Retired Master Sgt. Gary Barb, campus technology officer at Penn State Harrisburg, is a veteran of both the U.S. Navy, which he served from 1989 to 1993, and the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, which he served from 1994 to 2012. His daughter, Jessica Barb, is a communications major at Penn State Harrisburg, where she participates in the Army ROTC program, and serves in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard.

Would parents and children be more engaged if choice were everywhere? Would teachers and leaders function differently if we weren't a monopoly? Is it the lack of choice that breeds resentments and arrogance?

Marc Tucker looks at what the world's top performers tell us about the school choice agenda likely to be pursued by President Trump and his Education Secretary nominee Betsy DeVos.

Indiana has one of the largest voucher programs in the country, with over 34,000 students receiving tax dollars to pay for private schools. With the Trump administration favoring school choice, many wonder if vouchers help or hurt education.

The Colorado Supreme Court decided Douglas County's Choice Scholarship Program is unconstitutional.

Vouchers are back as a topic, and this time they've been given an equity gloss. Julian Vasquez Heilig and I discuss whether or not vouchers are still a bad idea.

Proposition 305 had become one of the most contentious ballot-box battles over school choice in the 2018 midterm elections. But its loss is not necessarily a defeat for school choice advocates.

Despite being rebuked by Congress in its bid to do so last year, the U.S. Department of Education says it will use Education Innovation and Research funds for teacher professional development vouchers.

The FDA estimates that between 45 and 50 students at a Massachusetts school for students with autism, emotional disturbances, and intellectual disabilities are subjected to electrical shocks through electrodes attached to their skin.

Amid coronavirus-related school closures, advocates worry Education Secretary Betsy DeVos may waive requirements of special education law if Congress signs off. Schools say it's difficult to meet some requirements during the pandemic.

A leading autism researcher and former special education teacher offers advice to help students cope with the abrupt changes brought on by the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Very carefully, experts say, while understanding that federal laws governing special education were not written with online education in mind.

The two national teachers' unions and other prominent groups are seeking $175 billion for state K-12 budgets, $13 billion in dedicated aid for special education, and more to help schools deal with the coronavirus.

Congress should not grant flexibility from the federal special education law's key components due to the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has told federal lawmakers.

A coalition of education organizations wants Congress to waive a provision in federal law requiring districts to keep special education funding level from year to year regardless of budget pressures.

The requests put the nation's special education administrators in conflict with disability rights advocates who fear waivers will place millions of special education students at risk.

When it comes to parenting students with learning differences, every family's experience is unique. And that reality has never been more true than it is now as millions of students are out of school due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A new resource offers tips on how to keep Individualized Education Program meetings focused and on-schedule.

Nearly 30 disability rights and education advocacy organizations have launched a new resource hub and online network designed to help special educators during the coronavirus crisis.

Inadequate monitoring and a lack of qualified staff left the bureau unable to ensure that thousands of special education students received the services they were due under federal law, a Government Accountability Office reports finds.

Districts could face a rising tide of special education-related lawsuits and complaints when schools resume, experts say, if they still cannot offer the services that students with disabilities missed out on for months.

In a new Government Accountability Office report, districts cite funding constraints as the main reason for not making their buildings accessible, a longstanding problem.

Special education advocates argue the push for liability protection is a veiled attempt to seek waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the nation's primary special education law.

A small portion of a $600 million settlement will be used to improve services and supports for children impacted by the city's water crisis.

Nathan Levenson of District Management Group discusses how school leaders can improve the quality of special education even as they manage its cost.

In the United States, we lament the lack of diversity in STEM fields and in teacher education, but many of our actions as educators continue to "weed out" students from nondominant communities and those who are differently abled.

A new digital guide aims to identify students missing out on special education services and supports during distance learning.

A new U.S. Government Accountability Office report found that the needs of students with IEPS and those who are learning English-language skills were not often met after the pandemic struck.

"It has become clear over time that [the edTPA] caused unintended barriers and burdens for teachers entering the profession," Georgia's state superintendent said.

Penn State Abington's STEM Inc. provides financial and academic support and faculty mentors who help jump start students' career development through research and technical experiences.

Penn State Abington rehabilitation and human services faculty Abigail Akande, Stacey Conway and Michael Lavetsky wrote a recently published book, "Experiential Learning and Internship for Undergraduates: A Workbook for Undergraduate Interns in the Human Services Field," to help guide human services students at Abington and other Penn State campuses through the internship and career development and exploration processes. 

The Pennsylvania Council for International Education honored Nicole Stokes, a mid-career faculty and administrator at Penn State, with its lifetime achievement award.

Khamila Barnes successfully took the leap from the corporate world to entrepreneurship thanks for her vibrant personality, innate drive, and the skills she developed at Penn State Abington. 

Penn State Laureate Michele Dunleavy, professor of dance at the University Park campus, will continue her tour of the Commonwealth Campuses with a visit to Penn State Abington on Nov. 11. She will present “Improvising a Life” at 12:15 p.m. in 9 Sutherland Auditorium with musician Jennifer Peacock.

Alumnus Marvin Johnson Jr. will share personal and professional lessons from his distinguished career leading large-scale global pharmaceutical initiatives with new Penn State Abington graduates.

Penn State will celebrate its 10th GivingTuesday on Dec. 3, and Penn State Abington invites alumni and friends to mark this milestone by making a gift to support the Abington General Scholarship and Student Emergency Assistance funds.

Mica Pollack and her colleagues from UCSD share new research about the importance of teachers in blended learning environments that highlights the strengths and limits of online tools.

Innovative professional development initiatives infuse technology with in-person learning to enhance learning experiences for teachers.

We talk a lot about blended learning opportunities in my district, asking ourselves whether we are offering the most beneficial learning opportunities for both staff and students. We're looking to provide quality online learning resources to students when they are outside of our classrooms, as well

The new "question-of-the-week" is:

Computer programs may help predict students' grades in school as well as determine successful pathways for completing assignments, finds a new Stanford University study.

Using online editing sessions does not affect student scores on standardized writing and reading exams, according to a forthcoming study.

Even great innovations can fail. Will blended learning be one of them? These five factors may help us determine if the new educational model has reached a tipping point.

Modern classrooms are slowly taking a new approach to imparting wisdom and knowledge to the upcoming generation. Traditional classroom teaching techniques are giving way to a new system of blended learning.

Technology-enhanced instruction can make learning personalized, student-centered, and available anytime, anywhere.

Quiz yourself: How much do you know about how educators are navigating hybrid instruction and planning content for in-person and remote instruction?

To avoid the frustrations and mistakes of last spring, see our tips, checklists, best practices, and expert advice on how to make teaching and learning at home engaging, productive, and equitable.

When some students are online and others in school buildings, how can teachers make sure everyone is learning what they need to learn?