Chalkbeat

Education news. In context.

Chalkbeat

Future of Teaching

Examining the divisive push to rate, reward, improve, and remove teachers

breaking

Indiana
2 days ago

Indianapolis Public Schools teachers union president out after alleged mishandling of more than $100,000

The Indiana State Teachers Association made the announcement Saturday morning.

Student Voice

Tennessee
November 6, 2018

Students walk out of Memphis school demanding to know why principal and teacher were fired

The protest at the Memphis school follows months of unease as other teachers have quit and students and parents have not received clear answers on staffing changes.

Hold Up

Tennessee
November 5, 2018

A Memphis principal was fired over flawed test scores. Should state law protect him too?

State lawmakers passed two wide-ranging laws designed to protect teachers, students, and schools from test results that might not be reliable, but what about principals?

downsizing

Colorado
November 5, 2018

Colorado teachers want smaller class sizes, union survey finds

Some studies have found a strong relationship between smaller class sizes and better student performance.
New York
November 5, 2018

State education officials signal extension of moratorium on teacher evaluations tied to state tests

Officials want to use an extension to continue speaking with teachers, principals and advocates about the evaluation system, which has long been a politically charged issue in the state.

Charter unrest

Chicago
November 2, 2018

Educators at a second Chicago charter move toward strike

Kimberly Randle stood outside Chicago International Charter School’s Northtown Academy Friday morning, as the sun rose behind her. Randle was one of about…

California residents

National
November 1, 2018

Teacher residencies have many admirers but still train few teachers. California may be about to change that.

California recently earmarked $75 million to create new residencies and expand existing ones — enough to jumpstart programs that face unique funding challenges.

campaign trail

Tennessee
October 26, 2018

More teachers are running for state office this year. Meet two from Tennessee.

In a wave of political activism, more than 150 teachers nationwide are seeking legislative office this year. Tennessee is part of that movement.

churning not learning

National
October 23, 2018

New research shows just how much losing a teacher midyear hurts students

The ill effects of teacher turnover identified in previous research may be driven largely by midyear departures, which might be more common than previously thought.

First Person

Chicago
October 23, 2018

Staying ‘neutral’ after the Jason Van Dyke verdict was a tough ask of Chicago teachers like me

Asking me to “stay neutral” is asking me to send a message to my African-American and Latinx students that I am indifferent to their experiences.

hiring crisis

Chicago
October 22, 2018

Want ideas for easing Illinois’ teacher shortage? Ask a teacher.

Raising pay ranks high on the list of ideas for how to fill vacancies in the classroom. But teachers gave mixed responses to Illinois State Board of Education proposals on speeding up credentialing.

First Person

Tennessee
October 16, 2018

How football prepared me for my first year of teaching (but maybe not the second)

A former football player writes about how his gridiron experience helped him be a classroom teacher in Memphis.

Miseducation

Colorado
October 16, 2018

In Colorado’s high-poverty schools, many teachers are just starting their careers

The percentage of Colorado’s teachers in their first or second year in the classroom is among the highest in the nation. That has consequences for students and teachers.

Miseducation

Tennessee
October 16, 2018

Tennessee has a lot of early-career teachers, especially at schools with more students of color. Here’s why it matters.

This story is a part of the series Miseducation, a reporting partnership between ProPublica and Chalkbeat. We used federal data compiled and analyzed by ProPublica to explore inequities in education at the local level.

Teacher votes

Tennessee
October 15, 2018

Memphis teacher groups want annual pay raises and more say in how they teach their students

If educators vote to negotiate, it will be the first negotiation for the Memphis school district since 2015, and the first since the city’s teacher group split into two.
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