Parents, teachers rally for funding at schools across the country

Parents, teachers and students came together for “walk-ins” at schools across the country, rallying for more funding for public education and against harsh discipline policies, overtesting and the expansion of charter schools. Read more>>

Californians will decide whether the state’s “English-only” system should stay or go. Advocates for this year’s ballot measure say the old rules are outdated, and are pushing the state to try out some of the many new approaches to bilingual education that have been developed over the past two decades. Read more>>

Across the country, dozens of schools have had to cope with threats posted on social media accounts promising violence—with pictures of terrifying clowns attached. In some jurisdictions, the threats are being investigated. In others, a child or teenager has been arrested. Read more>>

Matt Zalaznick

Not long ago, few of us were talking about social-emotional learning or makerspaces—now, many districts use the latter tool to teach the former. Please follow the link to forecast what little-known issue, initiative or technology will dominate classrooms three, five and 10 years from now. Select predictions will appear in the January edition of District Administration. Read more>>

Hinsdale High School District 86 believes students need a break to accomplish other tasks important to their academic futures. It offers seniors a homework-free weekend once a year. At York High School in Elmhurst, students can get help with math homework at Math Labs throughout the day. Read more>>

D.C. Public Schools promised that it would save millions of dollars if it paid a private company to prepare and serve meals to its students, but a new report released Friday reveals the school system has not saved much money at all since it made the switch in 2008. Read more>>

Last year, the student body of Madison West High School garnered national attention for banishing the longstanding tradition of selecting a homecoming king and queen in favor of a gender-neutral homecoming court. Since then, Madison West implemented gender-neutral courts for their midwinter dance and prom, too. Read more>>

Though black males represent less than 5 percent of students enrolled in the Duluth district, that group made up 20 percent of out-of-school suspensions between 2008 and 2014. Read more>>

For 80 years, teachers educated St. Louis’ children at Wilkinson School. But amid declining enrollment, the handsome multistory brick school building suffered in 2008 the same fate as so many schools in St. Louis: It closed. Now, a new plan would return teachers to Wilkinson, but this time as tenants. Read more>>

Because Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act last December, states are revamping their federally required systems to measure school quality and hold schools accountable for performance. But most are doing so using outdated assumptions. Read more>>

The dream of educational equality is far from realized, and sadly the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, by considering a moratorium against charter schools, is now playing the role of obstructionist. Read more>>

Yet rural schools face a host of unique obstacles, including the difficulty of attracting and retaining teachers in remote locations; student bodies that are often too small to justify amenities like Advanced Placement classes; and inconsistent internet access. Read more>>

Tim Shumway teaches high school classes from the second floor of his Anchorage home, where he has three computer screens set up on his desk so he can talk to his students, who sit in three separate classrooms, all more than 100 miles away. Read more>>

After using the STEMscopes California digital STEM curriculum at the middle school level last school year, Greenfield USD will now expand its implementation to all schools in grades K8. As part of a Teacher Quality Partnership grant, Greenfield is also partnering with CSU Monterey Bay for professional development. Read more>>

PBS KIDS's website, Design Squad Global, is set to launch its global Clubs initiative, where students ages 10-13 in after-school programs around the world engage in a multi-week program designed to increase their understanding of engineering and expand cross-cultural engagement. Read more>>

Voyager Sopris Learning has released REWARDS Plus: Social Studies (3rd Edition), a specialized reading program for struggling readers in middle and high school. The new edition places an increased focus on vocabulary, comprehension and critical thinking skills. Read more>>