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Esperanza Elementary School Transforms Asphalt into Green Space, Enhancing Student Health and Environment

Esperanza Elementary School Transforms Asphalt into Green Space, Enhancing Student Health and Environment

Esperanza Elementary School in Westlake, Los Angeles, has completed a significant greening project, converting approximately 30,000 square feet of asphalt into green space. This initiative, which took six years to finalize, involved planting 35 trees and native plants, increasing the campus's green area from 9% to 37%. The $4.5-million project, a collaboration between the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, with funding from Cal Fire and the California Natural Resources Agency, also includes a new lawn for recreation and instruction, stormwater capture features, and solar-reflective basketball and handball courts. Students and staff are already utilizing the new spaces for physical activity, relaxation, and outdoor learning.

U-M Careers Announces Hybrid Research Fellow Position for Education Policy Evaluation

U-M Careers Announces Hybrid Research Fellow Position for Education Policy Evaluation

U-M Careers has announced a hybrid Research Fellow position within the Department of Education, College of Arts, Sciences and Education. This role is designed to support a multi-year, mixed-methods policy evaluation of Michigan's Partnership Model for school and district turnaround. The Research Fellow will work under the supervision of Dr. Jeremy Singer, the Principal Investigator, and collaborate with a multi-institutional research team. Key responsibilities include coordinating and conducting semi-structured interviews with education leaders, performing qualitative data analysis, collecting and organizing implementation documents, and supporting the development and analysis of educator surveys. The position requires a Ph.D. in fields such as education, public policy, sociology, or economics, along with experience in education policy, program evaluation, or K-12 education systems. The hybrid work model allows for both onsite and offsite work, with an expected recurring onsite presence, and is a full-time...

Wells Fargo Launches 2027 Commercial Banking Early Career Development Program in California

Wells Fargo Launches 2027 Commercial Banking Early Career Development Program in California

Wells Fargo Launches 2027 Commercial Banking Early Career Development Program in California

Los Angeles Office Market Redefines Demand Amid Tenant Selectivity and Flight-to-Quality Trend

Los Angeles Office Market Redefines Demand Amid Tenant Selectivity and Flight-to-Quality Trend

Los Angeles Office Market Redefines Demand Amid Tenant Selectivity and Flight-to-Quality Trend

Los Ángeles Azules Honored with Dedicated Square in Panorama City for Pioneering Mexican Music at Coachella

Los Ángeles Azules Honored with Dedicated Square in Panorama City for Pioneering Mexican Music at Coachella

Los Ángeles Azules Honored with Dedicated Square in Panorama City for Pioneering Mexican Music at Coachella

Christian Bale Opens 11,000-Square-Foot Foster Care Facility in Palmdale: ‘Turn Their Heartbreak and Their Pain into Love’

Christian Bale Opens 11,000-Square-Foot Foster Care Facility in Palmdale: ‘Turn Their Heartbreak and Their Pain into Love’

Christian Bale hung up his Batsuit in 2012, but “The Dark Knight” star is still saving lives with his Together California foster care village in Palmdale, California, which opened on Friday, according to ABC 7. The facility aims to keep siblings entering the foster care system together – a circumstance that is not always guaranteed. […]

Sandra Day O'Connor Institute Report Reveals Students Self-Censor in Civics Class Due to Peer Concerns

Sandra Day O'Connor Institute Report Reveals Students Self-Censor in Civics Class Due to Peer Concerns

A new public policy research brief from the Sandra Day O'Connor Institute indicates that students are primarily worried about the reactions of their classmates when they self-censor in civics class. The report, titled 'Why Are Students Self-Censoring in Civics Class?', found that among recent high school graduates who admitted to self-censoring, 91% cited concerns about their peers, significantly higher than the 41% who cited teachers. Additionally, 26% worried about being discussed on social media, 21% about their grades, and 12% about parents or other adults hearing their views. Despite 73% of respondents feeling generally comfortable sharing their honest views, 51% of these students had still self-censored at least once. The study also noted that 53% of students observed teachers avoiding or shutting down discussions on political or current events, and students who self-censored were less likely to perceive their classroom as a safe space for disagreement. This report builds on a 2025 study by the Insti...

Educators Advocate for Integrating Resilience and Wellness Strategies into Student Curricula

Educators Advocate for Integrating Resilience and Wellness Strategies into Student Curricula

Educators are increasingly focusing on cultivating student resilience and well-being by integrating practical strategies into classroom curricula. This approach aims to prepare students for lifelong learning and prevent professional burnout by normalizing practices such as self-reflection, acknowledging mistakes as part of learning, and understanding how stress impedes deep learning. The emphasis is on providing students with life skills that extend beyond academic knowledge. Strategies include incorporating short, reflective activities, teaching self-regulation techniques like cognitive reframing and emotional regulation, and fostering metacognitive skills. Additionally, educators are encouraged to model vulnerability, use physical grounding techniques like box breathing, promote reflective journaling, and create community through peer conversations to address emotional stressors. This comprehensive approach seeks to embed self-care initiatives into existing class time, treating stress management as a pro...

Coalitions Form Across U.S. to Combat Rising Book Bans in Schools and Libraries

Coalitions Form Across U.S. to Combat Rising Book Bans in Schools and Libraries

Across the United States, various coalitions are actively forming and working to resist the increasing number of book bans and censorship attempts in school districts and libraries. This resistance movement involves a diverse range of participants, including students, parents, authors, librarians, and national and local nonprofit organizations. For instance, in Texas, nonbinary student Cameron Samuels, with ACLU backing, successfully challenged censorship efforts in the Katy Independent School District, leading to the unblocking of LGBTQ+ web resources and the prevention of book bans. Samuels then co-founded Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, an anti-censorship group focused on distributing banned books and advocating for more diverse collections. Similarly, the initiative 'Book Ban Busters,' created by parents from 'Red, Wine, and Blue,' collaborates with authors and local booksellers to distribute challenged books at school board meetings. Publishers like Penguin Random House are also partnering with l...

New Book Challenges Screen Time as Primary Cause of Youth Anxiety, Citing School System Pressures

New Book Challenges Screen Time as Primary Cause of Youth Anxiety, Citing School System Pressures

A new book by Peter Gray, a veteran researcher of children’s play and well-being, argues that the U.S. school system, rather than excessive screen time, is the primary driver of anxiety and depression among young people. Gray, a research professor in psychology and neuroscience at Boston College, contends in 'Restoring Childhood: How to Set Kids Free in the Age of Anxiety' that the Common Core Curriculum, implemented around 2009, transformed American schools into high-pressure environments. He suggests that the emphasis on standardized test scores and college preparation has created a stress-inducing atmosphere where students are constantly evaluated, leading to significant mental health challenges. Gray points to research indicating that school is the leading source of anxiety and stress for school-aged children, and that youth self-harm rates spike during the school year, not during summer breaks when screen time might be higher.

Families Embrace Unconventional Education Models, Shifting Away from Traditional K-12 Schools

Families Embrace Unconventional Education Models, Shifting Away from Traditional K-12 Schools

A growing number of U.S. families are opting for alternative education models over traditional K-12 schooling, driven by deep social, cultural, and technological forces. This shift is highlighted in Mickey Revenaugh's new book, 'School’s Out: Why Families Are Choosing Unconventional Education.' These families are rejecting the one-size-fits-all approach of traditional schools, which typically place students in age-specific grades with a common curriculum. Instead, they are customizing education to meet individual children's needs, utilizing a mix of virtual learning, learning pods, microschools, and community resources. This 'à la carte' approach allows parents to fine-tune educational programs to match their child's abilities and interests, incorporating subjects like arts and music, and valuing real-world experiences through museums, nature programs, and apprenticeships. The National Center for Education Statistics indicates that while 82% of U.S. students are in traditional public schools, a significant...

Pearson Education Expands AI Literacy and Certification for U.S. Teachers

Pearson Education Expands AI Literacy and Certification for U.S. Teachers

Pearson Education, a global learning company, is actively expanding AI learning and certification opportunities for teachers across the United States. This initiative is part of Pearson's commitment to the White House’s Pledge to America’s Youth: Investing in AI Education. Recently, nearly 200 teachers from Miami-Dade County Public Schools participated in a program to build practical AI skills and work towards Pearson’s Foundations of AI for PK-12 Educators credential. The company emphasizes that while there's debate about AI in the classroom, early research by Pearson suggests AI can improve learning outcomes when applied thoughtfully and shaped by learning science. The focus is on empowering teachers with the confidence, skills, and understanding to use AI productively. Pearson also offers academic and vocational qualifications, including through brands like Edexcel and BTEC, and provides online K-12 schools and career readiness programs, such as Connections Academy, which is part of Pearson.