Private, Public & Charter School's K-12

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? Fear and loathing in the school pickup line

Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios

School pickup lines have turned into a real Lord of the Flies situation, replete with shouting matches, lawsuits and even threats of violence, The Wall Street Journal writes in an A-hed feature. More parents are driving their kids to and from school, creating long lines and short tempers. ? Police in West Melbourne, Florida, had to remind parents that prolonged goodbyes and drunk driving both hold up the line. Some parents are driving through people's yards to try to jump the line. Others have resigned themselves to hundreds of dollars in parking tickets to idle in no-parking zones. One innovative school auctioned off prime parking spots — the winning bid was $560 for the school year. ? Sometimes it gets heated. Two women in the drop-off line at a South Carolina school pulled guns on each other after one of them nudged her car in front of the others.

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Tennessee Is Ramping Up Penalties for Student Threats. Research Shows That’s Not the Best Way to Keep Schools Safe.

After a former student killed six people last year at the private Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, state leaders have been looking for ways to make schools safer. Their focus so far has been to ramp up penalties against current students who make mass threats against schools.

https://www.propublica.org/article/how-schools-should-handle-student-threats?

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North Texas' child opportunity gap

Data: Brandeis University; Map: Jared Whalen and Alice Feng/Axios Dallas-Fort Worth has one of the widest child opportunity gaps in the country, meaning children in some neighborhoods are less likely to graduate high school than their peers living just a couple miles away. Why it matters: Children who grow up in high-opportunity neighborhoods tend to be healthier, have higher incomes in adulthood and even typically live longer, per the Child Opportunity Index 3.0. The big picture: The index measures social and environmental factors such as school quality, parent employment levels, neighborhood income, park access and air pollution. State of play: Racist housing policies, redlining and segregation have historically kept people of color confined to often low-income neighborhoods without the opportunity to move out. Dallas city leaders have worked on a policy to increase affordable housing options in wealthier neighborhoods. Zoom in: Suburban neighborhoods, like in Flower Mound, Frisco and McKinney, have very high opportunity zones compared to southern Dallas neighborhoods and parts of north and east Fort Worth. Dallas-Fort Worth's opportunity gap score is among the 10 worst in the country. The lowest: One Fort Worth neighborhood was given a Child Opportunity score of 4, one of the lowest in the metro area. The area near I-35W and Allen Avenue is predominantly Hispanic with low income levels. Just a few miles away, a predominantly white, high-income neighborhood was given a Child Opportunity score of 64. The highest: A Dallas neighborhood west of U.S. 75 and north of Royal Lane was given a Child Opportunity Score of 96, among the highest in the metro. It's a predominantly white area with very high-income levels. Meanwhile, the mostly Black and Hispanic and low-income Vickery Meadow neighborhood just a couple miles away on the east side of the highway scored a 5. Go deeper: Look up your neighborhood here. Profound opportunity differences

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? Mapped: America's best high schools

Data: U.S. News and World Report. Map: Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals

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? Most Texans don't want school vouchers

Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

A majority of likely Texas voters in the November election disapprove of using public dollars to subsidize private school tuition, according to a new survey. Why it matters: Republican Gov. Greg Abbott continues to support school vouchers despite fractured opinions within his own party and the Legislature's inability to pass a bill after two special sessions on the topic last year. Driving the news: The Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation surveyed 1,600 people in April on contested issues like vouchers, abortion and the border. The intrigue: 57% of respondents said they disapproved of using tax dollars to provide school vouchers to all Texas parents. Only 36% signaled support. 77% of Democrats, 56% of independents and 43% of Republicans surveyed opposed the idea. Fun fact: The largest consensus was for teacher pay raises, which 90% of participants supported.

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AVID program cut from most Volusia high schools and middle schools

After several years, a program designed to prepare students for higher education will soon be cut from most Volusia County middle and high schools. An end to COVID-19-era funding is to blame.

https://www.wesh.com/article/avid-program-cut-volusia-schools/60687235

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With a vest and a voice, helpers escort kids through San Francisco’s broken Tenderloin streets The Tenderloin neighborhood is notorious for its open-air drug use and congested sidewalks. But it's also home to thousands of school children and parents working toward a better life. Mothers in 2008 launched the Safe Passage program to shepherd their children to and from school. It’s still going strong today. Read more.

Why this matters: The Tenderloin neighborhood is home to the highest concentration of kids in San Francisco: an estimated 3,000 children largely from immigrant families.   The San Francisco Police Department seized nearly 440 pounds (200 kilograms) of narcotics in the area since last May, and of a record 806 overdose fatalities last year, about 20% were in the Tenderloin.   Amid the chaos is a vibrant community that has found ways to protect its most vulnerable and deliver hope. Officials have declared a mayoral emergency and vowed to crack down on drugs, but change is glacial.

Related coverage ➤ Most stolen books from San Francisco libraries are about addiction. The city wants to offer them for free The Rev. Cecil Williams, who turned San Francisco's Glide Church into a refuge for many, dies at age 94 California’s population grew in 2023, halting 3 years of decline, state estimates

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1 big thing: Texas' low per-student funding

By Fiza Kuzhiyil and Naheed Rajwani-Dharsi

Data: Census Bureau; Map: Axios Visuals Around 9 in 10 Texas students attend inadequately funded schools, per a report analyzing public school funding nationwide. Why it matters: Texas ranks in the bottom 10 states in the country for education spending by several measures, including the report by the Albert Shanker Institute, the University of Miami and Rutgers University. The state Legislature hasn't increased per-student funding since 2019, leaving cash-strapped school districts to consider deep budget cuts to make ends meet. How it works: Per-student funding is set by the Legislature using a formula. The state's basic allotment is $6,160 per student and can be higher based on characteristics of the district, including family income and the number of students who need accessible education. Local property taxes also contribute to a district's overall funding. Zoom in: Dallas ISD had a $40 million shortfall for 2023-24 and projects a $188 million deficit for 2024-25, officials tell Axios. Teacher salaries, security mandates and inflation-related spending, and the number of seniors graduating "career, college and military ready" have all increased at Dallas ISD in recent years, superintendent Stephanie Elizalde tells Axios. "About the only thing that isn't up is the money that the state gives us to teach the children," Elizalde says. Threat level: Districts are spending more on maintenance, health care, food services, custodial work and utilities because of inflation. Texas schools received $19.2 billion of federal COVID funding, which ends in September. The state Legislature hasn't increased per-student funding for districts with compounding financial woes. Meanwhile: Several legislative sessions last year focused on a voucher-like proposal to provide public funding for private school tuition. It didn't pass. Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican leaders are pushing again to pass a voucher bill when the Legislature reconvenes next year.

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High school hot seat

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios It's not just colleges: High school students across the U.S. have been protesting the war in Gaza — and Congress is paying attention. Young people under 18 have been organizing demonstrations, sit-ins and walkouts at their schools, where the academic year typically extends into June, Axios' April Rubin reports. ? For the first time, leaders of K-12 public school districts from liberal cities testified today before the same GOP-led House committee that's grilled the presidents of Harvard and Columbia. The public school officials from Berkeley, California, New York City and Montgomery County, Maryland, rebuffed accusations that they've tolerated antisemitism at their schools. At one point, Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) questioned New York City Public Schools Chancellor David Banks on disciplining students who have walked out. Banks was fiery, calling on the legislators to act beyond holding these hearings. Zoom out: High schoolers have held sit-ins and walkouts in areas including Chicago; Salem, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and across Washington state. ?️ The big picture: Youth activism played a role in shaping the 2020 racial justice movement as well as #NeverAgain after the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting. "Their generation is really defined by a lot of these global protest movements," Versha Sharma, editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue, tells Axios. Go deeper.

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Chaplains could soon come into FL public schools, but other red states are rejecting the move

Come July 1, school districts in Florida could authorize volunteer chaplains — those who are religious or not and with no training — to provide support and services for students in public schools, though GOP-controlled legislatures across the country are rejecting similar proposals.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/10/chaplains-could-soon-come-into-fl-public-schools-but-other-red-states-are-rejecting-the-move/?

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? School segregation's ugly surge

Data: Orfield and Pfleger, 2024, "The Unfinished Battle for Integration in a Multiracial America." Chart: Axios Visuals Racial segregation in U.S. schools has increased dramatically over the last three decades, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from two new reports and federal data. Why it matters: As the U.S. marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling on Friday, American public schools are growing more separate and unequal — even though the country is more racially and ethnically diverse than ever. Stunning stat: The number of intensely segregated schools, defined as schools that are 90-100% nonwhite students, nearly tripled from 1988 to 2021, according to a UCLA report. In 1988, about 7.4% of the nation's schools were intensely segregated. By 2021, that number had ballooned to around 20%. Zoom out: California's intensely segregated schools increased sharply, from 11% to 44%. Maryland, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas had some of the largest increases in intensely segregated schools. Keep reading.

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70 years ago, school integration was a dream many believed could actually happen – it hasn’t For decades, American schools have been re-segregating. The country is more diverse than ever, with students more exposed to classmates from different backgrounds. Still, around 4 out of 10 Black and Hispanic students attend schools where almost every one of their classmates is another student of color. Read more.

Why this matters: The intense segregation by race is linked to socioeconomic conditions: Schools where students of color compose more than 90% of the student body are five times more likely to be located in low-income areas. That in turn has resounding academic consequences: Students who attend high-poverty schools, regardless of their family’s finances, have worse educational outcomes.   Efforts to slow or reverse the increasing separation of American schools have stalled. Court cases have chipped away at the dream outlined in the case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, leaving fewer tools in the hands of districts to integrate schools.   From the beginning, funding and integration have been inseparable. “Whiter schools and districts have more resources, and that is wrong,” said Ary Amerikaner, a former Obama administration official and the founder of Brown’s Promise. “But it is a reality. And that undermines opportunity for students of color, and it undermines our future democracy.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Timeline: 70 years after Brown v. Board, America is both more diverse — and more segregated   Topeka was at the center of Brown v. Board. Decades later, segregation of another sort lingers   Biden marks Brown v. Board of Education anniversary amid signs of erosion in Black voter support

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? Segregation hits suburban schools

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Suburban schools are seeing dramatic surges in segregation as white enrollments fall and Latino enrollments jump, Axios' Russell Contreras writes. Why it matters: Today is the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, which banned separating schoolchildren by race. But America's public schools are becoming more separate and unequal. That includes schools in suburbs across the nation, which sprang up as the nation's population boomed, and families gradually fled cities and their underfunded school districts. Today, as white students make up decreasing percentages of the population and public school enrollments, Black and Latino families in many suburbs increasingly are enrolling their children in schools where patterns of racial and economic segregation are emerging. Many of those in "resegregated" schools face limited resources and more teacher shortages than predominantly white schools. ? By the numbers: During the past decade, the nation's 25 largest suburban areas saw a doubling of the number of districts that are 90%-100% nonwhite, according to a UCLA Civil Rights Project report. 30% of the nation's entire public school enrollment is in those largest 25 suburban areas. In 10 years, those suburban schools saw a steep drop of about 850,000 white students — and an increase of more than 1 million new Latino students. Keep reading.

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Segregation Academies Still Operate Across the South. One Town Grapples With Its Divided Schools.

A mile of Alabama country road, and a history of racism, separate the two schools. At the stop sign between them, even the road’s name changes. Threadgill Road, christened for a civil rights hero, becomes Whiskey Run. Black students take Threadgill to one campus; white students turn off Whiskey Run toward the other.

https://www.propublica.org/article/camden-alabama-segregated-schools-brown-v-board?

Illinois School Districts Sent Kids to a For-Profit Out-of-State Facility That Isn’t Vetted or Monitored

Two years ago, Illinois lawmakers tried to help students with extreme needs who had a limited number of schools available to them.

https://www.propublica.org/article/illinois-shrub-oak-schools-students-special-education?

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? Detroit's history of unequal schools

Data: Stanford Education Data Archive. Map: Axios Visuals Friday marked the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, and schools are growing more segregated in many U.S. cities. Spotlight: In and around Detroit, a legacy of redlining, systemic racism, population loss are among factors that have perpetuated inequitable school districts. There's a long history of whiter, wealthier schools with more funding per pupil, Axios Detroit's Annalise Frank writes. By the numbers: The Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro area's students in 2022 were 55% white, 27.4% Black and 7.3% Hispanic. 48% of students were eligible for free lunch, according to the Educational Opportunity Project at Stanford University. The same project zoomed in on Detroit public schools. They were 80% Black — similar to the city's 77% Black population — and 13% Hispanic, 4% white and 87% free-lunch eligible. Between the lines: "We can get lost in the conversation around schools not being diverse" instead of focusing on whether every school has equal access to funding, says Aja Denise Reynolds, a professor at Wayne State in Detroit. "I think that's a better place that we put our energy, versus 'schools aren't diverse.'" Keep reading ... Catch up on Axios' Brown v. Board anniversary coverage.

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? Charted: Not enough counselors

Data: American School Counselor Association. Map: Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals Schools across America are facing a critical — and growing — shortage of counselors amid a child and teen mental health crisis. State of play: Arizona had the worst student-to-school counselor ratio in the nation — 667-to-1 during the 2022-2023 school year, Axios' Russell Contreras writes from American School Counselor Association data. That's more than double the American School Counselor Association's suggested ratio of 250-to-1. Michigan had the second-highest ratio (598), followed by Minnesota (544), Indiana (519) and Illinois (501). Around 8 million U.S. students lack access to a counselor. Between the lines: The disparity of school counselor access disproportionately hurts students of color seeking mental health support or advice in applying to college in a post-affirmative action world. Keep reading.

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Funds for clean school buses coming to hundreds of districts, White House says

WASHINGTON — As part of its ongoing effort to replace diesel-fueled school buses, the Biden administration on Wednesday said it will provide approximately 530 school districts across nearly all states with almost $1 billion to help them purchase clean school buses.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/29/funds-for-clean-school-buses-coming-to-hundreds-of-districts-white-house-says/?

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Critics call updated training for public school librarians on book challenges confusing

Despite backlash about the number of book challenges in the state, Florida’s top education officials still want public school librarians to “err on the side of caution” when it comes to vetting books for sexual conduct that’s harmful to minors.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/05/29/critics-call-updated-training-for-public-school-librarians-on-book-challenges-confusing/?

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A fifth grader’s fundraiser cleared his school of meal debt. It named an award for him

As the school year drew to a close, Daken Kramer worried about children who owed money for meals at his school. So the enterprising fifth grader decided to do something about it.

https://apnews.com/article/student-fundraiser-lunch-debt-c6d8f4c82ef5a7651953c880c8513974?

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How an Alabama Town Staved Off School Resegregation

In the 1970s, Black students organized protests and a boycott that cost local white businesses money. Today, many families who could afford private school still choose Thomasville’s public schools.

https://www.propublica.org/article/thomasville-alabama-segregation-academies?

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The “Trash” School

The city of Gainesville, Florida, needed to choose a site for a dump. Of all the places it could have chosen during its search in the late 1950s, the local government settled on an unlikely location: the backyard of a school. Joseph Williams Elementary sat on the east side, in the predominantly Black part of town.

https://theintercept.com/2024/06/04/gainesville-florida-alachua-school-toxic-contaminated/?

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A Christian group teaches public school students during the school day. Their footprint is growing

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Ohio nonprofit that provides off-site Bible instruction to public school students during classroom hours says it will triple its programs in Indiana this fall after new legislation forced school districts to comply.

https://apnews.com/article/indiana-lifewise-public-school-religion-d7cf2b67b2ae3b7919e0a21f89ce80c0?

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Aaron Bean calls for increased transparency for school funding sources

Republican Florida Congressman Aaron Bean has introduced legislation that would require public K-12 schools to inform parents about any dealings the school might have with “foreign governments of concern.” 

https://floridaphoenix.com/2024/06/12/aaron-bean-calls-for-increased-transparency-for-school-funding-sources/?

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? Louisiana's new commandment

From the enrolled bill. Image: Louisiana State Legislature

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry (R) signed a law making the Bayou State the first to require that the Ten Commandments be displayed in a "large, easily readable font" in every public classroom, including state-funded universities. Why it matters: The requirement reflects rising assertiveness by GOP-dominated legislatures paired with Republican governors. ACLU Louisiana announced plans to sue, saying the law "violates long-standing Supreme Court precedent and the First Amendment." Landry said Saturday: "I can't wait to be sued."   New law requires all Louisiana public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments The legislation that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed into law on Wednesday requires a poster-sized display of the Ten Commandments in “large, easily readable font” in all public classrooms, from kindergarten to state-funded universities. The posters must be in place in classrooms by the start of 2025. Read more. Why this matters: Proponents said the measure is not solely religious, but that it has historical significance. Similar bills have been proposed in other states including Texas, Oklahoma and Utah.   Opponents have questioned the law’s constitutionality. Not long after the governor signed the bill into law, civil rights groups and organizations that want to keep religion out of government promised to file a lawsuit challenging it.   The controversial law, in a state ensconced in the Bible Belt, comes during a new era of conservative leadership in Louisiana. The GOP holds a supermajority in the Legislature, and Republicans hold every statewide elected position, paving the way for lawmakers to push through a conservative agenda. RELATED COVERAGE ➤ A Christian group teaches public school students during the school day. Their footprint is growing   Judge rules that federal agency can’t enforce abortion rule in Louisiana and Mississippi   New York’s ‘equal rights’ constitutional amendment restored to ballot by appeals court

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Louisiana public schools are now required to display the Ten Commandments in all classrooms after Republican Gov. Jeff Landry signed the requirement into law on Wednesday. House Bill 71, approved by state lawmakers last month, mandates that a poster-size display of the Ten Commandments with a "large, easily readable font" be in every classroom at schools that receive state funding, from kindergarten through the university level. Opponents of the bill have argued that a state requiring a religious text in all classrooms would violate the establishment clause of the US Constitution, which says that Congress can "make no law respecting an establishment of religion." Civil liberties groups swiftly vowed to challenge the law in court.