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Commentary: The pandemic’s virtual learning is now a permanent fixture of America’s schools
The rocket’s engine roars to life, and moments later, it slides up, up and up and away from the launchpad. An embedded video of the flight deck shows a worried, bug-eyed face behind the helmet visor — the astronaut’s pulling some G’s. He’s gone positively green. But wait — because this is a launch in Kerbal Space...
By Conor Williams | May 18, 2023
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Choice supporters to Oklahoma backers of Catholic charter schools: ‘Proceed with caution’
Catholic Church leaders in Oklahoma could within weeks get the go-ahead to create the nation’s first explicitly religious, taxpayer-supported charter school. And while a few charter and school choice leaders are quietly supporting the proposed St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School, seeing it as a watershed moment for religious freedom, others are saying, in...
By Greg Toppo | May 17, 2023
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LAUSD by the numbers: Crunching the data on crime, overdoses and accidents at area schools
Los Angeles has been shaken recently by a series of crimes and other dangerous or deadly incidents at local schools. The situation is drawing high-level attention. “In the past two weeks, we’ve seen near-death overdoses at an LAUSD middle school, the death of a mother and critical injury of her child as they walked to school, and...
By Jon Regardie | May 16, 2023
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Commentary: ‘This changes everything’ — AI is about to upend teaching and learning
In April 2022, I attended the ASU-GSV Summit, an ed tech conference in San Diego. I’d recently become an official Arizona State University employee, and as I was grabbing coffee, I saw my new boss, university President Michael Crow, speaking on a panel being broadcast on a big screen. At the end of the discussion,...
By Robin Lake | May 15, 2023
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As post-pandemic enrollment lags, schools compete for fewer students
Three years and counting since the pandemic shuttered schools and tethered students to their laptops, new data shows that enrollment in the vast majority of the nation’s largest school districts has yet to recover. Kindergarten counts continue to dwindle in many states — evidence of falling birth rates and an ever-growing array of options luring...
By Linda Jacobson | May 11, 2023
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Commentary: It’s time to make working in schools one of the most desirable career paths
As America’s schools continue to face mounting teacher shortages — particularly in low-income communities and crucial subject areas like special education — it’s encouraging to see long-needed legislation like the American Teacher Act and the Pay Teachers Act, which seek to raise the salaries of K-12 educators to at least $60,000. Either bill would be a major step forward in addressing the worrying...
By Katy Knight | May 10, 2023
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Q&A: LAUSD student’s journey to 2023 California Student Journalist of the Year
For LAUSD student Delilah Brumer, journalism was not all that appealing — until a series of events tested her and her classmates, revealing the power of the pen and the press. Delilah’s reporting in her community and school led to her selection as California’s 2023 Student Journalist of the Year. Last month, Delilah was recognized...
By Bryan Sarabia | May 9, 2023
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Parent’s view: Our students’ mental health isn’t about politics — It’s about our state’s future
Every parent, no matter race, background, or neighborhood, wants their children to thrive. We do our very best to meet their physical and emotional needs and protect them from pain. But if the last few years have taught us anything, it is that there are some things we cannot control. Despite our best efforts, our...
By Michelle Rivas | May 8, 2023
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Commentary: Lessons from a 9-month design sprint in how to link K-12, college & work
Three years after COVID struck, high school students’ pathways to postsecondary education remain at risk. Despite the clear importance of higher education for long-term economic stability and success, direct-to-college enrollment rates for high school graduates have dropped across the country, perpetuating inequities for students in poverty and those of color. In response, state and community leaders and...
By Sara Allan and Ryan Reyna | May 4, 2023
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Steep drop in student history scores leaves officials ‘very, very concerned’
Eighth graders’ knowledge of both history and civics fell significantly between 2018 and 2022, according to the latest scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Federal officials called the decline an ominous sign for America’s civic culture, with U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona criticizing some states for “banning history books and censoring educators.”...
By Kevin Mahnken | May 3, 2023