Gary The Creator
Just my thoughts!
New York State Extends Retiree Salary Cap Waiver for Public School Workers Through 2027
To combat ongoing staffing shortages within public schools, New York State has once again extended the universal retiree salary cap waiver for public sector retirees who return to work in public school districts and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Originally set to expire on...
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Raising Money-Smart Teens: A Parent's Guide to Teaching Financial Literacy That Actually Works
Raising a teenager in today's world comes with enough challenges: Social media, academics, mental health, and making sure they don't Uber Eats your entire paycheck. Teens today are bombarded with online shopping, influencer marketing, digital wallets, and crypto. If they don't learn to manage money...
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New York Schools to Implement Bell-to-Bell Smartphone Ban This Fall
New York schools are about to undergo a major change as Governor Kathy Hochul announced a "bell-to-bell" smartphone ban, set to take effect this fall as part of the State's Fiscal Year 2026 budget. The ban will apply to all public and charter K-12 schools statewide, making New York the largest...
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Federal Student Loan Interest Rates for 2025-2026 Will Dip, But Challenges Remain
Federal student loans for the 2025-2026 academic year are expected to come with slightly lower interest rates, providing a modest financial break for students and families grappling with the cost of higher education. Higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz estimates that the rates for undergraduate...
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Teens, Algorithms, and the Online Trap: How Social Media Shapes Urban Youth
Social media isn't just entertainment for today's teens, especially those growing up in busy, urban environments. It's a digital stage, a classroom, a support group, and, sometimes, a battlefield. From Instagram and TikTok to X and Snapchat, these platforms influence how young people see the world...
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Chromebooks and iPads: Tariffs Could Spike Technology Costs for Schools
As schools across the United States continue to prioritize technology in the classroom, a new challenge looms on the horizon: rising costs due to recently implemented tariffs. These tariffs, enacted by President Trump, are poised to significantly increase the prices of essential technology like...
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Report Shows Most High School Graduates Are Underprepared for College and Careers
Despite earning their diplomas, many American high school students are walking the graduation stage unprepared for the real world, according to a newly released national teacher survey conducted by Gallup in partnership with the Walton Family Foundation. The findings, based on feedback from nearly...
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Judge Blocks Trump-Era Decision to Cut Off States' COVID Relief Funds for Schools
A federal judge has delivered a major blow to the U.S. Department of Education's attempt to abruptly cancel states' access to over $1.1 billion in unspent COVID-19 relief funds meant for K-12 schools. The ruling, issued Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos in Manhattan, restores states'...
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When Caring Hurts: How Student Trauma Fuels a Teacher Crisis
In classrooms across America, teachers are facing a silent epidemic, one that doesn't stem from curriculum changes or standardized tests, but from the emotional weight of their students' traumas. This phenomenon, known as Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS), is increasingly recognized as a significant...
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Trump's 'Skinny Budget' Targets Education With Deep Cuts to K-12, College Access Programs
President Donald Trump's administration unveiled its much-anticipated "skinny budget" proposal for fiscal year 2026, calling for sweeping reductions in federal spending, especially in education. The blueprint slashes the U.S. Department of Education's budget by $12 billion, amounting to a 15% cut...
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Still Time: Scholarships High School Students Can Apply for in May and June 2025
While many scholarship deadlines have already come and gone for the 2024-2025 academic year, a wide range of opportunities are still available for New York high school students seeking financial support for college. Whether you're pursuing STEM, the arts, nursing, business, or public service, there...
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Trump Administration Cancels $1 Billion in School Mental Health Grants, Citing Policy Shift
In a sweeping and controversial move, the Trump administration has decided to halt nearly $1 billion in federal mental health grants designed to expand psychological services in schools across the country. The grants, originally enacted as part of a bipartisan response to the 2022 Robb Elementary...
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