May 22 Over 3,000 schools in South Africa still use pit toilets, rights groups push for improvement By Mogomotsi Magome, Associated Press Human rights groups have been pressuring the government for a decade to get rid of pit toilets in schools, with the issue given added urgency by several tragic cases of young children falling into the pits and drowning. Continue reading
May 19 Here are the restrictions on transgender people that are moving through U.S. statehouses By Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press Hundreds of measures targeting transgender people have been proposed in statehouses this year, and several have moved forward this week. Continue reading
May 18 Watch 8:26 How homeschooling’s rise during the pandemic has impacted traditional school enrollment By William Brangham, Mary Fecteau Since the start of the pandemic, homeschooling has been on the rise with an estimated 30% increase in enrollment since the beginning of the 2019 school year. While the total number of homeschooled families remains relatively modest, its rise has… Continue watching
May 18 Why youth activists in Louisiana say they’ll ‘no longer stay quiet’ By Roby Chavez As Republican state lawmakers in Louisiana have pushed a barrage of bills targeting LGBTQ+ rights, a new wave of youth activism has been awakened. Continue reading
May 18 New Hampshire bill that would force schools to inform parents about trans children fails By Holly Ramer, Associated Press Democrats passed several "poison pill" amendments to weaken the bill before it was defeated 195-190 on a vote to "indefinitely postpone" it. That means the topic can't be taken up for the rest of the session. Continue reading
May 17 Kids’ reading scores have soared in Mississippi ‘miracle’ By Sharon Lurye, Associated Press The success has grabbed the attention of educators nationally by showing rapid progress is possible anywhere, even in areas that have struggled for decades with poverty and dismal literacy rates. Continue reading
May 16 How the American Dream convinced people loneliness is normal By Ted Anthony, Associated Press American lore is full of tales of the lone cowboy, the rugged individualist who will do what needs to be done and ride off into the sunset. In reality, loneliness in America can be deadly. Continue reading
May 16 Watch 7:20 School administrators hope apprenticeship programs will alleviate teacher shortages By Stephanie Sy, Mary Fecteau Apprenticeships are common in fields like welding, plumbing and carpentry, but until recently, the federal government didn’t recognize teaching apprenticeships. Educators are now hoping that new federal funding, combined with experience from college programs, will open the floodgates to a… Continue watching
May 16 YouTube algorithm sends gun videos to kids as young as 9, study finds By David Klepper, Associated Press YouTube says it works hard to protect children, but the researchers say the material could traumatize vulnerable kids or send them down dark roads of radicalization and extremism. Continue reading
May 12 Teachers are burned out. Here’s why there’s no quick fix By Nicole Ellis, Casey Kuhn New teacher salaries rose by more than they had in a decade during the 2021-2022 school year, according to a recent report by the National Education Association (NEA). But while the 2.5 percent increase is significant, average overall teacher salaries… Continue reading