Not getting into it: How critical race theory laws are cutting short classroom conversations
Melanie Hester could see her fifth graders were confused. A history lesson she was teaching about Native Americans asked the students to think about how they could honor the cultural history of the land where the United States now stands. “Where are the Native Americans now?” her students wanted to know. In the past, the […]
There’s more than one way to write a college essay
“You’re smart, you’re Asian, you’re queer and nonbinary, and you were raised by a single mom. Colleges will love you.” That’s the message I heard from friends even years before applying to college. In high school, advisers chimed in, too; they made it seem like it was a cool thing to be from a marginalized […]
I’m a school psychologist trained for tense situations. Too often, schools call the police instead of letting me do my job.
As a school psychologist, I’ve spent most of my time providing counseling for students and making sure those considered academically or behaviorally at risk get the services they’re entitled to. It has been rewarding, but also frustrating, as I watched as students with disabilities were disproportionately disciplined. I will never forget a 2019 encounter involving […]
There aren’t enough men teaching elementary school. Here’s how we can change that — and why we must.
“Hello, my name is Melissa, and my son has expressed how excited he is to have a ‘man teacher’ this year, which in turn made me excited for him.” She went on to write that I was her fifth grader’s first male teacher, adding: “You are all this boy talks about at home.” It’s been […]
The substitute teacher shortage we should have seen coming
As the pandemic nears its cheerless two-year anniversary, matters of health and wellness have dominated education conversations nationwide. The largescale return to in-person learning this fall has seen schools put in place mask mandates, COVID testing protocols, physical distancing requirements, and handwashing and sanitizing stations. But there has been at least one school health solution […]
Tutors wanted: Inside the nationwide sprint to build big new programs to catch students up
Oklahoma education officials came up with an ambitious plan to help students who struggled during the pandemic: build a 500-person math tutoring corps. The goal is to have 250 tutors in place by January. But first, the state has to find them. Already, they’ve changed their recruiting approach. After assuming most of the tutors would […]
Still hiring: Teacher vacancies up as year begins, limiting recovery plans
Unprecedented shortages of bus drivers and substitutes. A coronavirus variant that has quarantined swaths of students and staff. Pressure to help students readjust and catch up. As schools face this battery of challenges, they’re short another key resource: teachers. In 18 of 20 large U.S. school districts that provided data to Chalkbeat, the number of teacher vacancies […]
Districts Across the U.S. Offering Big Incentives to Subs, Special Ed Teachers
Confronting classrooms without permanent teachers, school administrators across the country are turning to an assortment of incentives — many of them financial, some unprecedented — to fill widespread vacancies. Some districts are offering thousands in signing bonuses, others adapt to four-day work weeks and many are easing the way for college students or other would-be […]
Adaptive teaching: Rethinking the nature of learning in schools
Every child learns differently. This individual process is affected by a range of factors, including prior knowledge, ability and motivation. It is also dynamic and changes over the course of someone’s lifetime. So what can teachers do to accommodate the needs of each individual student? If you are a teacher, you probably know that not […]
Pa. House passes bill to loosen rules on substitute teachers
Legislation to provide more flexibility when it comes to finding substitute teachers to staff classrooms won unanimous approval on Monday from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Barb Gleim, R-Cumberland County, now goes to the Senate for consideration. It aims to help ease the problem districts are facing with a current […]
No SAT for entry to some US colleges, dilemma for Indians
Beginning with the University of California, currently over half of the four-year-degree colleges and universities in the US have done away with the SAT or ACT (American College Test) scores for admissions to courses starting in Fall 2021. Over 1,200 institutions — including top universities like Brown, Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, the University of Virginia […]
6 Easy Ways to Practice ACT English English Conventions This Summer
No official test prep booklet is needed for these strategies. The ACT English section assesses test-takers in three areas of standard English conventions: punctuation, sentence structure and formation, and usage. For many high school students, these aspects of the English language are far from natural, and the necessary effort to improve your skill set can seem daunting. […]