Last week a Pennsylvania school district, Wyoming Valley West, sent a letter to parents saying their children could end up in foster care if they didn’t pay school lunch debts, which total $22,000. Todd Carmichael, CEO of La Colombe Coffee, a Philadelphia company 115 miles southeast of the school district, offered to donate money for the lunches. The school district initially rejected the offer but then said yes.

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles teachers returned to their classrooms Wednesday after voting to ratify a proposed contract deal. The vote ended a six-day strike by the United Teachers Los Angeles union in the nation’s second-largest school district. The agreement includes a 6 percent pay raise for teachers and a commitment by the district to reduce class sizes over the next four years. It also provides for an additional 600 nurses and numerous other support positions, such as counselors and librarians, over the next three years.

One of our readers called the other day, quite upset because he still hadn’t seen in all our recent pages any evidence that WORLD is editorially in favor of spending substantial federal money to arm and protect our schools—with military weapons. “If it were your kids who were being shot and killed,” he said, “it would have been a cover story.”

Arizona teachers returned to their classrooms today after state lawmakers approved a budget that includes pay raises and more education funding. Organizers touted the outcome as achieving “something truly historic.” But they didn’t get everything they wanted. Teacher lobby groups pushed for a $1 billion commitment for additional education funding. Lawmakers agreed to $300 million for the next year. Educators will get a 9 percent raise in the fall, followed by additional 5 percent increases during the next two years. Gov.

Public school classrooms across Arizona remained closed Monday as teachers continued to lobby state lawmakers for more pay and education funding. The walkout began Thursday and shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Organizers planned to meet Monday with state lawmakers who have so far not agreed to Republican Gov. Doug Ducey’s proposal to give teachers a 20 percent pay raise. Ducey and leaders of the state House and Senate issued a statement Saturday assuring educators that they’re working on a solution.

Teachers in Arizona and Colorado continued their walkouts Friday, forcing many schools in both states to remain closed for a second day. About 50,000 teachers marched to the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix on Thursday to demand $1 billion more in classroom funding, on top of the 20 percent pay raise proposed by Gov. Doug Ducey. Lawmakers have so far balked at the spending increases. More than 840,000 students had to stay home Thursday and Friday, forcing parents to scramble for child care. And the strike could extend into next week.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey appealed to parents Thursday to help persuade state lawmakers to give public school teachers a raise. The unusual request came just hours before as many as 50,000 educators are expected to march to the state Capitol in Phoenix to demand pay raises and an increase in classroom funding. Ducey, a Republican, has pledged to work toward a 20 percent salary increase by 2020, but teachers voted last week to strike anyway. Lawmakers have so far rejected Ducey’s proposal, saying they don’t know how they can pay for it.