As More Students Return To School, Officials Brace For ‘Rolling Blackouts’

‘Rolling Blackouts’ MARY SCOTT HODGIN | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 Jefferson County Schools Deep cleaning at Grantswood Community School because of COVID-19. A new online dashboard is tracking cases of the coronavirus in Alabama schools. While state education officials are optimistic they can control the spread of the virus, some challenges remain. Most schools have already reopened…

More Alabama students returning to class despite virus worry

Posted Oct 13, 2020 MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of Alabama students who’ve spent the coronavirus pandemic in virtual classrooms are returning to traditional instruction despite safety concerns and continuing school shutdowns linked to COVID-19. Schools in Jefferson County began allowing elementary students to return to class full-time on Monday, and additional systems that have offered…

Alabama roadmap to open K-12 schools nearly ready, state chief says

June 11, 2020 By Trisha Powell Crain Alabama’s roadmap for reopening K-12 public schools in August will be a multi-tiered plan and will include a virtual option for parents uncomfortable sending their children back inside school buildings, according state superintendent Eric Mackey. Tiers in the plan will be based on the spread of coronavirus in the…

A tale of two ZIP codes: COVID-19 exposes deep disparities in U.S. schools

“All COVID has done is put a magnifying glass on inequity in this country,” said Nikolai Vitti, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Xavier Prater, 17, a Grosse Pointe South High School student, with his laptop outside his father’s home in Detroit.Brittany Greeson / for NBC NewsJune 8, 2020, 4:11 PM CDTBy Kenzi Abou-Sabe,…

Philadelphia mom, daughter receive school choice scholarship at Trump’s State of the Union

Gov. Wolf has opposed expanding Pennsylvania’s program in favor of adequately funding Pennsylvania’s public school systems BY MICHAEL TANENBAUM2-5-20 SOURCE/THE WHITE HOUSE Stephanie and Janiyah Davis, a mother and daughter from Philadelphia, will attend the State of the Union Address in Washington, D.C. The Trump administration invited them over the issue of school choice funding programs…

In State of the Union, Trump makes clear his aversion to public schools

By Valerie Strauss  Feb. 4, 2020 If for some reason you haven’t been clear about what President Trump thinks about traditional public schools, consider what he said about them in his State of the Union address Tuesday night. There was this: “For too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools.” What’s a…

Annual Report Highlights Persistent Gaps And Success Stories In Pittsburgh Public Schools

By SARAH SCHNEIDER 11-12-19 Morrison Young, left, a City Charter High School student reflects on a report on learning outcomes in Pittsburgh public schools. SARAH SCHNEIDER / 90.5 WESA Academic achievement gaps are persistent in Pittsburgh Public Schools, according to an annual report released Monday by education advocacy group A+ Schools. While the report has historically analyzed those trends, this…

Detroit Students Fight for the Right to Literacy

By Kristiana Bolzman November 12, 2019 A 2016 lawsuit re-emerged last month that, if successful, could be the first to codify a fundamental right to literacy. But proponents ignore the possibility that competition within education may be a more effective solution to the challenges students face. The lawsuit began in 2016, when several Detroit students sued the State…