Essential education reporting across America

How schools seek to overcome pandemic-related mental health challenges and the broad impact of long-standing inequities.

Hands with red-painted fingernails hold a cell phone.
From Chalkbeat Tennessee Mental Health in Schools
Tennessee school district sues social media companies over student mental health ‘crisis’
Clarksville-Montgomery County Schools is the state’s first to take Facebook, TikTok, and others to court.
By Marta W. Aldrich
 
A girl in a pink dress holds a card with a boy’s sad face that says “sad.”
From Chalkbeat New York Meeting the Moment
Many schools opted out of a controversial social-emotional assessment. Now NYC is ditching the tool.
Teachers and parents raised concerns about the DESSA, a social-emotional learning tool that schools began using last year.
By Amy Zimmer
 
A woman with dark hair in a bun sits at a table with a student in yellow.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Teaching & Classroom
Can Chicago’s interventionists speed up the district’s COVID academic recovery?
Emerging data suggests school districts such as Chicago are making headway. But experts say this is only the start of an undertaking that will likely take years.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
A teacher reads a book out loud in front of a group students who are sitting on colorful rug in a classroom.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Meeting the Moment
Chicago Public Schools is stepping up summer programs – and efforts to entice students
The district will pay some students to attend an orientation program for freshmen and launch a hotline for families exploring options in June.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
Mother taking her daughter to school. The little girl wears a pink backpack
First Person First Person
I never thought my child would need a school social worker, but I’m so glad she’s in our lives
When Mrs. D first told me she wanted to meet with my daughter, I was filled with wrongheaded ideas about what a school social worker does.
By Fabiola Mejia
 
A student raises her hand and stands at her desk, as several other young students work around her in the classroom.
Teaching & Classroom Teaching & Classroom
High-dosage tutoring is still hard. Here’s what schools have learned.
There’s a growing consensus that schools should schedule intensive tutoring during the school day and lean on computer programs to reach more students.
By Kalyn Belsha
 
A 13-year-old boy walks on a sidewalk next to a wooden fence. You can’t see his face. The photo is taken from the back. He is wearing a T-shirt.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
How Colorado is filling gaps for its ‘most vulnerable’ children as last-resort schools dwindle
“It’s a huge, complex system, and it’d be naive to think one piece of legislation is going to fix everything,” one state official said.
By Melanie Asmar and Rae Ellen Bichell
 
The shadows of children playing can be seen on the blacktop.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Colorado is pouring more money into schools for kids with behavioral health issues and disabilities
But are they helping?
By Jennifer Brown and Melanie Asmar
 
A dark-haired child is seen from above working on an art project. A half circle and rays depict a sun. The child is coloring a long orange arc.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Students in rural Colorado left without options as specialized schools close
A single facility school serves all of Colorado’s Western Slope, while rural schools struggle to hire skilled staff. Some children have to cross mountain ranges to get an education.
By Rae Ellen Bichell and Helen Santoro
 
An orange sign says “testing in progress, do not disturb” as students work in the background.
From Chalkbeat Indiana First Person
As problem behaviors persist, is state testing making things worse?
We’re preparing young people for the past, and students feel the disconnect.
By Ronak Shah
 
A woman hugs her 13-year-old son’s head. Her face and his face are obscured. The boy is hugging a small white dog.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Special education
Facility schools that take Colorado’s ‘most vulnerable’ students are disappearing. Can they be saved? Should they?
What happens when public schools can’t or won’t meet kids’ needs — and the wait for a specialized school is weeks or months?
By Melanie Asmar
 
Students walk between aisles of desks. The desks have papers and other school supplies.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Special education
Colorado promises $70 million over 3 years, hopes to see 12 new facility schools open
The additional support could help the beleaguered facility school system grow by 40% statewide.
By Jennifer Brown
 
A man with a red cap stands in the middle of a group of people under sky with heavy clouds.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Gun Violence and Schools
Dean Wayne Mason says there were ‘red flags’ before East High shooting, but he forgives the shooter
“The regret I have right now is that he’s not here for me to tell him that,” Mason said of student Austin Lyle, who took his own life after shooting Mason and another dean.
By Melanie Asmar
 
A teacher sits a small table holding up a whiteboard so two students can see it.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
This Colorado elementary school nearly closed. A math makeover helped it stay open.
Minnequa Elementary School’s progress comes as many schools are trying to reverse pandemic-era drops in math achievement.
By Ann Schimke
 
Two young girls hold up a card as they talk during a social-emotional learning lesson. They sit on a grey carpet, and there is a drawing in front of them on pink paper that says “uncomfortable” with a drawing of a person holding their abdomen.
From Chalkbeat New York Mental Health in Schools
Need mental health help for your child? Here’s how to get support in NYC schools
Schools are straining to keep up with counseling demand as mental health woes mount for young people. If your child needs help at school, here’s how to start.
By Amy Zimmer
 
A boy stands silhouetted in a dark hallway next to a counter and a set of stairs.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Chalkbeat En Español
Las escuelas de Cherry Creek quieren ayudar a los niños de primaria en proceso de duelo
Cada vez más niños están en duelo por la pérdida de uno de sus padres, pero pocos programas de apoyo existen.
By Yesenia Robles
 
Three police officers stand in front of steps of East High School in Denver, Colorado, after a shooting there on March 22, 2023.
From Chalkbeat Colorado School safety
Each Denver school would make its own decisions about police under draft safety plan
Denver district would retrain all employees in safety procedures and will focus on mental health and equity, its draft safety plan proposes.
By Jason Gonzales and Melanie Asmar
 
A large office building fills the left side of the frame with a sign reading “Boulder Valley School District.” Mountains, trees, and blue sky can be seen in the distance.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Community & Wraparound Programs
Homelessness in Boulder Valley School District hits highest level since Great Recession
The district says resources to help those students — from free transportation to rental assistance — are nearly maxed out.
By John Herrick
 
A group of elementary-age children singing. They are holding sheet music.
From Chalkbeat Colorado First Person
It’s tough to build school community post-pandemic. Music helps.
Turnout for school events has been sparse, but a student concert packed our gym.
By Christine Ferris
 
A woman in a blazer stands in a classroom looking at a group of students, blurred in the foreground.
How I Teach How I Teach
How the 2023 National Teacher of the Year teaches math and makes time for stories
Rebecka Peterson knows math can be intimidating. Here’s how the award-winning teacher opens up and helps students feel like “math people.”
By Kalyn Belsha
 
Students leave Denver’s East High School after a shooting there on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Expulsions are low in Denver, and that’s how it should be, district officials say amid new scrutiny
“We are a welcoming environment,” a top Denver administrator said this week. “We really want students to be in their school environment.”
By Melanie Asmar
 
A high school student walks down a dark hallway in a public high school, silhouetted by daylight spilling in and reflecting off of the floor and lockers.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Meeting the Moment
Students facing expulsion would get more protections in Colorado bill
Proposed law would clarify the burden of proof, require training for expulsion officers, and give families two days to review evidence.
By Erica Meltzer
 
Two young women sit at desks in a classroom with laptops open, looking to a teacher who sits between them going through a textbook.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Teaching & Classroom
Colorado offers schools digital math tutor Zearn to help students catch up
Online math app Zearn is intended to help Colorado students whose learning lagged during the pandemic.
By Erica Meltzer
 
Photo shows the 5280 charter school from a corner angle. It appears to be a gray block building with a large glass window. Large numerals 52 are one side and 80 on the other.
From Chalkbeat Colorado Denver Public Schools
‘Hard to get sober young’: Inside one of the country’s few recovery high schools
“They can go on to college or a career and really handle anything that life throws at them.”
By Stephanie Daniel
 
Addison Goetz, 17, is embraced by her mother Jennifer as they leave Denver’s East High School after a shooting there on Wednesday, March 22, 2023.
Mental Health in Schools Mental Health in Schools
After a traumatic event, how can teachers best help students? Here’s a starting point.
If you are an educator or parent looking for information on how to talk to students following community trauma, we have resources for you.
By Chalkbeat Staff
 
A group of four students work on worksheets together at their desks.
From Chalkbeat Chicago Meeting the Moment
Can Chicago’s $135 million Skyline curriculum be a pandemic recovery game-changer?
The district has fielded concerns about Skyline’s online platform and profusion of materials.
By Mila Koumpilova and Sarah Karp, WBEZ
 
Parents and students in bright blue and red costumes line up in front of a school mural outside of a brick building.
From Chalkbeat New York Meeting the Moment
Parent coordinators propped up school communities during the pandemic. Many feel undervalued and underpaid.
The role of parent coordinator became more critical and stressful during the pandemic. But salaries for the job, which New York City schools created 20 years ago, have not kept pace.
By Amy Zimmer
 
At least three police officers in uniform stand in a parking lot talking to two others. A white car is in the foreground.
School safety School safety
Denver schools are bringing back police. Other places in the U.S. already have.
“It makes sense that communities are really struggling following incidents like this — they are traumatic and scary,” said one advocate from a nonprofit that has called for the removal of police.
By Kalyn Belsha
 
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 Meeting the Moment
Chicago district leaders brace for leaner times but vow to spend more on pandemic recovery
Chicago schools’ budget strategy is to lobby for more state dollars, officials said.
By Mila Koumpilova
 
An educator works with a young student at a table as he writes in his notebook. Other students walk around the classroom behind them.
Meeting the Moment Meeting the Moment
Tutoring isn’t reaching most students. Here’s how to vastly expand it.
Train paraprofessionals and parents, carve out class time, and be wary of virtual programs.
By Patrick Wall
 
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