Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Chicago

Diversity & Equity

Diversity & Equity

Chicago
July 2, 2019

Help wanted: Ogden school looking for sixth principal in six years

A challenging school climate and high turnover in leadership have been two of the biggest threats to the integration project, which just wrapped Year 1.

integration push

New York
July 2, 2019

With new grants, these five NYC districts are taking their own approaches to school integration 

Last month, the education department awarded $200,000 grants to five of the city’s local school districts to gather ideas and ultimately craft their own diversity plans.

2020 vision

National
July 1, 2019

Did busing for school desegregation succeed? Here’s what research says.

The bottom line: Even if busing for school integration was a political failure, it wasn't an educational failure.

First Person

New York
July 1, 2019

Diversity efforts start with recruitment, but what schools do next is critical

If NYC is to turn its segregated schools into models of diversity, equity, and inclusion, the debate needs to move beyond the specialized high schools. Here's how.

new guidelines

New York
June 28, 2019

NYC makes it easier for students to change their name and gender under expanded LGBTQ guidelines 

The New York City education department is expanding its guidelines for how LGBTQ students should be treated in schools.

Q&A

National
June 28, 2019

‘Why Busing Failed’ author on Biden remarks: ‘This sense that communities should only desegregate when they locally decide to do so is farcical’

Delmont, author of "Why Busing Failed," says he was surprised to see school segregation take center stage as Kamala Harris challenged Joe Biden on his anti-busing record.

New Leadership

Indiana
June 28, 2019

Indianapolis Public Schools’ new leader wants to have ‘hard conversations’ about race

Race and ethnicity have perennially been the backdrop of the most pressing issues facing Indianapolis Public Schools leaders.

First Person

National
June 28, 2019

Want to see what makes America great? Attend a high school graduation like this one. 

Better yet, snag a ticket to one that’s full of first-generation graduates and listen to their stories, Los Angeles teacher Joel Snyder writes.

decision 2020

National
June 27, 2019

Kamala Harris challenges Biden on school desegregation: ‘It cannot be an intellectual debate’

In the 1970s, Joe Biden vigorously opposed efforts by courts to integrate schools by race, often referred to by critics as “busing.”

extra academics

Colorado
June 27, 2019

Inside Denver’s attempt to slow ‘summer slide’ for English language learners and struggling readers

Denver Public Schools' "summer academy" serves English language learners and students struggling with reading — with free activities for siblings, too.

special education

Detroit
June 27, 2019

Michigan no longer ranks near bottom for special education, but that doesn’t mean students are doing better academically

Michigan’s special education performance improved slightly this year, after it was ranked near the bottom of the nation in 2018.

Count off

National
Updated June 27, 2019

Supreme Court blocks citizenship question on census that could hit school budgets hard — for now

School district leaders can breathe a sigh of relief — at least, a short one — after the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from adding a question about citiz

parent power

Indiana
June 27, 2019

How a parent organizer will try to upend Indianapolis’ top-down charter movement

Ashley Virden won a two-year fellowship from The Mind Trust to create a parent advocacy organization in Indianapolis and reverse the top-down ed reform movement.

Unfinished Business

New York
June 26, 2019

School year ends in NYC with demands for integration, calls for Carranza’s ouster, and lingering questions over pay parity for pre-K teachers

Debates that have dogged the system — about integration, the prestigious specialized high schools, and pay parity for pre-K teachers — remain unresolved.

Chancellor Keynote

New York
June 25, 2019

‘We’re going to move the agenda’: Chancellor Carranza speaks at graduation for top screened middle school

Chancellor Carranza praises Mott Hall's majority-Hispanic graduating class and says he is dedicated to serving students, even if it means some adults are “uncomfortable.”