News From the Field
Catch top headlines sharing relevant news and stories about Linked Learning practices, schools, and students.
STUDENT VOICE: We should start STEM studies earlier — and make science experiments more fun
Students can and should start their own clubs and get their younger classmates learning and liking math and science, writes Megan Walker, a senior at Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, Maryland
STUDENT VOICE: For hope and direction, Black middle schoolers need role models that look like them
There’s been a lot of talk about how teachers need to better reflect the student bodies they teach. When I look around, it doesn’t seem as if we’ve made much progress, writes student mentor Ricardo Da Fonseca.
Schools can’t afford to lose any more Black male educators
Just 7 percent of America’s public school teachers were Black during the 2017-18 school year, while Black students make up 15 percent of the student population, according to the most recently available data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
The path to a career could start in middle school
Preparing students for a changing workforce is one of the goals behind a movement to get kids thinking about their career plans at a younger age. A growing number of states and school districts now require students to take career exploration classes in middle school.
OPINION: Inequality is still at the heart of student NAEP score performance
Huge gaps are even more apparent post-pandemic, but there are also new lessons in resiliency, writes Girls Inc president and CEO Stephanie J. Hull.
TEACHER VOICE: In tough times for teachers, let’s change the way we talk about our work
We’ve spent a lot of time talking about how challenging the work is. And that’s good. New teachers should know what they’re getting into. But are we scaring away people who could be amazing educators, asks Ronak Shah, a seventh grade science teacher in Indianapolis.
OPINION: Parents and students need more information about pathways to college and careers
Research has shown that exposure like this makes students not only more likely to complete high school, but also more likely to enroll in college. Despite promising evidence, however, there remains little information accessible to families about the availability and quality of CTE high school programs.
OPINION: Often overlooked vocational-tech schools provide great solutions to student debt, labor shortages
A startling 3 million skilled trades jobs will sit unfilled by 2028. Traditional public schools alone aren’t responsible for the student debt or skilled labor crises — but a longstanding Massachusetts education experiment has shown promise at addressing both.
OPINION: U.S. high schools must take note and take action after dismal NAEP score report
Given the unprecedented level of student need reflected by the NAEP score report, we must rethink how high schools organize, implement and refine their strategies to support students, writes Robert Balfanz and Angela Jerabek.