School Supplies
What to know: Cell phones won’t be on any Texas public school’s list of school supplies for the upcoming year. The Legislature has banned them in classrooms.
The TPPF take: This move will have positive effects for Texas education—and Texas kids.
“While technology plays an essential role in education, personal devices often serve as a distraction rather than a learning tool,” says TPPF’s David Dunmoyer. “Studies indicate that students check their phones more than 100 times per day on average, reducing their ability to focus on classroom instruction.”
For more on cell phones in classrooms, click here.
Qatar: Friend or Foe?
What to know: President Donald Trump met with the Qatari prime minister on Wednesday to talk about Middle East peace.
The TPPF take: Can Qatar be trusted?
“Qatar has positioned itself as a valuable U.S. partner in diplomacy, defense, and commerce,” says TPPF’s Kate Bierly. “But its undisclosed influence in sensitive corners of American academia, particularly in fields vital to our national security, raises the question: Is Qatar a friend or a foe? The answer may not remain a question for long. As tensions rise in the Middle East, we will soon find out.”
For more on Qatar, click here.
Climate and College
What to know: Most college courses on energy neglect—or misrepresent—fossil fuels, a new study shows.
The TPPF take: The study shows a problematic tilt: 71 percent of courses were climate-focused while 29 percent were climate-agnostic.
“It should come as no surprise that corporate America and the academic community remain hidebound to an appealing myth: that renewables can power the future, and they should do what they can to accelerate that inevitability,” says TPPF’s Chuck DeVore. “The vast majority of college courses on energy are worse than worthless. They’re lies by omission.”
For more on energy and education, click here.