Rethinking College: How More Valuable Degrees Are Closing America's Talent Gap
By Jamie Merisotis
Critics of higher education have a point: Average inflation-adjusted tuition has gone down, but remains too high. Degrees pay off, but too many grads struggle finding good jobs.
The system needs an overhaul if it's going to prepare America for our increasingly tech-driven workforce. Just within the next six years, 42 percent of jobs will require a bachelor's degree, according to Georgetown University's Center on Education and the Workforce.
More broadly, 72 percent of jobs in the US will require learning or training beyond high school. At this moment, only 55 percent of adults have a post-high school degree or credential, a talent shortage rapidly reaching crisis proportions.
'Even if every unemployed worker were to fill an open job within their respective industry, there would still be millions of unfilled job positions, highlighting the widespread labor shortage,' the US Chamber of Commerce reported in April.
Degrees That Work
Education and training beyond high school is the answer, and forward-looking colleges and universities have recognized that they need to adapt to provide greater value. They're not abandoning commitments to general education in critical thinking, problem solving, and communication. But many are working to offer better connections to careers while focusing on lower costs, better advising, and immersive learning.
Schools with noteworthy approaches can be found in every part of the country and include Fayetteville State University in North Carolina, a historically Black institution near Fort Bragg, the nation's largest Army base. Veterans make up a third of the student body and have included Jeremy Ricketts, who served combat tours with the Army in Kosovo, Iraq, and Kuwait.
Ricketts, in his 40s, felt out of place at another school because of his age. But Fayetteville State works to attract and retain military veterans, and the older and more conservative Ricketts told Lumina Foundation that he feels at home.
'It's a university that allows people from all different ethnic backgrounds and different experiences to just speak up, where nobody belittles each other for their beliefs,' he said. 'It's like, 'Hey, you like Democrats, I like Republicans. Cool; let's go get something to eat.''
Working Together
The notion of helping students feel accepted is also part of the approach at Agnes Scott College, a private, all-women's school in metro Atlanta with a thousand students and a focus on career preparation, leadership, and hands-on learning.
Dax Vandevoorde of New Jersey was a standout math student and president of her high school's prestigious robotics team—and one of only three women on the 50-member team.
'I was so tired of being the female engineer,' she said.
Along with STEM courses, Agnes Scott offers traditional liberal arts with real-world business experience and leadership training.Teaming Up With Employers
These examples fit a pattern of progress in which schools realize they need to make career preparation a core element of bachelor's degrees. The National Skills Coalition found that 84 percent of business leaders believe it's essential for schools to work with employers to develop work-based learning opportunities. Employer engagement, as it's called, takes many forms, including:
All of this means that thousands of students at forward-looking colleges and universities are benefiting from alliances with employers and economic development agencies. As the need for talent drives the demand for advanced learning, smart moves at colleges and universities are helping boost the value of their degrees.
These partners are building new technologies, new career pathways—and new and better bachelor's degrees at a time when all of us need them for the country's future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Her Mother-In-Law Threatened To Sue, So She Called Dave Ramsey. His Advice? 'Give Somebody 10 Grand And Keep Her Tied Up Till She Dies'
A woman from Tampa, Florida, called into 'The Ramsey Show' recently, looking for help with a family dispute that turned legal, bitter and deeply personal. Jamie explained that her mother-in-law, who lives just feet away in a tiny house built on their property, has threatened to sue her. Decade-Long Tension Over A Gifted Property In 2006, Jamie and her husband were gifted a piece of land by his parents. 'We couldn't afford to build on it at the time, so we saved and ended up building our house in 2012,' she said. Not long after, the in-laws asked if they could build a small home on the back of the same lot, having moved from upstate New York and struggling to keep up with their home and health needs. Don't Miss: Be part of the breakthrough that could replace plastic as we know it— 'Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can Jamie and her husband agreed. Her in-laws sold their house up north and used the proceeds to build a 900-square-foot, one-bedroom, one-bathroom accessory dwelling on the back acre. However, things went south fast when the family realized the new home was technically built on land Jamie and her husband owned outright. 'We kind of all realized at the same time that technically they did not own it,' she told Dave Ramsey. It caused a huge fight. From there, it spiraled. For the last 10 years, the family has argued over who owns what. Jamie's father-in-law passed away three years ago, and since then, her mother-in-law has only grown more hostile. 'In January, there was a huge fight where she accused us of doing this on purpose for the sole purpose of taking her home. In essence, taking her money,' Jamie said. 'She said, 'You could take me out at any time.'' Trending: $100k+ in investable assets? – no cost, no obligation. The mother-in-law, now 80 and still in good health, has not spoken to the couple since. She recently had an attorney send Jamie a letter accusing them of elder exploitation and demanding a lump-sum payment of $180,000. Ramsey, stunned, asked, 'She's not only not speaking to you — she's in your back window?' 'Oh yeah,' Jamie replied. 'Eight feet away.' Ramsey called the situation 'bizarre' and said, 'She's lost her marbles. And we can't find them. They're somewhere in the backyard near a tiny house.' When Jamie mentioned she was considering paying out of guilt, Ramsey shut that idea down: 'Morally, giving her anything? No. You didn't do anything wrong.' He advised her to hire an attorney and tie the case up in court as long as needed. 'Give somebody 10 grand and keep her tied up till she dies,' he said bluntly. 'That's really all you can do here.' The legal advice Jamie already received backed this up. As one lawyer told her, any value her mother-in-law added to the property has been offset by her living in it for a decade. Ramsey concluded with a warning for listeners: 'For the rest of you listening, don't do this. Ever.' Read Next: Warren Buffett once said, "If you don't find a way to make money while you sleep, you will work until you die." Accredited Investors: Grab Pre-IPO Shares of the AI Company Powering Hasbro, Sephora & MGM—UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? APPLE (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report TESLA (TSLA): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Her Mother-In-Law Threatened To Sue, So She Called Dave Ramsey. His Advice? 'Give Somebody 10 Grand And Keep Her Tied Up Till She Dies' originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
"I Had A Parent Demand That Their Third Grader Be Moved Out Of My Class And Into A Thinner Teacher's Class": 24 Teachers Call Out The Entitled Parents That Were So Horrific, Some Of Them Literally Quit
I asked teachers of the BuzzFeed Community to share their entitled parent encounters that were so awful, it made them almost (or literally!) quit their job. I have said it once and I will say it a thousand more times: teachers! do! not! get! paid! enough! for! this! shit! And if you didn't believe that already, well, these 24 stories just might change your mind: 1."I had several students in my fourth-grade class with severe allergies. As such, I made it clear to parents from day one that we would not be having birthday parties in the class. One mom called me repeatedly to convince me to waive the rule (I refused), then called the principal, and then the superintendent to override the rule. Admin backed me up. Right after lunch on her daughter's birthday, the mom walked into my room with a huge platter of homemade cupcakes. I reminded her of the policy, and her daughter said, 'I told you, mom!' The mom called me a bitch in front of my entire fourth-grade class, then left. Her poor daughter was mortified." —Anonymous 2."I had a parent demand that their third grader be moved out of my class and into a thinner teacher's class because 'if she can't take care of herself, how can she take care of her students?' I had recently lost 15 pounds and was well into my weight loss journey, too, at the time. Luckily, the principal just laughed at her request, which was really supportive!" —25, Virginia 3."A parent once called my AP to tell her that she needed to make me change her son's grade on an assignment because SHE did it, and she's an adult, so she knows she deserves a higher grade. I said no — turns out your son isn't the only one in the family who doesn't understand ninth-grade social studies..." —33, NYC 4."I had a parent send me a two-page message because his kid kept getting in trouble at school. This was Kindergarten, mind you, so we were trying to teach them how school worked in the first place. The parent spelled my name wrong, then proceeded to tell me that respect was earned and I had not earned his child's respect. He also told me that since I didn't have my own kids, I knew nothing about teaching. And finally, he tried to blame me for the fact that his son had apparently picked up the habit of putting his hands in his pockets. I have never made students put their hands in their pockets. Kindergarten parents are a lot." —30, Tennessee 5."I am a pre-K teacher at a private school. One morning, at 6 a.m., I got a text from a child's mom that said, 'Today is my birthday. YAY! I would like to come to the classroom and bring a treat for the kids to celebrate.' Yes, it was the mother's her child's birthday. We celebrate birthdays by singing a birthday song, eating the child's favorite treat, and creating a poster that shows why they love the birthday child. I let her know that she did not need to bring in a snack, but that she could come in to eat lunch with her child if she wanted to. She then asked me if I was going to have the class sing to her and tell her what they love about her. It was ridiculous..." —Anonymous 6."An art teacher once had to stop class and make a class colors t-shirt smaller because the mother of a freshman had ordered the wrong size on the order form. She demanded that another shirt be given to her child, but the shirts were made to order, and there were no extras. Then, she demanded that the Home Ec teacher alter the T-shirt. There haven't been Home Ec teachers at this school for over 10 years. Finally, she demanded that the teacher who had designed the t-shirt, the art teacher, alter the shirt. She stopped class, got out the sewing machine, and made the shirt smaller." —40s, Indiana 7."A parent emailed me about the bad grade her child got on a speech project. It was half the required time, filled with 'ummms' and 'uhhhs', and they read off index cards with no attempt to memorize it. Mom said the speech was fantastic, and she would know, because she was in the classroom watching it. Reader, she was NOT in my classroom." "While I was trying to come up with a response to this unhinged email, Mom emailed me again to call herself out about claiming to have been present. I deleted my draft response and pretended the whole exchange never happened. I just wanted it to stop." —46, United States 8."My first year as a high school graphic design and printing teacher, I had a student who was awesome. He was a super positive, engaged, and hard-working kid who was genuinely interested in my class. Sometimes he came in before school or at lunch to work on projects and make products in the print shop. In my eyes, he was a perfect 'A' student. About halfway through the year, I received an email from his dad asking for a meeting with me and the principal. When we met, he proceeded to tell us that his son was failing most of his classes, but had an A in my class." "He went on to explain he came from a family of educators, so 'he knows how it all works.' He looked me dead in the eye and said, 'So I want to know what YOU aren't doing as a teacher that my son has an A in your class, but not the others… you must be doing something wrong.' I was speechless. Don't know what you want me to tell you, dude." —Anonymous 9."On the day of graduation, a mom of one of my students sent an email DURING the ceremony, blaming me for her son losing his scholarship because he received a D in my class and not a C. She sent a novel of an email, so I won't go into details of her angry accusations, but it made me realize that instead of checking the parent portal and seeing WHY he got that grade, it was easier for her to blame me rather than see all the factors involved." "He was a great student and worked hard all year, but due to 'senioritis,' he chose not to do the last two projects that were required of him, which resulted in a poor grade. Had he committed and just turned partial work in, his grade would've been higher. This was a personal choice, but instead, she decided I did this purposefully and ruined her son's future." —Anonymous 10."Their daughter did not get elected to the homecoming court. Mother demanded to recount the votes, even though four teachers had counted them together. Her votes were not even close to the three winners. We had not kept the votes because we foolishly thought that everyone would believe us. She went to the principal and the head of the school. When she didn't get her way, she said she would sue." "I heard that several lawyers laughed her out of their offices. She took her daughter out of the school that year and enrolled her in public school. This was October of her senior year. I heard that in her freshman year in college, when she didn't get into the sorority she wanted, her mother sued the sorority. The girl dropped out of college." —Anonymous 11."At the end of the year, I'd give out easy, optional homework for extra credit (or, if students could use a boost to their grade, it would go home highly recommended). One sheet I gave out to my third graders was a teacher report card. Students could fill it out, draw a silly picture, and turn it in for a bonus. Some kids actually gave valuable feedback. One particular student's grade really needed a boost. He didn't participate in class and rarely did homework. I sent the teacher report card home with him, along with some other bonus work." "The report card was the only one that came back. His parent had filled it out, drawn a rude picture, and 'failed' me for 'never' calling on their child to answer a question, even though, as he told them, he'd raised his hand to answer every question. They wrote that I was the worst teacher and that if they saw I was still at the school the following year, they'd make a formal complaint to the principal. That was my last interaction with a parent before I left education, and I feel incredibly secure in my decision whenever I think about it. Admin is often not supportive, but parents can be the most thankless part of the job!" —30s, AZ 12."A parent demanded a teacher's desk for her child during an IEP meeting. When the principal said no, she then stated that the students' desks didn't hold enough for her child, and then had it written into the IEP that her child could have a bucket beside his desk for 'overflow.' I tripped over that bucket, and so did all of my students. The only thing in the buckets was the few papers that the parent originally put in there. The kid was referred to as 'bucket boy' by his peers. Deep sigh." —Anonymous, Indiana 13."I once had a kid who was incredibly disruptive and had severe learning disabilities. She couldn't finish tests in second grade that the rest of her peers could, and the parents would claim that she was given no notification of tests, despite the fact that it was in the homework for a week in advance. She would roll around on the floor instead of doing work, play with slime, run off from teachers, go down the stairs to look for her lost toy, etc. The parents would refuse to come to meet the teacher at night or to conferences. We (my administration) eventually told the parents they needed to go to conferences, or the kid would be kicked out of school. We also suggested that while we were not fans of medicating 7-year-olds, the parents should look into ADHD meds for the child. The mother then replied, 'We pay good money for our child to go to this school so YOU can deal with her.' "'She doesn't need to do well, she just needs to pass until she graduates high school and then she can get married. Also, I had the same issues as a kid and I was fine,' she continued. Turns out, the mother's father had paid tutor after tutor to do the work for the mother so she'd pass as a child. The parents eventually came to conferences and said, 'There's nothing we're going to do about our child. Just let her do whatever she wants.'" —Anonymous 14."I had a very strong middle school student shove another student clear across the room. When I asked both boys what happened, the one who got pushed admitted to instigating it, but per school policy, both got a referral. When I emailed the mom of the student who pushed the other and explained what happened, she responded back to my email and said, 'I could shove the referral right up my ass.' All the while, her child slept every single day in every single class they were ever in. But right, I'm the problem." —31, Florida 15."A 24-year-old parent/co-worker whose lifespan was the same age as my career in teaching demanded her child be removed from my classroom because I had rules and consequences which she claimed caused her child to cry all day. The reality was that I told her child no and refused to give in to his demands, while enforcing his listening, along with redirecting his inappropriate behavior. Apparently, this was bullying for a 3-year-old. After the school's owner gave in to her demands, this parent put a target on me. I was legit scared for my safety, so I quit." —Anonymous 16."My school had the ex-wife of an MLB player's children enrolled. She was a tall, fit brunette with a Barbie-mom attitude and thought she was better than everyone else. She was a stay-at-home mom with a full-time nanny who wouldn't stay longer than a few months, a big SUV she couldn't drive, and expensive clothes for both her kids and herself. She bragged about her wealth whenever she was given compliments, and she made people feel as small as possible. I really think she believed the world revolved around her — she would send her kids to drop-in care without asking if there was room and would pick them up late (such as fifteen to twenty minutes after closing)." "One day, she went off on my boss because her child misplaced an expensive coat. 'I don't have to work, unlike you,' she said to my boss, who apologized numerous times for the coat. 'I can afford a $500 coat, and obviously you can't,' she said, smirking. My boss was ready to lose it. The next day, the coat was found. A few weeks later, said-parent 'got her head taken off' by some kids in our school-age program playing soccer in the gym. Parents had to walk through the gym to get to their child's classroom. When she complained about it, my boss brushed it off. We got a good laugh about the karma." —Anonymous 17."I'm a pre-K teacher at a private school, and I had sent a note home to let parents know that they would need to send in a sack lunch because we were going on a field trip. I also included that the more low-maintenance the lunch, the better and easier it will be for the child and teachers, because we would not be near a refrigerator. That next morning, a mom walked up to me carrying what looked like an incredibly small (approx. 2 inches tall and wide) rotisserie chicken. She said, 'This is octopus for my daughter's field trip lunch today. I am going to need you to put it on ice until she is ready to eat it.'" "Octopus? Put it on ice? I started laughing and let her know that I was not planning on carrying a bucket of ice for her daughter's octopus lunch." —Anonymous 18."I had a parent who refused to potty train her child before starting kindergarten, so after several days of accidents, she took her daughter to the doctor and got a note handwritten on an Rx pad telling me how to potty train a child. I was made to follow the doctor's orders. The child did not have any medical conditions, BTW, just a lazy mother." —Anonymous 19."I had been in a quite traumatic car accident the previous school year. I had broken my arm, which required multiple surgeries due to infection and my bone not growing back. That next school year, I was still dealing with the issues with my arm and had some high-maintenance parents (in their eyes, their son never did anything wrong; I'd disagree). One day, my arm was in excruciating pain. I went to the doctor, who confirmed my bone was infected and I was going to have to go in for immediate surgery or I'd lose my arm. Finding a sub last-minute is difficult, let alone a consistent one that my students would know. I had about an hour to get my class ready and find a sub, and I was unsuccessful. I went into surgery and was then admitted to the hospital for several days. Then I started getting the emails." "They were attacking me for not being prepared and for getting a terrible substitute for this student, and complained that the subs were changing every day. Once I returned to work (soon after, because I was out of sick days), I had to have a meeting with the parents and principal to 'discuss my incompetence.' I was going to have another surgery, which I put off as close to Christmas break as possible, so as not to miss work, but I was going to have to miss some. The parents looked at me in the principal's office and, speaking to me like a child, said, 'Since this one won't be an emergency, you'll be better prepared and you will find us a good, consistent substitute?' I told them I'd try my best. However, they're never happy; they badmouthed me to younger grade parents and told them not to put their children in my class. They even reported me to the superintendent. That was when I decided I was done with teaching." —Anonymous 20."I had a parent ask me if I could pick up her child each morning and bring her to school with me. The school didn't open until 7, and she had a new job where she had to be at work at 7. Trying to be nice, I explained that I had two little ones of my own, and we could barely get ready and get to work on time as it was. She then asked for my address and offered to drop her daughter off at my house on her way to work. I declined and suggested the bus. She made it clear she was not happy with me." —Anonymous 21."I had a student not get into a well-known honor society because they cheated on one of my assignments, and at least one other teacher recommended against admitting them. The mom went to the principal and single-handedly blamed ME for the student not being admitted. The principal decided the honor society needed grievance procedures for events like this. The student ended up being admitted." "I am also the sponsor of a different, content-specific honor society. The student did not apply during their first year of eligibility. This past school year, we provided a month-long application window. Once again, no application from the student. Keep in mind, the application was on a Google form, making it totally verifiable that we had no application from this student. When the student asked me about getting in, I let them know there was no application submitted by them. I had the Google form set so they had to use their district credentials to even open the form. The student went to their mom, and the mom proceeded to criticize me, not just to my sponsor, but also to my principal, claiming I 'lost' their child's application two years in a row and basically accused me of having a personal vendetta against this kid. So. Much. Fun." —37, Texas 22."I had a ninth-grade boy who constantly acted out in class and never did his homework, and his mom was POSITIVE it was my fault. One day, the woman showed up in my classroom because the assistant principal gave her permission to observe my class without even telling me first. Name one other profession where someone could just stand there and watch you do your job without a valid reason to be there. Of course, her son wasn't bright enough to be on his best behavior in front of his mother— he pulled the same crap he always did. The mom at least had the decency to be embarrassed and apologize for not believing me. —jenniferj32 23."I once had a student whose behavior was horrendous — shouting, swearing, coming into class twenty minutes late, disrupting everyone, the works. They were 15, and this was my first year of teaching. When the kids were given a negative point, the parents were notified. This kid's mom must have been on the app 24/7, because whenever this kid got a negative from me, she would then email me and ask for specifics about why, then get annoyed when I was too busy teaching to reply to her." "I'd end up with a series of six or seven emails a class, plus messages from the office to call her back when I had a moment. Admin eventually told her to arrange meetings with me instead of emails, and 'surprisingly' it stopped!" —Anonymous finally, "My dad works at the high school I go to, and there was one student (super super nice kid, super smart, but very quiet) whose parents tried to make the school reschedule GRADUATION because the family would be on vacation. The same student's family would have my dad and me give him rides home from school after club meetings, and BOTH of the parents' cars would be in the driveway. They would come out to thank us for giving him a ride. Like GIRL, you live not even ten minutes away, get your ass over to the school and pick your kid up." —claireclaireclairebearbearbear Alright, now it's your turn. Teachers of BuzzFeed — in the comments below or via this anonymous form, tell us about the wildest, most unhinged encounter you've ever had with an entitled parent. You never know, your submission just might end up in a future BuzzFeed Community post. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Back to school: What to know about calendars, resources and new rules in Corpus Christi
As summer comes to a close, it's time for Corpus Christi families to start thinking about school buses, backpacks and books. The first day of school for Corpus Christi Independent School District students is Aug. 11. Other area school districts return shortly afterward, including the West Oso Independent School District on Aug. 12 and the Flour Bluff and Calallen districts on Aug. 13. If you have a child awaiting the start of the school year, here are a few things to know: When does the school year start? Where can I find the calendar? Corpus Christi ISD's 2025-26 calendar is available online at under the "school calendar" tab. The year starts for students on Aug. 11 and ends May 28. Corpus Christi ISD offers a fall intersession Oct. 13-17. Other school districts have different calendars. This means that in addition to different first and last days, each district also gives students different days off for holidays and intersessions. Exact dates might vary, but federal holidays, Thanksgiving, winter and spring breaks are recognized by each district. A handful of districts also give days off during the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show. West Oso ISD returns on Aug. 12. The school year lasts until May 28. The full calendar is available online at It includes a fall intersession Oct. 13-17. Flour Bluff ISD's school year lasts from Aug. 13 until May 28. The calendar is available at Calallen ISD returns Aug. 13. The school year lasts until May 29, though seniors will finish on May 21. The Calallen calendar is available online at Other school districts have already gotten back to the classroom, like London Independent School District, which returned July 23, and Tuloso-Midway Independent School District, which started on July 16. Tuloso-Midway ISD's calendar is available online at The school year lasts until May 21. Tuloso-Midway ISD's extended school year calendar includes several intersessions scheduled for Sept. 2-5, Oct. 27-31, Feb. 23-27 and March 30-April 2. London ISD's school year lasts until May 22, which is an early release day. The calendar includes intersessions scheduled for Oct. 20-24, Feb. 16-20 and March 30-April 3. How to attend back-to-school resource events: Get backpacks, haircuts, immunizations, sports physicals and more LEAD First is hosting its annual Happy Health back-to-school fair from 9 a.m. to noon on July 26 at Miller High School. The event is open to students of any age from any school. The fair will offer backpacks and school supplies while supplies last, health screenings, food bags donated by the Coastal Bend Food Bank, sports physicals, hearing and vision tests, diabetes tests, blood pressure checks, fatty liver tissue screenings and immunizations, as well as information about health services. Nueces County's Operation Health and Wellness is ongoing. The free event began July 21 and will continue through July 26. The event runs 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 26. Veterinary services are available at the Johnny S. Calderon Nueces County Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 24-26. The initiative offers the following health services at Mission of Mercy, West Oso Junior High School and the Calderon Nueces County Center: Mission of Mercy: optometry and dental services. West Oso Junior High School: general medical, immunizations, diabetes screening, behavioral health, back-to-school physicals, women's exams and pharmacy. Calderon Nueces County Center: immunizations, general medical, diabetes screening, behavioral health, back-to-school physicals, women's exams, pharmacy and veterinary services. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Coastal Bend is hosting a Back to School Bash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 26 at 3902 Greenwood Drive. The event features school supplies, free and low-cost eye exams and glasses, free haircuts, free sports physicals, limited free clothing and shoes, food, drinks and games. Operation Safe Return, hosted by the Corpus Christi Police Department, will provide 4,000 backpacks, school supplies, food bags, health tests and screenings, immunizations, sports physicals and safety information from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 2 at the American Bank Center. For immunizations, a parent or legal guardian must be present with a valid ID. Families should bring the child's immunization record and proof of health insurance. The event is designed for students of any age from any school. Students need to come with a parent or legal guardian to receive featured items. What to know about school cell phone bans This spring, Texas lawmakers approved legislation banning student cell phone use in public schools. The new law directs school boards to ensure schools comply with a written policy prohibiting students from using personal communication devices while on school property during the school day. This includes personal cell phones, smartwatches, pagers, radios and tablets. Students are still allowed to use electronic devices provided by their school. The law allows schools to either prohibit students from bringing cell phones to school or designate a method for storing cell phones while students are at school. Exceptions include if a student has a documented need based on the directive of a qualified physician or if a device is needed to comply with individualized education program plans for students with disabilities. Adult education programs are also excluded. Corpus Christi ISD announced in mid-July that district officials are studying the legislation, and the school board is expected to adopt a new policy on July 28. The district previously limited cell phone use last year, requiring middle and elementary students to keep devices turned off during the school day and allowing high school students to only use devices between classes and during lunch. 'We had overwhelmingly positive feedback regarding our updated cellphone rules for the 2024-2025 school year,' Superintendent Roland Hernandez said in a news release. 'While we understand the new legislation may necessitate further habit changes by our students and families, we appreciate the Legislature's desire to support schools in keeping the school day a focused learning environment." Other area school districts are having similar discussions. Here's the next nonstop flight out of Corpus Christi International Airport Corpus Christi police rule out foul play after finding body near Oso Creek Plans set to move forward with Cinergy Entertainment Center in Corpus Christi Corpus Christi City Council approves 2026 budget for crime control, prevention This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: What to know before Corpus Christi heads back to school Solve the daily Crossword
