Chalkbeat

Red-state voters could elect candidates who want to rein in vouchers. Blue-state voters could restrict transgender sports participation. Here are some of the education issues we’re watching this election.

From incarceration to education: How more enforcement and a “person-centered” approach could help formerly incarcerated students

“We know we’ve been making incremental progress,” one board member said to Marrero, “and I appreciate you hearing and being willing to have the conversation about, ‘How do we get there faster?'”

Families have until Jan. 15 to apply to district schools for the next school year. They’ll find out the results in late March.

The vacancy comes after DJ Torres resigned his seat representing central-east Denver’s District 3, citing conflict among board members and ‘cycles of accusation.’

Teaching predominantly young Black men in Brooklyn, Sean McFadden connects climate science directly to social justice, housing, and food access, proving that climate solutions must start with equity.

Some Philly principals adopted their own versions of the ban, but others allowed students to use cellphones at lunch and for some class assignments. The new state law will end that flexibility.

Science of reading training forces educators to confront how they learned to teach reading.

In the midterm elections, candidates who disagree about other issues have found common ground criticizing screen time and AI in schools. But neither political party has claimed clear ownership of the ed-tech backlash.

Join Chalkbeat Philadelphia today for a virtual event about roadblocks in the transition from incarceration to graduation — and what can be done to improve the process. Register here: bit.ly/4jGS8TI

After years of school library closures, Detroit officials are considering a plan to reopen libraries across the district by fall 2027. The proposal also includes expanded air conditioning and building upgrades.

Readers submitted some of the campaign fliers stuffing their mailboxes. We put the various claims made by candidates to the test.

The candidates have collectively raised over $257,000. The new school board will have to follow certain directives from a new oversight organization.

Chalkbeat obtained the list of products NYC officials say violate the city's new school AI policy. It includes a chatbot the Education Department developed itself.

Florida-based firm advising Memphis schools’ state takeover board has done similar work nationwide, including in Houston. In Florida, that work has been the subject of federal and state investigations.

The contract will mean pay raises for the union’s 1,800 members.

Outgoing Aurora college President Mordecai Brownlee wants to support pandemic-era student aid programs that no longer have federal funding.

Chalkbeat Chicago colaboró con un artista local para crear un fanzine destinado a informar e inspirar a los adolescentes de la ciudad. Los estudiantes también pueden enviar sus sugerencias prioritarias a la nueva junta escolar.

The proposal to close the Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce comes as New York City confronts a growing number of severely underenrolled schools

New Jersey’s long-running school segregation case could eventually change how students attend the state’s public schools.

A Republican-led committee has charged that the Philadelphia school district’s curriculum is training students to be “far-left activists.” Superintendent Tony Watlington said national experts will help overhaul the teaching materials.

Join us for our Oct. 26 virtual event, where Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s gun violence reporter Sammy Caiola will host a virtual conversation with youth advocates and others involved in the reentry process. Register here: bit.ly/3TtVWgt

Two Colorado Catholic preschools sued over state rules barring discrimination against LGBTQ families. Now, the Supreme Court will decide the case.

Pennsylvania passed Act 1 to ensure students leaving juvenile facilities don't lose their high school credits. Instead, students and educators say a lack of training and oversight have left families to fight for their education alone.

Two attendees say Trump official Arielle Roth compared ed-tech supporters to the tobacco industry during the meeting. Roth is leading federal efforts to cut back on screen time in schools.

“There is no buck to be passed now. You head the system,” Nikole Hannah-Jones said to schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels at a packed town hall. Watch the full exchange.

Mississippi went from near the bottom of the nation in student literacy in 2013, to a steady climb up in the rankings for fourth graders.

District officials also touted college enrollment rates as bucking nationwide averages.

From Star Wars to Staten Island, holograms are making their way into the classroom. A nearly $500,000 studio aims to bring therapists virtually face-to-face with students, even from miles away.

Even as Chicago’s school board president race has claimed the spotlight, district-level contests are drawing millions in outside spending and a wave of attack ads.

At a crowded town hall, Nikole Hannah-Jones spent more than 40 minutes pressing Chancellor Kamar Samuels for a concrete plan to integrate NYC schools. His response left attendees underwhelmed. Here are key takeaways.

More students than ever are taking at least one online course.

As district enrollment has declined, enrollment in brick-and-mortar charters has grown slightly while cyber charter enrollment has skyrocketed.

There are 15 candidates for 5 spots on the school board. At the forum hosted by Chalkbeat and WFYI, the candidates discussed funding, school closures, AI, and more.

Community college officials said they struggled to produce the data required by the state and federal government to participate in the new Workforce Pell program.

Minutes before the state oversight board was scheduled to meet, a local judge blocked the takeover of Memphis schools. A federal judge had cleared the board to take control only four days earlier.

After Montgomery County Public Schools changed its magnet admissions policies to expand access, Asian American parents sued, alleging discrimination. The Supreme Court previously declined to take up two similar cases.

Recent disagreements between the school district and charters could make the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation’s work harder. IPEC did stress the importance of a proposed operating referendum at its Oct. 19 meeting.

The center will investigate the risks social media poses to young people and recommend ways to keep kids safer.

A review of records for all 34 names that will appear on the Nov. 3 ballot for the Detroit school board race found convictions including assault with intent to murder, domestic violence, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, and forgery.

The expansion will bring the program to 22 of the city’s 32 school districts, including all of the Bronx and Staten Island.

From Texas to Florida, political pressure and lawsuits are upending college access for hundreds of thousands of undocumented students. Here is how counselors are helping them navigate the turmoil.

Candidates running for Chicago school board have different views on how to account for TIF surpluses in the district’s annual budget.

Former Shelby County Commissioner Britney Thornton crossed party lines often to vote for Memphis school board accountability. She now works for a parent group and believes MSCS schools will receive more resources under state control.

Two advisory questions on Chicago ballots ask voters whether Illinois should tax millionaires to support public education. Advocates and policy experts say raising more money is only part of the solution. Where that money goes could determine whether it closes existing school funding gaps.

Two candidates seeking to represent Chicago's West Side faced questions about school funding, closures and student success at an October 1 forum. Here's what they said, what the Board can actually change and how to vote.

Opened in 2021, Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy was modeled after historically Black colleges and universities. But the district says the low enrollment is financially unsustainable.

The Silver Rail Elementary School shooting in Oregon is a reminder that even tough gun restrictions can’t prevent every act of gun violence. (via @thetrace.org)

The policy calls for Denver Public Schools to analyze and adjust school boundaries every five years. But Superintendent Alex Marrero said it’s not the right time, given that the district may soon have to close schools.

Chalkbeat and The City Reporter walked through how to use sometimes clunky NYC databases to vet public schools. Here’s the event recording.