OTHER STORIES

Podcast: Trump’s Education Cuts & Literacy

Hechinger

Americans Support Parental Opt out—Until They Consider the Downsides

Brookings

What Happened the Year I Banned AI

Edutopia

Inside a Program Supporting Black Girls Who Love Math

EdSurge

Is More Playtime the Antidote to Kindergarten Behavior Problems?

EdWeek

Life Skills Class

After witnessing widespread school disengagement during the pandemic, the author of this article set out to create a class that students would see as genuinely valuable to real life. Survey responses showed that parents, students, and communitymembers overwhelmingly preferred topics related to practical life skills, such as how to budget expenses, how to manage stress and time, and how to resolve conflicts. The author then designed a yearlong course exploring skills that met students’ interests and goals, emphasizing experiential learning and practical skillbuilding. Many students who took the course said it was the most relevant class they’ve taken in high school. EdWeek

EL’s Educational Rights

The Trump administration has quietly rescinded guidance spelling out the educational rights of the nation’s more than 5 million English learners that educators say was crucial to serving children from immigrant families. The rescission comes after the Trump administration laid off nearly every staffer in the Education Department responsible for serving English learners and looks to wind down a federal website that provides toolkits for helping English learners. The administration has also proposed zeroing out dedicated Title III funding for English learners and issued an executive order declaring English the official language of the United States. Chalkbeat

No-Zeroes Policies

The collection of practices known as equitable grading, which includes not giving students zeroes, not taking off points for lateness, and letting students retake tests, has spread. More than half of K-12 teachers say their school or district used at least one equitable grading practice. The most common practice is not giving students zeroes for missing assignments or failed tests. Just over a quarter of teachers say their school or district has a no-zeroes policy. However, 8 in 10 teachers also say that a no-zeroes policy is harmful to student engagement. Opposition to no-zeroes policies comes from teachers of various racial backgrounds, experience levels, and who work with different demographics of students. Chalkbeat