Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 NewsletterIt’s been more than three years since the pandemic upended schools, but students are still living with the consequences. The continuous stream of news highlighting low achievement, stalled recovery efforts and chronic absenteeism is mind-boggling. Schools must fight to regain what’s been lost and help students regain their academic footing.
At San Tan Heights K-8, my team and I are looking at every aspect of how we educate students. Among the most important changes we’ve made is departmentalizing our teaching teams by subjects in grades… Read More
The emergence of artificial intelligence has raised questions about its impact on creativity and critical thinking. While some schools are banning the use of AI in classroomsone school district in Gwinnett County, Georgia, has gone all-in, launching a curriculum that brings the technology into classrooms, starting in kindergarten.
The approach goes beyond robotics and computer science classes. Teachers and students embrace artificial intelligence in nearly every subject taught, from English to art class. So far, the machines seem to be winning over students, parents and teachers, but there is still a lot to learn.
At Patrick Elementary School in Buford,… Read More
CHICAGO (AP) — In July, in a packed classroom in downtown Chicago, a group composed mostly of early elementary teachers and child care workers read a story about “Wendi,” a fictional preschool teacher who loves reading but struggles in math.
Even though Wendi was drawn to early education, where “math was so easy,” she still felt an element of her skills. In the story, she decides to skip math concepts, leaving them for the teachers her students would have next year.
Across the room, people nodded their heads as they listened.
“I am Wendi. Wendi is me,” said Ivory McCormick,… Read More
This story about kindergarten enrollment was produced by The Hechinger Report, a non-profit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education.
On April 20, Kentwood Elementary in Los Angeles opened its doors to students. It was news Lauren Phillips, 37, had been waiting for. After months of schooling through a screen, her 6-year-old daughter, Lola, would get the real kindergarten experience.
As it turned out, in-person kindergarten wasn’t much different from virtual. Lola sat in a room with her classmates while her teacher, who was home for medical reasons, taught them online. A substitute teacher made sure kids… Read More
“This is the most important bill signing that we’re doing,” said Utah Gov. Spencer Cox at a ceremonial bill signing at Daniels Canyon Elementary School.
He and Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson signed several bills Wednesday.
Among them was HB 477 Full-day Kindergarten Amendments, sponsored by Rep. Robert Spendlove of Sandy.
“It essentially makes all-day kindergarten available to every student in the state. It gives full funding for all-day kindergarten throughout our state,” Spendlove said.
Cox said it’s taken 20 years for the bill to finally come together, adding that it will make a major difference for Utah’s students.
“The teachers… Read More
Kristin Robinson loves teaching kindergarten.
“I absolutely love being the children’s first teacher they will have in elementary school and setting the path for their educational career,” Robinson said in a statement to the Observer. “It is important to me that I instill a love for learning in my students that will last a lifetime.”
Robinson, who is Tomoka Elementary’s Teacher of the Year, is in her 18th year teaching.
She wanted to be a teacher for as long as she could remember, she said.
“As a child, I looked up to my mother who was an elementary school teacher… Read More
Moriah Lopez has a son who turned 4 in December, which previously would have meant that he would be eligible for kindergarten this fall.
New legislation passed in 2023, however, now requires that kindergarten students be 5 years old by Sept. 1, instead of the previous cutoff of Jan. 1. This change sent Lopez into a spiral for weeks, trying to figure out her next steps.
The mother of two didn’t know why the law changed. She didn’t know if the preschool her son attended would have space for him for another year or if she would need to pay… Read More
SALT LAKE CITY — Should full-day kindergarten be used in place of child care now that federal funding is expiring?
During the 2023 legislative session, the Utah Legislature passed HB 477, “Full Day Kindergarten Amendments.” Every school district in Utah now has a full-day kindergarten option. In fact, nearly 8,000 of the youngest Utahns finished their first year of full-day kindergarten classes in August.
With the expiration of a $24 billion federal COVID-19 pandemic support program, more than 70,000 child-care programs nationwide are projected to close. About 3.2 million children could lose their spots due to the end of the… Read More
