"The continued political infighting among certain board members demonstrates a misalignment in the vision for the children of this county," said the former student and lifelong employee of the district as to why she is walking away.

A racial gap in a southern state reveals one of education's most pressing problems: Many students don't go to schools with leaders of color.

Computer science is inherently interdisciplinary so it can be naturally folded into other subjects, such as science and math.

"This is a great moment for school leaders to look for opportunities to give classroom teachers the flexibility they need to serve students with varying degrees of proficiency, like flexible schedules and adding staff that can support dynamic student grouping," said Chase Nordengren, principal research lead for Effective Instructional Strategies at NWEA.