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L.A. schools investigate data breach as FCC approves $200M cybersecurity pilot

On the same day that millions of sensitive records purportedly stolen from the Los Angeles school district were posted for sale on the dark web, the Federal Communications Commission approved a $200 million pilot program to help K-12 schools and libraries nationwide fight an onslaught of cyberattacks. A Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson confirmed...
By Mark Keierleber | June 18, 2024
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Report: Higher rates of depression, anxiety for LGBTQ teens forcibly outed

As more states require schools to out transgender students to their families, a new study links involuntary disclosure of sexual orientation or gender identity to heightened rates of depression and anxiety. One-third of LGBTQ youth outed to their families were more likely to report major symptoms of depression than those who weren’t, according to the...
By Beth Hawkins | June 17, 2024
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Polling data: Presidents split the public on schools

With the presidential election less than six months away, Joe Biden and Donald Trump will soon unveil their platforms and begin rallying voters around their agendas for 2025 and beyond. And while K–12 education typically spends little time in the national spotlight, the campaign will bring far greater clarity to the candidates’ positions on contentious...
By Kevin Mahnken | June 13, 2024
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Do skills taught in K-12 schools really lead to upward mobility? $3 million in grant money aims to find out

One of the challenges schools face is that there’s very little evidence directly connecting most pre-K-12 skills to measures of success in adulthood such as economic mobility. This means school and district leaders must rely on instinct and guesswork when faced with decisions about how much to prioritize teaching math (and which specific aspects), fostering...
By Matt Chingos | June 12, 2024
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Parents of children with special needs charge LAUSD limiting services, holding back information

Los Angeles Unified parents of children with special needs say they are facing a backlash after the district tried to remove members of a state panel advocating for improved services for the students. The Improving Special Education Resolution, aimed at making services better for special needs children, was proposed by members of the Community Advisory...
By Katie VanArnam | June 11, 2024
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Lahaina teachers say more help is needed for struggling West Maui schools

Teacher retention and student safety are top of mind for West Maui families and school and union leaders as an academic year marked by deadly wildfires comes to a close. Since August, enrollment at Lahaina’s four public schools has dropped by roughly 1,000 students. Some families are still hesitant to return their children to the...
By Megan Tagami | June 10, 2024
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An early education rebound: After COVID disruptions, report shows pre-K enrollment hitting record levels

Four-year-olds entering pre-K in Mississippi’s Lamar County Schools don’t spend their days on worksheets or bent over papers practicing their letters. But they do have plenty of books, Play-Doh and time for friends. And some leave for kindergarten knowing how to read. “But it’s not because we’re hounding them,” said Heather Lyons, the program’s coordinator....
By Linda Jacobson | June 6, 2024
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LA parents concerned over school safety as violence spikes around campuses

Emily Juarez no longer feels safe letting her two older children ride public transportation or walk to their LA Unified school after an increase in reports of violence near district campuses. “I stopped maybe a couple of weeks ago,” Juarez said last month. “I see the stuff that’s happening. I do see the news and...
By Jinge Li | June 5, 2024
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Will AI be your next principal? Probably not. But it’s here to stay

When I was a principal, if you had told me I would be working with artificial intelligence on a daily basis, I would have conjured visions of the Terminator and Skynet in my head. Fortunately, we’re not there (yet?) but the introduction of AI amplifies risks and opportunities attached to school leaders’ decisions. Education leaders...
By Gene Pinkard | June 4, 2024
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California schools want more shade trees to combat extreme heat

Schoolyards are hot and getting hotter, but only a tiny fraction of California’s grade school students can play in the shade. Researchers and advocates are pushing the state to allocate money for green schoolyards, which can include trees, grass or gardens in place of the flat asphalt or rubber play surfaces at most schools. With the...
By Alejandra Reyes-Velarde | June 3, 2024