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Alaska School District Expands Innovative School Lunch Program to All Schools

Alaska School District Expands Innovative School Lunch Program to All Schools

The Alaska School District (ASD) has successfully completed a four-year transition, expanding its new student nutrition service model to all 57 elementary schools. This initiative moves away from a decades-old pre-packaged lunch system to a choice-based model that emphasizes scratch cooking and local sourcing. Marcie McGill, ASD’s student nutrition senior director, stated that the previous system led to increased waste and reduced food quality. Under the new model, students serve themselves from bulk, open-tray stations, allowing them to choose or decline individual items. Chef Daniel Smith, executive chef and culinary logistics assistant director, highlights a creative culinary philosophy, focusing on what children enjoy and are not typically exposed to. The central kitchen now prepares items like pizza dough, marinara sauce, and fajita vegetable mix from scratch. The district serves over 20,000 breakfast and lunch meals daily, totaling 3.6 million meals last year. A new menu item, a Copper River salmon b...

Study Finds Supportive Teachers Improve Outcomes for Transgender and Non-Binary Students

Study Finds Supportive Teachers Improve Outcomes for Transgender and Non-Binary Students

A new report by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups GLISTEN and the Trevor Project indicates that transgender and non-binary students who receive affirmation at school experience greater belonging, achieve higher grades, and show increased engagement in the classroom. The research, which surveyed over 3,700 transgender, non-binary, and gender-diverse young people aged 13 to 24, along with nearly 2,000 trans middle and high school students, highlights the significant impact of supportive educational environments. Simple actions such as using students' preferred names and pronouns, discussing LGBTQ+ issues in class, supporting LGBTQ+ student groups, and implementing inclusive policies contribute positively to students' experiences. Conversely, more than half of the surveyed trans and non-binary students reported encountering at least one discriminatory policy or practice, and approximately 60 percent experienced negative events like verbal harassment or restrictions on their dress. A quarter of students missed 16 or more...

U.S. Catholic Schools Adopt Low-Tech Approaches Amid Concerns Over Excessive Screen Time

U.S. Catholic Schools Adopt Low-Tech Approaches Amid Concerns Over Excessive Screen Time

Several U.S. Catholic schools are transitioning to low-tech educational environments, reducing or eliminating individual digital devices for students. This shift is driven by growing concerns about the negative effects of excessive screen time on children's well-being and academic performance. For instance, Holy Family School in Dale City, Virginia, stopped providing digital devices to students, opting for occasional computer access through shared carts, and observed improved learning and retention. The Erie Catholic School System also announced that kindergarten through fifth-grade students will no longer participate in a 1:1 take-home Chromebook program, instead utilizing shared classroom technology. Dan Guernsey, a professor of education at Ave Maria University, notes that while laptops haven't consistently raised test scores, excessive screen time is linked to poor educational and health outcomes, including impaired attention, lower grades, and increased myopia. These schools are prioritizing hands-on ...

North Syracuse Central School District Announces Major Reorganization for 2027-28 School Year

North Syracuse Central School District Announces Major Reorganization for 2027-28 School Year

The North Syracuse Central School District is implementing a significant reorganization of its schools, set to take effect before the 2027-28 academic year. This restructuring is a response to declining enrollment, budgetary pressures, and a strategic effort to enhance student opportunities. The changes are based on a nine-month utilization study that assessed the alignment of the district's schools and grade levels. Under the new plan, elementary schools will cater to students from pre-kindergarten through third grade. Gillette Road and Roxboro Road middle schools will serve fourth through sixth graders across the district, while North Syracuse Junior High will be dedicated to seventh and eighth graders. Additionally, Cicero-North Syracuse High School will expand its scope to include ninth graders, establishing a traditional ninth through twelfth-grade high school model. Superintendent Terry Ward stated that this move aims to provide ninth graders with access to a broader range of electives and opportunit...

Philadelphia School District Establishes Transition Teams for School Closures and Mergers

Philadelphia School District Establishes Transition Teams for School Closures and Mergers

The Philadelphia School District is initiating the formation of 50 transition teams to manage the upcoming closures, mergers, and other changes affecting numerous schools. This development follows a school board vote in April to close 17 Philadelphia schools, with some closures scheduled for the end of the 2026-27 school year. The district's plan also includes mergers and 169 renovation projects across the city, part of a $3 billion initiative whose funding is not yet secured. Applications for these transition teams will open on August 31 and close on September 18. These committees, comprising up to 20 members, are intended to include students, families, educators, staff, and community partners. Their purpose is to gather input, identify priorities, and support the creation of transition plans that address the specific needs of each school community. A new school transition office, led by Shakeera Warthen-Canty, will coordinate these efforts. Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. emphasized that successful...

Brazilian Politician Tabata Amaral Faces Scrutiny Over Neoliberal Stance and Education Reforms

Brazilian Politician Tabata Amaral Faces Scrutiny Over Neoliberal Stance and Education Reforms

Tabata Amaral, a Brazilian politician, is under scrutiny for her alignment with neoliberal policies, despite identifying as center-left. In 2019, while affiliated with the PDT party, she voted in favor of the Pension System Reform, a move seen by many as a betrayal of the working class. She further supported neoliberal agendas in 2021 by voting for the privatization of the Correios. Amaral also served as the rapporteur for Bill 14.645/2023, which modified technical and technological education. Critics, including area unions, argue that this bill subordinates public education to industrial and commercial interests, tailoring curricula to meet immediate demands for cheap labor rather than fostering a broad humanistic education. Her political activities are reportedly supported by figures from the financial market, including Armínio Fraga, who donated to her re-election campaign, and she has ties to the Lemann Foundation, which funded her education at Harvard. The foundation is known for promoting an educatio...

From rural routes to desegregation runs, the yellow school bus faces a new reality

From rural routes to desegregation runs, the yellow school bus faces a new reality

School buses for decades have maintained such a standard look across the U.S. that “school bus yellow” is shorthand for the bright hue with a slight orange tint

Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Bridget Ziegler to Depart Sarasota County School Board

Moms for Liberty Co-Founder Bridget Ziegler to Depart Sarasota County School Board

Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of Moms for Liberty, will step down from the Sarasota County Schools Board on November 17, 2026, at the end of her current term, having not sought re-election. This departure follows a period of significant controversy, including a 2023 scandal involving allegations against her husband. Ziegler was initially elected to the board in 2014 with support from Governor Ron DeSantis. During her tenure, the board made several contentious decisions, such as removing references to race, sexuality, and disability from anti-bullying rules, pledging support for ICE agents to deport undocumented students, and rejecting new federal protections for LGBTQ+ students. Recent school board elections saw two Democratic-backed candidates win, and a third is headed for a runoff, potentially shifting the board to a Democratic majority.

Anchorage Officials Report Success in Criminalized Camping Law One Year After Implementation

Anchorage Officials Report Success in Criminalized Camping Law One Year After Implementation

Anchorage officials, including Police Chief Sean Case, report that the city's criminalized camping law, implemented over a year ago, is effectively contributing to their broader strategy for addressing homelessness. The law prohibits camping in specific high-priority zones, such as near schools, playgrounds, on trails, or adjacent to high-speed roads. Since its enforcement began in September, officers have interacted with over a thousand individuals, with 89% voluntarily complying and moving on. The law allows police to clear homeless camps immediately without prior warning. While most interactions result in voluntary compliance, 109 cases have been forwarded to the city prosecutor's office, with over half still pending and six convictions, one of which is currently on appeal. Officers have also identified individuals with unrelated outstanding warrants during these enforcement actions.

Pueblo School District 60 Students Gain College Credit and Career Skills Through Concurrent Enrollment Program

Pueblo School District 60 Students Gain College Credit and Career Skills Through Concurrent Enrollment Program

Hundreds of high school students in Pueblo School District 60 are concurrently enrolled in college courses, allowing them to earn college credit while still attending high school. This program, offered in partnership with Pueblo Community College and Colorado State University Pueblo, covers tuition costs for students. The courses are available at the students' high schools, as well as on the college campuses, providing a range of subjects from humanities and sciences to vocational and technical fields. For instance, Centennial senior Jack C. is in his third year of concurrent enrollment, taking U.S. History and Biology at CSU Pueblo, while East's Ivan E. is pursuing a welding certification through PCC. Student engagement coordinators, like Rebekah Kelly at Centennial, provide support to students, assisting with enrollment, campus navigation, resource connection, and technology troubleshooting, as well as soft skills like self-advocacy and scholarship applications. They also conduct weekly check-ins to moni...

Henrico Schools Implement New Screen Time Limits and Digital Wellness Guidance

Henrico Schools Implement New Screen Time Limits and Digital Wellness Guidance

Henrico County Public Schools (HCPS) in Virginia has introduced new "Digital Wellness Guidance" that sets daily screen time limits for students and restricts the use of school-issued devices at home for elementary students. The new guidelines, unveiled at an August 13th school board meeting, mandate technology use limits ranging from 15 minutes in Pre-K to 90 minutes for third through fifth graders. School-issued devices for elementary students will now remain in the classroom, eliminating digital homework for this age group. Additionally, YouTube will be completely blocked for elementary and middle school students, with restricted access for high schoolers. These changes aim to promote a more balanced approach to technology, emphasizing hands-on and active learning, and providing parents with more control over their children's digital engagement at home.

UW-Milwaukee Initiative Saves Students Millions on Textbooks

UW-Milwaukee Initiative Saves Students Millions on Textbooks

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) is continuing its Open Textbooks and Open Educational Resources (OER) project to alleviate the financial burden of course materials for students. Launched in 2015, the program provides a free online database for students to access textbooks and other course materials, eliminating the need for costly purchases. Kristin Woodward, the teaching and learning team lead at UWM Libraries, stated that the initiative was created in response to high textbook costs driving students to avoid purchasing necessary materials, which negatively impacted their academic success. A 2023 national survey indicated that seven out of ten students worry about course material costs, and 41% received poor grades due to not buying textbooks. The project has been successful, with UWM reporting that in the 2024-2025 school year alone, 28,534 students saved $1.7 million. Since its inception, the program has helped over 43,100 students save more than $6 million.