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Stockton, California: What happens when a dysfunctional district gets $241 million
When Congress approved $190 billion to combat the educational devastation wrought by the pandemic, the Stockton, California, school system was practically the poster child for a district in need. Nearly 80% of students in the Central Valley district live in poverty. High COVID infection rates were shutting down packing plants where many of their parents work, and...
By Linda Jacobson | February 14, 2023
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SCOTUS could change the rights of students with disabilities to sue for damages
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday considered whether students with disabilities can seek financial relief under a federal law prohibiting discrimination even if they’ve already settled a case under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Comments and questions from the justices seemed to lean toward yes. “All she wants is to be compensated for what...
By Linda Jacobson | January 19, 2023
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National literacy data show nearly half of all 3rd graders began school year off-track
National data released last fall shows students who learned to read during the pandemic are still performing below those who were in early grades before schools closed — in some cases, well below. Fifty-three percent of second graders were on track in reading last fall, compared to 57% in 2019, according to Amplify, a curriculum...
By Linda Jacobson | January 17, 2023
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‘Late-in-the-game’ COVID relief fund guidance leaves some scratching their heads
Earlier this month, more than two years into schools’ attempts to spend an unprecedented $189 billion in COVID relief funds, federal officials released a 97-page document that “strongly encourages” districts not to spend the windfall on construction. There’s one hitch: According to one analysis, districts are already spending, or planning to spend, almost a quarter of funds from...
By Linda Jacobson | January 4, 2023
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Report: Half of largest school districts changed leaders since pandemic
Half of the nation’s 500 largest school districts have changed superintendents or are in the midst of a transition, according to a report tracking leadership churn since the pandemic began. Forty-seven of those districts have seen two or more leadership changes. The turnover has been particularly hard on women: Of the 94 female superintendents who...
By Linda Jacobson | January 2, 2023
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‘Heroes to zeroes’: L.A. school staff plans strike vote
The staff members who keep Los Angeles schools running — and prepared them to reopen during the pandemic — say they are on the verge of walking off the job. They held a rally Tuesday in front of the district’s headquarters as a step toward authorizing a strike. As Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and the school...
By Linda Jacobson | December 14, 2022
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L.A. vs. the wonks: District’s 8th-grade reading miracle on NAEP draws scrutiny
When the nation’s most important test dropped in late October, the news was abysmal: Scores were among the worst in its history. But amid the carnage, one feel-good story emerged. Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest school district, appeared to have accomplished a reading miracle, with eighth-grade scores jumping an incredible nine points. Peggy Carr, the...
By Linda Jacobson | November 29, 2022
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Virtual nightmare: One California student’s journey through the pandemic
In a black suit and red bowtie, his smile full of braces, Jason Finuliar stands by a fountain on the Santa Clara University campus as his mother snaps a photo. It was December 2018, and the promising young speech competitor had just placed fourth in a California tournament, qualifying him for nationals. “It was literally...
By Linda Jacobson | November 22, 2022
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Black families look to continue pod schooling movement beyond pandemic
White families may have embraced pods and microschools as a short-term fix to cope with the pandemic. But for many Black parents, they offer something more permanent: an alternative to traditional schools where their children have historically faltered. “Our motivation for building outside of the system is because we saw our system crumbling in the...
By Linda Jacobson | November 21, 2022
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Skeptical Supreme Court asks: Do race-conscious admissions have an endpoint?
The conservative-dominated U.S. Supreme Court seemed skeptical of whether universities should be able to continue the practice of considering race in admissions, and in arguments Monday, several justices openly questioned whether racial diversity offered any educational benefit. If the tenor of the sometimes pointed exchanges are any indication, the outcome may hinge on how long...
By Linda Jacobson | November 2, 2022