Issues

March 4, 2020

Education Week, Vol. 39, Issue 24
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School Climate & Safety Opinion I'm a Superintendent. My Students' Activism Is Key to Their Academic Success
Instead of cultivating a generation of critical thinkers, we have grown a generation of disaffected test-takers and passive learners, writes Superintendent Michael Matsuda.
Michael Matsuda, March 3, 2020
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5 min read
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Lily Padula for Education Week
School Climate & Safety Opinion I'm a Youth Organizer. Stop Getting in My Way
Teachers and school administrators want to curtail student activists. Maggie Di Sanza thinks this is a bad idea.
Maggie Di Sanza, March 3, 2020
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4 min read
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School Climate & Safety Opinion Student Empowerment in Action
A first generation Vietnamese-American high school student reflects on why the 2020 census matters to her in a Ted-Talk style video.
Anika Nguyenkhoa, March 3, 2020
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2 min read
Anne Beitlers, the director of the secondary teacher education program at the University of Washington, oversees a white caucus group discussion. In focus groups organized by personal identity, teacher-candidates work to understand how their identities could affect their teaching and to process their own experiences in a supportive space.
Anne Beitlers, the director of the secondary teacher education program at the University of Washington, oversees a white caucus group discussion. In focus groups organized by personal identity, teacher-candidates work to understand how their identities could affect their teaching and to process their own experiences in a supportive space.
Matt Hagen for Education Week
Teaching Profession Teacher-Candidates Get a Safe Space to Air Touchy Issues of Identity
Affinity groups known as caucuses let teacher-candidates at the University of Washington gather with others who share part of their identity, such as race, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation.
Madeline Will, March 3, 2020
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11 min read
Parent advocates, from left to right, Kari Baumann, Katie Kasubaski, and Claudine Kavanaugh, of Decoding Dyslexia Wisconsin worked to get a state law passed that defines dyslexia and requires the development of guidebooks on the disability for school districts.
Parent advocates, from left to right, Kari Baumann, Katie Kasubaski, and Claudine Kavanaugh, of Decoding Dyslexia Wisconsin worked to get a state law passed that defines dyslexia and requires the development of guidebooks on the disability for school districts.
Narayan Mahon for Education Week
Special Education Dyslexia Is Not a Bad Word, Advocates Say. Schools Should Use It
A push to get dyslexia defined in state law and persuade educators to use the term has translated to new laws in 40 states.
Corey Mitchell, March 3, 2020
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8 min read
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Image of Linda Rost, Chris Dier, Leila Kubesch, and Tabatha Rosproy, courtesy of CCSSO
Teaching Profession Teacher of the Year Nominees Speak Out
The four finalists for National Teacher of the Year say their fellow teachers are sharing their stories and their students' stories more than ever, and it's time for policymakers to listen.
March 3, 2020
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6 min read
School Choice & Charters LGBTQ Issues Roil Florida School-Choice Debate
As lawmakers weigh expansion of the state’s voucher and tax-credit scholarship programs, some renew a push for anti-discrimination protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students.
Evie Blad, March 3, 2020
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6 min read
From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.
From left, Democratic presidential candidates, former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., participate in a Democratic presidential primary debate at the Gaillard Center, Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020, in Charleston, S.C., co-hosted by CBS News and the Congressional Black Caucus Institute.
AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Federal Bloomberg Offers Subdued Backing for Charters at Democratic Debate
Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg oversaw a boom in charter schools as New York City mayor, but said he's "not sure they're appropriate every place."
Andrew Ujifusa, March 3, 2020
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4 min read
A teacher at Taipei American School teaches an English lesson to his students via a remote learning program while schools were closed in Taiwan to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Schools in other countries, including China and Japan, are also closed.
A teacher at Taipei American School teaches an English lesson to his students via a remote learning program while schools were closed in Taiwan to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. Schools in other countries, including China and Japan, are also closed.
Walid Berrazeg /SOPA Images
Classroom Technology Coronavirus Prompting E-Learning Strategies
Schools and tech companies in the U.S. and abroad have experience deploying virtual learning should a coronavirus emergency arise.
Mark Lieberman, March 3, 2020
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5 min read
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos defends the Trump administration’s spending plan for the Education Department at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos defends the Trump administration’s spending plan for the Education Department at a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing.
Graeme Sloan for Education Week
Federal DeVos Grilled Over Education Budget Proposal at Congressional Hearing
Democrats decry plans to slash Education Department funding and cut key programs as Education Secretary Betsy DeVos defends the Trump administration's budget request.
Andrew Ujifusa, March 3, 2020
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7 min read
Equity & Diversity In Pursuit of Equity
Educational equity is more than just a philosophy to embrace—it is a goal realized through concrete actions.
Christina A. Samuels, March 3, 2020
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1 min read
Equity & Diversity The Simple Policy Change That's Getting More Students of Color in Advanced Courses
By automatically enrolling all students in high-level courses, schools in Washington state are working to erase a long entrenched form of inequity.
Evie Blad, March 3, 2020
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7 min read
From left, 8th grade students Alonna Kann and Drake Smith work to solve problems in their Algebra 1 class at Alexander Hamilton Middle School in Long Beach, Calif. The district is pushing hard to make all students take—and succeed— in advanced math courses.
From left, 8th grade students Alonna Kann and Drake Smith work to solve problems in their Algebra 1 class at Alexander Hamilton Middle School in Long Beach, Calif. The district is pushing hard to make all students take—and succeed— in advanced math courses.
Patrick T. Fallon for Education Week
Equity & Diversity How One District Is Raising Math Rigor and Achievement for Students of Color
The Long Beach, Calif., school district is deploying a multifaceted strategy to put more students of color in high-level math courses and help them succeed.
Christina A. Samuels, March 3, 2020
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10 min read
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Professional Development Access to Quality PD Is an Equity Issue, Teachers Say
When districts provide limited resources for professional growth, teachers in high-needs schools often lose out.
Sarah Schwartz, March 3, 2020
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7 min read
Equity & Diversity Data Reveal Deep Inequities in Schools
New data tools allow users to see how public schools fall short when it comes to providing all students the resources they need to meet their highest potential.
Christina A. Samuels, March 3, 2020
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2 min read
Tina Lawson, a lawyer whose children attended schools in the Upper Dublin school district in suburban Philadelphia, helped organize a group of black parents to pursue legal action against the district for steering black students into low-level courses and applying uneven discipline rates for students of color.
Tina Lawson, a lawyer whose children attended schools in the Upper Dublin school district in suburban Philadelphia, helped organize a group of black parents to pursue legal action against the district for steering black students into low-level courses and applying uneven discipline rates for students of color.
Ryan Collerd for Education Week
Families & the Community Black Parents Force District to End Academic Tracking
Fed up with their district’s unmet pledges to stop steering African American students into low-level classes, parents take action.
Denisa R. Superville, March 3, 2020
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11 min read
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Science The Art of Making Science Accessible and Relevant to All Students
Building science lessons around phenomena that students know equally and can see in their own lives is making the subject more relevant and interesting.
Catherine Gewertz, March 3, 2020
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8 min read
Special Education Letter to the Editor Boost IDEA Funding
To the Editor:
As an occupational therapy student, I have concerns about the funding schools are currently receiving. ("Why the Feds Still Fall Short on Special Education Funding," Jan. 10, 2020). I believe federal funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) should be granted in full.
March 3, 2020
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1 min read
School Climate & Safety Briefly Stated Briefly Stated: Stories You May Have Missed
A collection of news stories you may have missed.
March 3, 2020
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7 min read
School Choice & Charters What the Research Says What Happened to Students Left Behind as Florida Expanded Its Voucher Program?
The nation's largest tax-credit scholarship program doesn't seem to have hurt the academics of students who remain in public schools, a new study shows.
Stephen Sawchuk, March 3, 2020
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1 min read
Kim Kennedy, a school nurse consultant at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo., holds confiscated vaping materials.
Kim Kennedy, a school nurse consultant at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo., holds confiscated vaping materials.
Nick Cote for Education Week
Law & Courts School Districts Are Suing JUUL Over Youth Vaping. Do They Stand a Chance?
Nearly 100 school districts have filed lawsuits against JUUL and other e-cigarette manufacturers, and more are likely to join in to claim that schools are the de facto "first responders" to the epidemic of youth vaping.
Stephen Sawchuk & Denisa R. Superville, February 27, 2020
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10 min read
President Donald Trump, with members of the his coronavirus task force, speaks during a news conference Wednesday night at the White House. When asked by a reporter if schools should prepare response plans, Trump said yes, "just in case."
President Donald Trump, with members of the his coronavirus task force, speaks during a news conference Wednesday night at the White House. When asked by a reporter if schools should prepare response plans, Trump said yes, "just in case."
AP Photo/Evan Vucci
School & District Management Are Schools Ready for Coronavirus? Trump Says They Should Be
Districts around the country are starting to mobilize emergency response plans in case coronavirus starts to spread in U.S. communities.
Denisa R. Superville, February 26, 2020
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9 min read
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Reading & Literacy Reading Instruction: A Flurry of New State Laws
Many states have recently enacted laws so that teachers are well versed in evidence-based reading instruction. Here are some highlights.
Catherine Gewertz, February 20, 2020
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3 min read