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A pilot program to incorporate Black history and culture into the social studies curriculum is gaining traction in New York City, the country's largest school district. The curriculum, developed in collaboration between local educators and the Black Education Research Center at Columbia University Teachers College, aims to acknowledge the history and contributions of Black Americans. It includes pre-K-12 lessons aligned with state standards and has the potential to be implemented nationwide. The curriculum offers a holistic approach to discussing culture and race in American and world history, and has received positive feedback from educators and voters, who believe that students should learn about the history of racism and slavery and its impact on society today. In a symposium on the project at the American Educational Research Association's annual conference last week, M.C. Brown II, the executive director at the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, called New York City's $3.25 million Black studies curriculum “a nationally historic moment," adding that it "provides a paradigm for professional learning that can support effective implementation, not just in New York City, but around the world.”

 

Education Week News

In Texas, Fort Bend ISD trustee David Hamilton is proposing the abolition of formal book review committees in the district, giving Superintendent Dr Marc Smith sole authority over book decisions. However, the proposal failed to gain support from the majority of trustees. Most trustees prefer to maintain the current selection and review process, which involves librarians and administrators. Superintendent Smith said that he did not support the move toward one individual, himself, having sole authority to make decisions regarding texts in classrooms or library shelves. "The less collaborative we are, the greater the challenge becomes," he said.

 

Houston Press

In Baltimore, the Board of Carroll County Commissioners has met with school board members to discuss options for funding the $10.8 million increase the school system has requested in next year's budget. School Superintendent Cynthia McCabe emphasized the need for funding to maintain the level of service provided to students. The requested budget includes increases for employee salaries, inflation, technology, special education, state Blueprint requirements, and transportation. While some commissioners oppose tax increases, Board of Education Vice President Tara Battaglia expressed willingness to pay more in property taxes to support county public schools. The county is facing a deficit in its recommended spending plan, but most leaders of Carroll County agencies support increasing taxes to fund government services. The school board members are divided on the issue, with some supporting the budget request and others willing to live within the means provided. The budget request also aligns with the goals of the Blueprint for Maryland's Future, which aims to provide more resources to students in need. The school system is seen as a growth engine for the county, contributing to revenue increases. The challenge lies in implementing the Blueprint mandates, some of which are not fully funded by the state.

 

The Baltimore Sun

Local and state leaders gathered in Fort Worth last week, to discuss the diversification of pre-K offerings and the improvement of working conditions and credentials for early educators. The panel discussion, featuring Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, and Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Bryan Daniel, focused on the obstacles faced by school districts and private early childhood programs in forming partnerships. The leaders also explored ways to enhance wages and credentials for early educators. The discussion took place at the Momentum Early Learning Summit, where attendees collaborated on solutions for these issues. Austin ISD was highlighted as a successful example of a district partnering with community-based programs to expand pre-K access. The summit emphasized the need for public-private collaboration to address these challenges. The event was hosted by Child Care Associates, Early Matters, and Philanthropy Advocates.

 

Star-Telegram

An Iowa bill which would allow trained school staff to carry firearms on school grounds has been sent to Gov. Kim Reynolds's desk. Following a 62-36 House vote. The bill also removes a provision that would have established a school security personnel grant program that would match up to $50,000 for hiring police or armed private security officers at schools. Additionally, it provides qualified immunity to school districts and school employees from criminal or civil liability for "the application of reasonable force." The state's largest school districts will be required to employ a school resource officer or private school security in each high school, while smaller districts are encouraged to employ armed school resource officers. The legislation comes after a fatal shooting at Perry High School in January. Supporters argue that having armed personnel on site can provide a faster response to school shootings, while opponents worry about the safety of students, teachers, and law enforcement. Leading gun violence prevention organizations have urged lawmakers to reject the measure.

 

The Gazette Cedar Rapids Iowa

Tennessee is set to join other states in requiring public school employees to disclose transgender students' identities to their parents. The bill, which has passed the state House, is now a few steps away from becoming law. Critics argue that the legislation is a form of bullying against LGBTQ+ kids. The bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Mary Littleton, claims that parents have the right to know what's happening in schools and that therapy could be provided if needed. The legislation would require school employees to pass on information about a student's gender identity to an administrator, who would then inform the parents. The bill also allows parents or the state's attorney general to sue if the school district fails to comply. Tennessee has been active in passing policies targeting the LGBTQ+ community, including banning gender-affirming care for minors and limiting transgender students' rights. The bill now awaits another vote in the Senate before reaching Gov. Bill Lee's desk for his signature.

 

U.S. News

Voters in a Middlesex County, New Jersey school district will decide whether approximately 1,600 students will remain eligible for free busing in September. The K-12 Monroe school district is asking voters to approve nearly $2.77 million to add to the 2024-25 school budget. The requested funding includes $963,610 for continuing courtesy busing for Monroe public school students. Courtesy busing is offered to students who live too close to their schools to be eligible for state-mandated, free transportation.

 

NJ.com

The Baltimore City Public School System has been holding events throughout March to combat bullying, as incidents have been on the rise in recent years. The increase in reported incidents is attributed to raised awareness and the impact of the pandemic on students' social and emotional health. One event, at Westport Academy, saw former NFL player Joel Gamble and children's book author Stephen McGill team up to educate students about bullying during an anti-bullying presentation. Students were encouraged to use characters from their books to identify signs of bullying and learn how to address it. “This is where we want students to understand what bullying is,” said Ketia Stokes, the school system's director of student wholeness. “This is … a way of … helping people to understand how to recognize it.”  City schools had 781 incidents of bullying reported in the 2022-23 school year, up from 625 the year before, she said, noting that bullying has been increasing for the past three years. Stokes attributed the growing number of reported incidents to raised awareness regarding protocols for reporting bullying, as well as the pandemic's impact on students' social and emotional health.

 

The Baltimore Sun

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DODEA), which manages schools on U.S. military bases around the world, will this fall expand universal pre-K to nearly all primary schools on U.S.-run bases worldwide. The program launched in 2023 at M.C. Perry Primary School at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Japan; its success there will see it rapidly expanded to another 79 primary schools in the 2024-25 school year. “One of the struggles … with dual-military families or families with two working parents, service member and spouse, is the challenge in ensuring their kids are in a good situation, whether it’s child care, the Child Development Center, or some kind of educational opportunity,” said DODEA spokesperson Will Griffin. “This is absolutely a win-win. They have the opportunity to know their child is in a good place, a nurturing, developmental environment that gets them started with a strong foundation to begin kindergarten.”

 

Marine Corps Times