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‘Nail in the coffin’: LAUSD parents and employees predict disaster if workers strike
If LAUSD workers, parents, and administrators agree on one thing it’s that nobody wants a strike. Earlier this month, the union representing Los Angeles Unified’s service workers — including 30,000 custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and special education assistants — issued its clearest threat to date in its years-long contract negotiations with LAUSD, announcing that...
By Will Callan | January 24, 2023
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Anger & fear: New poll shows school-level impact of anti-LGBTQ political debate
A new poll released today by The Trevor Project finds that recent debate over state laws restricting the rights of LGBTQ young people is having a huge negative impact on their mental health, their ability to seek health care and their exposure to in-school discrimination. In the survey, conducted in October and November by Morning Consult,...
By Beth Hawkins | January 23, 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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After charter school battles, top Biden education official offers an olive branch
Public charter schools may have lost some of the luster they enjoyed with centrist Democrats in Washington, D.C., a decade or two ago, but a top Biden administration education official this week sought to reassure the sector that it enjoys broad support on both sides of the aisle. “I do not believe that the bottom...
By Greg Toppo | January 18, 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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New data: Female college enrollment drops at twice the rate of male students
New data shows gender disparities in fall 2022 college freshmen enrollment, with female students opting out at more than twice the rate of males, according to a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Across all four-year universities and community colleges, male freshmen enrollment declined by 1.3% compared to female freshmen enrollment which...
By Joshua Bay | January 12, 2023
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Analysis: 3 ways for schools to make sure they get what they pay for in learning recovery
American households invest time and money in things they assume are worth it, whether it is because they are believed to improve quality of life or are cost-effective. New parents may be loyal to a particular diaper brand that they believe prevents leaks. Families purchase or prepare school lunches to give their children a balanced...
By Amanda Neitzel & Jen Krajewski | January 11, 2023
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Services denied: LAUSD parents and advocates slam weak rollout of plan for students with disabilities
Correction appended Jan. 10 Every week or so, Los Angeles parent Glenisha Cargin makes a round of phone calls to LAUSD school officials trying to get help for her young son. Cargin, the mother of a first-grader on the autism spectrum who attends a district school in Westmont, calls the principal. Next she moves on...
By Will Callan | January 10, 2023
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A DARPA for K–12? Omnibus bill includes substantial new funds for education R&D
Funding increases written into the recently passed $1.7 trillion federal omnibus package will provide a substantial jumpstart to education research and statistics this year — and could even evolve into an entity mirroring DARPA, the Pentagon’s storied research and development branch. The law, passed by bipartisan majorities and signed by President Biden in the closing days of...
By Kevin Mahnken | January 9, 2023
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The future of the high school essay: We talk to 4 teachers, 2 experts and 1 AI chatbot
ChatGPT, an AI-powered “large language” model, is poised to change the way high school English teachers do their jobs. With the ability to understand and respond to natural language, ChatGPT is a valuable tool for educators looking to provide personalized instruction and feedback to their students. O.K., you’ve probably figured out by now that ChatGPT...
By Greg Toppo | January 5, 2023