DA Staff

Why there’s a special education and STEM teacher shortage and what can be done

Jahsha Tabron, the 2022 Delaware teacher of the year, taught special education for more than two decades and cherished what she called the "winning moments" of growth in her students.

Could AI be the future of preventing school shootings?

At Rancocas Valley Regional High School, something is always watching. It goes beyond the hundreds of security cameras Dr. Christopher Heilig, the superintendent, pointed out as he walked around the sprawling campus.

Left behind in school evacuations, students with disabilities demand more protection

The issue has prompted new legislation in New Jersey ordering districts to take the needs of students into account, amid tales of children left at the top of staircases or told to hide on their own.

Ohio State Board of Education asks attorney general if bill to strip its power is legal

Ohio's State Board of Education wants the attorney general to provide a legal opinion on whether a plan to strip the board of most educational responsibilities violates the constitution.

Fresno Unified sees 30% spike in homeless student population. ‘Everything is getting harder’

The district reported 496 homeless students, up from 377 last year. This year’s count exceeds the pre-pandemic count of 425 homeless students in 2019 for a four-year high.

Florida approves social studies textbook list after changes to racial, social justice references

The release states that the department has worked directly with publishers to update their materials to comply with Florida’s “rigorous standards.”

Florida rejects dozens of social studies textbooks, and forces changes in others

The state objected to content on topics like the Black Lives Matter movement, socialism and why some citizens ‘take a knee’ during the national anthem.

Enrollment in US schools hasn’t bounced back since pandemic, data shows

Kindergarten counts continue to dwindle in many states—evidence of falling birth rates and an ever-growing array of options luring parents away from traditional public schools.

How conservatives transformed a Colorado school district

A new school board quickly enacted its agenda in Woodland Park. Now teachers are leaving and the board faces growing opposition, including from lifelong GOP voters.

Maryland school system races to battle fentanyl epidemic facing teens

Students are overdosing—sometimes on school grounds—in higher numbers, and school systems are racing to respond by stocking up on overdose-reversing antidotes and coming up with ways to support students’ mental health better.

Nearly 500 students suspended in N.J. district in one month, raising questions

Bad behavior at school is leading to an alarming surge in students getting suspended in Jersey City, and the superintendent thinks social media is partly to blame for the rise in violence.

Mass. district suddenly loses six of its seven school board members

The Uxbridge School Committee is currently down to just one member and Superintendent Michael Baldassarre wants to know why.

Bill outlining school pronoun policies advances in Louisiana

Republican Rep. Raymond Crews authored and pitched the bill as a “parental rights” piece of legislation, noting that a student can receive parental permission to use pronouns that do not correlate with their sex assigned at birth. However, teachers can reject the parent’s choice if it is contrary to the educator’s “religious or moral convictions.”

Parents file lawsuit against Alpine School District over potential closure of 5 elementary schools

The 33 plaintiffs behind the suit — mostly parents — allege that the district hasn't followed the law in its process of exploring the closure of Lehi, Valley View, Lindon, Windsor and Sharon elementary schools and associated boundary studies.

Why are Oakland’s kids still not in school? Striking teachers say it’s for the ‘common good’

Negotiations are in a gridlock due to the union’s “common good” demands – a trend that experts say is spreading nationwide.