Friday, February 26, 2021
About
About the Media Bullpen
America’s future, its short and long term viability, is wholly dependent on how we educate our children.
The Media Bullpen is a dynamic, virtual newsroom that covers the news and the news of education. It’s a sophisticated and unique technological environment that allows everyone to get in the game on the greatest discussions of our day. To understand those discussions, we need great information and reporting on all the issues relating to education—all the time.
Each day nearly 500 stories—and sometimes many more—are produced in the media about education, but they often lack the context for the public to get engaged.
The Bullpen reporters—the umpires—react and respond in real time to the press as it rolls out its coverage in print, online or broadcast, at the local, state or national levels. They score the coverage using the metaphors of that favorite American pastime, baseball. Articles are given strike outs, pop flies, singles, doubles, triples, and home runs, reflecting a particular story’s objectivity, proper context, its exploration of data, and search for accuracy.
In so doing, the Media Bullpen provides a critical eye to help the public better understand the complexity of the issues being reported.
More than anything else, the Bullpen allows readers to be their own umpires. A full suite of social media applications allows readers to get engaged by sharing the Bullpen’s content with friends, family, other media outlets, activists, and school leaders. Readers can help to make education great only by demanding greater education reporting.
The Media Bullpen is an entirely separate, editorially independent division of the Center for Education Reform, and the strategic evolution of its pioneering and well-known media relations and news monitoring work.
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By having your own account, you can quickly browse information of most importance to you and see the top trends in education reporting. Plus:
You can comment, contribute ideas, and share articles with your team of friends or colleagues. Soon, you will be able to use Your BullPen to write a reporter or legislator to play for change.
Plus, by joining the Media Bullpen, you can create your own personalized news feed daily by issue, state, region, and more, and it will be delivered to you as often as you ask.
The Media Bullpen. Because education is no longer a spectator sport.
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- Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them.
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Feb 26, 9:32 AM, Washington Post:
School districts across the country that closed buildings in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic handled the transition to remote learning with varying levels of success. During the disruption, schools lost track of students. >
- Kids are 'hostages to adult interests' in school openings, says education advocate (CER in the news)
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Feb 25, 9:16 AM, WJLA-TV:
Parents around the nation are frustrated as schools continue to remain closed, despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instructing schools how to reopen safely.
- Jeanne Allen: Latest On The School Reopening Saga: Biden Administration Waffles, Media Tires Of Rhetoric And Unions Claim Their Actions Won’t Harm Students
-
Feb 19, 9:08 AM, Forbes:
The media finally appear to be losing patience at the Administration’s waffling on the issue of school reopening. Joe Biden made school reopening and his ability to get it done quickly and safely a signature campaign promise.
- Teachers speak out about frustrations with unions slow-walking school reopenings: 'Politics seems to rule'
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Feb 26, 9:28 AM, FOX News:
President Biden's plan to reopen schools within 100 days has faced opposition from teachers unions due to coronavirus safety concerns, leaving other teachers frustrated.
- As schools stay closed, advocates work to redirect education funding (CER in the news)
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Feb 25, 9:14 AM, WSET-TV:
In the face of prolonged public school closures, parents and school choice advocates look to put their tax dollars to work for the students instead of the public school system.
- Families need options: Why school choice is essential to ensuring racial equality
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Feb 25, 9:11 AM, USA Today:
As Americans, we pride ourselves on an inherent ability to make our own choices and manage our own lives. That self-determination is a foundational tenet of our democracy, something we guard jealously. Except in public education.
- Opinion: To stop educational wokeness, force teachers to actually teach
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Feb 25, 9:08 AM, New York Post:
There’s a reason there is little to no backlash against crackpot notions — such as racist equations — and it’s that parents are bone tired. Many parents are burned out from nearly a whole year of their kids being at >
- Teachers’ Unions Nightmare: Study Shows Charter Schools More Cost-Effective Than District Schools
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Feb 25, 9:06 AM, The Daily Wire:
A new study out of the University of Arkansas shows that charter schools are far more cost-effective and produce nearly 50% more investment than district schools.
- CDC Study Finds Teachers ‘Central’ To COVID Transmission When Distancing, Masks Not Enforced
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Feb 25, 9:04 AM, The 74:
When schools don’t consistently enforce precautions such as social distancing and mask wearing, teachers can play a “central” role in COVID-19 transmission, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study released this >
- Opinion: Both sides of the school reopening debate have it wrong
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Feb 25, 9:03 AM, Washington Post:
Both sides of the school reopening debate have it wrong. We shouldn’t be debating whether schools are safe to reopen. Instead, we should ask whether in-person schooling is essential. If it is — as many Americans, including President Biden, >
- School voucher push taps frustration over distance learning
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Feb 25, 9:02 AM, Associated Press:
School choice advocates and lawmakers in many states are counting on the frustrations of parents like Rivera to bolster efforts to pass or expand laws allowing families to use public money to pay for private school or to help teach their >
- Opinion: School shutdowns: How one city helps students reverse severe learning loss during pandemic
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Feb 12, 9:06 AM, USA Today:
In North Las Vegas, Nev., an entrepreneurial group of civic leaders and educators have decided to try something different. Looking for a way to provide in-person instruction while minimizing the risks of exposure to COVID, they created the >
- Lawmakers hear bill to expand tax credit limits for private schools
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Feb 12, 6:19 AM, Missoulian:
Private school scholarship donors could getup to $200,000 in Montana tax credits under a proposed legislative bill. Donations to approved scholarship organizations for private schools, including religious schools, or "innovative education >
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union reach a tentative reopening deal ‘at long last’
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Feb 8, 6:51 AM, Chiacgo Tribune:
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Teachers Union reached a tentative deal Sunday to reopen city schools for families seeking in-person instruction, narrowly avoiding a strike but contingent on broader union approval.
- Marblehead parents 'Stand Up for Students'
-
Feb 26, 9:23 AM, Wicked Local:
Reduce social distancing rules and put all students back in the classroom was the message delivered to School Committee members Thursday night
- New Homeschooling Families Weigh How Long They Will Continue Amid Pandemic
-
Feb 26, 9:19 AM, WUNC:
More parents have chosen to homeschool their children during the pandemic, and it's contributed to a decline in enrollment at public schools. Now, schools and families are trying to figure out how long this trend will last. Liz Schlemmer >
- Opinion: Iowa’s governor beat the teachers unions and reopened schools. Here’s how she did it.
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Feb 26, 8:48 AM, Washington Post:
Her name is Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), and she just signed a bill into law that requires every public and accredited private school in her state to offer in-person learning, five days a week. Not a “majority” of K-8 schools in 100 days, >
- This Ohio school reduced spacing measures and is open to all, 5 days a week
-
Feb 26, 8:29 AM, CNN:
The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school. Schools superintendent Kasey Perkins said once they had that mandate, >
- School district leaders say Lamont’s plan to use federal funds will leave them short
-
Feb 26, 7:59 AM, CT Mirror:
School districts across the state, especially those in Connecticut’s cities, expect they will need huge increases in staffing to get students caught up after the COVID pandemic broadly interrupted learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed >
- Indianapolis charter schools are 78% more cost-effective than traditional Indianapolis public schools, report finds
-
Feb 26, 7:52 AM, Center Square:
A new report finds that Indianapolis charter schools are doing more with less, and giving the state “more bang for its buck.
- 250 Success Academy Parents Mobilize For Parent Choice
-
Feb 26, 7:50 AM, Rockaway Wave:
More than 250 Success Academy parents mobilized for a week-long series of virtual meetings with elected officials to advocate for parent choice and urge them to eliminate the arbitrary charter “cap” — a statutory limit on the number of >
- Chartiers Valley School Board denies charter school application
-
Feb 26, 7:45 AM, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Chartiers Valley School Board members Tuesday unanimously voted to deny an application from Dogwood Charter School to locate its school in the district.
-
- Marblehead parents 'Stand Up for Students'
-
Feb 26, 9:23 AM, Wicked Local:
Reduce social distancing rules and put all students back in the classroom was the message delivered to School Committee members Thursday night
- School district leaders say Lamont’s plan to use federal funds will leave them short
-
Feb 26, 7:59 AM, CT Mirror:
School districts across the state, especially those in Connecticut’s cities, expect they will need huge increases in staffing to get students caught up after the COVID pandemic broadly interrupted learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed >
- 250 Success Academy Parents Mobilize For Parent Choice
-
Feb 26, 7:50 AM, Rockaway Wave:
More than 250 Success Academy parents mobilized for a week-long series of virtual meetings with elected officials to advocate for parent choice and urge them to eliminate the arbitrary charter “cap” — a statutory limit on the number of >
-
- Opinion: Iowa’s governor beat the teachers unions and reopened schools. Here’s how she did it.
-
Feb 26, 8:48 AM, Washington Post:
Her name is Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), and she just signed a bill into law that requires every public and accredited private school in her state to offer in-person learning, five days a week. Not a “majority” of K-8 schools in 100 days, >
- This Ohio school reduced spacing measures and is open to all, 5 days a week
-
Feb 26, 8:29 AM, CNN:
The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school. Schools superintendent Kasey Perkins said once they had that mandate, >
- Indianapolis charter schools are 78% more cost-effective than traditional Indianapolis public schools, report finds
-
Feb 26, 7:52 AM, Center Square:
A new report finds that Indianapolis charter schools are doing more with less, and giving the state “more bang for its buck.
-
- New Homeschooling Families Weigh How Long They Will Continue Amid Pandemic
-
Feb 26, 9:19 AM, WUNC:
More parents have chosen to homeschool their children during the pandemic, and it's contributed to a decline in enrollment at public schools. Now, schools and families are trying to figure out how long this trend will last. Liz Schlemmer >
- Bill would still allow thousands into virtual charter schools
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Feb 26, 7:43 AM, West Virginia Gazette:
The bill that would allow charter schools to spread faster in West Virginia and fully legalize online charters is up for amendments Friday in the state Senate.
- Dozens of NC charter schools raked in PPP loans in addition to state funding
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Feb 26, 7:36 AM, WRAL:
Forty-five public charter schools in North Carolina obtained a total of $28 million in forgivable federal loans last year in the early weeks of the pandemic that traditional public schools couldn't access.
-
- Opinion: Empower parents with school choice and support public education, too
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Feb 26, 6:41 AM, Idaho Statesman:
First, I trust parents. Second, I support our public schools. I believe that we should empower parents to make the educational decisions for their children. Trusting parents and supporting public schools are not mutually exclusive. If you >
- Salt Lake teachers, students rally against ‘bullying’ from Utah Legislature
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Feb 25, 6:48 AM, Deseret News:
Jennifer Woznick, a fifth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary School, described to a cheering crowd of other teachers, students and parents what she called examples of recent “bullying” from Utah lawmakers.
- San Francisco Pauses School Renamings to Focus on Returning Students to Classrooms
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Feb 24, 9:26 AM, New York Times:
Amid substantial pushback, the head of the San Francisco Board of Education said this week that the board was pausing plans to purge the district of school names that it said were linked to racism, sexism or slavery until after it reopened >
- Opinion: School shutdowns: How one city helps students reverse severe learning loss during pandemic
-
Feb 12, 9:06 AM, USA Today:
In North Las Vegas, Nev., an entrepreneurial group of civic leaders and educators have decided to try something different. Looking for a way to provide in-person instruction while minimizing the risks of exposure to COVID, they created the >
- Mayor Lori Lightfoot: Chicago Public Schools and the teachers union reach a tentative reopening deal ‘at long last’
-
Feb 8, 6:51 AM, Chiacgo Tribune:
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Teachers Union reached a tentative deal Sunday to reopen city schools for families seeking in-person instruction, narrowly avoiding a strike but contingent on broader union approval.
- Sen. Eddie Melton, Gary council pitches ban on charter schools
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Jan 7, 7:43 AM, NWI Times:
Members of the city's Common Council have signaled they plan to formally support a ban on new charter schools citywide as the Gary Community School Corp. attempts to right its finances and boost enrollment.
- Marblehead parents 'Stand Up for Students'
-
Feb 26, 9:23 AM, Wicked Local:
Reduce social distancing rules and put all students back in the classroom was the message delivered to School Committee members Thursday night
- This Ohio school reduced spacing measures and is open to all, 5 days a week
-
Feb 26, 8:29 AM, CNN:
The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school. Schools superintendent Kasey Perkins said once they had that mandate, >
- School district leaders say Lamont’s plan to use federal funds will leave them short
-
Feb 26, 7:59 AM, CT Mirror:
School districts across the state, especially those in Connecticut’s cities, expect they will need huge increases in staffing to get students caught up after the COVID pandemic broadly interrupted learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed >
- Indianapolis charter schools are 78% more cost-effective than traditional Indianapolis public schools, report finds
-
Feb 26, 7:52 AM, Center Square:
A new report finds that Indianapolis charter schools are doing more with less, and giving the state “more bang for its buck.
- 250 Success Academy Parents Mobilize For Parent Choice
-
Feb 26, 7:50 AM, Rockaway Wave:
More than 250 Success Academy parents mobilized for a week-long series of virtual meetings with elected officials to advocate for parent choice and urge them to eliminate the arbitrary charter “cap” — a statutory limit on the number of >
- Chartiers Valley School Board denies charter school application
-
Feb 26, 7:45 AM, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
The Chartiers Valley School Board members Tuesday unanimously voted to deny an application from Dogwood Charter School to locate its school in the district.
- How are those pandemic learning pods doing?
-
Feb 26, 7:30 AM, marketplace.org:
Last summer there was a lot of uncertainty about schools opening — and about how learning would happen. Allison Fried in Fairfax, Virginia, certainly felt that. So, as her oldest daughter was about to start kindergarten, she decided to >
- Students call remote learning ‘boring’ and ‘weird’ during de Blasio school visit
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Feb 26, 7:27 AM, New York Post:
The reviews are in: remote learning is “boring.” And it’s also “weird,” students told Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Education Chancellor Richard Carranza during their visit to a Bronx middle school on >
- Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them.
-
Feb 26, 9:32 AM, Washington Post:
School districts across the country that closed buildings in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic handled the transition to remote learning with varying levels of success. During the disruption, schools lost track of students. >
- Kids are 'hostages to adult interests' in school openings, says education advocate (CER in the news)
-
Feb 25, 9:16 AM, WJLA-TV:
Parents around the nation are frustrated as schools continue to remain closed, despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instructing schools how to reopen safely.
- Jeanne Allen: Latest On The School Reopening Saga: Biden Administration Waffles, Media Tires Of Rhetoric And Unions Claim Their Actions Won’t Harm Students
-
Feb 19, 9:08 AM, Forbes:
The media finally appear to be losing patience at the Administration’s waffling on the issue of school reopening. Joe Biden made school reopening and his ability to get it done quickly and safely a signature campaign promise.
- Teachers speak out about frustrations with unions slow-walking school reopenings: 'Politics seems to rule'
-
Feb 26, 9:28 AM, FOX News:
President Biden's plan to reopen schools within 100 days has faced opposition from teachers unions due to coronavirus safety concerns, leaving other teachers frustrated.
- Marblehead parents 'Stand Up for Students'
-
Feb 26, 9:23 AM, Wicked Local:
Reduce social distancing rules and put all students back in the classroom was the message delivered to School Committee members Thursday night
- New Homeschooling Families Weigh How Long They Will Continue Amid Pandemic
-
Feb 26, 9:19 AM, WUNC:
More parents have chosen to homeschool their children during the pandemic, and it's contributed to a decline in enrollment at public schools. Now, schools and families are trying to figure out how long this trend will last. Liz Schlemmer >
- Opinion: Iowa’s governor beat the teachers unions and reopened schools. Here’s how she did it.
-
Feb 26, 8:48 AM, Washington Post:
Her name is Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), and she just signed a bill into law that requires every public and accredited private school in her state to offer in-person learning, five days a week. Not a “majority” of K-8 schools in 100 days, >
- This Ohio school reduced spacing measures and is open to all, 5 days a week
-
Feb 26, 8:29 AM, CNN:
The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school. Schools superintendent Kasey Perkins said once they had that mandate, >
- School district leaders say Lamont’s plan to use federal funds will leave them short
-
Feb 26, 7:59 AM, CT Mirror:
School districts across the state, especially those in Connecticut’s cities, expect they will need huge increases in staffing to get students caught up after the COVID pandemic broadly interrupted learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed >
- Indianapolis charter schools are 78% more cost-effective than traditional Indianapolis public schools, report finds
-
Feb 26, 7:52 AM, Center Square:
A new report finds that Indianapolis charter schools are doing more with less, and giving the state “more bang for its buck.
- 250 Success Academy Parents Mobilize For Parent Choice
-
Feb 26, 7:50 AM, Rockaway Wave:
More than 250 Success Academy parents mobilized for a week-long series of virtual meetings with elected officials to advocate for parent choice and urge them to eliminate the arbitrary charter “cap” — a statutory limit on the number of >
- Unprecedented numbers of students have disappeared during the pandemic. Schools are working harder than ever to find them.
-
Feb 26, 9:32 AM, Washington Post:
School districts across the country that closed buildings in mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic handled the transition to remote learning with varying levels of success. During the disruption, schools lost track of students. >
- Kids are 'hostages to adult interests' in school openings, says education advocate (CER in the news)
-
Feb 25, 9:16 AM, WJLA-TV:
Parents around the nation are frustrated as schools continue to remain closed, despite guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instructing schools how to reopen safely.
- Jeanne Allen: Latest On The School Reopening Saga: Biden Administration Waffles, Media Tires Of Rhetoric And Unions Claim Their Actions Won’t Harm Students
-
Feb 19, 9:08 AM, Forbes:
The media finally appear to be losing patience at the Administration’s waffling on the issue of school reopening. Joe Biden made school reopening and his ability to get it done quickly and safely a signature campaign promise.
- Teachers speak out about frustrations with unions slow-walking school reopenings: 'Politics seems to rule'
-
Feb 26, 9:28 AM, FOX News:
President Biden's plan to reopen schools within 100 days has faced opposition from teachers unions due to coronavirus safety concerns, leaving other teachers frustrated.
- Marblehead parents 'Stand Up for Students'
-
Feb 26, 9:23 AM, Wicked Local:
Reduce social distancing rules and put all students back in the classroom was the message delivered to School Committee members Thursday night
- New Homeschooling Families Weigh How Long They Will Continue Amid Pandemic
-
Feb 26, 9:19 AM, WUNC:
More parents have chosen to homeschool their children during the pandemic, and it's contributed to a decline in enrollment at public schools. Now, schools and families are trying to figure out how long this trend will last. Liz Schlemmer >
- Opinion: Iowa’s governor beat the teachers unions and reopened schools. Here’s how she did it.
-
Feb 26, 8:48 AM, Washington Post:
Her name is Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds (R), and she just signed a bill into law that requires every public and accredited private school in her state to offer in-person learning, five days a week. Not a “majority” of K-8 schools in 100 days, >
- This Ohio school reduced spacing measures and is open to all, 5 days a week
-
Feb 26, 8:29 AM, CNN:
The push to reopen the Southwest Licking schools began several months ago, when a summertime survey of parents found 70% of them wanted their children back at school. Schools superintendent Kasey Perkins said once they had that mandate, >
- School district leaders say Lamont’s plan to use federal funds will leave them short
-
Feb 26, 7:59 AM, CT Mirror:
School districts across the state, especially those in Connecticut’s cities, expect they will need huge increases in staffing to get students caught up after the COVID pandemic broadly interrupted learning. Gov. Ned Lamont has proposed >
- Indianapolis charter schools are 78% more cost-effective than traditional Indianapolis public schools, report finds
-
Feb 26, 7:52 AM, Center Square:
A new report finds that Indianapolis charter schools are doing more with less, and giving the state “more bang for its buck.
- 250 Success Academy Parents Mobilize For Parent Choice
-
Feb 26, 7:50 AM, Rockaway Wave:
More than 250 Success Academy parents mobilized for a week-long series of virtual meetings with elected officials to advocate for parent choice and urge them to eliminate the arbitrary charter “cap” — a statutory limit on the number of >