Letter: Supreme Court orders aren’t voluntary

Once again, the extremist Republican Kansas Legislature in cahoots with the equally extremist Gov. Sam Brownback has made a dangerously irresponsible decision against public education and our third branch of government. Apparently, it was insufficient to decrease funding for higher education - they now seek to further damage our elementary and secondary school children by defying another Kansas Supreme Court order to give children quality educations by an equitable distribution of funds throughout the state.

David Sarasohn: Fighting over lunch money

"I spent a lot of my time at my last school in Utah tracking down families who owed lunch money," he recalls, not exactly nostalgically. Welch has been able to think about education more lately because of a change in the school lunch rules in 2010, that allow schools with at least 40 percent of their students on food stamps or Medicaid to serve everybody free lunch.

South Plains Food Bank begins feeding program

A summer food program, provided for children by the South Plains Food Bank, will be launched Saturday in a free lunch and activities event from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Carlisle Park, 26th Street and Avenue W. According to Danielle Robertson, communications and digital marketing manager for the food bank, the program was set up for the summer because one in four children across the South Plains is considered food-insecure. "During the summer, need at the food bank typically increases due to the added strain on families to feed children who would otherwise benefit from the free and reduced lunch program at school," she said.

HERO: Dad Pulls Sons Out Of School After Officials Allow Girl To Use Boys’ Bathroom

A father of three in small-town Michigan has pulled his three children - all sons - out of the local public schools after one of the sons told him that school officials are allowing a girl to use the boys' bathroom because she really wants to be a boy. The scene of the transgender fracas is Howell, Mich.

Trump businesses honoured by NY company closely tied to Trump

More than a dozen Donald Trump golf courses, hotels, casinos and private clubs have been honoured with "Star Diamond" awards from the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences, a company that doles out shiny plaques representing "the most prestigious award of true excellence in hospitality." The Trump Grill at Trump Tower has one.

NJ Town Celebrates Hometown Astronaut Twins Mark and Scott Kelly

Not all of the kids of West Orange, New Jersey's Pleasantdale Elementary School were exactly thrilled when they heard their school would be renamed to Kelly Elementary, according to the school's PTA members. But they quickly warmed to the idea - and yesterday , they cheered the loudest of all as members of the school community and city residents gathered to celebrate their identical-twin hometown astronauts, Mark and Scott Kelly.

Inspired by Baltimore third-grader, White House invites science input from students

Taking its cue from a third-grader in Baltimore, the Obama administration on Thursday opened a dialogue with students to seek ideas on how the government can encourage more young people to engage in science, math and technology. White House officials announced in a blog post that they are inviting students - or "kid scientists and innovators" - to send in their ideas for shaping the future of the field, including how to improve science and engineering education in schools.

The federal minimum wage hit its peak purchasing power nearly 50 years ago

The minimum wage has been a highly debated topic in recent years, with workers in industries including fast food and retail pushing for the standard to be raised to $15 an hour. Currently, the federal minimum wage is less than half that amount, at $7.25 an hour, where it has been since 2009.

Higher Ed Community Has Mixed Reviews on SOTU, College Scorecard

At Tuesday's State of the Union address, President Barack Obama discussed the importance of education at all levels and after putting emphasis on early education and job training for high schoolers, he asked colleges and universities to work to make higher education more affordable for students. "Through tax credits, grants, and better loans, we have made college more affordable for millions of students and families over the last few years," Obama said.