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Unhappy anniversary: Year after invasion, mixed emotions for Ukrainians in U.S.
It’s been nearly 11 months since Anastasiia Puzhalina and her family arrived in Tacoma, Washington, after a white-knuckled journey out of Ukraine. With no home, no income and no idea of how their children would adjust to a new school, they were consumed with worry. But, a year after Russia invaded its neighbor, upending the...
By Jo Napolitano | March 15, 2023
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Students with disabilities often overlooked in gifted programming
Gifted programming, already uneven across the country and prone to racial discrimination, has yet another blind spot: twice exceptional students. These advanced learners, who may also receive special education services, can languish academically, their skills overlooked. The same holds true for low-income children, students of color and those learning to speak English. Experts say most teachers have only limited...
By Jo Napolitano | August 17, 2022
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New Study: Black, special ed students punished at greater rate through pandemic
Despite a dramatic decline in suspensions as students moved to remote learning during the pandemic, Black children and those in special education were disciplined far more often than white students and those in general education, according to a recent New York University study. The report also indicates students’ behavior may have worsened this past academic...
By Jo Napolitano | July 11, 2022
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Harris poll: Education political driver for parents ahead of midterm elections
A survey of more than 5,000 parents released today found education ranks high among their concerns ahead of the critical midterm elections — and that 82% would vote for someone outside their party if the candidate’s education agenda matched their own. The survey was conducted electronically in May by The Harris Poll on behalf of...
By Jo Napolitano | July 6, 2022
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The classroom as a radical space: Teacher, author and fierce intellectual, bell hooks transformed education, especially for women of color
From reimagining the classroom to tearing down imposter syndrome, author, critic and fierce public intellectual bell hooks inspired women of color across generations to create a world in which all are free to reach their potential. Born Gloria Jean Watkins in rural, segregated Kentucky, hooks graduated from Stanford University in 1974 with a degree in...
By Jo Napolitano | January 12, 2022
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Survey — 56% of educators working with English learners say pandemic significantly disrupted learning; nearly 4 in 10 say students should have repeated grade
Nearly 40 percent of 669 educators who serve English language learners around the world said they should have repeated last school year because of pandemic-related learning loss, according to a recent survey. More than 56 percent of respondents said these students’ formal education was significantly disrupted, but they were not the only children to have...
By Jo Napolitano | December 21, 2021
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A problem for math teachers: Solving the dilemma of learning lost to a year of Zoom
Christopher Ochoa of McAllen, Texas, has loved mathematics since he was a young child, his interest fueled by summer-time math camps and trips to Space Center Houston. The high school senior’s strong work ethic helped him manage his ADHD, dyslexia, and sensory overload well enough to earn stellar marks and gain entry to Texas A&M...
By Jo Napolitano | June 1, 2021
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Influx of unaccompanied minors along southern border could pose test for schools
Thousands of English language learners could be headed for American public schools in the coming months due to recent changes in U.S. immigration policy and devastating natural disasters in Central and South America. Their arrival could pose a challenge for local school systems, particularly poor districts that might not have enough teachers or space to...
By Jo Napolitano | March 2, 2021
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Federal probes into lack of school services for special needs students reflect nearly a year of parental anguish, advocates say
Luis Martinez, an 11-year-old fifth grader with autism, rarely missed a day of school before the pandemic. Though non-verbal, he delighted in seeing his friends and teachers, and his mother, who quit her job five years ago to care for him, was thrilled for his small gains in communication. But that all changed during the...
By Jo Napolitano | February 11, 2021
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As COVID vaccine rollout approaches, states weigh whether to place teachers near the head of the line
Landra Fair, a high school science teacher at Unified School District No. 232 in Kansas, was thrilled for the chance to participate in Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine trial this past summer, eager to further scientific research in this area. It’s not the first time a member of her family has done so: Her mother was part...
By Jo Napolitano | December 10, 2020