District Prioritizes Student Success Over Corporate Profits; Initiates Transition to New Online Learning Model

GALLUP, N.M., May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) announced the termination of its educational services contract with Stride Inc. (formerly K12 Inc.), effective June 30. This action, taken during a special School Board meeting, follows months of documented legal and academic violations, including failure to comply with New Mexico law on student-teacher ratios, high student turnover, declining graduation rates, and some of the lowest academic proficiency scores in the state.

GMCS School Board President Chris Mortensen stated, “Our students deserve educational providers that prioritize their academic success, not corporate profit margins. Putting profits above kids was damaging to our students, and we refuse to be complicit in that failure any longer.”

Stride CEO James Rhyu has admitted to failing to meet New Mexico’s legal requirements for teacher-student ratios, an issue that GMCS suspects was not isolated. “We have reason to believe that Stride has raised student-teacher ratios not just in New Mexico but nationwide,” said Mortensen. “If true, this could have inflated Stride’s annual profit margins by hundreds of millions of dollars. That would mean corporate revenues and stock prices benefited at the expense of students and in some cases, in defiance of the law.”

The harm inflicted was particularly egregious in Gallup–McKinley County, one of the most impoverished regions in the United States, where Stride’s online learning model served a majority-minority, low-income student population. “These are students who rely most on educational opportunity, and they were let down,” Mortensen said.

 The data reveals a troubling decline:

Graduation rates in GMCS’s Stride-managed online program plunged from 55.79% in 2022 to just 27.67% in 2024.Student turnover reached an alarming 30%.New Mexico state math proficiency scores for Stride students dropped dramatically, falling to just 5.6%.Ghost enrollments and a lack of individualized instruction further compromised student learning. 

Despite numerous warnings and efforts by the district to support corrective action, Stride/K12 repeatedly failed to improve. The School Board unanimously approved the contract termination and has authorized its attorneys to pursue arbitration for damages. Stride’s legal attempt to block the termination through a Temporary Restraining Order was rejected in an early morning hearing by the New Mexico District Court in Aztec.

These issues echo national patterns exposed by The New York Times, which revealed that Stride and similar companies have too often sacrificed educational quality in pursuit of investor returns. Internal audits cited in the Times article showed leadership ignored clear red flags in favor of aggressive enrollment and revenue growth.

“Gallup–McKinley County Schools students were used to prop up Stride’s bottom line,” said Mortensen. “This district, like many others, trusted Stride to deliver education. Instead, we got negligence cloaked in corporate branding.”

GMCS is now focused on the transition to a new online learning model rooted in integrity, compliance, transparency, and student success. The district is working directly with families to ensure continued academic support during the transition. Expanded special education oversight and local accountability will be central to the district’s new direction.

For additional updates, visit www.gmcs.org.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gallup-mckinley-county-schools-terminates-contract-with-stridek12-citing-severe-academic-and-legal-violations-302464429.html

SOURCE Gallup–McKinley County Schools

LARGO, Md., May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Yesterday, on May 22, hundreds of youths and young adults from Prince George’s County gathered at the Southern Regional Technology & Recreation Complex for the Career Takeover: Level Up Your Future. The end-of-school-year career event is an initiative that aims to eliminate barriers for in-school youth, recent graduates, and job seekers by offering a diverse array of career opportunities and resources. 

Hosted by Prince George’s County’s own multi-talented, Autumn Joi Live, and energized by the latest sounds from celebrity DJ Little Bacon Bear, Career Takeover shattered the traditional job fair mold! With over 20 employers and resource partners, young residents were immersed in interactive displays, live demos, and hands-on activities designed to inspire and activate.

In collaboration with industry leaders and community organizations, the event also tackled real issues like mental health, PTSD, and educational setbacks—creating a space where opportunity meets support.

A highlight of the day was an address by District 8 County Council Member Edward Burroughs III, who offered words of encouragement as participants started on their career journeys.

Jennifer Ricks, Employ Prince George’s, Director, Youth Services at Employ Prince George’s, expressed gratitude, stating, “Our Youth Career Connections (YCC) and Knowledge Equals Youth Success (KEYS) team, along with career coaches, played a pivotal role in making this event impactful by providing support to the youth every step of the way.”

Among the attendees was Donnell Dorsey, a 19-year-old recent graduate from Oxon Hill High School, who attended in his graduation regalia an hour after receiving his diploma, eager to explore opportunities. Brittany Glover, Employ Prince George’s, Manager, Youth Services, commended Dorsey’s dedication, emphasizing, “We’re thrilled you joined us right after your graduation. Employers here are eager to hire individuals like you, and KEYS is dedicated to assisting youth aged 18-24 in achieving credentials, securing job placements, and enhancing career readiness.”  We applaud our YCC’s Street team for attending this week’s PGCPS graduations to get the word out about this event to graduation attendees.

Ricks, continued to express, “EPG is dedicated to breaking barriers for the Prince George’s County youth. It empowers them to lead the way in their personal journeys, providing essential support. With 50 career coaches for middle and high school students, we aim to prepare and empower youth for graduation and beyond, offering guidance and incentives to help young adults enhance their skills and knowledge. Our mission is to ensure that the youth of Prince George’s County are aware of the resources available to them, fostering a path to success.”

Employ Prince George’s Youth Services continues to make a significant impact on the youth and young adults in Prince George’s County through their fourth successful Career Takeover event. The increased community support, growing youth interest, and tangible evidence of positive outcomes reflect the dedication and effectiveness of EPG in addressing the challenges faced by the county’s youth.

For event footage, visit https://app.air.inc/a/brqCczGXc

The Youth Career Connections (YCC) program equips students from 6th grade through undergraduate studies with vital skills and knowledge to excel in their chosen career paths. By offering career readiness seminars covering resume building, interview techniques, workplace etiquette, and more, YCC ensures students are prepared for success. Participants also benefit from career exploration, soft skills development, real-world exposure, paid work experience, access to career fairs, and employment opportunities, all aimed at fostering their professional growth.

The Knowledge Equals Youth Success (KEYS) program empowers young adults aged 18-24 with essential resources for competitiveness in today’s job market. From skills assessments to career coaching, job readiness training, and supportive services like mentorship and career coaching, KEYS offers a comprehensive support system.

If you’re a graduating high school senior or a young adult seeking opportunities, explore what YCC and KEYS have to offer at pgccareers.com to kickstart your career journey today!

About Employ Prince George’s:

Employ Prince George’s (EPG) provides workforce intelligence and solutions for the job seeker and business. EPG’s mission is to contribute to the economic vitality of Prince George’s County by providing a demand-driven system that delivers qualified workers to business and provides job seekers with opportunities for careers in high-demand/high-growth industries.

For more information, please visit employpg.org.

About Prince George’s County American Job Center Community Network:

The Prince George’s County American Job Center Community Network is a collaborative network operated by Employ Prince George’s, connecting jobseekers to training and employment opportunities across Prince George’s County, Maryland. Leveraging the core principle of PARTNERSHIP, the network combines government funding with community resources to provide high-quality career services, education, and training to empower individuals in the county.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/breaking-barriers-inspiring-action-employ-prince-georges-epg-youth-services-continues-to-tackle-prevalent-issues-faced-by-prince-georges-county-youth-with-fourth-career-takeover-community-event-302464430.html

SOURCE Employ Prince George’s

As modern disruptions like ransomware attacks, cloud outages, and supply chain failures outpace traditional crisis planning, many organizations are left unprepared. Info-Tech Research Group’s new framework is designed to help organizations rehearse realistic scenarios and build the confidence, agility, and collaboration needed for effective incident response.

TORONTO, May 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Many organizations’ crisis response plans are not equipped to handle the speed and complexity of today’s disruptive events. Despite extensive planning, real-time execution during incidents like cyberattacks, natural disasters, and system failures often falters, leaving businesses exposed to operational setbacks and financial loss. To support both IT teams and the broader organization in strengthening their response capabilities, Info-Tech Research Group has released new research, Improve Organizational Resilience With a Tabletop Program.

The data-backed blueprint from the global research and advisory firm presents a practical framework to strengthen crisis readiness through the use of structured tabletop exercises. The simulations outlined in the firm’s research insights guide organizations to rehearse responses to realistic scenarios, such as cyberattacks, in a controlled setting, improving both coordination and confidence.

“Overcoming the disconnect between planning and real-world execution requires a shift toward immersive, crisis-based training that fosters adaptive decision-making under pressure,” says Michel Hébert, practice lead at Info-Tech Research Group. “Regular tabletop exercises offer teams the opportunity to move beyond rigid playbooks, honing their ability to react dynamically in complex situations. These exercises also provide a controlled environment in which to fail safely, extract valuable lessons, and improve response capabilities.”

Info-Tech’s newly published guidance identifies a critical gap in how organizations approach resilience planning. The firm explains that while many invest heavily in developing detailed operational plans, they often fail to properly train the teams responsible for executing them.

The firm further notes that traditional methods relying on static playbooks do not equip staff to handle the unpredictability and pressure of real-world crises. Info-Tech’s findings make it clear that having plans is not enough. Teams must actively practice those plans under realistic conditions to build the confidence and agility needed for effective crisis response.

In its blueprint for resilience planning, Info-Tech Research Group outlines a practical four-phase tabletop approach designed to help organizations build a crisis response program that performs effectively in real situations. Rather than relying solely on theoretical planning, this methodology encourages organizations and IT teams to train through realistic, hands-on scenarios that reveal strengths and expose areas for improvement.

Phase 1: Define Program Objectives
Clear and measurable goals that align with the organization’s broader risk management and operational priorities must be established. This phase emphasizes the principle that teams perform how they train, not how they plan. The objective is to embed better crisis management through repetition and ensure everyone understands their role in a high-stakes situation.Phase 2: Design the Scenario and Plan the Session
Customized scenarios that are realistic, relevant, and capable of testing both technical responses and decision-making under pressure are developed next. Sessions should be designed to challenge participants, encouraging creative problem-solving and quick thinking in complex, evolving situations.Phase 3: Facilitate Sessions
In this phase, the tabletop exercises should be conducted in a structured but supportive environment where participants can engage openly. Creating a space where it is safe to fail allows teams to identify weaknesses without consequences and build stronger coordination and trust across departments.Phase 4: Review Outcomes
Key insights and lessons learned can be captured to reveal actionable improvements. Post-exercise reviews should focus on refining procedures, updating documentation, and reinforcing best practices to strengthen the organization’s overall crisis response capabilities.

When implemented thoughtfully, Info-Tech’s tabletop program strengthens organizational resilience by minimizing downtime, reinforcing regulatory compliance, and boosting readiness for future disruptions. The structured exercises detailed in the firm’s blueprint help transform theoretical plans into practiced responses, ensuring that teams are not just prepared on paper but are ready to act decisively when a real crisis unfolds.

For exclusive and timely commentary from Michel Hébert, an expert in security and privacy, and access to the complete Improve Organizational Resilience With a Tabletop Program blueprint, please contact pr@infotech.com.

Media Passes to Info-Tech LIVE 2025 in Las Vegas
Registration is now open for Info-Tech LIVE 2025 in Las Vegas, taking place June 10 to 12, 2025, at Bellagio in Las Vegas. This premier event offers journalists, podcasters, and media influencers access to exclusive content, the latest IT research and trends, and the opportunity to interview industry experts, analysts, and speakers. To apply for media passes to attend the event or gain access to research and expert insights on trending topics, please contact pr@infotech.com.

Exhibitors are also invited to be part of Info-Tech LIVE and showcase their products and services to a highly engaged audience of IT decision-makers. For more information about becoming an Info-Tech LIVE exhibitor, please contact events@infotech.com.

About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT and HR professionals. The company produces unbiased, highly relevant research and provides advisory services to help leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For nearly 30 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.

To learn more about Info-Tech’s divisions, visit McLean & Company for HR research and advisory services and SoftwareReviews for software buying insights.

Media professionals can register for unrestricted access to research across IT, HR, and software and hundreds of industry analysts through the firm’s Media Insiders program. To gain access, contact pr@infotech.com.

For information about Info-Tech Research Group or to access the latest research, visit infotech.com and connect via LinkedIn and X.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/organizations-must-train-not-just-plan-for-crisis-events-advises-it-research-and-advisory-firm-info-tech-research-group-302464441.html

SOURCE Info-Tech Research Group