Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Colorado
June 6, 2018

Chalkbeat’s Summer Social

Join Chalkbeat Colorado as we celebrate the end of a great school year and look ahead to the next! Catch up with the Chalkbeat team…

one small step for de Blasio

New York
June 6, 2018

Mayor Bill de Blasio’s specialized high school proposal clears one (small) hurdle

A bill to overhaul admissions at New York City’s premier high schools passed the Assembly education committee — but debate over the controversial plan has just begun.

School funding

Tennessee
June 6, 2018

Here’s how Nashville, Memphis school groups will spend $150,000 grants

Metro Nashville Public Schools and the dropout prevention organization Communities In Schools of Memphis have won planning grants of $150,000 each. Recipients are expected to…

ONLINE SCHOOLS

Indiana
June 6, 2018

These Indiana students overcame long odds to graduate from an online school

Most students don't graduate from virtual charter schools, but for some students, online schools do work.
National
June 6, 2018

The case for cutting class (sizes)

Welcome to Chalkbeat’s national newsletter! We’re Matt Barnum and Sarah Darville, Chalkbeat’s national team. Our goal is to help you make sense of the messy,…

unintended benefit

National
June 6, 2018

Can lowering class size help integrate schools? Maybe, according to new research

A recent study suggests a concrete way that schools can attract and keep white families, while also boosting student achievement: lower class sizes.
Colorado
June 6, 2018

Rise & Shine: Two Boulder County schools consider AR-15 rifle storage at Sheriff’s request

NO WALLS Colorado is one of two states working to create rules for “forest preschools,” a move that could expand the model’s footprint and open the…
Tennessee
June 6, 2018

Rise & Shine: DeVos walks back remarks on reporting undocumented students

DEVOS WATCH  Pressed by a senator to clarify her stance on whether school staff can report undocumented students to immigration authorities, U.S. Education Secretary Betsy…
Newark
June 6, 2018

Three lessons Newark’s new schools chief can learn from New York City’s retired chancellor

Roger León will soon take over a district still reeling from past changes. Former NYC schools chief Carmen Fariña knows what that's like.
New York
June 6, 2018

Rise & Shine: Asian communities rally against changes to specialized high school admissions

BACKLASH  Mayor Bill de Blasio’s plan to overhaul admissions at specialized high schools has been met with backlash from the Asian community, which is disproportionately…
Indiana
June 6, 2018

Rise & Shine: Brownsburg teacher says he lost his job because he wouldn’t follow district policy on transgender students

STORY SLAM: To say that Sarah TeKolste and her student, Lori Jenkins, started off on the wrong foot would be an understatement. Now, they are…

Nature's classroom

Colorado
June 5, 2018

No walls: Forest preschools let kids run free, but can they change to reach diverse families?

Two states are working to create rules for "forest preschools," a move that could expand the model's footprint and open the way for low-income families to participate.

backlash

New York
June 5, 2018

De Blasio’s specialized school proposal spurs outrage in Asian communities

Opponents of the mayor's plan rallied outside City Hall on Tuesday.

Student Voice

Newark
June 5, 2018

Boasting impressive resumes, five Newark students compete for a school board seat

The winner will provide the board with student perspectives on district policy, but will not be permitted to vote.

Charter Churn

Detroit
June 5, 2018

Founded with great promise, this charter school is now looking for its fifth principal in five years

Parents are running out of fingers to count the principals at Southwest Detroit Community School. Four different principals have left since the charter school’s founding…

the new deal

Colorado
June 5, 2018

Aurora teachers could get a pay bump in the fall, with a chance for more in January

The Aurora school board must still give final approval to the new teacher pay agreement.
Indiana
June 5, 2018

How this Indianapolis high school teacher won the trust of her most skeptical student

The teacher and her student participated in a recent story slam sponsored by Chalkbeat, Teachers Lounge Indy, WFYI Public Media, and the Indianapolis Public Library.
Colorado
June 5, 2018

Have a Drink on Landed – End of Year Celebration for DPS Teachers and Staff

Denver Public School teachers and staff, come celebrate the end of the school year! Bring your school ID and we’ll buy your first two drinks…

devos watch

National
June 5, 2018

Asked again about school staff referring students to ICE, DeVos says ‘I don’t think they can’

Pressed to clarify her stance, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos initially avoided giving a clear answer.
Colorado
June 5, 2018

Rise & Shine: Minneapolis schools chief offered Colorado Springs 11 superintendent job

PRINCIPAL PREP After a $1.6 million experiment with three leadership programs, Aurora district administrators have recommended one, the University of Virginia’s School Turnaround Program. Chalkbeat PROMISING…
Tennessee
June 5, 2018

Rise & Shine: Meet the new leader of Memphis’ emerging pre-K training program

MOVERS & SHAKERS Seeking a lack of mentoring for pre-K teachers eventually led Kelley Nichols to Porter-Leath, Memphis’ largest provider of early childhood education. Chalkbeat YEAR…
New York
June 5, 2018

Rise & Shine: Can de Blasio’s specialized high school plan make it through Albany?

A PRIMER In case you got lost in the crush of news about the mayor’s plan to overhaul specialized high school admissions, here’s everything you should…

Rapper approved

Detroit
June 4, 2018

Determined to fill schools, Detroit district turns to a celebrity endorsement from Big Sean

Rapper Big Sean has agreed to take part in a campaign to boost enrollment in the main Detroit school district, school officials said Monday. Now,…
Indiana
June 4, 2018

IPS unveils a scaled-back tax request to fund building renovations

District officials say nearly $41 million in funding will increase safety.

Leadership

Colorado
June 4, 2018

Aurora’s principal training could get a boost to send 11 more schools through university program

The proposal is a $477,000 request in next year's budget.

explainer

New York
June 4, 2018

A Chalkbeat cheat sheet: The Specialized High School Admissions Test overhaul

If you are just catching up, here’s what you should know about the city’s plans.

let the games begin

New York
June 4, 2018

In Albany circus, can Mayor Bill de Blasio get specialized high school legislation passed?

Experts and politicians agree that, with less than a month left in the legislative session, the change is unlikely to happen this year but it could happen next year.

Movers & shakers

Tennessee
June 4, 2018

Meet the new leader of Memphis’ emerging pre-K training program

A Porter-Leath program that trained 500 prekindergarten teachers this year has a new leader.

Story booth

Detroit
June 4, 2018

This ex-Detroit cop-turned-teacher left in distress. Now, she’s ready to return to the classroom

Why this teacher quit the district, and why she's ready to return

Take the test

New York
June 4, 2018

Everybody is talking about the Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. Here’s what it looks like

The test stands at the center of a contentious debate that blew open last weekend over the stark underrepresentation of black and Hispanic students there.

can Uteach?

National
June 4, 2018

A teacher prep program that really works? This one is successfully minting math and science educators

New peer-reviewed research on the program, known as UTeach, shows that its teachers performed substantially better in the classroom than other teachers in Texas.
Colorado
June 4, 2018

Chalkbeat en español: Unión de maestros en Denver pide plan de aumento en negociaciones

Buenos días, y feliz Lunes. El boletín de hoy incluye información sobre las metas del distrito de Denver, que parecen estar muy lejos del alcance,…
Colorado
June 4, 2018

Rise & Shine: Boulder students joining teachers on trip to learn about the slave trade

ADMISSIONS New York City’s Mayor Bill de Blasio is backing a two-step plan to reform admissions at eight of the city’s elite high schools after…
Tennessee
June 4, 2018

Rise & Shine: Here’s what Sharon Griffin wants to do in her first month as Tennessee’s new turnaround leader

NEW DIRECTION Tennessee’s state-run district faces many challenges as it enters a new era under its third leader in six years, but prominent among them is…
Newark
June 4, 2018

‘No pressure.’ Newark’s next superintendent lays out goals, weighs in on charters, enrollment

The big story If you thought incoming Newark superintendent Roger León was going to charge into his new role and blow up any remnants of…
New York
June 4, 2018

Rise & Shine: Mayor Bill de Blasio is backing a plan to overhaul specialized high school admissions

ADMISSIONS CHANGES Mayor Bill de Blasio is backing a plan to change how students are admitted to the city’s premier high schools in an attempt to…
Indiana
June 4, 2018

Rise & Shine: Broad Ripple High School celebrates one last valedictorian

TEACHER OF THE YEAR: IPS named its top educator, who will go on to compete for Indiana Teacher of the Year. Chalkbeat, WFYI, Fox59, WISH…
New York
June 3, 2018

SPECIAL REPORT: De Blasio’s plan to overhaul admissions at elite — and segregated — high schools

Mayor Bill de Blasio made big news on Chalkbeat this weekend: He has a plan to overhaul admissions at Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Tech, Bronx Science, and…

Change on the way

New York
June 3, 2018

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio suggests changes to elite high school admissions are just the beginning

Overhauling admissions at the city’s prestigious specialized high schools could be just the opening salvo in more aggressive efforts to unravel segregation throughout the city’s…

sounding off

New York
June 3, 2018

New Yorkers respond to Mayor Bill de Blasio’s push to overhaul admissions at elite but segregated specialized high schools

Alumni, politicians and others are pushing back, praising and critiquing the plan — with the state of middle schools and the impact on Asian students getting attention.

here's the plan

New York
June 2, 2018

After long wait, de Blasio backs plan to overhaul admissions at New York City’s elite high schools

After sustained pressure from advocates, Mayor Bill de Blasio is backing a two-step plan to reform admissions at eight of the city’s elite high schools.

sorting the students

New York
June 2, 2018

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Our specialized schools have a diversity problem. Let’s fix it.

We are living with monumental injustice, de Blasio writes.
New York
June 2, 2018

Outdoors for Autism

You bring a blanket, we’ll bring the fun! INCLUDEnyc invites you to our second annual Outdoors for Autism. Join us, as well as some of…

NEW DATA

New York
June 1, 2018

How many bullying complaints were reported at your New York City high school this year?

“We keep hearing about bullying cases without any firm data to inform policymakers.”

New direction

Tennessee
June 1, 2018

Here’s what Sharon Griffin wants to do in her first month as Tennessee’s new turnaround leader

Sharon Griffin, a longtime Memphian, said she wants to quickly launch an advisory team of local parents, students, and faith leaders for the Achievement School District.

Gaps in gifted

New York
June 1, 2018

New York City gifted programs show progress towards modest student diversity goals

Some of New York City’s starkly segregated gifted programs are showing promise when it comes to meeting new diversity goals, according to city numbers released…
Chicago
June 1, 2018

This week in Chicago ed: Universal pre-K, student sex abuse

Welcome We’re Cassie Walker Burke and Adeshina Emmanuel, and we round up Chicago public education news here every week. Please send any tips, story…
Indiana
June 1, 2018

This Center for Inquiry educator is Indianapolis Public Schools Teacher of the Year

Over the next year, she will represent teachers from across the district and share her teaching philosophy.
Colorado
June 1, 2018

Rise & Shine: Oil and gas wells are going in very close to one Weld County school

OUT OF REACH A new report from the advocacy group A Plus Colorado highlights something many district officials and observers of the Denver district already…
Detroit
June 1, 2018

Week in review: What would ‘never, ever’ happen in a white suburban district

A year ago, when Chalkbeat first featured Detroit teacher Rynell Sturkey, it was hard for her to believe that life in her overcrowded, understaffed, poorly equipped…