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California poll finds parents leaving traditional public for charter schools
Scorned by the bureaucracy of Los Angeles Unified School District and the tumultuous politics of reopening schools in the spring of 2021, Carrie Kangro moved her oldest son to a charter school in the midst of the pandemic. Kangro, unsure if LAUSD would reopen schools, made the move despite having a particular love for the...
By Joshua Bay | September 19, 2022
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LA schools and the mystery of the missing ransom note
As the shady ransomware gang Vice Society took credit for a hack that sent Los Angeles school officials scrambling last week, cybersecurity experts noticed something peculiar. Vice Society, an “intrusion, exfiltration and extortion” group that experts believe is based in Russia, has become notorious for waging cyber warfare against K-12 schools, leveraging the theft of...
By Mark Keierleber | September 14, 2022
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California implements later school start time, other states considering
California middle and high schools began the academic day later this year, implementing a state law other states are now considering. After long-standing research showed the devastating impact of early classes on teens’ health, California’s district middle schools will start no earlier than 8 am; and high schools will start no later than 8:30 am....
By Jasmine De Leon | September 13, 2022
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‘Focused, angry, concerned about creating justice’: Debunking 5 myths about Generation Z
Ask a Boomer or Millenial what they think of Gen Zers and their observations are far from flattering: Overly sensitive, socialist, disengaged, dependent on technology. But those stereotypes have little basis in reality, according to the book, Fight: How Gen Z is Channeling Their Fear and Passion to Save America, released earlier this year. John Della Volpe,...
By Marianna McMurdock | September 8, 2022
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New poll: Majority of adults don’t trust educators to handle sensitive topics
New polling on the American education system shows widespread approval of local schools — along with ominous signs of dissatisfaction among both parents and the public at large. In a report published today by PDK International, a professional organization for teachers, over 1,000 adults expressed higher levels of faith in their community’s public schools than have ever...
By Kevin Mahnken | September 6, 2022
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Q&A: Education reporter Anya Kamenetz on COVID failures & students’ Stolen Year
At the moment in March 2020 when American schools were transitioning to remote instruction — around the time when people were making jokes about Corona beer and commentators still mused about spending two weeks to “flatten the curve” — Anya Kamenetz was making calls. Kamenetz had spent years covering the heaviest stories on the education...
By Kevin Mahnken | September 1, 2022
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Photos: What LA’s schools chief learned visiting chronically absent kids at home
Cloud Mejia, 13, who goes by they/them pronouns, said that they couldn’t even keep track of how many days of middle school they missed last year. “I rarely got myself to go,” Cloud said. “It’s not that I didn’t want to go to school, I just don’t feel welcome there a lot of the time....
By Rebecca Katz | August 30, 2022
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Survey reveals extent that cops surveil students online — in school and at home
When Baltimore students sign into their school-issued laptops, the police log on, too. Since the pandemic began, Baltimore City Public Schools officials have tracked students’ online lives with GoGuardian, a digital surveillance tool that promises to identify youth at risk of harming themselves or others. When GoGuardian flags students, their online activities are shared automatically with school...
By Mark Keierleber | August 29, 2022
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Biden’s move to cancel student debt a boon for many teachers, child care workers
The federal government will forgive $10,000 in debt for college loan borrowers earning under $125,000, President Joe Biden said in a long-awaited announcement Wednesday. Pell grant recipients are eligible to see $20,000 of their debt wiped out. Biden, who made student debt relief part of his presidential campaign, also extended a COVID-related pause on student loan payments through the...
By Linda Jacobson | August 25, 2022
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Kids catch up best with grade-level work — but keep getting easier assignments
Mounting evidence supports an academic strategy known as acceleration, in which students who are behind are challenged with grade-level material while getting help with missing skills or knowledge. But new research finds its use in schools “is currently more talk than action.” Analyzing data from 3 million students assigned lessons through a widely used literacy...
By Beth Hawkins | August 24, 2022