#tellEWA Member Stories (July 29-August 4)
Here’s what we’re reading by EWA members this week.
“I’m so used to … being afraid of police. I just know how it is being Black in America.” Writing for The Hechinger Report, Rita Omokha speaks to teens and staff at Normandy High School – the alma mater of Michael Brown, who was killed by a white police officer eight years ago. She details how Brown’s death shaped their lives and explains the failures of segregated schools amid poverty in St. Louis.
Eight years after Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson, we go inside his high school to learn how his legacy continues to shape the lives of students and teachers #tellewa https://t.co/Sc91loW3lS
— Caroline Preston (@cpreston) August 4, 2022
Private schools across Michigan benefited from federal COVID relief funding and had access to Paycheck Protection Program loans. The latter, especially, brought forth a longstanding debate about whether private schools should receive public dollars. The Detroit Free Press’ Lily Altavena explains both sides of the issue and tracks how private schools spent funds.
ICYMI: Private schools are spending COVID relief funds, too. Here’s how #TellEWA: https://t.co/teJLO2JJA9
— Lily Altavena (@lilyalta) August 4, 2022
Funding issues before and during the pandemic contributed to a shortage of on-campus mental health professionals in Arizona. The state’s “student-to-mental-health-professional ratios are up to 13 times higher than what experts recommend,” and students are among the worst-off in the nation due to unaddressed mental health problems, Maria Polletta and Shaena Montanari report for the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.
— Maria Polletta (@mpolletta) July 28, 2022
In a tale of two private conservative colleges in Michigan and Pennsylvania, David Jesse of the Detroit Free Press explains how the institutions went from mirror images to representing the newest battle in Christian higher education: “whether Donald Trump won the last election or whether Black people are still targeted by systematic racism in America.”
The latest battle in Christian higher education isn’t centered on theological issues, but rather on politics. #tellEWA
— David Jesse (@reporterdavidj) August 4, 2022
“There are 36 million Americans who have earned some college credit, but not an actual degree.” Jeffrey R. Young digs into the struggles of returning adult college students in Second Acts, a new three-episode narrative podcast series from EdSurge.
The Many Reasons Students Quit College – episode 1 of a new podcast series following the educational journeys of 3 returning adult college students. #TellEWA https://t.co/UJVWQiUUhV
— Jeff Young (@jryoung) August 4, 2022
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Silas Allen interviews a new teacher who comes to the profession amid a major teacher shortage that was exacerbated by the pandemic. A Fort Worth school district saw a 50% increase in staff resignations, from 722 in 2021 to 1,084 this year.
Fort Worth ISD had a 50% uptick in teacher resignations over the summer. A national teacher shortage has been brewing for years, but job stress related to the pandemic has pushed many teachers to the exits. https://t.co/RPLViEEAMU #txed #tellewa
— Silas Allen (@SilasAllen1) July 31, 2022
