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New York City Council aims to tackle school dress code policies

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New York City Council aims to tackle school dress code policies

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It's long been known that policies nationwide aren't enforced toward certain kids while they are toward others. While many dress codes are stricter than others in schools, they should still be enforced equally and fairly toward everyone instead of just toward those who are POC or LGBTQ+, which is what the article details. The New York Resolution 292 coming in to create the inclusive school dress code policy will hopefully help break this unfairness and eliminate the standards that are targeting many girls and students of color. The joke of "your shoulders are showing" can hopefully go away and start showing a fairness that genuinely needs to show more in schools. Hopefully, this will get more places to follow.

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New York City Council aims to tackle school dress code policies - The Educators Room

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The New York City Council voted to approve legislation requiring the education department to create a more uniform dress code policy.

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The Ten Commandments For the Outside of My Classroom Door

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The Ten Commandments For the Outside of My Classroom Door

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The best line to summarize this is the opening: "Teachers should be concerned about the ten commandments being made mandatory in schools." It goes further into the oath a teacher takes when first starting and how the US Constitution has an Establishment Clause, which this teacher themselves has taught many years and has also sworn to defend. The separation between church and state should always happen, and in public schools, you should have the right to keep the church out of your classroom, as many Religions step through that door, not just Christians. Having the right to teach means the right to teach everyone, not just the some. It then breaks down the Five Constitutional Commandments and how those are what should be the only only Commandments in the classroom.

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The Ten Commandments For the Outside of My Classroom Door - The Educators Room

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Teachers should be concerned about the ten commandments being made mandatory in schools.

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We Can't Wait for Someone Else to Stop School Shootings

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We Can't Wait for Someone Else to Stop School Shootings

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"People harm people, which is why identifying ways to prevent a person from getting to the point of violence is critical." This article breaks down how easy it is to get a gun, especially at home. How that's where people, especially kids, are most likely to get it. They're able to find unsecured guns not kept in safes but just out and about due to the negligence of their parents. How even though the change should have already happened by now by the government, it hasn't, so now educators have to step in to inform others on how to do gun safety to make sure children are safe in the classrooms. It's a sad day that the United States is relying more and more on the underpaid teachers of America to teach kids not to kill kids instead of their parents just practicing something so simple when buying a gun.

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We Can’t Wait for Someone Else to Stop School Shootings (Opinion)

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A clinical psychologist lays out what school leaders can do to keep our children safe from gun violence.

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A Job in the White House Didn't Prepare This Teacher for Returning to the Classroom

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A Job in the White House Didn't Prepare This Teacher for Returning to the Classroom

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This article talks about Steve Robinson, who started his career as assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, running a research lab, moved after nearly a decade, to a middle and high school science teacher. It goes in-depth about the issues of STEM education and the toughest issues he had, as well as how hard it is to keep teachers in the feel as well as find and train them. He ends on the note that even though he worked at the White House, and on the education policy change, it had nothing to do with being a good teacher.

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Recruiting and retaining strong STEM teachers is a challenge for educators, STEM professionals, and policymakers.

Steve Robinson has been all three.

Robinson, who is now retired, started his career in academia where he served as an assistant professor of biology at the University of Massachusetts, running a research lab.

After nearly a decade, he made a big career change, becoming a middle and high school science teacher. Robinson spent four years working at a private school, then got his master's degree in teaching so he could work at a public high school in Eugene, Ore.

Robinson, who grew up in Illinois, ended up working in the office of the incoming freshman senator from that state: Barack Obama. After the yearlong Einstein fellowship ended, he stayed on, becoming Obama's legislative aide for education.

Then, of course, his boss was elected president. Robinson eventually found himself on the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he focused on science, technology, engineering, and math education.

From there, Robinson headed back to the classroom, serving as a science teacher for two different charter networks.

That circuitous career path has given him a unique perspective on some of the toughest issues in STEM education, including how to find, train, and keep good teachers in those fields.

Education Week chatted with Robinson over Zoom about what he's learned. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

You got your start teaching at the college level? What was that experience like?

I was a professor at the University of Massachusetts. And I remember they said, "What classes will you teach?" And I said, "I'd like to teach a course in plant molecular biology." And they said, "OK, here's the key to the classroom." There was no, "Here's how you teach. Here's what you should teach. We care what you teach."

After leaving academia, you taught at a private school, then went to get your master's so you could teach at public schools. Did you learn what you expected to in ed. school?

Based on your own experience getting a master's degree in education, would you say that other STEM professionals who want to transition to the K-12 classroom should also pursue a teaching degree?

There are lots of other ways to mentor teachers, because, really, what a lot of people need, who have skills in science, is the craft of teaching. Not the theory behind it, because the academic courses are designed by people who are academics like I was when I was a university professor. They're trying to publish papers, right? They're not great teachers. The best teachers that I had at the college of education were those who had been teachers for a long time at the middle school or high school level and could pass on the craft of teaching.

How did you think about those experiences when you went on to work in the policy world for President Obama?

The policy world is also very insular, right? Very few [people in federal policy] have ever been teachers. Most went to very good schools and very good colleges and only had an academic understanding of what the challenges are for the profession.

I remember being in meetings with people at the White House. We would have meetings with the CEOs of large companies, large tech companies. And they would say, "You know, if I wanted to teach, I can teach at Stanford, but I can't teach at my local high school."

What do you feel is missing from the profession that would help retain good STEM teachers?

So, one of the things that really struck me about being a teacher was how little interaction I had with adults. When I was a student-teacher, my mentor was in the room, he observed me all the time, we talked at the end of every day about what I did right, what I did wrong. And I learned a lot from that experience, just being in the classroom with another adult.

Once I was controlling my own classroom, there was never an adult in my classroom. I was evaluated twice a year. And if I couldn't have two good days of teaching in a year, [the district would have been right to fire me].

When I went to Democracy Prep [a charter school], that system was totally different. My classroom was totally open. There were adults in all the time. I was observed, at least weekly, often several times a week by either my department chair, or another teacher, or the principal or assistant principal. And every week, I would meet with my department chair. And for the first couple of months, she would basically rip me to pieces about things that I hadn't done correctly.

Wow. And this was after you worked at the White House on education policy, right?

Oh, yeah. I had worked in the White House. But that has nothing to do with being a good teacher.

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A Job in the White House Didn't Prepare This Teacher for Returning to the Classroom

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Former science teacher and Obama adviser Steve Robinson says STEM teachers need more support after they enter the classroom.

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How Text Reconstruction Supports Multilingual Learners

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How Text Reconstruction Supports Multilingual Learners

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As David Berliner notes at the beginning of the article, "Teaching is a hard science: The subjects are always changing, and a teacher program can prepare you for only so much." This then breaks down what exactly Tex t Reconstruction support can do in helping students learn in the classroom; students get introduced to the vocabulary, help them listen to a text read by the teacher, give them time to discuss the text with their parents, and summarize the text. It also helps get students more comfortable with text reconstruction over time and helps them adapt to using it in other fields, mentioning how it was even used in math to understand things that they were struggling to understand before using the Text Reconstruction support. While it can be a challenge to learn at first, it seems to support those who need it the most in the classroom and can benefit many.

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This multistep literacy activity gives students an extended opportunity to improve their vocabulary and develop their listening and speaking skills.

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California joins growing movement by states to protect children from Social Media Addiction with New Law 

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California joins growing movement by states to protect children from Social Media Addiction with New Law 

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Bill 976, known as Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act, is supported by groups like the California School Administrators, Common Sense Media, and the "Several states have passed legislation focused on protecting children from the ills of social media."

CA is the next in line to pass the Protect Children from the Harms of Social Media Act, which limits the "addictive feel" of social media for minors. Bill 976, known as the "Protecting Our Kids From Social Media Addiction Act," introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner and supported by CA School Administrators, Common Sense Media, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, pulled attention to the potential impact on tech giants. It's to help kids get parental consent for social media that use addictive feeds to create algorithms on kids under 18, limit data collection on minors without consent, and restrict the sale of such information, but it does not require age verification. The law goes into effect next year. As someone who stood with the Wolf project when it first started and still does, as well as the Trevor Project, I fully support this bill. I believe more states should have laws like this, especially since I remember the days when I was on the internet as a child. While I'm far older than I think most in this class, so the Internet was more of an unknown when I was younger, I remember the adults who reached out to a 13-year-old me, knowing I was 13 or even when I was 16. I also know the pull apps like TikTok or Facebook have on me as an adult and how I've had to learn to limit my time on them. I-Pad kids is a genuine term, and said for a genuine condition.

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California joins growing movement by states to protect children from Social Media Addiction with New Law - The Educators Room

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Overview: Several states have passed legislation focused on protecting children from the ills of social media. California made a significant move to protect children from the harms of social media with Governor Gavin Newsom’s approval of a bill aimed at limiting “addictive feeds” for minors. On Friday, Newsom signed Senate Bill 976, known as the […]

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Reading Rights: Do I Have To or Can I Please: The Right to “Just Read”

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Reading Rights: Do I Have To or Can I Please: The Right to “Just Read”

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This article breaks down the loss of reading and the fact that students have been doing less and less of it, especially since COVID. "Just Read." This is a significant statement it makes, emphasizing that libraries are less in use these days and that students aren't as found in them as the steady decline in reading has increased. As someone who has talked to others about the fact that America has shown a lack of reading comprehension over the last couple of years, I find this article really resonates with me in many ways. While you can read something, that doesn't mean you can comprehend what it says behind those words, and understand the statement and implication that those words can mean. While you can say things, that doesn't mean there isn't an implication the words can hold. The article has a really impactful way of breaking that down, and I think is very well done about everything it has to say.

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By Lauren Davenport and Marie Southwell

Just Read: A few years ago, on a visit to the library, a wonderful teacher I knew, Mr. Andrew Cedermark, was in the shared campus library with one of his classes. We had a history of talking shop and collaborating even though we work in separate schools, so when I asked him what his kids were doing, he said, "Just reading. That's it." It was the boldest and most radical statement I'd heard in years.

Independent reading is always a conundrum for teachers. The conundrum that teachers push up against is how they can let students just read. What if they aren't reading? How do teachers grade their time in the library? What about the test?

The Decline of Reading

I teach ninth grade ELA in a 9-12 high school in a Title One school smack dab in the middle of Midtown Manhattan. Like many other folks in my field, I've witnessed the decline of reading accelerate at the rate of the increase in smartphone usage. I've seen our whole society stop reading and start scrolling. I've asked myself if the process of holding a paperback in one's hands to let a narrative slowly unfold is simply an antiquated practice reserved for people who might enjoy calligraphy or baking bread from scratch. A luxury, an activity for the rich, an activity for people who have "nothing better to do."

In some ways, the answer to my question is "absolutely yes," which is why for the past two years, with the help of our campus's amazing Librarian, Marie Southwell, we've been piloting a reading program to let kids "just read in the library." I think all students should have the right to read for reading's sake and to luxuriate in a text about something they enjoy. Sounds simple, doesn't it? It isn't.

Ms. Southwell tells the humous anecdote about a teacher entering the library and saying: "WOW, what's with all the manga!" Her response? "It's what kids want to read." A core tenet of librarianship is the Library Bill of Rights- students have a core right to read what they want, and as librarians, we create diverse collections to support their needs. Breaking down barriers to reading is an act of resistance. The problem is not always that teachers don't want students to read, but teachers are fearful. We are asking teachers and administration to trust that students can read just for the sake of reading.

Weekly Library Visits

Other classes do visit the library, but they don't come every week. A weekly visit allows relationships to form with the students, teachers, and their librarian! Students not only read but learn about different genres, and learn how to locate and research what they want to read. It has let me really know a group of students really well. Getting the perfect book into a kid's hands has helped shape what books Ms. Southwell buys, the lists she curates, how many books are checked out, and the number of visits.

This year library circulation has doubled, moving from about 3,000 circulations to 5,500. Circulation only counts when a book is checked out and returned. During our two-year-long collaboration, more books were read in the library but weren't necessarily counted in circulation. The most amazing piece of data is the number of student visits; last year, there were about 900 student visits, and this year, we had over 10,000 student visits to the library.

New York City Schools are some of the most segregated schools in our nation, and schools like mine, where the student body consists primarily of children of color, are assessed to death. Every lesson requires the assessment of a learning target, the creation of a learning "product" and data collection for evaluation, re-teaching strategies where needed, and other demonstrative methodologies to ensure that students are "catching up" to their suburban peers.

Learning Loss and Reading

Covid, as you might imagine, has only made matters worse with terms floating around like "learning loss" and "accelerated learning," all created in a desperate attempt to prove how equitable and determined our schools are in serving our students. The press on the negative outcome of "Balanced Literacy" programs in NYC has only made my life harder. In fact, the city is rolling out yet another mandated ELA curriculum with scripted lessons to try to demonstrate how important literacy is to NYC schools.

There is a gross exaggeration that poor students read well below grade level when that is not at all always the case, and perhaps instead, the question should be asked, is our entire country well below grade level, or have we changed our habits? Also, some students are so far ahead that they need challenges and independence- not additional modifications and low standards- which they are too often fed.

Secondly, what on EARTH makes educators insist that choosing the material they should read will result in reading gains? I absolutely believe in reading whole-class novels. I believe that students should read the classics and modern stories and culturally relevant stories too. Any beautifully crafted story which helps a student understand what it means to be human is worth reading. However, if we don't allow, encourage, and create spaces for students to choose their own books and read them in a safe and quiet environment (often lacking for them elsewhere), how can we also expect them to read the books that are more challenging? My students LOVE Manga. They read an entire series enthusiastically and quickly, and yes, that means I allow them to "read comic books." But ask yourself this, is reading a "comic book" better than scrolling Tik Tok?

The Right to Just Read

Sadly, I recognize that I don't have the right to let my students "just read." Generally speaking, administrations and districts feel that simply reading a book is not considered measurable or sufficiently structured. So, we tried to strike a sort of a compromise without completely abandoning our beliefs that the kids should pretty much be left alone to choose their own books, read them at their own pace, and create their own meaning.

The first year we ran the pilot, all we did was have students log their pages and track their own reading. We set whole class goals for focus and stamina. We asked the students to reflect: can you read for five minutes without stopping or without allowing your mind to wander? I dare you, dear reader, to take the same test. We have lost this skill, and it requires training and practice. Our students moved from two minutes to ten minutes over the course of eight months. We knew that this would not be enough to prove to any school district that the program works, and we knew it wouldn't hold muster on a teacher evaluation either.

Reflect on Reading Habits

This year, we tried to add a few more accountable steps to encourage students to reflect on their own reading habits and struggles. Not only did they track their page numbers and books, but they also completed reading logs after each book they finished. Additionally, we had them try to "sell" their books to their peers by creating Book Trailers, Book Talks, and/or Mood Boards. We tried these both in whole-group settings and in small groups with mixed results.

I will be the first to admit that there were students who didn't read a single book this year. Often, these were the same students who didn't complete any work in any of their other classes either. I don't like it. We found many children trying to use their phones during library time. There were plenty of kids trying to create bathrooms and water breaks to avoid reading. We created inventories of their likes and dislikes, and Ms. Southwell has tried a bunch of ways to visually catalog recommendations for students so that they can find a book that they like.

We also promote "abandoning books" after thirty pages if a book just doesn't hold their interest because time is short. I want to be clear that the struggling readers are not now sitting at home reading books into the wee hours while their parents are calling me "Educator of the Year." Not at all. This program needs work.

But we have also had students tell us:
"I liked the SSR [Silent Sustained Reading] unit because I was able to take a break from the usual class work and enjoy reading a good book."-Tyler Robey, Freshman "I read more on my own time thanks to this." Ramses Gomez-Diaz, Freshman "just me reading a book i want to read at my own paste [sic]" -Christopher Edwards, Freshman
Parents have said:
"My son is a freshman in high school, and he loves his library time. He enjoys the freedom he has to read books he loves at his own pace. This alone time has greatly motivated him to become a more avid reader." Nancy J. Diaz Ramases Gomez Diaz's Mom "My son's attitude toward school and learning has made a complete 360. One of the reasons is because he has the privilege and autonomy to be able to choose a book that interests and engages him. He's always struggled with reading. His ADHD has always been a struggle when it comes to English, but this opportunity makes such a difference. It is just such an added bonus."-Mrs. Rodriguez, parent of a ninth grader "It is crucial for public high school students to readily have access to a library of books not only to study from but to read leisurely. As parents, we can encourage the love of reading at an early age but whether they take the wheel and continue into adulthood should be encouraged in more places than just the home. School is where children expand their reading skills, and this expansion includes beyond elementary and middle school. Reading allows us to acquire expanded vocabulary, a strong memory, and proper brain function preventing cognitive decline as we age. I implore you to allow school libraries to continue to provide a safe reading space for our high schoolers to just read, this may prevent adding to the millions of adults in the US who are illiterate." - Caron Hinton, parent of a 9th grader 'Library time is a highlight of my 9th grader's schedule. It's allowed him to find new authors he enjoys and enthusiastically shares what he's reading with us, which helps him organize his thoughts and focus on key points. As kids get to progress through high school and college, their "required reading" list grows and grows, so it's especially wonderful for them to have this time during school time to explore authors and subjects of their own choosing."-Kari Van Hoof, parent of a 9th grader
What's Next

We are trying to tweak and continue this reading program next year. We are also trying to encourage more teachers to schedule and devote reading time to their own classes. We dream of coherence and perhaps even some sort of informal scope and sequence for independent reading for each year. Students, for the first time this year, are required to read a book and complete a book trailer to be graded by next year's ELA teacher in an effort to promote coherence and accountability. The ultimate outcome would be that school districts mandate library time in high schools the way it encourages independent reading time in elementary schools. Ultimately, we affirm and will continue to embody the belief that every child has the right to read.

Lauren Davenport is a proud NYC public educator and writer. Her two children, 15 and 12, also attend NYC Public Schools. Marie is a teacher librarian in NYC Public Schools and has been an educator for over 30 years. When not reading or drinking coffee, she is throwing the ball for her dog, Tobi Wan Kenobi.

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Reading Rights: Do I Have To or Can I Please: The Right to "Just Read" - The Educators Room

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Two librarians try something radical- students just read. Less mandating and more time actually reading a book.

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Texas County must reinstate 8 books to its libraries according to an appeals court

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Texas County must reinstate 8 books to its libraries according to an appeals court

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"Eight books addressing topics like racism and LGBTQ+ issues must return to the shelves of a rural Texas count library following a federal court decision." This article talks about how there was an attempt to get the book-ban in place, however there were seven patrons who sued to make the books (17 in total) to come back in June 2023. The panel of the 5th district court in New Orleans rules that 8 of these books had to be returned.

It originally started in August 2021, when they complained that the books had, "pornographic and sexual content in a children's section" and that she had been checking it out for months to prevent others from getting to it. The books in question were: Seven "Butt and Fart" books with titles like "I broke my Butt!" and "Larry the Farting Leprechaun." Four young adult books touching on Sexuality and Homosexuality, such as "Gabi, a Girl in Pieces." "Being Jazz: My life as a (Transgender) Teen," and "Freakboy," "Caste" and "They Called themselves the KKK" two books about the history of racism in the USA. "In the Night Kitchen," which contains cartoon drawings of a naked child, and "It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies," "Growing Up," and "Sex and Sexual Health." When the new library board was appointed, they did not allow Amber Milum, the library director, back into the meetings as she had originally purchased the books.

It was Judge Jacques Wiener Jr. who emphasized that books cannot be removed just because officials disliked their viewpoints. "Government actors may not remove books from a public library with the intent to deprive patrons of access to the ideas with which they disagree. Because that is apparently what occurred in Llano Country..." Within Twenty-four hours of the issuance of the mandates, the books were required to be publically visible and accessible on the shelves once more. It is once again another case of pearl-clutching bigots scared that children will learn outside of a box they don't want people to escape from and the government, for once, standing by the law they're supposed to be protecting.

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Texas County must reinstate 8 books to its libraries according to an appeals court - The Educators Room

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Eight books must return to the shelves of a Texas county library following a federal appeals court decision on Thursday.

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The Day America’s Educational System Dies 

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The Day America’s Educational System Dies 

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"Dismantling the Department of Education will dismantle education as we know it in America. According to this teacher, the 2024 Presidential Election will determine that."

Dismantlinng of the Department of Education is a continued rumbling around the presidential election. The Department of Education is not without flaws, and for decades, many educators and citizens alike have grappled with the decisions made by the office regarding testing, dissemination of funds, ensuring equitable educational standards and measures, etc. The problem is we don't fully understand what the department does when voting for it.

"What does the Department of Education do?"

The Department of Education governs all levels of education, from early childhood to college. Working with metrics that establish Americans' recognition of the growth in learning in American schools, what challenges are being faced, and where to fix the ones that need to be addressed.

They help create programs such as free and reduced lunch, early childhood education, financial aid, and dual credit. Federal guidelines for testing, student achievements as well and credentialing for schools.

For many Americans who don't understand, the deconstructing of the Department of Education doesn't seem like a massive loss. However, it's a high-performing department that would be an enormous loss to the teachers who depend on it the most.

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The Day America’s Educational System Dies - The Educators Room

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Dismantling the Department of Education will dismantle education as we know it in America. This Presidential Election will determine that.

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Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently

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Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently

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"Excessive grading stresses out kids and teachers, stifles innovative teaching, and fails to deliver as a true measurement of learning."

Denise Pope mentions at the start of the article, "The first things kids would do is go to the back of the paper, look at the grade, and then never read the comments." A 2021 study confirms this is a common problem- students see the grade before they see the feedback, and they're more likely to ignore the teacher's feedback entirely, leading to a drop of two-thirds of a letter grade on future assignments.

Advocates for the A-F or Percentage grading argue that grades provide students and their caregivers with a simple, bird's eye view of academic achievement and are "one of the primary means of communication between the institution." A 2014 study shows that schools make quick judgments about student learning readiness- compared to standardized tests, high school grades are a stronger measure of students' "capacity to resist momentary temptations, regulate emotions, and sustain effort across days, months, and years in pursuit of important goals," all of which are crucial skills that help college and career success.

So, what would be better?

Less Feedback is better feedback-

Hours you commit to grading and commenting on every assignment and quiz are likely met with a shrug. Focus on providing less feedback that's more targeted, the best feedback that helps students "understand what mistakes they made, but also why they made these mistakes and what they can do to avoid them next time." Since students tend to skim, it's better to aim for a few high-impact areas and helpful help. Not errors, but regions to hone skills.

Fewer grades mean less stress for everyone-

Time spent grading is often uncompensated, a more significant driver for teacher stress. Many other professions have clear boundaries between work and personal life; teachers often choose to spend outside their contracted hours engaging in activities that could help them educate students more effectively. Students' well-being, too, benefits from fewer grades. "grades appear to play on students' fears of punishment or shame, or their desires to out-compete peers, as opposed to stimulating interest and enjoyment in learning tasks." Instead of stamping a grade on every assignment, consider lowering the stakes and deploying more practice tests, encouraging students to adopt rough draft thinking and using formative assessment tools.

Grading obligations reduce teacher creativity and innovation-

Finding engaging ways to convey knowledge within a discipline is the bread and butter of good teaching and requires a lot of preparation. In a 2022 survey that included measurements of various teacher activities, lesson planning and grading consumed virtually equal shares of time and strategies that might unlock a school's best teaching practices.

Grades are inherently unstable indicators-

in a recent study of over 33,000 middle and HS report cards, almost 60 percent of final course grades failed to show the corresponding scores on standardized exams. Accuracy is all over the map, and good intentions won't fix the issues. Grades often fail to provide reliable information about student learning.

Grading conveys an artificial sense of completion-

Grades can feel like a stamp of approval or disapproval from an authority figure- and the feedback following can often lead to lower grades. Students often develop an "excessive focus on grades," research explains.

Grading reduces opportunities for Student practices-

To develop basketball/football players who are great writers, you need to strike a balance between practice and feedback. Teachers have to balance what they can provide and what they cannot offer. Constructive feedback might not fit what is needed and can hold back a student with excessive over-grading.

Grades are less motivating than you think-

Grades may motivate the high performers, but for those who are average or struggling, they will seem daunting or will not light that fire.

Peer grading helps you- and students, too-

Grading itself is a learning opportunity, so asking students to help grade their own work or even each other helps everyone in the classroom. It's not lazy.

More types of Data is better-

Using multiple strategies to find out what best fits your students instead of sticking to only one type of style can help those struggling in your classrooms.

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Why Teachers Should Grade Less Frequently

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Excessive grading stresses out kids and teachers, stifles innovative teaching, and fails to deliver as a true measurement of learning.

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Kraft Heinz Stops Serving School-Designed Lunchables Because of Low Demand

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Kraft Heinz Stops Serving School-Designed Lunchables Because of Low Demand

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"Food and beverage manufacturer Kraft Heinz says it's no longer serving the Lunchables meals it created for U.S. schools."

Food and beverage producer Kraft Heinze has pulled Lunchables that it created specifically for the reduced-price school lunch program in 2023-2024. It was supposed to be protein-enriched and contain reduced levels of saturated fat and sodium to meet the program's requirements. Instead, nutritionists and advocacy groups were not thrilled with the lunch. They said it not only was "highly questionable," but it contained higher levels of sodium than store varieties and more lead compared to ready-made meals from several other companies.

The company said the decision to pull out of the mark was based on a lack of demand. The company described the business impact as "negligible," saying sales of the school-designed meals were less than 1% of overall Lunchables sales. Knowing there is more lead in the school lunches, and having seen the viral posts about the lunches, I'm not surprised by the lack of sales.

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MIT Expands Financial Aid, Waives Tuition for Families Earning Under $200,000 Starting Fall 2025

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MIT Expands Financial Aid, Waives Tuition for Families Earning Under $200,000 Starting Fall 2025

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a landmark expansion of the financial aid program starting in the fall of 2025, eliminating tuition for students from families earning less than $200k annually. Families earning under $100k will receive even more support; tuition, housing, dining, and other fees will be covered, and allowance for books and personal expenses. Students at the $140k mark cover fees. The article talks about how the cost of college has been a concern for families across the board, and they've determined to do this because they want to make education an experience available to the most talented students, whatever their financial circumstances in life.

The article also discusses the issue of maintaining diversity in the school's student body. A decline in diversity increased following the Supreme Court decision striking down Affirmative action policies in 2023. They want to ensure that college remains affordable for all students, not just those who can afford it. This change honestly should happen in more schools. College is seen as a leisure activity for many people, yet you're required to have it for many jobs. Thus, you're placing yourself in debt that you'll be forced to keep for the rest of your life. In other countries, college is free, or at most within the 700-900 dollar range per year. America is one of the only places in the world where we're forced to take out such large loans for the cost of education, and it's nothing more than just a bit higher than a High School teaching score in other parts of the world. College loans are a scam, so a school seeing that the prices limit those who can attend is refreshing to see.

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MIT Expands Financial Aid, Waives Tuition for Families Earning Under $200,000 Starting Fall 2025 - The Educators Room

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MIT announced expansion of its financial aid program eliminating tuition for students from families earning less than $200,000 annually.

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Texas State Board of Education Looks to Adopt Controversial Curriculum Emphasizing Biblical Teachings 

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Texas State Board of Education Looks to Adopt Controversial Curriculum Emphasizing Biblical Teachings 

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In an 8-7 decision, the Texas State Board of Education indicated preliminary support for "Bluebonnet Learning, a State-authored elementary school curriculum," which focuses on the inclusion of biblical teachings. The board is set to vote officially on the matter Friday. Eight out of 15 board members expressed their preliminary approval of the curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency earlier in the year. Before the final vote, the materials have to be revised in response to concerns raised by the board and the public. This comes after officials in Oklahoma spent more than 25k and purchased more than 500 Bibles for use in Advanced Placement Government classrooms.

The separation of church and state should always be in place, especially regarding schooling. There are other religions in schools, and America is not supposed to be a Christian or Catholic country. Will the other biblical or Religious texts be added to each classroom if this passes? If not, will we be allowed to sue so that they can be? It's getting horrible that we keep having to have this fight for schools to remain religious-free all because some fanatics want to keep bringing religion to public schools. If you want a religious school, go to a religious school, not a public school.

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Overview:

If approved, the state will offer $60 per student to districts adopting Bluebonnet Learning, a potential draw for financially struggling schools.

In an 8-7 decision, the Texas State Board of Education indicated preliminary support for Bluebonnet Learning, a state-authored elementary school curriculum that has drawn scrutiny for its prominent inclusion of biblical teachings. The board is set to vote officially on the matter this Friday.

On Tuesday, eight of the 15 board members expressed their preliminary approval of the curriculum designed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) earlier this year. Before the final vote, the TEA has until late Wednesday to revise the materials in response to concerns raised by the board and the public. Board members retain the option to change their votes before Friday.

This comes after officials in Oklahoma spent more than $25,000 and purchased more than 500 Bibles this week for use in Advanced Placement Government classrooms.

Curriculum Design and Controversy

The Bluebonnet Learning curriculum adopts a cross-disciplinary approach, integrating reading and language arts lessons with history and social studies. However, critics, including religious studies experts, argue that it disproportionately emphasizes Christianity over other religions. Concerns about potential violations of church-state separation, the risk of alienating non-Christian students, and the historical accuracy of specific lessons have been raised.

Defenders of the curriculum assert that Christian references are essential for understanding U.S. history and cultural literacy. "These stories establish cultural literacy," said Republican board member Will Hickman. He cited examples such as the Good Samaritan parable, which is included in a kindergarten lesson on the Golden Rule.

Critics worry about the curriculum's impact on inclusivity and religious neutrality. Democrat Staci Childs voiced concerns over potential violations of the Establishment Clause, which prohibits government endorsement of any religion. "If this is the standard for students in Texas, it needs to be free of establishment clause issues, free of lies, and accurate," she said.

Financial Incentives for Adoption

Texas school districts retain the autonomy to choose their own curricula. If approved, the state will offer $60 per student to districts adopting Bluebonnet Learning, a potential draw for financially struggling schools.

Divided Opinions Among Board Members

The curriculum has prompted unusual alliances among board members, with three Republicans-Evelyn Brooks, Patricia Hardy, and Pam Little-joining four Democrats in opposing the proposal.

Brooks argued that the TEA should not act as a textbook publisher, suggesting that this would create unfair competition with private companies. Though unopposed to the religious content, Hardy criticized the curriculum for being age-inappropriate and inconsistent with state standards.

Meanwhile, the curriculum's supporters maintained that their decisions were free from political influence and based solely on what they believe will benefit Texas students.

Political Context

One critical vote came from Leslie Recine, a Republican temporarily appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to fill the District 13 seat vacated by Democrat Aicha Davis. Recine's appointment, made shortly before the general election, has been criticized for bypassing Democrat Tiffany Clark, the newly elected representative for the district.

Public Debate

More than 100 Texans spoke for and against the curriculum at Monday's public hearing. The proposal has fueled debate over how religion should intersect with public education and whether the state is overstepping its bounds in shaping children's understanding of religious and historical concepts.

This Friday, the board's final vote will determine whether the controversial Bluebonnet Learning curriculum moves forward, potentially shaping the educational landscape for years to come.

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Texas State Board of Education Looks to Adopt Controversial Curriculum Emphasizing Biblical Teachings - The Educators Room

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In an 8-7 decision, the Texas State Board of Education showed support for a curriculum focused on the inclusion of biblical teachings.