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Opinion: Preparing special-needs kids for the future — as we did with our son
As the mother of a 37-year-old son with special needs who is living a full and independent life, I often think about what it took to get here. Alex was one of the original members of the POINT (Pursuing our INdependence Together) residential community in White Plains, New York, which was founded in 2008 by families of...
By Marion Morgenthal | August 31, 2023
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SCOTUS ruling demands ‘urgency’ on racial inclusion, Biden administration says
Universities can continue to target recruitment efforts at predominantly Black and Hispanic high schools even if race can’t be used as a factor in admissions, the Biden administration said in new guidance released earlier this month. The parsing is part of a package of materials responding to the June U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning affirmative action in...
By Linda Jacobson | August 30, 2023
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LAUSD’s GALA school celebrates its 6th annual Young Women’s Conference
When Samantha Alvarado spoke to a group of Los Angeles elementary school students about her career as an Adidas assistant color designer, she was thrilled when a young female student approached her. “Are you Latina?” the student asked. Alvarado was part of a panel at the Girls Academic Leadership Academy (GALA), in Mid City Los...
By Sara Balanta | August 29, 2023
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Four reasons to be hopeful from latest summer school study
A new working paper could give educators powerful new motivations to invest in summer programs, which seem to stem the tide of learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic — at least in math. The paper, from CALDER at the American Institutes for Research, looked at the academic progress of students who attended summer school in 2022...
By Greg Toppo | August 28, 2023
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New study: Kids who scored worst on NAEP missed the most school before the test
This analysis originally appeared at FutureEd. The results from the 2022 National Assessment of Educational Progress rattled the education sector, pointing to learning loss in math and reading on a national scale during the pandemic. Pundits have tied the test score declines to prolonged school closures, student mental health issues and an easing of academic...
By Phyllis W. Jordan | August 24, 2023
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LA parents collide: Anti-LGBTQ+ demonstrators and those defending inclusive curriculum rally outside LAUSD board meeting
A crowd of demonstrators against LGBTQ+ curriculum and another showing support rallied outside of the LAUSD headquarters Tuesday where a Board of Education meeting was to be held. Though there was nothing on the school board agenda about LGBTQ+ issues, in June the LAUSD school board unanimously approved a resolution that encourages all schools to...
By Erick Trevino | August 23, 2023
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‘State of the States’: New report highlights teacher diversity strategies
Research consistently shows that having one or more teachers of color has a dramatic, positive impact on students of color, including higher academic achievement, better attendance and higher rates of high school graduation and college-going. Yet just 20% of teachers are people of color, compared with 50% of public school students. With an eye toward...
By Beth Hawkins | August 23, 2023
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Los Angeles board plan would make some district schools off limits to charters
Actions in the nation’s two largest school districts are testing the idea that charter and traditional schools can exist under one roof. In Los Angeles, the school board is expected to vote this fall on a measure that could significantly limit the practice, known as co-location. And in New York, the United Federation of Teachers plans to appeal a...
By Linda Jacobson | August 22, 2023
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Four top takeaways from the school research of new Biden adviser Kirabo Jackson
Largely constrained from enacting its national K–12 agenda, the Biden administration nevertheless made waves in the education world earlier this month by appointing economist Kirabo Jackson to a seat on its Council of Economic Advisers. Jackson, a labor economist and professor at Northwestern University, is far from a household name, but his work has made a significant impact...
By Kevin Mahnken | August 21, 2023
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As back-to-school costs soar, more parents & teachers turn to charities for help
Wealth disparities can be apparent on the first day of school when some students show up with new supplies and clothes while others carry used materials and wear hand-me-downs. For families already struggling to make ends meet, the soaring cost of back-to-school supplies and technology can drain their already limited budgets. That is especially true...
By Sierra Lyons | August 17, 2023