Unfortunately, many students say they rely on their parents or guardians for help with this subject. One expert believes it should be taught as early as elementary school.

The solutions start with district leaders lobbying for new state policies, such as redrawing districts intentionally to serve a more racially and economically diverse mix of communities, a new report advises.

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.”

A superintendent's time horizon is longest of all: budgeting, capital projects, strategic initiatives and changing state requirements—and this is the time to prioritize those issues.