Essential education reporting across America
A student puts their head on a desk with a pencil in his hand. A pile of books is seen off to one side.
From Chalkbeat New York Special education
64% of NYC’s bilingual special education students didn’t get all of their services last year
“It is unconscionable that the city has yet to fully close the gaps for immigrants with disabilities,” one advocate said.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A Native American student stands at a podium, addressing the school board. His mother and grandmother stand on either side of him. All are wearing traditional dress. His mother and grandmother have red painted handprints over their mouths.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Charters & Choice
American Indian Academy of Denver will be the fourth Denver middle school to close this spring
By Melanie Asmar
 
The facade of Chicago Public Schools headquarters, with the district’s sign hanging on the wall behind windows with green silhouettes of students.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Politics & Policy
Want to help draw Chicago’s elected school board maps? Here’s your chance.
By Becky Vevea
 
Reginald Streater sits in president’s chair
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Campaigns and elections
Schools need more money, Philadelphia school board tells mayoral candidates
By Dale Mezzacappa
 
Woman in an red shirt and jeans holding a microphone, speaking in front of a stage.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee
Memphis board ready to narrow superintendent search, without public input on finalists
By Laura Testino
 
A classroom with green walls and empty desks.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Teaching & Classroom
Tennessee bill to loosen class size limits dies in House committee
Critics predicted class sizes would grow under the legislation
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A woman in a gray suit holds a microphone and stands on a school auditorium stage.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Interim MSCS leader outlines her vision for district as superintendent search narrows
Toni Williams addresses key constituencies in reviewing district’s progress, priorities
By Laura Testino
 
Graduating students stand and face their families that are sitting down as their families applaud in a large auditorium space.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Politics & Policy
Graduation waivers for Indiana students targeted by lawmakers who worry they’re overused
One bill would require students who take the military exam to fulfill a graduation requirement to enlist in the military in order to be counted in graduation rates.
By Amelia Pak-Harvey
 
The outside of East High School. It is a stately brick building with lots of windows and a clocktower.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Cumbre en la East High: los estudiantes buscan soluciones a la violencia con armas de fuego
Los panelistas en un foro de prevención de la violencia en la secundaria East High sugirieron que hubiese más servicios de salud mental para los estudiantes junto con leyes más estrictas de control de armas.
By Melanie Asmar
 
Two men running for Chicago mayor shake hands after a recent forum.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Campaigns and elections
Chicago mayoral election 2023: Where the two candidates stand on 5 key education issues
Chalkbeat breaks down Paul Vallas’ and Brandon Johnson’s positions on education issues.
By Mauricio Peña and Becky Vevea
 
A man in a gray suit without a tie talks at a podium.
From Chalkbeat New York Politics & Policy
Teachers buck Mulgrew, petition for referendum vote on Medicare Advantage
UFT president feels pressure from members who demand a union-wide vote on the retiree health care cost savings plan he’s championing.
By Claudia Irizarry Aponte, THE CITY and Amy Zimmer
 
In a close-up of a student’s hands in math class, worksheets and a calculator are spread across the desk.
From Chalkbeat Detroit School safety
Southeastern High School reopens after two-month closure for flood damage
Students and staff returned March 15, but tile repairs continue in the hallways.
By Ethan Bakuli
 
Exterior image of Fairview Elementary shows a short stairway, mosaic tile, and colorful murals.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Tres escuelas de Denver cerrarán al final del año escolar
Las escuelas Fairview Elementary, Math and Science Leadership Academy y Denver Discovery School cerrarán al final de este año escolar por tener una inscripción sumamente baja.
By Melanie Asmar
 
A student wearing blue scrubs pricks her own finger to draw blood for a glucose reading. Another student in scrubs watches.
From Chalkbeat New York College and career readiness
David Banks wants to expose more NYC students to careers before graduation. Here’s how.
NYC is beefing up career programs in education, technology, business, and health care. Officials are also offering hundreds of paid, three-year apprenticeships.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
A landscape shot of a vacant high school building, with boarded and broken windows as well as graffiti tags along the facade.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Politics & Policy
Detroit Public Schools Community District rejects latest offer for vacant Cooley High School
District leaders and bidder Life Remodeled call off talks amid dispute over adding new financial benchmarks to terms of their deal.
By Ethan Bakuli
 
Two men wearing business suits in a legislative chamber
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Teaching & Classroom
Tennessee bill would widen who can complain about teaching of banned concepts
Critics worry the change could flood districts with unfounded complaints
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
Two men in suits and ties stand close together on a stage, in front of a screen showing a man with a microphone.
From Chalkbeat Chicago School Enrollment
Chicago mayoral candidates offer radically different plans for the city’s enrollment woes
Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson disagree about how to give under-enrolled campuses a boost
By Mila Koumpilova
 
A student, wearing headphones, works at his laptop while running his fingers through his hair.
COVID Stimulus COVID Stimulus
Online tutoring company Paper loses statewide contract in New Mexico
As virtual tutoring struggles to reach students nationwide, education officials in the state said Paper had failed to get enough students help.
By Kalyn Belsha
 
A group of children ski across a snowy landscape.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Gun Violence and Schools
Social emotional learning hits the slopes after hoax swatting threats put students on edge
On three Wednesdays in a row, hoax swatting threats kept these Aspen students in their classrooms. On the fourth Wednesday, teachers called a ski day.
By Eleanor Bennett
 
desk with pencil
From Chalkbeat Indiana Charters & Choice
Indiana parents, education advocates split over school choice budget increases
Lawmakers are considering a plan to dramatically increase spending on the state’s voucher program.
By Casey Smith, Indiana Capital Chronicle
 
A polling site in Newark’s Central Ward on Nov. 6.
From Chalkbeat Newark Campaigns and elections
Eight Newark candidates seek three school board seats in N.J.’s largest school system
Newark voters will pick from a list of new and returning candidates when they cast their ballots on April 25.
By Jessie Gomez
 

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STORIES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
A young boy works on his laptop while sitting on a couch, pointing at the screen while wearing headphones.
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From Chalkbeat New York Higher Education
NYC gives $100 in college funds to all kindergartners: Here’s how to get or give more money
 
From Chalkbeat Colorado Universal preschool
Colorado recruits providers for its free preschool program. Parents are next.
 
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Two campaign yard signs. One for Brandon Johnson and one for Paul Vallas are posted along a Chicago sidewalk.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Chicago Mayoral Election 2023
Paul Vallas supporters disrupt a Brandon Johnson event focused on Vallas’ schools leadership
Supporters of the former Chicago schools chief Paul Vallas interrupted a press conference held by Brandon Johnson backers aimed at denouncing Vallas’ schools record ahead of the heated mayoral runoff election.
By Becky Vevea
 
A student works on letter sounds, using a board with magnetic letters at a circular table.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Colorado reading
Colorado’s dyslexia screening bill likely dead in face of opposition from education groups
Some school districts, including Boulder Valley and La Veta, already conduct universal dyslexia screenings in certain grades.
By Ann Schimke
 
Middle school students stand on the blacktop outside a brick school building. They are seen through a chain link fence.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
One of Denver’s innovation zones could be revoked. Another is losing its largest school.
Some observers say the recent challenges are a sign that political winds have shifted in DPS.
By Melanie Asmar
 
Newark_20230314_NubiaLumumba_CourtestOfNubiaLumumba_001.jpg
From Chalkbeat Newark How I Teach
This Newark high school teacher found the secret to teaching lies in empathy and compassion
As a young girl, Nubia Lumumba recruited kids in her neighborhood for her makeshift school in her backyard. Today, she’s the teacher of her own high school classroom where she aims to connect with students on a deeper level.
By Jessie Gomez
 
A boy plays in a classroom, just behind a large globe. There are two adults speaking and other kids playing in the classroom.
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Early Childhood Education
Philadelphia’s early childhood education workers ‘on the brink of a breakdown’ advocates say
In Philadelphia, 83% of early childhood programs are currently facing a staffing shortage and nearly 3,000 children are on a waitlist.
By Carly Sitrin
 
A preschool teacher at a table surrounded by children uses Play-Doh to shape letters of the alphabet.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Early Childhood Education
Despite a few bumps, Promising Futures child care scholarship bill advances in Tennessee Senate
Critics say it’s not the state’s role to pay for child care
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
Gov. Josh Shapiro in a blue suit and white shirt talks to a group of high school students in a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Philadelphia Gun Violence and Schools
Philadelphia students press governor on his school safety proposal to hire more police
During a high school visit, Gov. Josh Shapiro also discussed his plans to hire more teachers and increase education spending in his proposed budget.
By Dale Mezzacappa and Carly Sitrin
 
Flags of various colleges hang from the ceiling of a high school cafeteria as students sit at their tables.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Higher Education
A FAFSA requirement for Indiana students is one step closer to becoming law
High school seniors would have until April 15 to fill out the form or get a waiver. Advocates said the bill would make completing the form go from happenstance to a conscious decision.
By MJ Slaby
 
A man wearing a red and black robe shakes hand with a person wearing a blue robe sunglasses and a hat worn by graduating students.
From Chalkbeat Newark Assessment and testing
New Jersey students take high school exit exam amid concerns about passing score, usefulness
Last year, the state adopted a higher passing score than one recommended by education officials, but promised to review the results to determine if New Jersey should lower the benchmark for juniors this year.
By Jessie Gomez
 
A young man, wearing a grey sweatshirt and blue jeans, walks down a path toward campus, the Denver skyline looming in the background.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Funding debate dashes hopes of creating a first generation-serving designation for Colorado colleges
Colorado lawmakers pulled the bill before it went to a vote on the House floor.
By Jason Gonzales
 
Two people sit in a shadowy classroom working on their laptops.
From Chalkbeat Detroit Teaching & Classroom
Detroit parents and staff denounce potential school district job cuts
Detroit school level administrators and support staff were informed this week of potential job cuts.
By Ethan Bakuli
 
A third grade boy sits at the edge of a fountain, smiling toward the camera.
From Chalkbeat New York Chronic Absenteeism
School bus delays help drive chronic absenteeism for students with disabilities, advocates say
Students with disabilities are disproportionately harmed by the hundreds of school buses delayed each day, New York City parents and advocates say. The bus driver shortage has only made things worse.
By Amanda Geduld
 
Members of the PASO class practice CPR and first aid during a session in July.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Healthy schools
Colorado bill would encourage, but not require, CPR training in high schools
Colorado is one of just 10 states that doesn’t require CPR training in high school.
By Helen Santoro
 
A man wearing a suit and blue necktie speaks into a microphone in a legislative chamber with the Tennessee state flag in the background.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Politics & Policy
Bill to ease Tennessee’s third-grade reading and retention law clears first legislative hurdle
The measure would widen reading test criteria for retention but keep the state in control of those decisions.
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
The front of a tan brick building housing Edison School of the Arts rises behind some shrubbery and a patio, against a blue sky.
From Chalkbeat Indiana Charters & Choice
Edison School of the Arts board terminates Executive Director Nathan Tuttle
The autonomous Innovation school withdrew its plan to expand to James Whitcomb Riley School 43 next school year.
By Amelia Pak-Harvey
 
A group of four people including a man running for mayor walk out of a school building on Chicago’s South Side.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Campaigns and elections
From teacher to elected official: How Brandon Johnson’s organizing roots set the stage for mayoral run
As the Chicago Teachers Union found its political footing, Johnson worked on the union’s front line. Now, his years of knocking on doors might be his secret weapon to win over voters.
By Mauricio Peña
 
An overhead view of the NY Assembly room with red carpets and rows of yellow chairs
From Chalkbeat New York Charter schools
New York lawmakers reject Gov. Hochul’s charter school proposal
Both the state Senate and Assembly called to remove Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to allow New York City to open more than 100 new charter schools.
By Reema Amin and Alex Zimmerman
 
Colorado’s governor in a blue suit stands at a podium with a yellow sign surrounded by people.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Politics & Policy
Free college, $1,500 scholarships proposed for some in-demand fields
Colorado leaders want to offer two years of free college to students entering teaching, nursing, firefighting, and other professions struggling to find enough workers.
By Jason Gonzales
 
The back of a yellow school bus sits next to the back of a white police van.
From Chalkbeat New York School safety
School safety agent numbers dropped during the pandemic. NYC doesn’t plan to staff back up.
The move is a victory for advocates who have pushed to reduced police presence in schools, but it won mixed reactions from educators and union officials.
By Alex Zimmerman
 
Illustration of guns.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Gun Violence and Schools
Pandemic stress, gangs, and utter fear fueled a rise in teen shootings
The number of children under 18 who killed someone with a firearm jumped from 836 in 2019 to 1,150 in 2020.
By Liz Szabo, Kaiser Health News
 
A child with braids and wearing a mask and a pink and gray sweater writes on a piece of paper with a pencil while standing at a desk
From Chalkbeat Detroit First Person
Racial violence can follow students into the classroom. Here’s how tenderness can make a difference.
Students may confuse the attention of caring adults with punishment.
By N’Kengé Robertson
 
A woman in the foreground in a black T-shirt smiles at the camera while a student in the background makes a silly face.
From Chalkbeat New York How I Teach
How to harness social media to build job skills? This Bronx teacher created a curriculum for that
Cheriece White, an art and technology teacher at Metropolitan Soundview High School, shows her students how to create brands for the companies they dream up. White was a grand prize winner of the FLAG Award for Teaching Excellence.
By Amy Zimmer
 
A man in a Pacers basketball hat stands smiling with three other students with a Pacers basketball game going on in the background.
From Chalkbeat Indiana How I Teach
How one middle school teacher grew his students’ math scores despite pandemic challenges
This middle school math and science teacher held his students to high standards, even amid the pandemic
By Amelia Pak-Harvey
 
Child adding numbers on a printed maths sheet of homework. Space for copy.
First Person First Person
I was once a struggling math student. Now I teach the subject that terrified me.
Who better to demystify this often-feared subject than someone who knows what math anxiety feels like?
By Braxton Hall
 
A white building with columns stands against a bright blue sky. An American flag is visible.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Campaigns and elections
Education has become an issue in the Denver mayoral election. Here’s why.
17 candidates are on the ballot. It’s the first wide-open mayoral race in Denver in 12 years.
By Melanie Asmar
 
An election judge sets out voting stickers on a table.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Campaigns and elections
An election guide: Where Denver’s mayoral candidates stand on education
The Denver mayor plays no formal role in running the school system, but that hasn’t stopped some candidates from suggesting that person should have a louder voice and even appoint members to the school board.
By Erica Meltzer
 
Students dressed in red gather in front of the Colorado State Capitol. There’s a large crowd of young people. Classical columns rise before them. One sign held aloft reads “Luis Garcia #11.”
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Estudiantes de East High marchan contra la violencia armada tras la muerte de Luis García
Los estudiantes piden a los legisladores que hagan más para restringir el acceso a las armas.
By Erica Meltzer