Try the political quiz
 @ISIDEWITHNewsUnited StatesTrump administrationFederal FundingAntisemitismHigher educationColumbia University•••11mos ago

Columbia University Pays $200M in Landmark Settlement With Trump Administration Over Antisemitism Claims

Columbia University has agreed to pay over $200 million to the Trump administration to resolve federal investigations into alleged failures to protect Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.

The settlement restores access to more than $400 million in previously frozen federal research funding and requires Columbia to adopt new anti-discrimination measures, including a controversial definition of antisemitism. The deal is being hailed by the Trump administration as a model for other universities, with Education Secretary Linda McMahon calling it a 'monumental victory.' Critics, however, warn that the agreement sets a dangerous precedent for government intervention in higher education and may threaten institutional autonomy.

The settlement has sparked intense debate about free speech, campus safety, and the future of federal oversight in academia.

.
+
Expand

Knowledge quiz

How much do you know about Antisemitism?

See if you know more than the average American.

Test your knowledge!

Knowledge quiz

How much do you know about Higher education?

See if you know more than the average American.

Test your knowledge!

No replies yet…

Be the first to reply to this general discussion.

More conversations

Join in on more popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2yrs2Y

U.S. Students Slide in Math, Science Test Scores

U.S. scores were no better than when the tests were first given in 1995. In math, the recent declines wiped out years of gains. American science scores have fallen since 2015, although the latest drops from 2019 weren’t statistically significant.The results come as President-elect Donald Trump has criticized America’s education system and pledged to abolish the federal Education Department. Wednesday’s release did come with a slice of good news, though: U.S. students still score above international averages, which include countries with a range of economic levels.Some other countries’ scores also declined since before the pandemic, but U.S. rankings slid comparatively on some measures, falling to 24 out of 45 education systems in eighth-grade math and 15 out of 63 in fourth-grade science.Countries whose performance moved ahead of the U.S. included Finland in math, England in science, and Poland for both subjects in fourth grade.High-scoring countries included Singapore, Japan and England. Officials say it is difficult to determine why some places excel and others struggle. The quality of a country’s schools, as well as other factors like poverty, can influence test performance. Carr said some countries use curriculum that is more closely aligned with the TIMSS exams.Even as U.S. schools have long since returned to normal from Covid-19 closures, educators struggled with new challenges. More teachers have left the profession. Student misbehavior and absenteeism jumped. “Coming out of Covid, parents and students got comfortable with the idea that it’s OK to stay home,” said Suzan Harris, a middle-school principal in Butts County, Ga. Chronic absenteeism rates have improved recently, but remain elevated compared with prepandemic figures, according to an American Enterprise Institute compilation of state data.In the years before the pandemic, national exams showed that school achievement was already stagnating or declining.

▲  95 replies