A Catholic high school teacher from Columbus, Ohio, who was recently fired after it was revealed that she is in a gay relationship, has received the support of tens of thousands of people petitioning on her behalf.

Carla Hale, a long-time teacher at Bishop Watterson High School, was fired on Holy Thursday, March 20, after an anonymous parent saw an obituary for Hale's mother, which listed her partner's name, Julie. The obituary was then sent to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, outing Hale for having a gay relationship. The teacher was subsequently fired.

"I'm a private person," Hale told the Columbus Dispatch in a video interview. "If they (students) had to describe me, they would say that I am a fanatic about soccer, I have a dog named boomer, and I have three kids that I talk about a lot – but beyond that, but beyond that, they wouldn't know anything else about me." more >>

In 1965, Yale and Princeton raised their tuition, making them the most expensive Ivy League schools at the time. The hefty price tag; just $1950 a year. Even accounting for inflation that would only amount to about $14,350 in 2013 dollars. Tuition at Princeton is now north of $40,000 a year, and it is close to $60,000 a year at institutions like University of Chicago or Sarah Lawrence College. Even in-state tuition at public college averages over $13,000 year, making the price of a "cheap" bachelor's degree well over $50,000.

The typical response to how college tuition has been regularly outpaced inflation is to call for increasing available financial aid. Leaving aside well founded concerns that increased aid actually fuels rising tuition, there are other problems with this approach. Chief among them is the fact that most financial aid comes in the form of federally subsidized loans. Increased financial aid does not usually mean decreasing the cost of college; it means increasing the debt incurred by students.

As I've written before, American students and graduates now carry a collective $1 trillion in student loan debt, and black students hold a disproportionate amount. The rising number of people with bachelor's degrees actually decreases their competitive value. In too many cases, individuals go deeply in debt for degrees that do little to make them more employable. The issue of rising debt goes beyond finances. Graduates facing large student loan balances delay marriage, home ownership and other stabilizing life decisions. Increased financial aid promises increase these problems. more >>

Sen. Charles "Chuck" Grassley (R-Iowa) is asking his colleagues to eliminate U.S. Department of Education funding used to develop or implement the Common Core State Standards Initiative.

He sent a letter Wednesday to the chair and ranking member of the subcommittee that would oversee such funding.

"We ask that the Fiscal Year 2014 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Bill include language to restore state decision-making and accountability with respect to state academic content standards," Grassley began. more >>

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal recently said that he believes creationism, evolution, and intelligent design should all be taught in the state's public schools so that children may be "exposed to the best facts."

"I believe all our children should be exposed to the best science," Jindal, a Republican, recently told NBC's Hoda Kotb when asked if he believes public schools should teach creationism.

"Bottom line, at the end of the day, we want our kids to be exposed to the best facts. Let's teach them about the big bang theory, let's teach them about evolution ... I've got no problem if a school board, a local school board, says we want to teach our kids about creationism, that people, some people, have these beliefs as well, let's teach them about 'intelligent design,'" Jindal added. more >>

Although he has stepped down from his speaking engagement at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine commencement ceremony, well-known neurosurgeon Ben Carson has not vanished from the public eye altogether.

The rising star of the conservative party will be holding a seminar on behalf of Inner L.I.G.H.T., a nonprofit community development organization, and the Memphis Urban League Young Professionals organization on Wednesday in the Mike Rose Theatre at the University of Memphis in Tennessee.

Both of these organizations use social and community action to equip younger generations with the proper materials, including education and role models, to help them excel in life. more >>

A Kentucky school district has decided to remove multiple Decalogue displays from various school classrooms in response to a complaint from a secular group.

Breathitt County Public Schools made the decision to remove the Ten Commandments from classrooms after a letter was sent to them by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Nancy Rodriguez, spokeswoman for Breathitt Schools, provided The Christian Post with a statement by the Kentucky Board of Education, saying that the displays were removed "to ensure compliance with federal law." more >>