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Back to School Reading List


Getting ready for back to school season? As schools reopen for the academic year, we hope these stories, resources, and essays help students, teachers, and parents have a smoother transition.

Credit-recovery programs give students the chance to earn credits they need for the next grade or graduation. But do these second chances to pass give the system permission to fail?

New York City schools are increasingly adopting restorative justice practices, but are students bought into the new approach? A student journalist investigates.

Websder Corneille uses own journey as a Haitian immigrant to build connections with students and their caregivers. His job goes beyond serving students and the school to serving the community

Here’s how our school librarian fostered our love of reading and new ideas.

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More news and resources

Michigan Judge Sima Patel rejected the plaintiffs’ claims that state budget language regarding school safety and mental health funding is overly vague.

A Tennessee House Republican plan to install a new board overseeing Memphis-Shelby County schools governance will move forward in 2026.

Colorado education issues to watch in 2026 include budgetary constraints, declining enrollment, and the fate of Colorado’s first “public Christian school.”

How should Zohran Mamdani improve the school system? We asked educators, parents, students, and experts for their big ideas.

Friends of the Children Philadelphia just wrapped its first year in the city and is looking to expand.

MSCS school board candidates can begin filing to run starting today. Most incumbents will be seeking re-election, especially those facing shortened terms.

Sign up to attend and submit questions for a top Trump administration official

The Denver school board approved a two-year, $3.5 million contract with TeachStart to provide year-long substitute teachers for certain schools.

A Chalkbeat analysis suggests that the district’s joint initiative with its teachers union hasn’t yet given its 20 pilot schools an edge over other high-poverty campuses when it comes to academics and school climate.

A Chalkbeat analysis found that staff turnover, unspent dollars, and community partner tensions have been key challenges for the 7-year-old program.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti says the law punishes districts for system inequities that contribute to chronic absenteeism.

State lawmakers will consider creating a new agency to oversee IPS schools and charters. Here’s a look at the history and powerful advocates behind that push for unified control over city schools.

The majority of low-income Tennessee students did not receive help paying for summer meals in 2025 for the first time in years. Now, local officials want the state to bring back federal aid for 2026.

The number of MSCS schools earning the lowest grade, an F, stayed stagnant. But two-thirds of the district’s schools received a C or higher, an increase from last year.

Newark students will see stricter cellphone rules in schools after the district received more than $176,000 from the state to enforce a “bell-to-bell” policy to limit the use of cellphones.

We asked educators, families, students, and experts for big ideas about how Zohran Mamdani could improve the school system.