A grad rate miracle, Matt Damon’s school search, an Olympic classroom, and more education must-reads

By 
Philissa Cramer
 | August 12, 2016, 2:12pm UTC
  • The ACLU has filed suit against South Carolina’s law making “obnoxious behavior” in school into a crime. (Ed Week) Related: Students — mostly black boys — have been Tasered in their schools for behaving disruptively. (Hechinger Report)
  • From the Wayside School to Hogwarts, noted authors share the fictional schools they’d like to attend. What’s yours? (The Atlantic)
  • “The essence of culturally responsive teaching is meeting students where they are, instead of expecting them to meet you where you think they should be,” writes a white teacher who has taught Indian students for nearly two decades. “In a reservation school, this task can be more complicated than a new teacher might expect.” (Citizen Ed)
  • How did Los Angeles post a record-high graduation rate even with many lagging students and tougher requirements? Lots and lots of “credit recovery.” (L.A. Times)
  • Getting into the Olympic spirit: What happened when a teacher brought a world-class athlete into her classroom. (Chalkbeat)
  • Actor Matt Damon’s kids were reportedly turned away by an elite New York private school this week. Here’s a flashback to five years ago, when we caught Damon speaking out against testing and charter schools during a rally in Washington, D.C.