#tellEWA Member Stories (October 21-27)
Here’s what we’re reading by EWA members this week.
“When you start getting educated in prison, you start seeing yourself in a different light.” Open Campus features a Q&A between two podcasters who earned college degrees behind bars, Rahsaan Thomas of Ear Hustle and David Luis Gonzalez of Suave. Gonzalez shares why it took time to earn his degree, how becoming educated helped him fight the system and why it’s important to expand access to higher education for incarcerated people.
Hey @EdWriters #tellEWA https://t.co/H8FVbzgcm6
— Charlotte West, ed journo covering prisons (@szarlotka) October 22, 2022
Eighteen states passed laws to prevent transgender youth from participating in sports, claiming the legislation was necessary to keep cisgender girls from losing opportunities. There is no basis for this claim, explains The 74’s Beth Hawkins. She analyzed data and public records showing that no harm has come to girls’ or women’s sports at the high school or college levels, and documented the growth in girls’ sports.
— Beth Hawkins (@beth_hawkins) October 26, 2022
California approved new literacy standards and educator performance expectations that teacher-preparation programs must implement by September 2024, Diana Lambert reports for EdSource. Expected to help boost students’ test scores, the standards greatly focus on phonological awareness, word recognition, and fluency. Additionally, the standards support struggling readers, English-language learners and others.
Accreditation of California teacher preparation programs will hinge on whether they follow new literacy standards that focus more intensely on foundational reading skills. @CalCTC @calstate @careads @DDCalifornia @NCTQ #TellEWA
https://t.co/QkreJlqPVp via @edsource
— diana lambert (@dianalambert) October 27, 2022
“The pandemic, the politicization of education, fears of a school shooting, low pay, and public disrespect were beginning to outweigh those positives.” In a personal essay, Carly Flandro details why she quit her longtime job teaching English to high school students to become an education reporter for Idaho Education News.
Teachers: In their own words
The vast majority of Idaho teachers are sticking around for now, but they tell us they are beleaguered and distressed. Some feel stuck, others search for an escape, and others plan to persevere no matter the odds.https://t.co/eYRqcLD9L7 #TellEWA— Idaho Education News (@idahoednews) October 20, 2022
The 74’s Linda Jacobson reports on increased superintendent firings around the country, finding that national and state political debates over COVID-era controversial issues filtered down to local school districts. Jacobson surveyed leadership groups and reviewed news clips about nearly 40 no-cause firings or forced resignations in 26 states to understand the scope of the issue.
Homing in on another piece of pandemic fallout: @lrj417 examines a wave of superintendent firings since March of 2020, much of it “no cause” — meaning without due process, in secret and often accompanied by big payouts. #tellEWA @The74 https://t.co/l5iqJp3tqr
— Andrew Brownstein (@Misterodney) October 25, 2022
“We were trying to teach an increasing number of [ELL] students with predominantly white teachers that speak English.” Writing for AL.com, Rebecca Griesbach shadows an elementary school class for English-language learners and introduces the students of Franklin County, home to Alabama’s largest population of Spanish-speaking immigrants. The local school district is using COVID-relief money to help ELL students succeed after longtime staffing and funding challenges.
“We were trying to teach an increasing number of EL students with predominantly white teachers that speak English,” said Russellville Supt Heath Grimes. “And I’m like, ‘Why are we not using resources that we have in our community?’” #tellEWA #aledchat https://t.co/9l7j6Kfsao
— Trisha Powell Crain (@Trish_Crain) October 19, 2022
