Lunch shaming is the sort of term that never existed until this past spring, when it was seemingly everywhere. It refers to cafeteria policies advocates say punish students who are unable to pay for their meal, such as by taking the lunch away, or having them stand in a separate line from their peers for […]
Telemedicine, in which a remote doctor or physician’s assistant provides health care via the internet, has caught on in the business world and is now making its way into public schools. Five of the Title 1 buildings in Maryland’s Howard County Public Schools offer telemedicine for students, says Sharon Hobson, a registered nurse who coordinates […]
Barely 5 miles from the hustle and bustle of LaGuardia Airport in Queens, students at John Browne High School in Flushing are plowing and tilling a field, tending to chickens and picking apples to sell. While John Browne is the only New York City high school with a dedicated agriculture department, many other urban schools—such […]
On the first Friday of every school year, the new kindergartners of Utah's Canyons School District look ahead to the future—far ahead. To mark Kindergarten College-Ready Day, the children make construction-paper mortar boards and march in mock graduation ceremonies, applauded by high school and college athletes and cheerleaders. Teachers come to school wearing T-shirts and […]
Jay County—a rural district in Indiana—has the highest child poverty rate (35 percent) in the state. We've suffered like most of the rural areas. While our unemployment rate is just a little over 4 percent, there aren't a lot of high-paying jobs. Many of them are low-level manufacturing and agriculture jobs, so people are leaving […]
It's never too early to start thinking about college and careers. And that's why kindergarteners at Kankakee School District in Illinois are already on the right path. Superintendent Genevra Walters, and her two adult children, attended the suburban district 60 miles south of Chicago, while her young son is currently enrolled. In May 2014, when […]
Within a few months of becoming superintendent of New Haven Public Schools a couple of years ago, Garth Harries had already attended too many teenagers' funerals. After Harries left these grim ceremonies—and in other occasions when students were shot but survived—his office went back over the victims' academic records for signs of trouble. "There were […]
Students will likely choose healthier meals if provided with more comfortable places to eat. Modern lighting and food-court style designs can draw students to dining areas while school gardens can provide learning experiences and also supply cafeterias with fresh, less expensive produce. Students will likely choose healthier meals if provided with more comfortable places to […]
A new curriculum released by the USDA teaches middle school students about the most dangerous invasive species threatening the nation's trees, plants and crops. Available this fall, "Hungry Pests Invade Middle School" is the first curriculum created by the USDA that focuses on all 18 species, including the khapra beetle, the Mediterranean fruit fly and […]
State-of-the-art science labs, green buildings and internet upgrades are among major trends in school construction this year, as districts break ground on large projects that address aging facilities, increased enrollment and technology needs, according to the first annual DA School Construction Survey. State-of-the-art science labs, green buildings and internet upgrades are among major trends in […]