Fla. Reveals Rationale for Rejecting Texts | Bain Sells Ed. Provider for $320M | Growth of Ed-Tech Unicorns

A Newsletter for Education Business Leaders [ ] [Advertisement]( [edBiz Update | The news roundup for education business leaders] Powered by [EDWEEK Market Brief]( [EDWEEK MARKET BRIEF](  | [EDUCATION WEEK](  | [ADVERTISE](mailto:mbakley@educationweek.org?subject=Advertising%20Opportunities)  | [JOBS]( K12 [ ] [ ] [Florida Releases Reviews That Led to Rejection of Math Textbooks | The New York Times]( To explain its puzzling rejection of dozens of textbooks, the state released 6,000 pages of comments, revealing an often confusing and divisive process. [Read It Yourself: Reviewers Search for Objectionable Materials in Florida Textbooks | Orlando Sentinel]( Thousands of pages of math textbook reviews were released last week by the Florida Department of Education. [U.S.-Based Firm Stonespeak Makes €1B Investment in Private School Operator | Getstartup]( New York-based alternative investment firm, Stonepeak, has announced a long-term partnership with Inspired Education Group. [alt]   [Majority of LAUSD English Learners Fail to Meet State English and Math Requirements | The 74]( The results taken from the latest round of assessments have prompted calls from parents and others in the community. [alt]   [Ukrainian Startup Is Bringing School to Displaced Students | CNN]( Inna Maksymenko and her team at the ed-tech and gaming startup Keiki produce both free and subscription-based educational apps. [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( Professional Development Outlook 2026: How K-12, Postsecondary Education, and EdTech Companies Plan to Provide Employee Training COVID-19 sparked a surge in PD to help employees adapt to the sudden shift to remote operations. Based on survey research, this whitepaper from Google Cloud outlines how K-12 administrators, postsecondary leaders, and EdTech companies see the future of PD. [Download whitepaper]( [ ] [alt]   [Manara Gets $3M to Grow Tech Talent Pool in the Middle East and North Africa | TechCrunch]( Manara trains software engineers for fee, and recoups investment after they are employed. [How a South Side Chicago School Increased Vaccine Uptake | Chalkbeat]( With the help of a town hall, phone calls to parents, and student-created TikTok videos, Dunne STEM Academy has seen vaccine rates climb in recent months from 5 percent to 42 percent. Higher Education [ ] [ ] [alt]   [University of Florida Seems to Endorse New State Anti-CRT Law | Inside Higher Ed]( University of Florida seemingly endorses state’s new anti-CRT law and warns professors that violating the law risks state funding. Some $106 million could be on the line. [alt]   [Educators Don’t Feel Prepared to Buy Ed Tech. That Has Implications for Vendors | EdWeek Market Brief]( An EdWeek Market Brief survey finds that teacher prep programs fail to get aspiring educators ready to evaluate, purchase, and implement ed tech. [alt]   [Letter Grades on Way Out? Why Some University of California Departments May Use Alternatives | EdSource]( Advocates argue letter grades aren't a good measure of student learning and that pass/no pass grading in certain courses could be a better approach. [Government Watchdog: Stronger Oversight of Third-Party Online Programs Managers Needed | Chronicle of Higher Edcuation]( The U.S. Government Accountability Office has [released a report]( underscoring the need for more robust monitoring of third-party online-program managers. [ ] ADVERTISEMENT [Advertisement]( EdWeek is hiring: Manager of District Partnerships A unique role for an entrepreneurial K-12 sales exec. Use your district sales expertise and help EdWeek grow an important area of our business. Build relationships with districts across the country and be a key ambassador for EdWeek’s professional learning resources. [Apply here!]( [ ] [alt]   [Upskilling Trend Brings Coupons, ‘Flash Sales’ and Other Marketing Gimmicks to Higher Ed | EdSurge News]( Deals can lure students to courses from upstart online providers, though students don't always dig into the material. [Educators Consider the Future of Higher Education as Enrollment Declines | Indiana Public Media]( According to the National Clearinghouse Research Center, higher education enrollment fell 2.7 percent in the fall 2021, following a drop of 2.5 percent the year before.  [COVID-19 Outbreak Forces Drake U to Move Classes Online | Inside Higher Ed]( An outbreak of COVID-19 at Drake University led to last week’s classes, and finals, being moved online. Et Alia [ ] [ ] [Bain Capital Sells Early Education Provider for $320M | Australian Financial Review]( Bain Capital has sold its Australian early education business to US operator Bright Horizons Family Solutions. [alt]   [Universal Technical Institute plans $50M Acquisition of Concorde Career Colleges | Higher Ed Dive]( The deal would add healthcare programs to Universal Technical Institute's transportation-heavy portfolio as it seeks to sharply grow revenue. [alt]   [The Number of Ed-Tech Unicorns Grows, Fueled by Pandemic-Era Fundraising | EdWeek Market Brief]( More than 30 ed-tech companies worldwide have valuations of $1 billion or more, with the largest number located in the U.S. [alt]   [2U Continues Consumer-Centric Pivot as Q1 Losses Widen | Higher Ed Dive]( The company said its recent acquisition of edX will help improve marketing costs, though those expenses increased in its latest quarterly earnings report. [Pandemic Exposed Mental Health Divide Among College Students, Dartmouth Researchers Say | The Washington Post]( Researchers at Dartmouth College have released new data in a multi-year mental health study that reveals a deep divide among college students, with some young people struggling more with anxiety and depression than others. [alt]   [Ed Tech Game Firm Receives $1M in Research Funding | Inside Indiana Business]( A West Lafayette-based startup that makes science-focused games for elementary-age students has received $1 million from the National Science Foundation. [alt]   [Ed-Tech Unicorn Vedantu Lays Off 200 Employees | The Economic Times]( About 120 of these employees were on contract while 80 were full-time employees. Almost all were from the company's academic teams, working as assistant teachers. Comings and Goings [ ] Pearson has appointed[Sulaekha “Sue” Kolloru]( as its next chief strategy officer. She brings more than 15 years of global strategy experience to the role, most recently as the vice president of international portfolio strategy and transformation at Delta Air Lines. Partner in Publishing, a company that provides consulting in marketing, sales, customer onboarding, and other areas, announced three new appointments: [Gerry Hanley]( as chief academic officer; Baker Evans as chief operating officer; and Jeffrey Rucker as vice president of content marketing. Aquinas College, a Catholic college in Michigan, has announced that [Alicia Córdoba]( will be its next president. She comes to Aquinas from the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where she was an associate vice president. The Owasso Public Schools, a 9,700-student district in Oklahoma, is expected to name Margaret Coates as its new superintendent following a special school board meeting this week. Coates, a former teachers and assistant principal, has been serving as interim superintendent since last fall. The University of Loyola at Chicago has named [Mark Reed]( as its next president. Reed is currently the president of St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia. He has served in that role since 2015, when he was named the first non-Jesuit president in that university's history. Heard of executives changing jobs within the education industry? Give us the details by writing to edbiz-transitions@educationweek.org. Jobs [ ] [ ] [Account Executive]( Amplify Amplify is seeking an Account Executive for Kansas. This individual will become a specialist on Amplify's solutions and find opportunities to serve schools and districts and in doing so, achieve revenue targets. [Senior Director]( Northwest Evaluation AssociationReporting to the CFO, this role serves as the finance leader of our accounting team and is focused on building and maintaining effective partnerships across the organization while ensuring effective and compliant operational processes. [Executive Director]( K12 Inc.The Executive Director for Texas Stride Powered Schools serves as the executive officer for the school overseeing development and supervision of all school programs, business strategies, budget and academics. [Find a Job]( Search [Product, Services, & Policy jobs](. Did someone forward this to you? [Sign up]( to get edBiz Update in your own inbox. Suggestions/Feedback: Contact Sean Cavanagh at scavanagh@epe.org. Sponsorship/Business Opportunities: Contact Maurice Bakley at mbakley@epe.org.  [View in Browser]( | [Contact Us]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe]( If you would like to stop receiving edBiz Update, [click here](. 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