Chalkbeat

Inside a unique public microschool in Indianapolis

Purdue Polytechnic High School Lab School is unique among the dozens of loosely defined microschools around Indiana, which are usually very small private schools. But like the other models, it emphasizes customized education for students.

Rushed at school lunch: Colorado considers a “time-to-eat” task force

Anyelin Ortega told Colorado lawmakers recently that the lunch line at her high school can be 25 minutes long, often leaving the 17-year-old only five minutes to finish her food.

Principals, district leaders will be trained on managing conflict in the Detroit school district

The budget for the 2024-25 school year would include money to cover training for school and district leaders that would coach them on “how you manage change, how you manage conflict, how you manage disagreement.”

From ‘winning the lottery’ to ‘leaner schools’: How the end of federal COVID money could impact Chicago schools

Research shows Chicago students are rebounding faster than other districts, particularly in reading, efforts such as tutoring are paying off, and the number of school social workers in CPS has doubled.

Banned books make up the sophomore English curriculum at this NYC high school

At the Academy of American Studies in Queens, 10th grade students take a Regents-level English class devoted to the study of books that have historically faced challenges or bans — with students reading works like Elie Wiesel’s “Night,” and Amy Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club.”

Tennessee Senate passes bill to do away with the Achievement School District

The proposal would shift low-performing schools out of Tennessee’s sputtering takeover and turnaround district, and into other state-approved but locally managed intervention models.

Should Chicago school board members be paid? Some advocates hope state lawmakers say yes.

Education advocates are renewing a push to change Illinois law to allow Chicago school board members to be paid—with the hope that would encourage teachers and parents from low-income households to represent Chicago Public Schools’ diverse student body.

New Memphis school superintendent’s contract includes ethics clause, pay bump

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members say the contract being finalized for incoming Superintendent Marie Feagins reflects the lessons learned after former Superintendent Joris Ray departed the district in scandal.

Amid influx of students new to the country, English development teachers in Colorado feel overwhelmed

Some schools, in particular ones where there haven’t traditionally been large numbers of English learners, have relied on their English language development teachers to be the main support for children new to the country.

N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 budget proposal outlines plan to fully fund school aid formula

The proposed aid, a $908 million increase from the current year, would be Murphy’s final payment into the seven-year plan, outlined by a law he signed in 2018, to fully fund the state’s school aid formula and redirect money to underfunded districts, including Newark Public Schools.

Philadelphia’s ‘Renaissance’ charter schools did not produce what was promised

The Renaissance Initiative—launched in 2010 under Superintendent Arlene Ackerman while the district was under state control for poor performance—strove to turn around about 10% of Philadelphia’s low-performing district schools by ceding them to charter organizations that promised to do better.

Tennessee lawmakers are increasingly ready to ditch the Achievement School District. What’s next?

After a decade of painful takeovers of neighborhood schools, contentious handoffs to charter networks, and mostly abysmal student performance, Tennessee’s Achievement School District appears to be on its way out.

Chicago Public Schools recover from pandemic declines more than other districts, study shows

However, the bounce back has not been as strong in math. Both Illinois and Chicago were in the middle of the pack for math score recovery compared to other states and districts.

Educators railed against mayoral control at hearings. What comes next?

As the state’s Education Department studies the effectiveness of New York City’s 20-year-old system of mayoral control, locals aired their views at five hearings held across the boroughs over the past two months.

Tennessee’s universal school voucher bill draft drops. Here are 5 things that stand out.

While Gov. Bill Lee has repeatedly pledged to build accountability into his voucher proposal, the draft of the plan wouldn’t require participating students to take state tests, or other assessments.