• I knew I didn't want my four kids to graduate from college with student loan debt.
• I started saving for college when my oldest was in the first grade, and it's not enough.
• With three more kids heading to college, I'm overwhelmed financially.

I was with my four kids on the playground one day, talking with the other moms. We were chatting about school, work, and tiptoeing around the subject of finances.

One of the moms mentioned saving for college, and it felt like cold water was poured on me. I had a vague idea about tax-advantaged college savings plans; our diligent financial advisor had surely discussed them in one of our meetings. But the numbers — the 529s, 401ks, and 403bs — all swam together in my head.

However, I was confronted by the fact that someone else with small children was already planning for college. I felt like we had just started saving for retirement, and now I had to start thinking about another future — four of them.

Did I have to start worrying about this already? If I wanted to be anywhere close to ready when they graduated from high school, I did.

That was years ago, and now that college is here, I'm worried we'll never have enough.

We knew college was going to be difficult for my large family

My parents remortgaged their house to pay for my college. While I hope it doesn't come to that, my family is in a difficult situation. My husband and I make too much money for grants. I am a freelance writer, picking up as many gigs as I can, and my husband is a small-business owner.

After the pandemic and online school, all of my kids' grades plummeted while their anxiety skyrocketed, so scholarships are not an option for them.

I also knew that I wanted my kids to leave college without any student loan debt that they'd be paying off for the next 20 years.

That meant college tuition fell on my husband and me. In two years, we'll have two college tuitions to pay. In the next seven years, we will be paying for all four of my kids to go to college.

We started saving years ago, and it's not enough

Shortly after that mom's group, I called my advisor, and we started college savings plans for each kid. We have been saving since my college freshman was in first grade.

We automatically withdraw $100 a month for each kid, which is $400 a month out of the budget. That's no chump change, but it's not even close to enough.

We saved $1,200 a year per kid for nearly 12 years. That's not even enough for one year of tuition, books, and room and board.

My oldest son started school in September. We saved $14,400 for him and used our state's 529 plan, so it was invested and grew to a little over $20,000. He attends an in-state public school, and those savings still weren't enough.

He works in the summer and on breaks to help with costs. For the remaining amount, my husband and I squeeze it out of our budget. We're on a payment plan, so it's broken up — $3,300 a month rather than $13,200 all at once at the beginning of the semester.

Getting a good education is still worth it

Education is a core value in my family. Going to college will afford my kids so many opportunities. Thankfully, my son is thriving at school. Despite the expense, despite my feelings of overwhelm, I still think it's worth going. He's happy, and he's learning a lot — both in his classes and about himself.

The finances aren't his concern right now. My husband's business is doing great, and I'm taking on more writing gigs and a couple of side hustles. There will be vacations closer to home, and the new bathroom that I've wanted for a while won't happen.

We will get through these next 10 years; we will just keep our heads down and pay the bills as they come in.

When the overwhelm starts to kick in again, I check my son's texts. The smiling photos with his college roommates and the video of his rugby club remind me all this is worth it.

• A new study suggests universal pre-K programs could increase parents' earnings.
• Researchers found that those who enrolled their kids in free pre-K made about 21% more
• Universal pre-K programs have also been shown to help kids' long-term futures.

Universal pre-K has long been thought to boost children's lives and futures, but a new study suggests parents could also reap the benefits of free and early education for their kids.

Economists found that parents who had the opportunity to enroll their children in a universal pre-K program in Connecticut saw increased earnings by about 21% while their kids were in the program, as well as persistent gains for up to six years after.

The study, published in the National Bureau of Economic Research this month, looked at a New Haven pre-K program that provides six and a half hours of free schooling each day to three and four-year-olds, as well as wraparound childcare before and after school.

Parents who were lucky enough to win the school lottery saw several positive economic benefits, according to researchers. In addition to increased wages over time, those whose kids enrolled in the program also got an average of 12 more working hours each week, the study found.

"Parents whose kids have access to reliable, high-quality child care in the pre-K period are more likely to work during that period, and they work more hours," wrote economist Emily Oster in her ParentData newsletter. "This extra work allows them to get on a steeper career path."

The authors of the study similarly chalk it up to career continuity.

"This means that even though everyone eventually ends up working the same number of hours, the group that was able to invest in their career early have higher wages and therefore more income," Oster added.

Historically, parents haven't been required to send their kids to school until Kindergarten in most states. But in recent years, a growing number of municipalities have begun offering schooling for children as young as 3.

Supporters of universal pre-K say the concept gives kids an equal starting position heading into school and opens them up to educational opportunities at a younger age. Opponents, however, point to the high costs associated with providing free childcare.

Several studies in recent years have recorded some of the benefits for kids, including 2021 research that found children who attended universal pre-K are more likely to graduate high school and attend college. The study also pointed to positive behavioral impacts for those students.

The positives go beyond academics, too. A 2017 study found that universal pre-K helps more kids access healthcare, such as earlier detection and treatment for conditions like asthma and hearing and vision problems.

Affordable childcare and universal pre-K could also flush billions of dollars back into the US economy, a 2022 study from left-leaning think tank The Century Foundation found.

President Joe Biden included universal pre-K in the Build Back Better Act, which failed to garner Congressional support back in 2021. The legislation would have allowed three million more parents to either enter the labor force or increase their working hours, the Century Foundation report found.

The new study out of New Haven notably did not find any evidence that universal pre-K programs improve students' future test scores — a finding in line with prior research that suggests the biggest benefits are more long-term, Oster noted in her newsletter.

"In the end: from an economic standpoint, the biggest value to universal pre-K may be that it helps parents return to the labor force and make a better life for their families in the short and long run," Oster wrote. "And of course, that's also good for kids."

• Aditya Challapally teaches a Stanford Online course on generative AI for tech-adjacent professionals.
• Challapally explained how individuals can skill up technically or become an AI domain expert.
• He also said using tools like ChatGPT or Claude can help people understand AI better.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aditya Challapally, a 30-year-old Microsoft employee who teaches a course for Stanford Online about generative AI. This story has been edited for length and clarity.

I started working in AI about a decade ago. I started as a data science intern at Uber, then did AI consulting at McKinsey, and later joined Microsoft, where I now work on Copilot.

I started guest teaching at Stanford four years ago and recently co-created a course called Mastering Generative AI for Product Innovation, which launched on Stanford Online in August 2024. It's an online, self-paced course that runs throughout the year. All of the research comes from talking to 300-plus users and 50-plus executives.

A lot of the people who take the class are tech adjacent, such as customer support representatives for a technical product, or product managers for a software or hardware product. They'll often be working on somewhat of a technical product and the course helps them understand gen AI a little bit more.

We teach three modules in this course. The first module explains what Gen AI is and where the biggest opportunities are. In the second module, we talk about what great Gen AI products look like.

The third module talks about how great Gen AI products are built and what individuals can do to set themselves up to be more influential, relevant, and useful when building Gen AI products.

These are the two main pathways you can take to do so.

Track 1: Skill up technically

When I go out and talk to Fortune 500 leaders, they say that their most burning need is for professionals who bridge both worlds — those who understand the business requirements but also understand the technical requirements.

This doesn't necessarily mean that you have to learn how to code, but you at least need to have enough technical literacy that you can translate product visions into technical requirements.

The beginner version is just getting really good at prompt engineering. This sounds like it would be quite basic, but understanding the exact limitations of prompts and all of the different tools across text, audio, and image makes you already very valuable in a business setting because you can help generate ideas even before they get to the technical team.

At an intermediate stage you also should start to understand a little bit about how gen AI systems work in systems design, like how gen AI models can be called within your data boundary.

Companies have data boundaries for which they have an agreement with their customers that their data can't go beyond. So if you're a bank, you may have an agreement with your customers that only the bank will use their information. If you send that in some sort of chat to OpenAI, that would be breaking the company data boundary. So something as simple as knowing that is already really helpful.

In the advanced stage of this track, there are two options.

Some people who don't work in big companies go deeper into understanding coding a little more. People who work in Big Tech companies usually dive deeper into system architecture. So they'll understand things like data boundaries and data flow diagrams in a lot more detail.

Track 2: Become an AI expert for your industry

The domain expertise track is where business people automatically lean toward and have an advantage. This is not necessarily knowing more about the industry, but knowing how gen AI can apply to the domain in more detail.

For example, in finance, you have to know things like what data you can use to train a specific model. You also have to know things like what types of privacy and security regulations you have to go through to get an app approved or release a gen AI-related app.

This skillset is so valuable that companies pay large amounts to consultants that have this specialized expertise. I know this guy who used to work as an operations manager at a bank and he figured out where gen AI was the most valuable. Now, companies will just call him to figure out where to launch their gen AI product.

Use the tools and learn their limitations to improve your prompts

The best thing I see people do is try to automate a lot of their lives with gen AI. They use ChatGPT or Claude for everything and that helps them understand the limitations of AI really well and how to prompt it.

When beginners start to use gen AI, they're not used to what I call the abundance of intelligence. They'll say "Can you give me a response to this text message?"

Experts who use gen AI a lot will say something like, "Can you give me 20 responses to this text message?" And then they'll go and use their taste to pick one.

Outside of work, I use it in many ways to think through a lot of plans. It's really helpful as a thought partner for me, even if for communication, for general planning, or for something even as banal as trip planning.

Instead of asking a friend for advice you should think about asking an LLM or a chatbot for advice. That's when you really start to understand how it's useful.

• Stanford University recruited my son to be a college athlete.
• He feared he wouldn't fit academically at the school.
• My son decided to drop out and transfer, but at the last minute, he found friends and stayed.

My son has always been an athlete, and sports have always come easily to him. However, he has had a problem with confidence ever since he was 8. That was when he lost the use of most of his body due to Guillain Barre, an autoimmune condition that left him paralyzed and forced him to take almost a year out of his life to re-learn to walk.

That was a huge setback, both physically and mentally, and it left him with doubts about his ability. Still, Fabian has persevered and exceeded all expectations. Not only has he become an incredible athlete, but he became the state discus champion as a sophomore in high school. He went on to claim fourth place at the National Championships in Eugene, OR, in 2021. Still, that was just the beginning of his journey.

Following Nationals, we received our first recruiting call. It was from the coach at Stanford University, and while I could not contain my excitement, my son paled.

He felt like he hadn't earned the right to be a Stanford student.

My son had doubts from the onset

I encouraged Fabian to go with the process. It was still early. I told him to just talk to the coach and that no decisions needed to be made just yet. We scheduled the first recruiting call. As we sat on the couch, side by side, my son sweating profusely through the hour-and-a-half phone call, we heard about all the exciting things that Stanford could offer and watched videos of the incredibly beautiful college campus.

When we got off the call, I couldn't wait to talk to my son about this incredible opportunity. This is what he has worked so hard for. As I turned to him, he said, "I am not going there," with a note of finality in his voice. He walked into his room and shut the door.

As we talked, it became obvious that the old feelings of inferiority that started as an 8-year-old surfaced. He wasn't sure he could cut it at Stanford academically. He didn't think he belonged as a student; he thought the school only wanted him for his athletic ability.

We continued talking about his accomplishments, amazing grades, and growing accolades in his sport. He agreed to give it a chance, especially after we visited campus on a recruiting visit. The chill campus atmosphere seemed perfect for my laid-back son.

His imposter syndrome made his freshman year difficult

As we moved Fabian into the dorms at the start of his freshman year at Stanford, he seemed excited to begin his journey. I left California to return home to the East Coast feeling excited and hopeful for him. This lasted all of two weeks.

In our daily phone calls, I heard sadness in his voice as he told me how homesick he felt. I tried to hear and understand his feelings. Over and over, the theme of not feeling like he belonged there echoed in our conversations.

When Fabian came home for Thanksgiving, he sprained his ankle and tore a ligament in his foot. When he returned to school after the break, he became outright depressed as he sat in his room alone while his teammates traveled to competitions.

Already feeling like he didn't belong academically, he felt even more lost because the only reason he was at Stanford was to be a recruited athlete; now, he could not even participate in his sport.

When Fabian came home for Christmas, I received the message loud and clear: He was not interested in returning. He was done with Stanford.

Without the pressure, he's now thriving at Stanford

I was torn on how to support my son through this. I wanted him to understand he should not give up on this amazing opportunity that would open doors for his future.

We finally discussed options and settled on finishing the trimester and then transferring colleges. As the end of the trimester approached and I became increasingly anxious about my son's future, I noticed a change in him. The closer it came to him being able to come home, the more relaxed he became. It was as if the pressure was off. He excelled in his classes. He had a solid group of friends, and they were inseparable.

As my husband and I planned to leave for our cross-country trip to pick Fabian up from Stanford for the last time, he decided to stay. When the pressure was off, he could finally experience the sense of belonging that was missing all along.

He finally found his place at Standford and on his team. Fabian now has the chance to compete as a college athlete this year.

• Susie Coughlin was concerned when her daughter struggled with reading skills at her public school.
• The mom of two was disappointed her district didn't teach phonics as part of its literacy program.
• She switched her child to a Catholic school where the girl thrived after being taught phonics.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Susie Coughlin, 43, an interior designer from Falmouth, Maine. It has been edited for length and clarity.

When our daughter, Carter, started struggling with reading, we thought it was related to her late birthday and the fact that almost everybody else in her class was a whole year older.

Her father, Paul, and I decided that she should repeat kindergarten in her public school. In her first year, she'd been put in a Response to Intervention (RTI) program to improve her literacy skills. However, at the parent/teacher conference during her second year, we were told she wouldn't receive RTI.

It didn't make sense because she wasn't progressing. Her self-confidence was low because it seemed like everyone else around her could read.

What I heard from the teacher was, "It's OK. We're gonna let your kid slide through." Being a child myself who was allowed to slide, I hit the brakes. At that moment, I thought, "My kid's not going to be the kid that's just going to slide through."

We had to employ a reading tutor

A key issue was the school district didn't teach phonics for reading. Instead, the kids are taught to scan the page for picture clues to the word — often at the expense of pronunciation and spelling.

For example, Carter wrote in her homework, "I went to the osen," rather than "I went to the ocean." The teacher hadn't corrected the mistake because the emphasis was on visual cues — a picture of the ocean — rather than spelling.

With phonics, you learn to sound out the word. It's a much more practical and efficient method of teaching literacy. It didn't seem like the district was going to adopt the method anytime soon. We had to search because private reading specialists are in high demand in our area, but we found a tutor for Carter.

She finished her second kindergarten year in public school before beginning first grade at a local Catholic school. It cost $10,000 a year, and we were fortunate enough to be able to budget for that.

We're glad we switched to a private Catholic school

The curriculum is very old-school, and they teach phonics. Carter, now 8, still has a tendency to look for picture cues on the page when she's reading, but she's getting there. It broke my heart when her confidence was in the toilet at her previous school. But her bucket of self-esteem is filling up.

We were so happy with the Catholic school that we sent Huddy, Carter's younger brother, there, too. He's attended for two years and has a good grasp and understanding of phonics.

In fact, at 6, he has excelled past his sister in reading because he has never been subjected to a nonsense visual cue program.

As for Carter, she has continued to study with a tutor at home, and we help her at night. The best thing is that she finally seems to be enjoying books and the written word.

Do you have an interesting story to share with Business Insider about the way that children are educated in school? Please send details to this reporter at [email protected]

• Many older Americans regret some career choices that affected retirement plans and job prospects.
• Regrets include not prioritizing education, frequent job changes, and involvement in office drama.
• This is part of an ongoing series about older Americans' regrets.

For millions of Americans, retiring at 65 is just a dream.

Since September, BI has heard from older Americans about their career regrets in two surveys it conducted.

Over 3,000 people between the ages of 48 and 96 completed a voluntary BI survey or emailed reporters about their life regrets. In a separate survey, over 300 recently laid-off Americans over 50 shared their career regrets. We followed up with 13 interviews to learn more. This is part of an ongoing series.

Some common themes people discussed included not prioritizing education, switching jobs too frequently, and struggling to navigate office politics. Many also cited age discrimination — data from AARP found that 64% of those over 50 have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace. Nearly all said they were passed over for some roles in favor of younger applicants with lower pay expectations, particularly in white-collar roles where hiring has slowed.

We want to hear from you. Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form.

Bureau of Labor Statistics data found that 18.9% of Americans 65 and older — about 11.4 million people — still work, many for financial or social reasons. Some returned to work after retiring, citing financial concerns.

Not prioritizing or getting the wrong kind of education

Lou Nelson, 63, was an executive assistant in the medical devices industry for 25 years but faced two layoffs since 2021. She hasn't had luck securing work since January.

For most of her career, she had few regrets about not having a bachelor's degree because she worked for top healthtech companies and said she was well respected. However, after sending out over 50 applications, she suspects not having a degree has impeded her search.

"Nobody wants to hire someone that's 63 years old, and I don't know if it's because of pay or experience," said Nelson, who lives in Texas.

A college degree is still a big boon to finding and holding a job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' latest jobs report showed that Americans with a bachelor's degree or higher had an unemployment rate of 2.4% in November 2024, while those with only a high-school diploma had an unemployment rate nearly twice as high, at 4.6%.

Grover McBeath, 79, said not having either limited his career options. He struggled through school and dropped out in eighth grade.

He joined the Air Force and worked in electronics for most of his career, but he lacked job satisfaction. Though he traveled the world for work and his salary peaked at $38,000 a year, he said he had an "unstable, nomadic lifestyle." McBeath took Social Security at 62 and relies on the $1,108 a month he receives. He lives in affordable housing in Nevada and receives SNAP benefits to help pay for food.

"I was in a career field that I didn't have an aptitude for, and many times, I just felt so lost in what I was doing, which is why I bounced around a lot," McBeath said, adding he wished he prioritized education.

Still, many believe a college degree isn't worth the financial burden. A Pew Research Center survey of US adults conducted at the end of 2023 found that just 22% of respondents believed a four-year college degree would be worth it if they had to take out loans.

Some older Americans BI spoke with agreed that their degrees haven't helped further their careers. Lynda Namey, 54, was a healthcare business manager for two decades, making $62,000 a year at her peak. However, after a divorce that put her in debt, she said she panicked and returned to school for her master's and doctorate degrees in counseling from Liberty University. She had no strong desire to pursue the degrees but did it because she expected them to help her land higher-paying roles.

That hasn't panned out. The Alabama resident removed her doctorate from her résumé to not appear overqualified. While searching for a full-time job, she's held part-time consulting, life coaching, and independent contractor roles. She also teaches meditation.

"I'm a middle-aged woman who has to completely support myself. I pay for my own insurance, and I've got to think about my future," Namey said. "I can't afford to take a job that pays $17 or $18 an hour. But those are the only jobs I get interviewed for."

Switching jobs frequently instead of building a cohesive career

Though a few job seekers regretted not looking enough for new roles, dozens said they regretted bouncing between jobs and career paths and not being more intentional about growing their networks.

After working in various industries, Dawn Habbena, 63, fell in love with human resources. But after her company was sold, she took a job in compliance for a wealth management company, which wasn't as satisfying as HR.

When Habbena faced a layoff during the pandemic, she struggled to get back into HR. Six months later, she got an HR job for a manufacturing plant, but she took another HR role after moving to help her aging mother. She described that role as "absolutely horrible," and she's since struggled to find another position — even as a grocery checker — after sending out over 1,000 applications.

Habbena wished she'd stayed focused on HR to accrue more experience and kept building her computer skills. She lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her 86-year-old mother and drives for DoorDash to stay afloat.

"I wish I had more confidence in what I did because I was easily knocked off," said Habbena, who lives in Texas.

Many older Americans, like Chuck Smith, 60, couldn't control how long they stayed in roles because of layoffs but wished they had settled somewhere more stable. Smith, from Massachusetts, worked in tech marketing for most of his career, making as much as six figures.

Smith was laid off in June 2023 and said he's since applied to over 2,700 roles and landed about 100 interviews. Though he and his wife are financially comfortable, Smith said he's worried about how quickly he's spending down his savings without a stable income.

Though hiring has remained steady for lower-income workers, the job market for six-figure earners has slumped. New LinkedIn data found hiring has fallen 27% in IT and 23% in product management and marketing since 2018. Middle managers have also faced hiring challenges — hiring levels fell 42% between April 2022 and October 2024, data from Revelio Labs found.

To be sure, recent data reveals that switching jobs often yields financial gains. A September Vanguard report found that the median job switcher received a 10% increase in pay. Still, it also showed a 0.7 percentage-point decline in people's retirement savings rate when switching jobs because 401(k) plan benefits can vary and people often make mistakes when rolling over retirement accounts.

AARP found that older workers who voluntarily change roles or industries in their 40s and 50s tend to retire later and have better work outcomes than their peers who stay in one role.

"They have better wage growth. They've experienced a higher success rate of staying in the workplace over those who might have been forced to change jobs later in their career," said Carly Roszkowski, the vice president of financial resilience programming at AARP.

Taking a risk on a business, contract roles, or an 'office bully'

Some respondents took risks that hurt them financially.

Michael R., 70, opened toy stores in New York throughout the 2000s, thinking they would grow enough that he could retire comfortably. However, when his businesses crashed amid the 2008 recession, he lost over $650,000 and declared bankruptcy.

"If I didn't do the business, I would have bought a house," Michael said, adding that in that scenario, he could've helped his whole family by selling his mom's house and gifting his siblings the money.

However, he had to move in with his mother, and after she died, he rented a studio apartment. He said he works nearly every day of the week at his friend's toy store and earns about $8,000 a month between his paycheck and his Social Security benefits.

"I'm still struggling just to pay my rent, my groceries, and my car. We don't get a raise. We don't get a bonus," Michael said. "I'm grateful I'm employed, but I can't go out looking for another job. Nobody's going to hire somebody who's 70 years old."

Some regretted taking risks working in contract roles instead of prioritizing full-time work. Mauricia Day, 74, never finished her degree and said she's held over 40 jobs — many contracted — in radio, tailoring, and office administration, making $30,000 a year at most. After a layoff in 2020, she hasn't found secure work. She works at a nonprofit in a part-time contract role that ends in December.

Day said because she knew little about saving and investing, she lived paycheck to paycheck. She wished she'd focused on securing full-time employment in one field instead of relying on unstable income. She receives $1,136 in Social Security and $317 from her pension each month, which is slightly more than her house payment.

"I wish I had focused more on a career; it would have probably helped better with retirement and investing," Day said, adding she stayed home for nearly 18 years raising her children. "I have a lot of friends who have been retired for 10 years, 15 years. I'm unsure why I'm still looking, but I know I'm still looking."

A few wished they took fewer risks navigating workplace dynamics. Robbi Sera, 59, said she had a stable career as a biotech project manager and made good financial decisions, such as maxing out her 401(k). However, she said she took a few risks at work that backfired.

Sera said she gave constructive feedback to a "company bully," which she said contributed to her layoff in February. She wished she'd stayed quiet until she locked down a different job, as she said the hiring landscape is "dismal."

Sera, who splits her time between California and Hawaii, said even though she's financially stable, she and her husband have cut back on spending significantly, rarely eating out or traveling. She earns $20 an hour as a contracted customer service agent for the aviation industry while searching for higher-paying roles.

"You just keep swimming and hope that something gets better," Sera said.

Are you an older American with any life regrets that you would be comfortable sharing with a reporter? Please fill out this quick form or email [email protected].

President Joe Biden's Department of Education has given up on a proposed rule change that would have punished schools for preventing trans athletes from competing in women's sports. 

The Department of Education released a docket on Friday announcing its withdrawal of the proposition. The Biden administration had proposed the rule change in April 2023. The proposition was titled "Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs or Activities Receiving Federal Financial Assistance: Sex-Related Eligibility Criteria for Male and Female Athletic Teams"

The rule would have officially outlawed individual states from banning participation in single-sex sports by gender identity rather than just sex. There are 23 states in the U.S. that have legislation in place to restrict trans athletes from competing as females in public school sports. 

The docket claims that the original intent of Biden's proposal was to "propose a regulatory standard under Title IX that would govern a recipient’s adoption or application of sex-related criteria that would limit or deny a student’s eligibility to participate on a male or female athletic team consistent with their gender identity."

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The department claims that its decision to withdraw comes after hearing testimony during the comment period, but that ongoing lawsuits have also played into the decision. 

"The Department recognizes that there are multiple pending lawsuits related to the application of Title IX in the context of gender identity, including lawsuits related to Title IX’s application to athletic eligibility criteria in a variety of factual contexts. In light of the comments received and those various pending court cases, the Department has determined not to regulate on this issue at this time," the docket read. 

Multiple states have filed lawsuits and enacted their own laws to address the issue after the Biden-Harris administration issued a sweeping rule that clarified that Title IX’s ban on "sex" discrimination in schools covers discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation and "pregnancy or related conditions."

FATHER OF FEMALE RUNNER FORCED TO COMPETE WITH TRANS ATHLETE SHARES FURY OF SITUATION: 'CAN'T EVEN DIGEST IT'

The administration insisted the regulation does not address athletic eligibility. However, multiple experts presented evidence to Fox News Digital in June that it would ultimately put more biological men in women's sports. 

In August, The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to deny the administration an emergency request to enforce that sweeping rule. The request would have permitted biological men in women’s bathrooms, locker rooms and dorms in 10 states where there are state-level and local-level rules in place to prevent it. Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch was the only conservative justice to dissent in that decision. 

Democrats have proposed other federal legislation that would allow for more transgender inclusion in women's sports. This record of support became a subject of nationwide backlash during the election cycle, that Republicans and President-elect Donald Trump seized on as a key campaign issue.  

Past Democratic support for trans inclusion includes the Equality Act, which was proposed in 2019 and has seen revisions that "would force public schools to allow biologically male athletes who identify as transgender on girls’ sports teams."

In March 2023, Democrats advocated for a transgender bill of rights, proposing a resolution "recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights." The resolution specifically called for federal law to ensure that biological men can "participate in sports on teams and in programs that best align with their gender identity; [and] use school facilities that best align with their gender identity."

On the other side of the aisle, Idaho's Republican Gov. Brad Little issued an executive order in August to enforce the "Defending Women's Sports Act," which would require schools and colleges to prohibit transgender athletes in women's sports. 

In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital before the election, Little acknowledged concern that his executive order could have resulted in public schools in his state losing federal funding if Kamla Harris had become the 47th president.

"We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it," Little said. "From a national standpoint, there are radical little groups that want to implement changes in the rules that we have already. I’m confident in what we have, and we will aggressively (act), as the state of Idaho, both legally and legislatively, to protect women’s athletes and the great advances they’ve made because of Title IX."

But even states with those laws in effect to prevent it from happening have had to endure trans athletes sharing fields and locker rooms with girls inside their own borders due to the interference of liberal federal judges. 

Multiple Obama-era federal judges have passed rulings that allow transgender inclusion in girls' sports. Judges Landya McCafferty in New Hampshire and M. Hannah Lauck of Virginia each passed rulings this year that enabled biological males to play on high school girls' soccer and tennis teams. Both judges were appointed by Obama in the early 2010s. 

However, Democrats slowly backpedaled in their support for trans inclusion as the year went on. Multiple Democrats, including Texas Rep. Collin Allred, backtracked on past support for transgender inclusion in women's sports. 

That trend continued after the election when Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton spoke out against his party's stance and actions in enabling transgender inclusion in multiple interviews, inciting fierce backlash and even a massive pro-transgender rally outside his office. 

Now, in the Biden administration's final weeks, it too has issued a major surrender on the issue as the party continues to debate what its stance will be, moving forward.

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The Biden administration announced another $4.28 billion in student loan handouts as President Biden and Vice President Harris prepare to leave the White House.

The massive loan handout will give 54,900 public workers loan forgiveness.

"Four years ago, the Biden-Harris Administration made a pledge to America’s teachers, service members, nurses, first responders, and other public servants that we would fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, and I’m proud to say that we delivered," Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona said in a release on Friday.

The action brings the total loan forgiveness approved by Biden to nearly $180 billion for nearly 5 million borrowers.

HOUSE GOP LEADERS SCRAMBLE FOR PLAN B AFTER TRUMP, MUSK LEAD CONSERVATIVE FURY AGAINST SPENDING BILL

"With the approval of another $4.28 billion in loan forgiveness for nearly 55,000 public servants, the Administration has secured nearly $180 billion in life-changing student debt relief for nearly five million borrowers," Cardona said. "The U.S. Department of Education’s successful transformation of the PSLF Program is a testament to what’s possible when you have leaders, like President Biden and Vice President Harris, who are relentlessly and unapologetically focused on making government deliver for everyday working people."

The Biden-Harris administration touted the program for creating an "incentive" for public servants to "pursue and remain" in their careers by forgiving borrowers' remaining balance after they made the 120 qualifying monthly payments.

DAD WHO SACRIFICED HIS SAVINGS TO PAY FOR SON'S COLLEGE CALLS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS A ‘BITTER PILL’ 

"The relief announced today includes both borrowers who have benefitted from the Administration’s limited PSLF waiver, a temporary opportunity that ended in October 2022, as well as from regulatory improvements made to the program during this Administration," the release said.

During his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden pledged to forgive student loans for millions of Americans if elected, but the president has faced continuous legal roadblocks in his attempt to eliminate hundreds of billions of dollars in debt.

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After the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration's first attempt at providing broad-based student loan forgiveness, ruling it was an overreach of the executive branch's authority under the Constitution, the president and his team began to work on other options to provide handouts.

President-elect Trump has not said specifically how he will approach the Biden administration's student loan handout plans, but he has said he plans to rework the entire education system during his term.

Fox News Digital's Audrie Spady contributed to this report.

Joshua McGoun, a K-12 public-school teacher in Frederick, Maryland, first noticed a change in his students about 10 years ago. They began to struggle with focus.

Increasingly, younger kids were not nailing basic reading skills before third grade — a crucial window. Those who miss it have a tough road ahead in middle and high school. Even adept readers in their tweens and teens have become afraid of complex or extended reading tasks and more comfortable with short texts or bite-size summaries.

McGoun, who has a doctorate in education, shared one stark example. With struggling readers, he hands each child a book upside down and backward. "They should be able to turn the book the right way up and open it at the first page," he said. These days, "some students aren't able to do that."

This is not unusual. Across the US, kids are struggling to read. Last year, reading performance for fourth graders hit its lowest level since 2005, and teachers expect that number to keep tumbling.

The panic to turn things around quickly is driving a wedge between teachers, politicians, and parents, all pointing the finger of blame at one another.

The Senate education committee, calling it a crisis, is pushing school districts to retrain teachers in a trendy new teaching style called "the science of reading," which has dramatically improved literacy in some areas (scroll down for more detail on that). Parents with resources to do so are moving their kids to schools that tout science-backed teaching styles.

Some teachers and policy experts worry this frenzy may have an ironic side effect, putting pressure on public schools to resolve a problem that cannot be tackled in the classroom alone.

"It makes the task of teaching harder," McGoun said, referring to new literacy programs and a focus on test results. "We're burning out at a faster rate, and it's causing a lot of apathy."

Gen Alpha kids, aged 2 to 12, need to discover the joy of reading, he and other teachers say. It's doable, but it's a more creative and slower process that many parents don't have time to wait for.

Teaching a 6-year-old to read is political

There has never been a golden age for reading scores in America. The record high was in 2017, when 37% of US fourth graders pass their NAEP reading test — just 5% higher than the most recent results.

Still, this new low raised alarm among lawmakers who were already concerned about screens and loneliness among Gen Alpha.

“The long-term implications will be dire” if literacy does not improve, Sen. Bill Cassidy, the top Republican on the Senate education committee, said in February. “We are at risk of having an entire generation of children, those who were in their prime learning years during the COVID-19 pandemic, fail to become productive adults if reading proficiency does not improve.”

His proposed solution? Get all teachers to use the same, evidence-backed teaching style.

Teaching styles have served as political footballs for over 100 years. The fierce, ongoing debate — known as the “reading wars” — dates back to at least the mid-19th century, when Horace Mann, then Massachusetts’ education secretary, slammed the alphabet as “skeleton-shaped, bloodless, ghostly apparitions” and said children should be taught whole words rather than their structure.

While teaching unions maintain that teachers should be able to draw from various teaching styles, it’s a tough sell with parents.

“Parents and others are getting upset about their kids’ literacy curriculum because they've heard that there's a certain way to teach kids how to read, and that might not be properly implemented in schools,” Carly Robinson, a senior education researcher at Stanford University, said.

Recently, the “science of reading” method (see chart below) has been touted as a silver bullet that transformed literacy rates in Mississippi between 2013 and 2019 — even in areas with high child-poverty rates, which typically correlate with lower literacy levels. It became known as the “Mississippi Miracle.”

In a February report, the Senate education committee said teachers who still used other methods — particularly the three-cueing system — were setting students “up for failure in the long run.”

TEACHING STYLES

Style	Whole language	Three-cueing	Science of reading
How it works	Popular in the 1980s and ’90s, this style is about learning words through immersion. A teacher practicing this approach repeatedly shows students a set of words, using photos to help them remember the meanings. Critics said the whole-language approach made students rely on context instead of learning to sound out unfamiliar words.	Popularized in the 1960s, this model blends contextual, visual, and grammar techniques. Kids are given three cues: semantic (the meaning of the word), syntactic (how the word is used in a sentence), and graphophonic (letters and sounds). Critics of three-cueing say it could teach students to interpret words incorrectly. For example, a student could look at a photo of a horse and read "pony." They might not be corrected because the meaning makes sense within the context of the sentence and the photo.	The “science of reading” places emphasis on decoding words. It is rooted in an approach developed in the 1930s by the neuropsychiatrist Samuel Orton and the psychologist Anna Gillingham. Take the word “chip." Instructors focus on teaching students to identify the individual sounds each letter makes alone and those they make when combined — like “ch” instead of “c” and “h” individually. Given the word chip's multiple meanings, you may be able to identify the major challenge with methods that focus on flashcards or context clues.
Where it's used	These days, elements of the whole-language method are used, particularly in Montessori and Waldorf schools, but it is no longer popular as a singular method.	At least eight states, including Florida, Texas, and Wisconsin, banned three-cueing last year in favor of the science-of-reading method.	A growing number of states across the country are adopting the science-of-reading methods.

In other states, parents want a Mississippi Miracle of their own.

Susie Coughlin, a mom in Falmouth, Maine, found herself going down rabbit holes about literacy techniques after her 5-year-old daughter, Carter, repeated kindergarten. Despite spending a second year at that level, the little girl had fallen behind in reading and writing.

One day, near the end of the school year, Coughlin saw a piece of Carter’s homework where she had written, “I went to the osen,” rather than, “I went to the ocean.” The teacher had not corrected the mistake because the emphasis was on visual cues — a picture of the sea — rather than spelling. Coughlin was appalled; spelling was why Carter struggled to keep up in other classes. The mom took up her concerns with the teacher, who, she said, defended the visual method.

Coughlin said that the impression the teacher gave off was that the school was "just going to let your child slide through." "So we hit the brakes."

Carter finished the year, but her parents elected to send her to a private Catholic school for first grade. In her new school, Carter was taught to “sound it out” — articulating the word as she read it rather than scanning pages for context cues.

Her progress was dramatic, Coughlin said. Now 8 years old, Carter thrives in her second-grade reading classes. “It broke my heart when her confidence was in the toilet at her old school, but her bucket of self-esteem is filling up,” Coughlin, who has since enrolled Carter’s younger brother at the same school, added.

Coughlin said her family was fortunate to have the resources to go private because the annual fees at the Catholic school are relatively low: $10,000 a child, compared with about $40,000 for secular private schools in Falmouth.

Forty-five states and Washington, DC, are considering bills that would retrain public school teachers in new, evidence-based reading practices. Susan Neuman, a professor of childhood and literacy education at New York University and an education official under President George W. Bush, said the bills represented “the biggest, boldest, and most inclusive effort to date to promote high-quality, scientifically supported reading instruction for all children,” adding: “We cannot fail.”

Educators are not so bullish about another initiative that requires retraining and devotion to new materials that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a year, preventing creativity with the syllabus.

“The problem is that some school districts think: ‘We pay for this program, and therefore you have to use this program.’ You can't use anything else,” McGoun said.

While his school allows for flexibility, he’s seen panic take over in other districts, he said: “As a teacher, you can't even make your own materials. It’s because the school district attended a conference and learned about a particular program — they promised XYZ outcomes if you only use its resources.”

Nailing the right method is not a teacher’s biggest concern, McGoun said. “The most important thing an educator can do is provide good pedagogy by focusing on the student’s interests,” he said. “When you have motivated students, they will read.”

Kids are falling out of love with the written word

Students, McGoun said, have “fallen out of love” with the written word because the march of technology has made it seem “alien” and “outmoded” to them.

Parents know tearing a school-age child away from a phone is no easy feat. No matter what literacy technique you employ, the pull of screens tends to be stronger.

There are efforts to leverage technology to help with literacy. Some artificial-intelligence programs, already appearing in classrooms, listen to students read aloud and give them instant feedback on pronunciation and comprehension, an alternative to having students play a reading game for 10 minutes on their own.

Subtitles on TV shows have proved beneficial for early readers by presenting words on a screen that a child will read, sometimes without even realizing it — so much so that the actor Jack Black joined a campaign to promote subtitles to boost kids’ literacy.

Tara West, a former kindergarten teacher and the founder of the literary-coaching organization Little Minds at Work, believes the benefits of constructive tech could outweigh the harm of kids spending too much time on screens. “Kids gravitate toward anything that’s digital,” so teachers can take advantage of that, West said, adding: “Technology is going to go far.”

Getting teachers on board may not be easy. In a recent Pew survey of elementary-school teachers, 47% of respondents said they weren’t sure how AI in classrooms would influence their students’ learning.

Jeff Jarvis, a public-school teacher in Los Angeles, is skeptical about the tech method. Sure, it might work in small groups, “but you’d almost definitely be struggling to use it effectively in a large class with 25 kids,” he said.

Educational digital media is “often attached to visuals, not texts,” Jarvis said, adding: “They’re getting quick blurbs from Snapchat and TikTok but nothing in-depth.”

Teachers like Jarvis and McGoun say that, at the most basic level, kids should be surrounded by books to simply learn how they work — turning physical pages instead of swiping on an iPad, for example. That’s where parents come in.

Pavel Buyeu, a 43-year-old dad from Seattle, said that when his daughter, Liza, now 15, began to show a reluctance to read, he feared she’d miss out on the joy and satisfaction of discovering books as a kid.

“Liza and I are from different generations with different interests,” Buyeu said. Still, he said he would like to see her enjoy some of the books he loved when he was younger. “My favorites were ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,’ ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ and ‘The Little Prince,’” he told Business Insider.

Buyeu devised a “game” to make reading fun for Liza. He’d take his daughter to the bookstore and have her pick a title in return for privileges like sleeping in on weekends. The pair read and discussed the books before writing an alternative ending to the plot. Family members voted on a winner, which motivated Liza even more.

“Reading became a joy for her,” Buyeu said, adding that Liza’s reading speed and spelling improved, said.

Buyeu’s game speaks to the power of parental involvement — a luxury not afforded to every kid.

Parents with means are paying for tutoring

Learning to read isn’t just about getting a grade; it can reverberate throughout someone’s career and personal life. Want to vote? It helps to be able to read and comprehend complex material.

If not all students become readers in school, you will start to see “the haves and the have-nots,” Neuman, the former education official, said — people with the money to pay for extra help moving ahead in school and life, and those relying on public resources falling behind.

Kumon, a private company that provides after-school math and reading tutoring, has recorded a recent surge in its number of new students, with enrollment increasing by 56% between 2020 and 2024. The company’s methodology incorporates both meaning-based instruction and phonics.

Kalisha Brooks of Indian Land, South Carolina, enrolled her son, Corey, at Kumon when he was in kindergarten during the COVID-19 pandemic. She was worried that the disruption of the health crisis might set him back.

“I’d read articles about children being home and getting further and further behind,” Brooks said. So she bit the bullet, budgeting an extra $200 a month for Corey to have twice-weekly reading classes. She’s glad she did. Corey, now 8, performed above average in second grade and is now in third with a renewed confidence in reading.

Jessica Mercedes Penzari, a 40-year-old mom in New York City, can relate to Brooks’ dilemma. Her son Hendrix's kindergarten report card showed that he had dramatically fallen behind in reading within months. “It was a moment of panic,” Penzari said. “Once you fall behind, getting caught up is so difficult. I thought, ‘I’m slipping as a mom because my eye isn’t on the ball.’”

Penzari secured a private tutor — a special-education teacher who lived in her building. She babysat the woman’s kids in exchange for the typically $75-an-hour lessons. It proved successful. Hendrix, who recently entered second grade, is back at proficiency level and above grade level in some subcategories.

Children who have fewer educational resources find themselves a step behind their peers at the outset. Just 10% of multilingual students can read proficiently by fourth grade compared with 33% of fourth graders overall, the NAEP found.

Last year, Nichelle Watkins, who lives in public housing in Baltimore, told Fox 45 News that her fourth-grade son, Logan, still could not read and that they couldn’t afford tutoring.

“How is he supposed to be productive if he can’t read?” she said in the news segment.

“They go there to be babysat for eight hours and come home,” the mom added, referring to Logan’s elementary school. She said legislators — to whom she later wrote pleading for improvements — ignored the problem.

“I feel like they don’t care. It’s not their children,” she said.

What now?

Linda McMahon, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead his Education Department, will have a mammoth managerial job on her hands if she is confirmed.

McMahon, a former wrestling executive who sat on the Board of Trustees for Sacred Heart University and served one year on Connecticut’s Board of Education, supports Trump’s plans to deliver funds for education directly to states, giving them the authority to choose how to spend the money. She’s sparked anger from some educators who argue her plans would hurt public schools. She has also been accused in a recent lawsuit of enabling sexual abuse of kids in the WWE. McMahon has denied the allegation, and the lawsuit is on hold while another court rules on the constitutionality of such cases.

In an emailed statement, Trump-Vance transition spokesperson Liz Huston told BI that McMahon "is ready to deliver on President Trump's agenda to restore America's education system and prepare our next generation for the future."

Robinson, the Stanford researcher, said teachers would need much more funding to implement all the new bipartisan reading policies coming through states. Still, it’s not enough to simply shower schools with cash — smart policies are key. “Just giving money without any guidelines isn't actually that helpful if you want it to be directed in a certain way,” Robinson said.

In the meantime, all of these moving parts have created a divide between parents and teachers, who point the finger of blame at each other. It’s easier to take on someone close to you than to tackle unanswerable questions, such as, “how much have screens derailed attention spans?”, and “how much education funding is enough to make a difference?”

Jarvis, the special education teacher in LA, said he understands parents’ frustration that something so fundamental to modern life now feels impossible. He agreed that federal funding for literacy programs is essential to stop reading rates from tumbling further.

In the meantime, he said that parents can make a major difference by engaging in reading with their children at home. Take your kids to libraries, the teacher said. Let your kids see you reading books at home, he added, to create motivation and a rich environment for “reading to flourish.”

“Put down your own electronic devices and read with your kids, even if it’s just for 15 minutes a day,” Jarvis said. “Let them read aloud to you and then ask questions about the text. It’s important to have parent-child time away from technology.”

The state's charter school board approved an application on Monday from Unbound Academy to open a school with a two-hour per day academic curriculum set by AI.

EXCLUSIVE: Oklahoma’s 2025 school-year curriculum will look markedly different after major adjustments are made to eschew "woke garbage" while making sure students learn all aspects of complex figures like Thomas Jefferson and Donald Trump, and issues like the BLM and Capitol riots.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters said Wednesday his state is "taking the lead" on a "direct rejection" of politicizing influences on the curriculum like teachers' unions and activist educators.

"What we are not going to allow is these radical teachers' unions to push lies in the classroom. That's not how we're going to teach."

Walters said school curricula are set every six years, and that he plans to hold schools accountable by withholding accreditation from any institutions that don’t follow suit.

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He suggested the new rules are an extension of Oklahoma’s previous push to return the Bible to the classroom as an "important historical document" that shaped America’s founding – in that it is important to similarly give students a fuller perspective on landmark events and figures throughout the rest of U.S. history.

"We are driving out this woke indoctrination and woke nonsense that has been injected into the classroom by undermining Republican presidents and American exceptionalism," he said.

"So our kids are going to know America is a great country. They're not going to be taught to hate this country. They're going to be taught to love this country and a patriotism to come from the principles that our country was founded in our history."

Giving the example of former President Ronald Reagan in the last generation’s education, and how some curricula focused more on shortcomings during Iran-Contra and Col. Oliver North's hearings, Walters said he will not tolerate educators "maligning" President-elect Trump in the same way.

"You're not going to come in and teach President Trump wanted an insurrection on Jan. 6 [2021]. We're not going to allow it. We will be crystal clear on what President Trump's victories were in the White House," he said.

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Similarly, the new curriculum will take a broader look at Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and the repercussions of coronavirus lockdowns.

He cited a recent clip he saw of a student stating that the only thing they knew about Thomas Jefferson was that he was a slaveholder, and did not know he was a president or the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.

"And so we will drive these lies out of the classrooms and get back to an understanding of American greatness throughout our history," he said, noting that Oklahoma will teach "the good with the bad."

Walters was asked how the curriculum would teach COVID-19 lockdown history, given how states like Pennsylvania, New York and Hawaii were confident their zero-tolerance edicts were the right response, just as much as Florida believed its less restrictive response was right.

"I don't care to appease the left or make them happy. We're going to teach facts. We're going to stick to accurate history here. And they can be offended by that," Walters said.

"It is not debatable. Rights were taken from individuals during COVID. That's not debatable. It's also not debatable that lockdowns hurt kids. Lockdowns hurt families and businesses," he said, adding that current curriculum often glosses over that argument and offers only a more proverbially-northeastern view of the COVID years.

"We are ultimately going to let [students] come to their own conclusions," Walters said of the curriculum writ-large.

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U.S. history is strewn with successes and failures on all sides, he said, adding that the most responsible way to prepare the next generation to lead the country is to instill in them the widest view of its history and law possible.

"The left wants to browbeat kids into believing to hate their country, while conservatives, we just want history taught, and show that America is the greatest country in the history of the world."

"It will show you what policies work, what policies don't work. A kid should come to their own conclusions. That’s why every state has to look at their [civics curriculum] standards."

Fox News Digital also reached out to union leader Randi Weingarten via the AFT for comment on the general tenor of partially blaming teachers unions for purportedly slanted curricula.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he plans to double the number of state jobs that will no longer require a college degree — joining states like Minnesota, Virginia and Pennsylvania, which have already dropped degree requirements for most public jobs. 

Newsom unveiled his Master Plan for Career Education framework on Monday, which included eliminating the college degree requirement for 30,000 jobs in the state.

The Democratic governor plans to double the number by removing the requirement for an additional 30,000 in the coming years in an overall effort to "help Californians translate their skills and knowledge into real progress toward a degree or career."

"Every Californian deserves the opportunity to build real-life skills and pursue a fulfilling career — including those that don’t require college degrees," Newsom said in a statement. "California is working to ensure that every person has what they need to get a well-paying, long-lasting job so we can build an economy for the future that supports all families."

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The framework also includes plans to establish "Career Passports" for citizens that will create a digital record of their skills and abilities for job applications. 

Veterans will also see new benefits, with the plan allowing them to gain college credit for their military experience.

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Reducing the emphasis on needing a college degree to secure a career has been endorsed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump. Musk recently stated that he believes "the value of a college education is somewhat overweighted."

"Too many people spend four years, accumulate a ton of debt and often don't have useful skills that they can apply afterwards. I have a lot of respect for people who work with their hands, and we need electricians and plumbers and carpenters and that's a lot more important than having incremental political science majors," Musk said while on the campaign trail for Trump. "I think we should not have this idea that in order to be successful you need a four-year college degree."

Newsom's framework was released just months after a report found that the majority of students at for-profit colleges never graduate, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. The report found that only 36% of students graduate in four years at California State University, while 62% graduate within six years. 

The elimination of college degree requirements for state jobs has received bipartisan support in recent years. 

Maryland, under Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, became the first state in the nation to eliminate degree requirements for most state jobs in 2022, setting the stage for more than a dozen other states to follow in his footsteps with similar orders.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an executive order in 2023 to establish that 92% of state government jobs would no longer require a college degree, a move that received praise from Republican state lawmakers who said the decision was "a step in the right direction."

Additionally, the 2024 GOP platform framework, released during the presidential campaign cycle, stated that "Republicans will support the creation of additional, drastically more affordable alternatives to a traditional four-year college degree."

Not content with meddling in politics, Elon Musk's next venture is an attempt to reimagine the United States' education system. The South African billionaire is now funding a Texas preschool called Ad Astra, which recently received a state permit to educate up to 21 students. The Montessori private school's website states that it is open to students aged three to nine, however an in-depth report from Bloomberg said that there are no signs of children or teachers yet at the facility.

The school is located outside of Bastrop, Texas, which is becoming a hub for Musk-owned businesses. The Boring Co. tunneling business is based close by, as is a production site for SpaceX Starlink satellites. Construction is also happening in the area for a building owned by X, formerly Twitter. 

Bloomberg noted that Musk has frequently had educational offerings, sometimes with the same Ad Astra name, attached to his businesses, so this new preschool could be meant for the children of his employees. A job posting for an instructor at Ad Astra reads: "While their parents support the breakthroughs that expand the realm of human possibility, their children will grow into the next generation of innovators in a way that only authentic Montessori can provide." 

Musk was a vocal and financial supporter of Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, and both have made comments disparaging recent diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in education.

He's hardly the first tech figurehead to apply his opinions on education onto US schools. Mark Zuckerberg tried to personalize the experience with Summit Learning. Jeff Bezos put his name and resources into a series of preschools. And Bill Gates has a long history of proposing ideas for public education that yielded dubious improvements for students, such as charter schools and the Common Core State Standards.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-is-opening-a-preschool-near-his-texas-business-operations-211430042.html?src=rss

©

© The Washington Post via Getty Images

As the Biden administration enters its final days, two new student debt relief programs face imminent release as they undergo final review before formal implementation.

The two programs include a second attempt at providing sweeping student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers under the Higher Education Act, known colloquially as "Plan B," which comes after federal courts ruled that the Biden administration's initial attempt at providing broad-based student loan forgiveness via executive action was unconstitutional. The second program, focused on people facing financial hardships, seeks to provide student debt relief for millions more.

The two programs were submitted for review to the Office of Management and Budget as of Tuesday, one of the final steps before the policies are formally published in the Federal Register.

TOP DEMS, ACTIVISTS CALL ON BIDEN ADMIN TO DOLE OUT MORE STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS BEFORE TERM ENDS

After the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration's first attempt at providing broad-based student loan forgiveness, ruling it was an overreach of the executive branch's authority under the Constitution, the president and his team began working on a new plan. It's "Plan B" seeks to provide relief to roughly 23 million borrowers, in particular those whose outstanding loan balance has been impacted by unrestrained interest accumulation. 

Meanwhile, the second program seeks to provide additional student loan forgiveness for 8 million borrowers who face financial hardships. If finalized, the new rule would authorize student debt forgiveness on a one-time basis for people who the department considers to have at least an 80% chance of defaulting on loans based on a "predictive assessment using existing borrower data."

Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, sent a letter to the Biden administration earlier this month slamming its efforts as a "Band-Aid that forces taxpayers to shoulder the responsibility of paying off someone else’s debt."

"If this administration spent half as much time working to address the root causes of our broken student loan system as peddling this illegal free college agenda, college costs would be lower," she said.

DAD WHO SACRIFICED HIS SAVINGS TO PAY FOR SON'S COLLEGE CALLS STUDENT LOAN FORGIVENESS A ‘BITTER PILL’ 

Meanwhile, Madison Doan, a senior researcher at the Heritage Foundation’s Center for Education Policy, told Fox News Digital that the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness efforts will likely be shot down in court for the same reasons its previous programs have been blocked. She also pointed to the recent ruling that overturned Chevron deference, which previously allowed courts to defer to executive agencies when statutory language, such as that associated with the Higher Education Act, is unclear.

"These precedents make it doubtful that the courts will endorse the administration’s attempt to use ambiguous language in old statutes to justify broad new authority for canceling billions in loans at the expense of taxpayers," Doan said. She also pointed out how two Democratic-appointed judges have indicated that opponents of the rules are "likely to succeed on the merits" of their legal challenges.

In addition to the two programs that are in the final approval stages, the Biden administration is also attempting to push through a new interim rule that, once implemented, will reopen enrollment in an income-driven student debt repayment plan that is currently stalled in the courts. The new rule contains certain changes from the original income driven repayment plan in order to provide protections from the same legal challenges that stalled the initial attempt.

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However, the rule is not slated to go into effect until several months into President-elect Trump's second term, and, as a result, will likely be rescinded. While Trump has not formally laid out plans on how he will approach the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness policies, he has indicated plans to reform the federal government's role in U.S. education during his term.

"The lesson President Biden should have taken from the Supreme Court's student loan ruling was that, if he wanted to forgive debt, he should hammer out a deal with Congress," Chad Squitieri, Catholic University of America law professor, told Fox News Digital. "President Biden's efforts to unilaterally plow forward without Congress, in the waning days of his administration, is just the latest effort to use administrative rulemaking as a substitute for the federal lawmaking process. Publishing a rule might be easier than enacting legislation, but it can come at the cost of undermining a more stable solution on debt relief."

Executive rulemaking has been a staple for the Biden administration, which has used the policymaking avenue to implement a range of reforms. As of Dec. 3, the Biden administration set a new record for the most Federal Register pages filled in a single year – 96,088. The number puts the administration on pace to fill more than 100,000 pages by the end of its term.

First lady Jill Biden announced that she recently taught her last class at Northern Virginia Community College.

"Last Thursday I taught my last class of the semester and my final class ever at Northern Virginia Community College," she said.

She made the remarks in a message to educators while flanked on either side by union presidents Randi Weingarten, of the American Federation of Teachers, and Becky Pringle, of the National Education Association.

SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AS KIDS CORRECT JILL BIDEN'S ‘HAPPY HOLIDAYS’ WITH ‘HAPPY CHRISTMAS:’ ‘EPIC RESPONSE’

A spokesperson for the first lady indicated via email to Fox News Digital that it is not clear if the first lady will continue teaching. 

Jill Biden had been a professor at the institution since 2009, according to her biography on the White House website.

"While serving as First Lady, Dr. Biden continued teaching English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009. She is the first presidential spouse to maintain an independent career outside of the White House," the White House noted.

‘OF COURSE I SUPPORT THE PARDON OF MY SON,' JILL BIDEN TELLS REPORTER

First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden will vacate the White House next month following the peculiar 2024 presidential election season in which the president bowed out of his re-election bid after clinching enough wins to become his party's presumptive presidential nominee.

But following a widely-panned debate performance, and amid public pressure from members of his own party to step aside, Biden dropped out and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris.

TRUMP FEATURES JILL BIDEN IN NEW AD FOR FRAGRANCE: ‘ENEMIES CAN’T RESIST' 

President-elect Donald Trump ultimately trounced Harris in the general election, winning both the Electoral College and popular vote, becoming the second president in U.S. history ever to win two non-consecutive terms. The first was President Grover Cleveland in the 19th century.

• Holiday school vacations can be difficult for working parents.
• Experts would like to see more flexible work schedules and four-day workweeks.
• Year-round schooling could also help alleviate pressure, they say.

Even before November started, I was stressed about the number of days my kids had off over the coming two months. There was Veterans Day, Thanksgiving break, winter holidays, and even a teacher in-service day thrown in for good measure. Then, my first grader missed 10 days of school due to pneumonia, and my fifth grader was struck with a stomach bug.

My husband and I are both self-employed, so with some wrangling, we were able to create a schedule that allowed us to meet our deadlines despite the kids being home seemingly constantly.

We're lucky to be able to do that. And still, I kept thinking, "There must be a better way." So, I reached out to four experts on the workplace, policy, and sociology to see how we can better align the schedules of working parents and kids. Here's what they envision.

Make flexible work policies the norm

Courtney Murphy, founder and CEO of WorkWell People Solutions, would like to see flexible work arrangements become the norm. She says they not only benefit parents and others with family obligations — they also serve employers by increasing productivity and job satisfaction while reducing burnout.

"The ideal scenario for working parents combines hybrid work with flexible hours, focusing on outcomes rather than time spent," Murphy said. "The key is to shift from managing employees' time to managing their work, holding them accountable for results rather than hours logged."

A sample policy might say something like, "Employees are empowered to manage their work schedule to meet both personal and professional responsibilities, provided all job duties are fulfilled, and team collaboration is maintained. Regular communication and coordination with managers about scheduling is expected." If set work hours are important, the company could add, "Official operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Employees should align with these where practical."

This approach would be tricker for service professionals, but Murphy said "creative solutions like automated services during peak family times, staggered schedules, or job-sharing could provide the necessary flexibility" for those parents too.

Adopt a 4-day work and school week

Joelle Moray, author of "What Are We Doing?! Radical Self-care for the Hustle Culture," says, "A world where the four-day week exists for both employees and their families is a world I very much want to live in."

In her ideal scenario, students would complete their education during four longer school days, which better aligns with parents' traditional 9-5 work schedules. Some employers are already pivoting to a four-day workweek, and those that are unable to could offer remote work where possible, she said.

Melissa Loble, chief academic officer at Instructure, an education technology company, would also like to see a four-day academic week, with an optional fifth day with a more flexible structure.

On that day, students "could engage in sports activities, work-study, internships, or other types of activities that can be coordinated through the school."

This approach would provide supervision during the workday while also giving "students a 'breather' day where they feel less pressure from the hectic school day and pursue their non-academic pursuits," Loble added.

Choose year-round school

Margaret M. Quinlan, a professor and director of Health & Medical Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, has a two-part solution: year-round schooling and remote work after 2 p.m.

A flexible afternoon schedule "would maximize quality time with family while still fulfilling work responsibilities," Quinlan said. It would also be handy for parents like her who need to take their kids to many therapy appointments in the afternoons.

She added that the US could also pivot to a shorter summer break, following countries like Australia and Japan.

In addition to reducing the challenge of finding and paying for summer childcare, "This would minimize summer learning loss and ensure that kids have access to nutritious meals and care during these breaks," Quinlan said.

• My son found his dream college at California State University Maritime Academy.
• He struggled to make friends on campus in his freshman year, and I tried to help.
• He ultimately realized he didn't fit in with the students on campus and dropped out.

It was like a whirlwind romance: finding the right college, applying, getting accepted, and finally moving in. My son was so happy with his college decision. Everything was magical — until it wasn't.

When my son, Jack, chose California State University Maritime Academy, it seemed like an absolutely perfect fit. He could major in oceanography, take classes aboard ships, and get hands-on experience. There were summer trips to Nicaragua to plant coral. I saw Facebook posts of students in Morocco holding monkeys. It appeared to be the college experience that everyone wanted for their child.

For a while, everything was perfect. Jack would wake up and go to "formation" in uniform at 7 a.m., and then he would take water samples around the bay to examine under microscopes in the lab.

It was a dream come true for Jack. As his mother, It was also a dream come true for me to see him so happy and creating a future for himself.

That was until the phone calls started, and he said he didn't fit in socially at the school.

"I want to come home"

A couple of months in, Jack told me he was having difficulty finding friends. I responded, "You will find your people. Keep trying."

He volunteered, joined clubs, and put himself out there. I mailed him cases of Girl Scout cookies to walk around and hand out; I mean, who doesn't love a free box of Thin Mints? He would leave his door open and offer his vacuum to people if they wanted to borrow it. He was trying at school, and I was trying from home. We are not quitters.

When winter break rolled around, he came home and told me he didn't want to return. I should have listened, but I didn't.

"You made a commitment; you need to see the year through," I told him.

Upon returning from break, he found that his roommate had moved out. Jack was given no warning and no reason. My son was crushed, and his self-esteem dipped even lower, but I kept encouraging him. However, he never found his tribe.

It wasn't until I visited the college campus that I realized the problem.

My son didn't fit in with the other students

Jack, who is gay, was at a very conservative college. Who he fundamentally is at his core doesn't seemingly match with the large percentage of conservative young men that attend the school.

The other kids were tackling each other in the halls and having Nerf wars, which Jack would have joined if he had felt welcomed. Instead, Jack was often quietly in his room with a video game. Sadly, it seemed he would never fit in, no matter how hard he tried.

The school itself wasn't bigoted or against LGBTQ+ people. The college had a gay-straight alliance club that Jack attended, along with the other nine kids

At its core, Jack said in his experience, the student body seemingly had different interests.

Jack enrolled in a community college back home

Ultimately, at the end of the year, Jack moved home and now attends a community college, where he is working on his general education requirements. If and when he is ready, we will work on finding a new college for him to transfer to.

I now advise high school students and their parents to look at the entire picture when choosing a college. Looking for the perfect academic program is fantastic, but not the end of the road when finding the right college to attend.

Kids need to examine the majors, the social life on campus, and the vibe of the surrounding city. The school's entire culture needs to be analyzed so students know what they will be in for on campus.

After his experience, Jack is somewhat disillusioned with the college experience. As a mother, I wish I had done more to find a better fit for him. There is nothing wrong with going to a community college, but for most, it's a stepping stone toward a four-year college.

I'm not sure Jack will be making that step, and that's OK — as long as it's what's best for him and he's with his people.

Editor's Note: California State University Maritime Academy declined a request for comment.

FIRST ON FOX: Two scholarship programs for "underrepresented" minorities are being slapped with lawsuits for allegedly discriminating against White people.

The nonprofit organization Do No Harm (DNH) is challenging the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons' (SOMOS) E. Anthony Rankin Scholarship Program on behalf of a DNH member who said he could not continue with the application process because he is a White male. 

The program, which is "meant for underrepresented medical students," matches students with a "U.S. Military host" at one of two medical centers, the complaint states. The program spans four weeks, during when students can receive up to $12,000 "to cover ‘travel, housing, and daily per diem for the duration’ of their time hosted by the military," the filing reads, quoting the program's website description. 

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"Member A was hurt and dismayed that SOMOS would use his race — which he cannot control — to preclude him from participating in the program and learning from some of the country’s most distinguished orthopaedic surgeons in service of our nation’s military and veteran communities," the complaint states. 

DNH also named as defendants Director of the Defense Health Agency Telita Crosland and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, as well as others in their official capacities, arguing that they are violating the Fifth Amendment by operating "in partnership with SOMOS, a race-based service-learning program" for students interested in orthopedic surgery. 

"But the program excludes white, male applicants," the complaint states. 

DNH is asking for a permanent injunction barring enforcement of the program's requirements and, if necessary, "a preliminary injunction barring Defendants from enforcing the program’s racial requirement."

GORSUCH MAKES IT CLEAR THAT NIXING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION WAS STOPPING RACE DISCRIMINATION

DNH is also challenging the University of Colorado's "Underrepresented Minority Visiting Elective Scholarship" on behalf of one member "who is ready and able to apply for the scholarship" but cannot because of his race. The scholarship is offered via the university medical school's Radiation Oncology Department within the school's visiting elective rotation. 

The scholarship covers "up to ‘$2,000 reimbursement’ for ‘the cost of lodging, travel, and related expenses for [the] four-week elective,’" the initial complaint states. In order to apply for the scholarship, the visiting medical student must comply with several requirements, including being enrolled at an accredited medical school and being in good standing. The applicant is also required to submit a "brief statement of interest."

"Scholarship is prioritized based on the applicant’s interest in pursuing a career with underserved populations, service, leadership, and academic achievement," the filing says, quoting the scholarship description found on the school's website. 

"But the scholarship is not open to everyone," the complaint states. The filing says the scholarship specifies eligibility is open to those "'who identif[y] with groups who are recognized as historically underrepresented in medicine including but not limited to African American/Black, Native American, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, LGBTQ+, or those from a disadvantaged socioeconomic background.'" The website itself says the scholarship includes but is "not limited to" those races. 

The complaint states the plaintiff is a DNH member and "meets all nonracial eligibility requirements" for the scholarship. 

PARENTS ASK SUPREME COURT TO TAKE UP CASE TO RESTORE OPT-OUTS FOR INSTRUCTION ON GENDER AND SEXUALITY

"Although Member A meets all the nonracial eligibility requirements and would be a strong candidate for the scholarship, Member A is not eligible to apply because he is a white, straight male and does not identify as any other ethnicity," the complaint says. 

DNH is seeking a declaratory judgment that the scholarship violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI, as well as a permanent injunction "barring Defendants from seeing or considering applicants’ race when selecting the recipients" for the scholarship. 

"When we're all on the operating table with a broken leg, we want the best surgeon. We don't want someone based on the color of their skin, and we want merit," Dr. Jared Ross, Senior Fellow with Do No Harm, told Fox News Digital. "And unfortunately, in the name of diversity — which is a laudable goal, having people from different backgrounds — we have essentially instituted discrimination and racial quotas to get to what the other side calls ‘equity.’"

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the use of race as a factor in college admissions in a 6-3 decision in 2023. 

The justices decided two separate legal challenges over just how Harvard University – a private institution – and the University of North Carolina – a public one – decide who fills their classrooms.

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Student activist group Students for Fair Admissions brought cases against both universities. The group initially sued Harvard in 2014 for violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, which "prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in any program or activity that receives Federal funds or other Federal financial assistance."

Fox News Digital reached out to SOMOS, the Defense Department and the University of Colorado for comment.

• Many executives say they've learned valuable lessons on business from books.
• Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Bill Gates are no exception.
• Here are 20 books they've said taught them a lot about business, leadership, and the forces shaping our world.

You learn by doing — but you can also learn a lot by reading.

Many influential business figures, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon cofounder Jeff Bezos, and Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates say they've learned some of the most important lessons in their lives from books.

They've recommended countless books over the years that they credit with strengthening their business acumen and shaping their worldviews.

Here are 20 books recommended by Musk, Bezos, and Gates to add to your reading list:

Florida state Sen. Randy Fine, a Republican, proposed a bill to require high school graduates with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, status to pay out-of-state tuition for college.

Fine claims the state cannot afford to subsidize tuition for students who are not in the country legally and says the policy passed in 2014 offering them in-state tuition costs Florida $45 million a year.

Under S.B. 90, DACA students would no longer qualify for in-state tuition, which costs an average of $6,143 for the 2024-2025 academic year, according to the State University System of Florida. The University of Florida, for example, is $6,381 for in-state tuition but $28,658 for out-of-state tuition, according to US News & World Report.

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"While blue-collar Floridians are struggling to make ends meet, it is not fair to require them to pay $45 million a year to subsidize sweetheart deals for college degrees to those who should not even be here," Fine said in a statement.

"This is a no-brainer way to reduce the size of government and free up resources to help Floridians in need," he continued. "We must put Floridians first, and I am proud to do my part to rebalance the scales for our citizens."

The bill would not modify the admission policies of Florida’s 12 state universities and 28 state colleges.

State Rep. Anna Eskamani, a Democrat, has expressed strong opposition to the bill, arguing that the proposed change would create significant financial barriers for students who have lived in Florida most of their lives.

"These are students who have only known the United States as home," Eskamani said, according to Fox 13.

Eskamani also noted that many DACA students do not qualify for scholarships and are already at a financial disadvantage.

The legislation, Fine argues, is about "ensuring people who shouldn't be in the country aren't getting discounted educations," according to Fox 13.

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Fine’s previous attempts to pass similar legislation have come up short, but Democrats worry that increased national focus on immigration issues, such as President-elect Trump promising mass deportations in his second term, could give the bill momentum this time around.

"I am concerned this policy may have legs this year," Eskamani said.

Fine, who joined the state Senate last month, is resigning from the legislature, effective March 31, so he can run for the U.S. House seat that is expected to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., who was nominated by Trump to be his White House national security advisor.