacy skills of elementary school students across the nation. The Reach Every Reader program will combine scientific research with methods of tracking and predicting students' reading abilities to develop a web-based screening tool to identify kindergartners at high risk of reading difficulties.

Global March 2018

Snowy Nor'easter Brings Threat Of More Power Problems [News In Education And Beyond]

Another snowy, blowy nor'easter threatened a new round of power outages as it began moving up the East Coast on Wednesday, closing schools and government offices and raising concerns for utility customers still trying to bounce back from an earlier storm. A wintry mix of snow and light rain started falling early Wednesday in many areas, but the precipitation was expected to soon turn to all snow in most areas and then continue through the day.

Hispanic Community March 2018

Los Angeles High School Students Walk In To Cal State LA To Commemorate East L.A. Walkouts [Education News]

More than 1,000 high school students walked in to the California State University, Los Angeles campus on Friday as part of a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1968 East L.A. Walkouts. The “Walk in to Higher Education” was part of two days of events on March 1-2 at Cal State LA exploring the educational legacy of the walkouts.

Global March 2018

New Gun Law In Oregon and Gun Restrictions Passed By Florida Senate [News in Education and Beyond]

Two news stories: Oregon’s governor signed a bill prohibiting domestic abusers and people under restraining orders from owning firearms; this is America's first new gun control law since the Feb. 14 Florida high school massacre. And Florida’s Senate narrowly passed a bill that would create new restrictions on rifle sales and allow some teachers to carry guns in schools.

Financing March 2018

Florida Legislators Agree To Boost College Financial Aid [Education News]

Florida's top performing high school students may get a boost in help for college under a bill passed by the Florida Legislature. Both the House and Senate on Monday passed a sweeping higher education bill that would permanently increase the amount of money provided under the state's popular Bright Futures scholarship. It heads to the desk of Gov. Rick Scott, who vetoed a similar bill last year.

Financing March 2018

Foundation Seeks To Retract $100M Pledge To U Of Chicago [Education News]

A family that in 2015 pledged $100 million to the University of Chicago is suing to void its commitment, saying the school failed to live up to its promises. The lawsuit by The Thomas L. Pearson and The Pearson Family Foundation was filed last month in U.S. District Court in Oklahoma. The foundation wants a judge to void the deal and recoup for it nearly $23 million already given the university to establish The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts.

Arts and Media March 2018

50 High Schools Rise Above 1,000 Applicants To Claim NBC's R.I.S.E. America Grants [On A Positive Note In Education]

Fifty high schools have risen above 1,000 applicants to claim NBC's R.I.S.E. America grants. The program – inspired by the network's upcoming drama "Rise" about a high school theatre department and its effects on a small town – is awarding a half-million dollars to high school theatre programs across the country.

Hispanic Community March 2018

Arkansas Community College Earns Hispanic-serving Institution Designation [Education News]

A southwest Arkansas community college has earned the U.S. designation of being a "Hispanic-serving institution," becoming what officials say is the first school in the state with such a title. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that the U.S. Department of Education recently awarded the designation to Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas.

Hispanic Community March 2018

AP News Guide: DACA Deadline Arrives With Diminished Urgency [Beyond Education]

A program that temporarily shields hundreds of thousands of young people from deportation was scheduled to end Monday but court orders have forced the Trump administration to keep issuing renewals. In September, Trump said he was ending the DACA program but gave Congress six months to develop a legislative fix. Those whose permits expired by March 5 had one month to apply for renewal.

Global March 2018

Where Help May Finally Reach the Desperate and Bombarded

"The Shape of Water" won for best picture at the Oscars. An aid convoy has entered the suburbs of eastern Ghouta. President Donald Trump announced that he intends to place tariffs on imported aluminum and steel. Despite Euroskeptic parties forcing a surge in Italy's parliamentary election, neither party gained enough support to govern alone.

Arts and Media March 2018

Cultural Powerhouse 'Coco' Wins Oscar For Best Animation [Beyond Education]

"Coco," the tear-jerking adventure tale of a Mexican boy who learns the importance of honoring his ancestors after getting stuck in an eye-popping netherworld of the dead, won the Oscar for best animated feature on Sunday. The Pixar film is one of the largest U.S. productions ever to feature an almost entirely Latino cast.

Arts and Media March 2018

'Shape of Water' Triumphs At An Oscars Awash In Change [Beyond Education]

Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water" swam away with best picture at an Oscar ceremony flooded by a sense of a change for a movie business confronting the post-Harvey Weinstein era. "The Shape of Water," which came in with 13 nods, took a leading four awards, including best production design, best score and best director for del Toro.