Betsy DeVos, international students, school policing, LGBTQ censorship, and more: Required Readings, 01.30.17

Welcome to a VERY belated edition of Required Readings. Quite honestly, once I hit the winter break (I work for a system where campuses are closed between Christmas and New Year’s, paid even), I mentally and physically crashed. Not to mention that I have been completely speechless at what has been happening over the past few weeks.

Let’s start with probably the largest issue of relevant to RR: Betsy DeVos, the nominee for U.S. Secretary of Education. After a rather fraught confirmation hearing, the vote on her confirmation was postponed until Tuesday, January 31. Among the issues of concern are her financial ties to education-related companies and campaign contributions to Senators who will be voting on her nomination.

Meanwhile: what universities need to know about the U.S. immigration ban, which has left students stranded all over the world.

A newly published investigation looks at policing in schools: “who is most likely to be arrested at school and which students are most likely to go to schools with cops.”

Eight states censor LGBTQ topics in schools. Will a new lawsuit change that?

A resource to know about: UNESCO’s Media and Information Literacy Clearinghouse.

In South Dakota, an anti-science education bill has passed the State Senate.

Almost all colleges enroll students in need of remedial education in math and English, but data inconsistencies mean we don’t know exactly how many students are at risk.

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