FBI Has Seen ‘Huge Increase’ in Sextortion Cases Targeting Minors

Exactly one year after the terrorist attack on Israel, a group of Jewish California teachers is suing state officials and the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District over regulations they say force them to associate with a union that promotes anti-Israel rhetoric. The federal lawsuit against Alberto M. Carvalho, LAUSD superintendent and the California Public Employee Relation Board argues the teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District should not be forced to be a part of the teachers union, called the Unified Teachers of Los Angeles, because it "publicly advocates acts violating their deeply held religious beliefs." Kimberly Krieger, Carli Goblin, Anna Kingston, and another Jewish teacher who is unnamed in the complaint say the UTLA "supports calls for the destruction of Plaintiffs' religious homeland, and promotes animosity and violence towards people of Jewish decent."Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

The latest test results show more students in Wisconsin's public schools are scoring better at reading and writing, but critics say it's an illusion. The state's Department of Public Instruction on Tuesday released the results from the Forward Exam, for middle and elementary school students, and the ACT for high schoolers. The scores show 51% of Wisconsin children are proficient in reading and 53% are proficient in math. That's up from last year's scores that showed 39% were proficient in reading and 41% were proficient in math.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: Critics call jump in Wisconsin standardized test scores ‘ludicrous’ 

During last week's debate between candidates for vice president, the two sparred over school shootings, illustrating the ideological divide between the main political parties. While Republican VP candidate Sen. J.D. Vance from Ohio and Democratic candidate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz maintained a generally civil tone during the portion of the debate, their answers highlight the wide divide on approaches to school safety. When pressed during the debate hosted by CBS News, Walz (D) and Vance (R) took opposite approaches on how to curb shooting deaths that generally reflected their respective party's stances.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

A Michigan mom is appealing a court's ruling that she suffered "minor harassment" at the hands of school leaders for speaking out at board meetings against the COVID-19 policies enacted by her child's school district. Sandra Herndon, the mother of a special needs student formerly enrolled in the Chippewa Valley School District in Clinton Township, Michigan, alleges that school leaders violated her rights by contacting her employer and the Department of Justice for her outspoken oppostition to remote learning. The initial lawsuit alleged that an email referring Hernden to the federal law enforcement agency came immediately after Attorney General Merrick Garland sent an Oct. 4, 2021, memo calling on the FBI to investigate "harassment, intimidation, and threats of violence against school administrators, board members, teachers, and staff."Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

A California school district allegedly had a teacher teach a lesson and read a gender identity book to fifth graders, then have those fifth graders watch a video version of the book with their kindergarten mentees and teach them the lesson they just learned.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: CA school taught 5th graders gender identity, had them teach it to kindergartners

New research shows that school enrollment has declined in over 5,000 public schools in the U.S., suggesting families are rejecting traditional schools because of the pandemic. The Fordham Institute's new study, conducted by researcher Sofoklis Goulas from the Brookings Institution, released Wednesday, found that families were over twice as likely to leave low-performing public schools. The enrollment declines aren’t random, which leads Goulas to suspect that students aren’t just missing but instead are seeking alternatives.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx

A former paraprofessional is suing the Washoe County School District over claims that the system shuffles dangerous students between schools without adequately alerting staff about their behavior and terminated him in retaliation. The special education professional, James Benthin, said in the lawsuit that the school district “failed to discipline and remove dangerous students and failed to prevent the violent assault and battery” he allegedly experienced at the hands of a student in October last year. The lawsuit alleges Washoe County School District (WCSD) did nothing to remove dangerous students, which created a dangerous environment for teachers and students. The district said it cannot comment on pending litigation.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/safety/article_f7d6502a-7cf8-11ef-b9f1-eb8991b297fe.html

A lawsuit filed last week against the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 in Evanston, Illinois, alleges the school separated students and teachers by race and incited “racial hostility” through “divisive, race-obsessed teachings,” which it which the lawsuit says requires teachers to impose on students. The complaint filed by the Southeastern Legal Foundation on behalf of part-time drama teacher Stacy Deemar alleges that District 65 injected critical race theory into what students were taught. It also says the Department of Education issued a letter finding the district violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/cultural-issues/article_8ab63db2-7c43-11ef-a243-2fc3ffbdb9a8.html

As some students return to class this year with statewide or district-implemented cellphone bans, those who still have access to smartphones may be able to use an app powered by artificial-intelligence to complete their homework. The app, called Guath AI or Gauthmath, allows students to take pictures of their homework or tests, which it analyzes and solves. Critics have also pointed out that because it is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, user data may be accessible by that nation’s government. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/accountability/article_4d37743e-76ca-11ef-a42e-b7a5c9841da7.html

Earlier this month, a Texas special education teacher pleaded guilty to soliciting explicit photos from minors. The high school teacher posed as a 19-year-old boy to solicit the photos from a 14-year-old girl. The exploitation of children by teacher Juan Carlos Munoz highlights how adults posing as young people exploit minors, which federal law enforcement agencies say has been on the rise and must be discussed before it is committed. A Homeland Security Investigations special agent, Craig Larrabee, said in a press release that Munoz “abused his position of public trust as a special education teacher to prey on those he was entrusted to protect.”Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.chalkboardnews.com/issues/safety/article_c923d28a-79b9-11ef-ba7b-2fba83125abb.html