Jan 17 Chronic absenteeism is up across the country. School leaders are trying to address why By Gabrielle Hays Federal guidelines say districts should aim to have 90 percent of students in attendance 90 percent of the time. In Missouri, about 76 percent of students meet this standard, according to state data from the 2022-23 school year. Continue reading
Dec 30 Watch 5:58 What to know about Iowa’s ban on school books, LGBTQ+ topics halted by a judge By Lisa Desjardins, Kaisha Young, Andrew Corkery A federal judge in Iowa has temporarily blocked key parts of a state law that would ban books from school libraries if they depicted a “sex act.” The law also bars teachers from discussing gender identity and sexuality before seventh… Continue watching
Sep 10 Watch 6:19 Why millions of students are chronically absent from schools in the U.S. By Ali Rogin, Kaisha Young At the height of the pandemic, school closures disrupted many students’ lives. In 2022, nearly 16 million students across the U.S. were chronically absent, double the pre-pandemic truancy rate, according to a new Stanford University analysis. To learn more, Ali… Continue watching
Aug 28 California sues district that requires parents be notified if their kids change their gender or pronouns By Amy Taxin, Associated Press, Sophie Austin, Associated Press/Report for America The district is one of several in Southern California that have adopted similar policies. Bonta says it amounts to "forced outing" transgender students and violates their civil rights and the state constitution. Continue reading
Mar 24 Watch 10:58 House GOP advances controversial bill to increase parental control in schools By Amna Nawaz, Lisa Desjardins, Kyle Midura, Tess Conciatori, Ian Couzens The U.S. House has passed a bill that Republicans say protects parents’ rights in school districts, but opponents call it a dangerous move in a culture war. Lisa Desjardins has more on what the bill entails, and speaks with education… Continue watching
Mar 24 Watch 11:18 Brooks and Capehart on Trump’s legal woes and parents’ influence in schools By Amna Nawaz, Kyle Midura, Ali Schmitz New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post associate editor Jonathan Capehart join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week in politics, including the latest developments in former President Trump’s legal woes, the debate over parental say in school curricula… Continue watching
Mar 22 New Arkansas law restricts school bathroom use by transgender people By Andrew DeMillo, Associated Press Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed a new law prohibiting transgender people at public schools from using the restroom of their choice. Continue reading
Mar 05 Schools struggle with lead-contaminated water while awaiting federal relief By Katheryn Houghton, Kaiser Health News Hundreds of schools in Montana are grappling with how to remove lead from their water after state officials mandated schools test for it. So far, 74 percent of schools that submitted samples found at least one faucet or drinking fountain… Continue reading
Dec 06 Watch 8:16 Schools stockpile medication to combat rise in fentanyl overdoses By Stephanie Sy, Karina Cuevas, Lena I. Jackson Overdose deaths caused by fentanyl are on the rise across the country. It’s especially grim for young people, with more than 75 percent of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021 involving the powerful synthetic opioid. In response, many schools have stocked… Continue watching
Nov 21 ‘When districts can’t find teachers, students suffer.’ Here’s why teacher shortages are disproportionately hurting low-income schools By Hannah Grabenstein High-poverty school districts are struggling to fill more open positions than higher-income districts, but those areas have had staffing shortages for at least a decade. Continue reading