At the start of the 2018-19 school year, Polk County Public Schools in Florida had 120 unfilled teaching positions. The district of more than 100,000 students grows each year, yet fewer teachers are entering the field now than in the past, and competition to hire newly minted educators is stiff, says Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. To […]

The school psychologist shortage rages on, with one federal study predicting deficits of more than 10,000 full-time psychologists by 2025. But districts have been exploring nontraditional options to provide comprehensive care to all students. “The shortages are significant and severe, to the point where we’re in somewhat of a potential crisis” says Eric Rossen, director […]

Districts eliminating lunch shaming by providing meals for any student who cannot pay may face an unintended consequence.

To prevent lunch debt from adding up, Diane Pratt-Heavner of the School Nutrition Association recommends: Show parents how to apply for meal benefits online or via phone, with assistance in other languages if necessary. High-poverty districts should apply for a federal Community Eligibility Provision to serve free meals to all students without the need for […]

After a shooting, a district’s typical insurance policies may not cover victim lawsuits, building repairs, medical expenses, funeral services or trauma counseling. Recent attacks in Florida and Texas have driven interest in specialized policies that prevent costs from piling up after a crisis. While it is not known how many schools have purchased this type […]

In fall 2017, an elementary school art teacher in Mansfield ISD in Arlington, Texas, introduced herself to her fourth-grade students with a slide show about her life. It included a photo of her partner, who the teacher presented as her future wife. The photo, and a lesson about an artist and his same-sex partner, led […]

Four-day school weeks lead to jump in student crime Shortening school weeks may cut costs for districts, but the practice also increases student crime rates, according to a June study published in the Economics of Education Review. Researchers analyzed data from 1997 to 2014 in Colorado, where more than half of the state’s 178 districts […]

Schools fail to adequately teach the history of American slavery, partly because teachers lack the preparation to cover it, according to a recent study from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Also, students have little basic knowledge about the role slavery played in shaping the nation: Only 8 percent of high school seniors surveyed could identify […]