Education
Multilingualism is seen as an opportunity instead of a hurdle in Vermont district
In a first-grade classroom in Burlington, Vermont, Janelle Gendimenico guides her students through a lesson focusing on the importance of getting every word in a sentence, especially when you’re talking about animal teeth. “Show me with your fingers. What does the naked mole-rat’s teeth do?” Gendimenico asked the class. “They go back left and right,…
Read MoreBlack and Latino studies get a place in Connecticut classrooms
Brandon Rodriguez, a high school senior in Connecticut, is getting ready for his fourth-period Black and Latino history class. Rodriguez says he signed up for the course to learn more about his ancestry. “My parents were born in Ecuador, but I was born here,” Rodriguez said. “But it’s nice to learn a little bit more…
Read MoreMultilingual liaisons are ‘cultural brokers’ for refugee students in this Vermont school district
In an office at Burlington High School, just off Lake Champlain in northern Vermont, Chacha Ngunga made a phone call. “Jambo jambo,” he said, greeting a student’s father in their shared language, Swahili. Ngunga is a multilingual liaison — one of 12 employed by the Burlington district. A few feet away, Noor Bulle, another liaison,…
Read MoreThere’s a rise in behavior disruptions in Maine schools this year. It underscores a mental health crisis for kids
Educators across Maine expected an adjustment when students returned to school full time this year, with unfamiliar routines and the enduring pandemic. But now, they’re grappling with a rise in behavior challenges, which come as studies show depression and anxiety have doubled for children and teens since before the pandemic. This week, three leading pediatric health organizations warned that…
Read MoreHiring crisis in child care: ‘We’re stuck in a market that’s broken’
In western Massachusetts, the cost and availability of child care can be a major barrier to employment for some parents. During the pandemic, it has become an even bigger problem, in part because day care providers themselves are having a harder time recruiting employees. Standing in a circle, preschoolers at the Mt Carmel Early Education…
Read MoreThe National Guard is easing school bus struggles, districts say. So are new Spanish-language driver tests
On a recent weekday, Jaime Carillo and his son waited for the ride to school in their usual spot on the front porch of the family’s duplex. When classes first started, the two were spending a lot of time there; the van that takes his son to school was coming much later than its 7:28 a.m.…
Read MoreBoston Schools Desegregation, Then And Now: Through The Eyes Of A Black Student Who Survived The 1970s Turmoil
Cedric Turner was 16 years old when bell bottoms were polyester and “The Bump” filled radio airwaves, moving young people to knock their hips together to the beat. It was the dawn of the disco era, with colored lights flashing in nightclubs as music blasted away. A street-wise kid from Mattapan, Turner was Black, six-foot-two…
Read MoreDespite Early Challenges, Maine Schools Hope Pooled Testing Will Keep Kids In The Classroom
As Maine schools enter their third pandemic-affected year, they have a new tool that officials are hoping will lead to fewer interruptions. It’s called “pooled testing” and is designed to identify COVID-19 cases early, and keep more students in the classroom. But in some districts, a shortage of labor and supplies has already challenged…
Read MoreProfessors Describe ‘Mass Exodus’ From Technical College in Boston
Juggling a full load of courses as a biology professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology in Boston, Ryan Rogers reached her breaking point when administrators required her to teach laboratory courses in-person during the pandemic. “My mental health was trash,” Rogers said. “I felt it declining day by day. I did not sleep very much.…
Read MoreAs New School Year Begins, Some Immunocompromised Families Feel Left Behind
As the new school year begins and students head back to the classroom, some immunocompromised families feel left behind. That’s because many districts across Connecticut aren’t offering a remote learning option, and for many families, returning to the classroom is like choosing between their education and their health. Ten-year-old Lane Mayville is used to tearing…
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