Angela White, F.K.A. Blac Chyna, Opens Up About Where Her & Rob Kardashian’s Current Relationship Stands
According to Complex, Angela White, f.k.a. Blac Chyna, appeared as a keynote speaker at the Los Angeles Women’s Expo on Saturday, October 18. During her time on stage, White was reportedly asked if she and Robert Kardashian Jr., the father of her daughter, Dream, were back together. In turn, White explained that she and Rob are “healing… communicating… and… going with the flow.”
“And if God being, then it will be something,” she stated before reportedly adding that Rob is “hilarious.”
“We’re just taking our time. I’m excited. He’s my person. I just gotta work on myself, and he’s gotta work on himself,” she reportedly said, per Complex.
Peep a portion of her statements below.
Social Media Weighs
Social media users stepped into TSR’s comment section with reactions to Angela White, f.k.a. Blac Chyna’s, update on her and Rob Kardashian.
Instagram user @_jess2pretty wrote, “I mean, he’s the right person to give it another go.”
While Instagram user @mybillionairelifestyle added, “Healing is everything 👏”
Instagram user @dominiquechinn wrote, “She really seems to have grown spiritually, physically, and emotionally. You can even tell in how good she looks…”
While Instagram user @beauteous.bri._ added, “Rob is a sweetheart he’s worth a second chance”
Instagram user @theblacklawyerspodcast wrote, “We are here for this Angela Kardashian 😭🤍. But in all seriousness it’s great when kids can have both parents in the same house ❤️”
While Instagram user @bornjustright added, “It’s giving Ashanti & Nelly part 2 and I’m here for it. I love love 🫶”
Instagram user @yolanda.gen228 wrote, “It seems like they’re both in much better places emotionally and Angela is sober, so if it works, good for them.”
While Instagram user @_mahalia3 added, “I don’t care what no one say I love her growth she’s matured so much”
Instagram user @shanae310 wrote, “This is growth. Cause the old Blac Chyna used to go off on him♥️😭😩”
While Instagram user @rudeass_cynsmith added, “Run Rob, just continue being a wonderful dad and keep it friendly and co parent with her nothing more nothing less.”
Instagram user @bvixen_01 wrote, “Her growth is very apparent even in the way she speaks and how she is carefully choosing her words you can tell that’s a grown woman🔥”
While Instagram user @destiny0938 added, “Nope. Like Lord Disick said on the show you dated her and she got pregnant in 2 weeks. This woman was over 30 knowing what she was doing with a person suffering from depression trying to get back at Kylie.”
Instagram user @hazel_813 wrote, “I liked them together because she was with him and helping him with his health, and he was at his lowest while she had her own, issues to work on, but she still was trying to pour into him!! Hopefully this time is the right time!! ❤️🙌🏾”
Here’s Why Angela White & Rob Kardashian’s Current Relationship Has Turned Heads
The status of Angela White, f.k.a. Blac Chyna, and Rob Kardashian’s current relationship has caught the public’s interest due to White’s recent social media posts. As The Shade Room previously reported, earlier this month, White took to social media, sharing a few posts that showed her rockin’ an all-white lace ‘fit with blonde hair. Furthermore, in the caption of one of the posts, White wrote, “This love is forever [infinity emoji] @robkardashianofficial.”
Subsequently, Kardashian liked the post, leading the public to wonder whether White and he had spun the block!
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — It’s not a rebrand. But the Moms for Liberty group that introduced itself three years ago as a band of female “joyful warriors” shedding domestic modesty to make raucous public challenges to masks, books and curriculum, is trying to glow up.
The group’s national summit this past weekend at a convention center outside Orlando leaned into family (read: parental rights), faith — and youth. The latter appeared to be a bid to join the cool kids who are the new face of conservatism in America (hint: young, Christian, very male), as well as a recognition of the group’s “diversity,” which includes grandparents, men and kids.
But even as the youth — including 20- and 30-something podcasters and social media influencers, as well as student members of the late Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA — brought a high-energy vibe, stalwart members got a new assignment. Where past Moms for Liberty attendees were urged to run for school board, this year they were encouraged to turn their grievances into legal challenges.
Moms for Liberty CEO and co-founder Tina Descovich acknowledged that while many of them had experienced backlashes as a result of running for school board or publicly challenging books, curricula and policies, they needed to continue the fight. (The more pugnacious co-founder, Tiffany Justice, is now at Heritage Action, an arm of right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation.)
“You have lost family, you have lost friends, you have lost neighbors, you’ve lost jobs, you’ve lost whole careers,” she said. Yet she insisted that it was vital that they “shake off the shackles of fear and stand for truth or we are going to lose Western civilization as a whole.”
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The gathering held up “the free state of Florida” as an example of Republican policies to be emulated, including around school choice and parental rights. The state’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, boasted of having created a state Office of Parental Rights last spring, describing it as “a law firm for parents.”
He trumpeted the state’s lawsuit against Target over the “market risks” of LGBTQ+ pride-themed merchandise and encouraged parents to reach out with potential legal actions. “If you’re identifying one of these wrongs that’s violating your rights and then subjecting our kids to danger and evil, then we want to know about it,” he said. “And we’re going to bring the heat in court to shut it down.”
Tina Descovich, CEO and co-founder of Moms for Liberty, was interviewed on Real America’s Voice, a conservative news and entertainment network that set up a remote studio outside of the Sun Ballroom at the Moms for Liberty national summit. Credit: Laura Pappano for The Hechinger Report
The shifting legal landscape, not just in Florida but nationally, had speakers gushing about the opportunity to file new challenges, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor in June. It gives parents broad power to object to school materials, including with LGBTQ+ themes, and the right to remove their children from public school on days when such materials are discussed.
“This is where we need to take that big Supreme Court victory and start fleshing it out,” said Matt Sharp, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian law firm. He added that they were “needing warriors, joyful warriors, to file cases to start putting meat on the bones of what that does.”
The directive to file suit was not just around opt-out policies, which were the basis for the Mahmoud case. (Moms for Liberty has opt-out forms and instructions on its website.) Rather, attendees were also urged to file lawsuits in support of school prayer; against school policies that let students use different names and pronouns without parental consent (what Moms for Liberty terms “secret transitions”); and to give parents access to surveys students take at school, including around mental health.
“We need people willing to stand up legally and be, you know, named plaintiffs,” Kimberly S. Hermann, president of the Southeastern Legal Foundation, a conservative policy group, said on a panel featuring two moms who sued their school districts. Winning a lawsuit or even just bringing one in one state, said Hermann, can get other school districts and states to adopt policies, presumably to avoid lawsuits themselves.
“One offensive litigation can have this amazing ripple effect,” she said. She and others made clear that there is staff to provide support. The legal groups will “stand with you,” said Sharp, “whether you’re passing the law or passing the local policy all the way to litigating these cases.”
Even as speakers criticized public schools particularly around LGBTQ+ issues, not as a form of inclusion but as foisting views into classrooms, they relished the chance to infuse their values into schools.
Filing these lawsuits is more than “just fighting for your role as parents,” Sharp told parents in a breakout session. “You’re ultimately fighting for your kids’ ability to be in their schools and make a difference, to be the salt and light in those classrooms with their friends and to take our message of freedom, of faith, of justice and to really spread it all across the schools.”
Overall, this year’s Moms for Liberty event lacked the obvious drama of recent years. The flood of protesters in 2023 in Philadelphia required a large police presence and barricades around the hotel, along with warnings not to wear Moms for Liberty lanyards on the streets.
This year, there were no protests. That was partly because the event was held in a secluded resort convention center that could accommodate 800 (larger than the 500-ish of past hotels). But the group failed to fill the venue or attract much media attention. There was on-location broadcast by Real America’s Voice, a conservative news and entertainment network, from a set outside the Sun Ballroom. (Steve Bannon interviewed Descovich on his show, “The War Room.”)
It also didn’t draw opposition because protesters had a bigger target. Saturday saw “No Kings” rallies across the country, with thousands decrying what they see as President Donald Trump’s authoritarianism. “I forgot it was happening since they’re mostly ignored these days,” state Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith, (D-Orlando) and a senior advisor to LGBTQ+ rights group Equality Florida, said in a text message about the Moms for Liberty event. Liz Mikitarian, founder of the national group, Stop Moms for Liberty, which is based in Florida, said the moms “are still a threat” but not worth organizing a protest against.
It was also a quieter affair than last year’s in Washington, D.C. There, Trump’s appearance fed a party atmosphere with Southern rock, sequined MAGA outfits and a cash bar. (This year, Trump appeared, but only in a prerecorded video message.)
Sequined merchandise for sale at the Moms for Liberty gathering by the company Make America Sparkle Again included tops and jackets that paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, the slain founder of Turning Point USA. Credit: Laura Pappano for The Hechinger Report
The three-day event, of course, aired familiar grievances in familiarly florid language — conservative school choice activist Corey DeAngelis railed against teacher unions over the “far-left radical agenda that they’re trying to push down children’s throats in the classroom.” Other sessions covered the expected — the alleged dangers of LGBTQ+ policies, in sports, restrooms, school curricula and books — but there was also discussion of concerns (shared on left and right) over youth screen use, online predators and artificial intelligence.
The event made room for MAHA, the Make America Healthy Again movement led by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the secretary of Health and Human Services. Descovich interviewed Dr. Joseph Ladapo, the Florida surgeon general who is working to eliminate all vaccine mandates for the state’s schoolchildren.
But the move by Moms for Liberty to attract young conservatives elevated the energy in the room. It was apparent not only in a tribute to Kirk, the slain founder ofTurning Point USA, which trains young conservatives on high school and college campuses. About 40 Florida TPUSA members took the ballroom stage to accept the “Liberty Sword,” the group’s highest honor, posthumously awarded to Kirk.
It also showed up in a breakout session of mostly conservative social media influencers and podcasters who offered tips on using humor and handling online trolls: Lydia Shaffer (aka the Conservative Barbie 2.0), Alex Stein, Gates Garcia, Kaitlin Bennett, Angela Belcamino (known as “The Bold Lib,” who said she was surprised to have been invited), and Jayme Franklin, who in addition to her podcast is the Gen Z founder of The Conservateur, a conservative lifestyle brand that The New Yorkercalled “Vogue, But for Trumpers.”
They have built huge followings based on their compulsion to provoke. “We need to go back to biblical values of what it means to be a real man and what it means to be a real woman,” urged Franklin. “People want that guidance, and that needs to begin at church. We need to push people back into the pews.”
Their inclusion, like that of conservative commentator Benny Johnson, who moderated a panel, “Fathers: The Defenders of the Family,” appeared to recognize a need to expand the base — and be edgier. Johnson charged out on stage and trumpeted that “God’s first commandment to us was, ‘Go, be fruitful, multiply.’ Go make babies!!!!” He quipped that “right-wing moms, they’re happier, right?” and asked the crowd, “Any trad wife moms out there?”
The phrase is shorthand for a woman who embraces a traditional domestic role, often with an emphasis on fashion and style. Johnson — who credited Kirk for prodding him to find Jesus, get married and become a father (he has four children) — argued that Republicans, especially those in Gen Z, should embrace the traditional nuclear family identity as a winning political move.
“We are the party of parents. We are the party of children,” he said, adding that traditional values were already dominating culture and politics. “We live in a center-right country. And I’m tired of pretending that we don’t,” he said, and showed a map of red and blue votes in the 2024 presidential election. “This is the shift. You live in a red kingdom.”
Contact editor Caroline Preston at 212-870-8965, via Signal at CarolineP.83 or on email at preston@hechingerreport.org.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
While on stage, taking questions from her live audience, the 60-year-old Real Housewives of New York City alum was asked about which Bravolebrity had been the rudest to her. And she didn’t hesitate to name Erika, 54, slamming her as a “b*tch” before giving a nod to the apparently also not nice Dorit, 49.
“Out of everyone in the Bravo universe … who has been the rudest to you?” the fan asked, noting that they were headed to BravoCon later this year.
“Oh, by far, Erika Jayne. B*tch,” Luann replied.
Then, she added, “Oh, wait, and Dorit is not the nicest person either.”
But she wouldn’t share details about her past interactions with Erika or Dorit.
“We love them but … Some people have, you know, are nice, and some people are not so nice. It’s just how it goes,” Luann concluded.
Luann isn’t the first person to label Erika or Dorit as rude. In fact, there have been numerous incidents involving the RHOBH cast members.
In 2017, Erika was accused of being rude to fans at a music festival, and in 2022, Heather Dubrow, 56, said on a BravoCon panel that Erika hadn’t been kind during a run-in.
When Emily Simpson, 49, asked Heather if someone had been rude, Heather replied, “Well, I got in the van the other night after the Legends Ball and Erika Jayne kinda … I said ‘Hi!’ and she went [makes stinky face].”
Meanwhile, back in 2018, after Dorit called her a “c*nt,” Camille Grammer, 57, lashed out at Dorit in a Bravo blog, slamming her behavior and wondering if she was aiming to be “rude, controversial, or stupid.” Years later, in 2023, Erin Lichy, 38, said that an encounter with Dorit left her thinking she could have been “friendlier,” and she described her as having “you can’t sit with us” energy during an interview with Page Six.
Keyshia Ka’oir & Gucci Mane Open Up About How She Manages His Schizophrenia
On Monday, October 20, a new episode of ‘The Breakfast Club’ was released via YouTube featuring Gucci Mane and Keyshia Ka’oir as guests. During the episode, Ka’oir was asked about how she was able to protect Gucci and their businesses amid the rapper’s diagnosis.
In turn, Ka’oir explained that she has a “system” which consists of taking his phone and deleting his apps.
“Even if I gotta change his password, I’m changing it. ‘Cause I don’t need the public to know that he’s having an episode. You realize, you never know about any of the episodes… because I control that,” she explained.
In addition, Ka’oir explained that she “controls everything at home.”
“And now, before the episodes come — I catch it. So that’s why he hasn’t had another one. And how you catch that is: he doesn’t speak to you. He wants to be left alone. He doesn’t eat. He does not sleep…”
Once Ka’oir mentions to Gucci that he hasn’t been speaking to her, and identifies that he’s having an episode, she explained, Gucci is able to “snap out of it” and catch himself.
Watch their full statements, including Gucci opening up more about his symptoms.
Social Media Is Applauding The Rapper’s Wife
Social media users entered TSR’s comment section, applauding Keyshia Ka’ouir for how she manages Gucci Mane’s schizophrenia.
Instagram user @abbytinklouis wrote, “Thats the kind of woman Kanye needed to married”
While Instagram user @marcquiajaina added, “They was calling his wife his ‘handler’ but she’s really his protector.”
Instagram user @ohhhglory wrote, “He that findeth a good wife, .…………👏👏👏👏”
While Instagram user @therealmarsena added, “How brave of him to talk about his illness so openly! I wish more took mental health seriously.. prayer alone will not fix it!”
Instagram user @paradiseparis wrote, “This is what it looks like to love a person”
While Instagram user @terryderon added, “Hearing him actually explain and articulate what he was thinking and dealing with makes his success even that more impressive. The story of how she flipped his money when he went to jail was impressive. But hearing her explain how she protects him from himself is even more impressive than that!!! Salute!!!”
Instagram user @gorgeousstrands wrote, “Yes she’s doing a great job but being with someone who also fully trusts her to manager him in this way is also super important! It wouldn’t be this easy with someone that fights her about his phone and passwords lol. It takes TWO!…”
While Instagram user @askaledavis added, “This level of transparency is so commendable. They’re going to help so many people. ❤️❤️”
Instagram user @miaray wrote, “What a wife! 🥹🙏🏽”
While Instagram user @ayyyrr15 added, “If a woman doesn’t recognize certain patterns in her man she doesn’t care about him. Keyshia loves him ❤️”
Instagram user @toodiebruce wrote, “This is beautiful! Speaking about his mental illness publicly is so refreshing to see. Transparency save lives! This is what unconditional love looks like! Continued blessings to them both 🫶🏾🙏🏾”
Before Opening Up About Gucci Mane’s Schizophrenia, Keyshia Ka’oir Turned Heads With Sultry ‘Fit Check
Months before Keyshia Ka’oir and Gucci Mane opened up about his schizophrenia, she was turning heads with a sultry ‘fit check. As The Shade Room previously reported, in August, Ka’oir stepped out rocking a lace top and bottom accessorized with a feathered skirt.
Ultimately, Ka’oir’s ‘fit had some social media users saying she looked “gaudy & tacky” while others were saying she was “killin’ it.”
Healing and uplifting communities through music and unity is the foundation of this event space created by Zacil “DJ Sizzle Fantastic” Pech and Norma “Normz La Oaxaqueña” Fajardo.
For nearly a decade DJ Sizzle has built a reputation in the queer POC and Spanish-speaking undocumented communities for making the space for them to come together to celebrate their culture and partake in the ultimate act of resistance — joy.
Couples, companions, comadres all dance together on the dancefloor at Cumbiatón. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
Cumbiatón was created during the first Trump administration as a direct response to the erasure, racism, homophobia and xenophobia that was engrained into the administration’s mission for those first four years. Now that the second Trump administration is upon us, the racism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia are tenfold.
This event space is a ‘party for the hood, by the hood.’ It is led by women, queer and trans people of color in every aspect of the production process.
The recent fires that burned through Altadena and Pacific Palisades made DJ Sizzle decide to step back from marketing the event in Los Angeles, an area where people had just lost their businesses, homes and where their lives were completely thrown for a loop.
Now they’re back, doubling-down on their mission to bring cumbias, corridos and all the music many of us grew up listening to, to places that are accessible and safe for our communities.
“I started Cumbiatón back in 2016, right after the election — which was weirdly similar because we’re going through it again. And a lot of us come from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) movement. We were the ones to really push for that to happen along with the DREAM Act.”
DJ Sizzle says that she wanted to create a space out on the streets to celebrate life and come together, because of how mentally and physically taxing it is to be a part of the marginalized communities that were and still are, a major target for ongoing political attacks.
Edwin Soto and Julio Salgado pose for a photo at a Cumbiaton event in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We need these spaces so that we can kind of refuel and rejoice in each other’s existence,” said DJ Sizzle. “Because we saw each other out on the street a lot, but never did we really have time to sit down, have a drink, talk, laugh. So I found that music was the way to bring people together and that’s how Cumbiatón got started. It was honestly like a movement of political resistance through music.”
DJ Sizzle is an undocumented community organizer who aims to not only bring awareness to the issues that her communities face, but also to make space to celebrate the wins and bond over the music that brings people in Latin America, East L.A., Boyle Heights and the Bay area together.
Julio Salgado, a queer, visionary artist and migrant rights activist from Ensenada, Baja California with roots in Long Beach and the Bay Area, connected with DJ Sizzle over their shared passion in advocating for immigrant rights.
“Cumbiatón was created during the first [Trump] administration, where you know, a lot of people were really bummed out and so what Sizzle wanted to create was a place where people could come together and celebrate ourselves,” said Salgado. “Fast-forward to the second [Trump] administration and we’re here and feel a little bit more like: ‘oh shit, things are bad again.’ But, things have always been bad.”
Salgado is involved with Cumbiatón through his art. He is a mixed-media artist who creates cartoons using his lived experience with his sobriety journey, undocumented status and queer identity.
With a background in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, Salgado documents what activists do in the undocumented spaces he has been a part of throughout his life.
In 2017, Salgado moved back to Long Beach from the Bay Area, and at the time he started doing political artwork and posters for protests against the first Trump administration, but because the nature of that work can be very tiring, he says that he turned to a more uplifting version of his art where he also draws the joy and unity in his communities.
When he and Sizzle linked up to collaborate during that time, he thought he could use his skills to help uplift this brand and bring it to the forefront of the many events that saturate the party landscape.
DJ Sizzle doing her thing on stage, giving the crowd the music they went looking for. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We are familiar with using the dance floor as a way to kind of put the trauma a little bit away just for one night, get together and completely forget,” said Salgado.
Coming from an undocumented background, Salgado and Sizzle say that their experience with their legal status has made them very aware of how to go about the ID-check process at the door for their events.
“When you’re undocumented, you have something called a [High Security Consular Registration (HSCR)] and it’s kind of like your ID and many of these heterosexual clubs would see that and say it was fake,” said Salgado. “But at the gay club, they didn’t care.”
Just being conscious of what that form of ID looks like and knowing that it’s not fake, helps many of the hundreds of people who come through for Cumbiatón, feel just slightly more at ease.
Edwin Soto, who is another community activist and leader in the undocu-queer community, is also involved in the planning and organizing of the event.
In the long journey of making Cumbiatón what it is now, they say that they have all been very intentional about who they bring in, making sure that whoever they are, they also understand the experience of being undocumented and accepted anyway.
“Something that Sizzle and the team have been very intentional about is making sure that [the security at the door] knows that someone might be using their consulate card,” said Soto.
Bringing together this event space is no easy task, considering the fact that their events are deeply thought out, intentional and inclusive of not just people of color, but also people with differing abilities and people who do not reflect the norm in West Hollywood clubs.
“We created the space that we were longing for that we did not see in West Hollywood,” he said. “[Cumbiatón] is what life could really be like. Where women are not harassed by men. Where people are not body-shamed for what they’re wearing.”
When it comes to their lives outside of Cumbiatón and partying, Sizzle says that it does get exhausting and planning the event gets overwhelming.
“It is really difficult, I’m not going to lie,” said DJ Sizzle. “We are at a disadvantage being queer and being undocumented because this administration triggers us to a point that, anyone who is not a part of those identities or marginalized communities would ever be able to understand,” said Sizzle. “There are times where I’m just like: ‘I’m going to cocoon for a little bit’ and then that affects the marketing and the communication.”
Usually, the events bring in hundreds of people who are looking for community, safety and inclusion. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
That’s a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes — which really shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who is out there fighting for basic human rights, while also making the space to party and enjoy themselves.
“I’m really trying to find balance and honestly my life raft are my friends and my community,” she said. “Like, being able to share, being able to have this plática, and be like ‘bitch, I see you and I know its fucked up, but we got each other.’”
Cumbiatón was made with the purpose of making space to include and invite the many different people in these communities who are otherwise sidelined in broader conversations and in party scenes where they are not as inclusive or thoughtful about their attendees.
“How beautiful is it to be queer and listen to rancheras and to norteñas and cumbia, and to just own it,” said Soto.
To join Cumbiatón at their next party, visit their Instagram page.
Thirty states now limit or ban cellphone use in classrooms, and teachers are noticing children paying attention to their lessons again. But it’s not clear whether this policy — unpopular with students and a headache for teachers to enforce — makes an academic difference.
If student achievement goes up after a cellphone ban, it’s tough to know if the ban was the reason. Some other change in math or reading instruction might have caused the improvement. Or maybe the state assessment became easier to pass. Imagine if politicians required all students to wear striped shirts and test scores rose. Few would really think that stripes made kids smarter.
Two researchers from the University of Rochester and RAND, a nonprofit research organization, figured out a clever way to tackle this question by taking advantage of cellphone activity data in one large school district in Florida, which in 2023 became the first state to institute school cellphone restrictions. The researchers compared schools that had high cellphone activity before the ban with those that had low cellphone usage to see if the ban made a bigger difference for schools that had high usage.
Indeed, it did.
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Student test scores rose a bit more in high cellphone usage schools two years after the ban compared with schools that had lower cellphone usage to start. Students were also attending school more regularly.
The policy also came with a troubling side effect. The cellphone bans led to a significant increase in student suspensions in the first year, especially among Black students. But disciplinary actions declined during the second year.
“Cellphone bans are not a silver bullet,” said David Figlio, an economist at the University of Rochester and one of the study’s co-authors. “But they seem to be helping kids. They’re attending school more, and they’re performing a bit better on tests.”
Figlio said he was “worried” about the short-term 16 percent increase in suspensions for Black students. What’s unclear from this data analysis is whether Black students were more likely to violate the new cellphone rules, or whether teachers were more likely to single out Black students for punishment. It’s also unclear from these administrative behavior records if students were first given warnings or lighter punishments before they were suspended.
The data suggest that students adjusted to the new rules. A year later, student suspensions, including those of Black students, fell back to what they had been before the cellphone ban.
“What we observe is a rocky start,” Figlio added. “There was a lot of discipline.”
The study, “The Impact of Cellphone Bans in Schools on Student Outcomes: Evidence from Florida,” is a draft working paper and has not been peer-reviewed. It was slated to be circulated by the National Bureau of Economic Research on Oct. 20 and the authors shared a draft with me in advance. Figlio and his co-author Umut Özek at RAND believe it is the first study to show a causal connection between cellphone bans and learning rather than just a correlation.
The academic gains from the cellphone ban were small, less than a percentile point, on average. That’s the equivalent of moving from the 50th percentile on math and reading tests (in the middle) to the 51st percentile (still close to the middle), and this small gain did not emerge until the second year for most students. The academic benefits were strongest for middle schoolers, white students, Hispanic students and male students. The academic gains for Black students and female students were not statistically significant.
I was surprised to learn that there is data on student cellphone use in school. The authors of this study used information from Advan Research Corp., which collects and analyzes data from mobile phones around the world for business purposes, such as figuring out how many people visit a particular retail store. The researchers were able to obtain this data for schools in one Florida school district and estimate how many students were on their cellphones before and after the ban went into effect between the hours of 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The data showed that more than 60 percent of middle schoolers, on average, were on their phones at least once during the school day before the 2023 ban in this particular Florida district, which was not named but described as one of the 10 largest districts in the country. (Five of the nation’s 10 largest school districts are in Florida.) After the ban, that fell in half to 30 percent of middle schoolers in the first year and down to 25 percent in the second year.
Elementary school students were less likely to be on cellphones to start with and their in-school usage fell from about 25 percent of students before the ban to 15 percent after the ban. More than 45 percent of high schoolers were on their phones before the ban and that fell to about 10 percent afterwards.
Average daily smartphone visits in schools, by year and grade level
Average daily smartphone visits during regular school days (relative to teacher workdays without students) between 9am and 1pm (per 100 enrolled students) in the two months before and then after the 2023 ban took effect in one large urban Florida school district. Source: Figlio and Özek, October 2025 draft paper, figure 2C, p. 23.
Florida did not enact a complete cellphone ban in 2023, but imposed severe restrictions. Those restrictions were tightened in 2025 and that additional tightening was not studied in this paper.
Anti-cellphone policies have become increasingly popular since the pandemic, largely based on our collective adult gut hunches that kids are not learning well when they are consumed by TikTok and SnapChat.
This is perhaps a rare case in public policy, Figlio said, where the “data back up the hunches.”
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
The internet is buzzing with reactions as Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry seemingly linked up for some quality sister time. The duo recently met up in New York City and fans are hoping a new project might be brewing, while others are just happy to see them back together.
Tia & Tamera Mowry Have Fans Excited Over NYC Reunion
It looks like can breathe easy now as Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry recently went on a sister date. Tia gave a peek at their quality time on Instagram, sharing pics and a cute video of them serving looks, giving the timeline just the heartwarming refresh it needed. She also let fans know that they popped out together in New York. Their link-up has some folks hoping for a collab, while others are just happy to see them making peace. Tia and Tamera’s reunion comes about a year after she told fans on her reality series, ‘Tia Mowry: My Next Act’ that she and Tamera were going through a rough patch.
Social Media Celebrates As The Mowry Sisters Reunite
Fans flooded The Shade Room’s comment section with reactions to Tia and Tamera’s reunion. Folks were beyond happy to see them squashing things and moving forward. Peep some of the reactions below.
Instagram user @lulu_luski wrote, “😍😍I love that they made up 🙌🏾 sister love.”
Instagram user @amused05 wrote, “Honestly can’t tell who’s who in the video.”
While Instagram user @jazzabelle_26 wrote, “So happy to see them together. Sisters are a built in bff 😍”
Then Instagram user @theebakingrealtor wrote, “Yesss I’ve been waiting for this. 💕”
Another Instagram user @mahdorvie wrote, “They finally made up 🥳🥳🎉🎉nobody wins when the family is at WAR!!!!!!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾”
Instagram user @ceeturner_ wrote, “We love to see them happy… together!!!💚”
While another Instagram user @incecesworld wrote, “i can hear their laughs now.”
Then another Instagram user @nashiraalee wrote, “Such a good feeling to have your sister back 🥰”
Finally, Instagram user @trulytelle wrote, “I hope there working on a project together 🔥👏😍”
Here’s What Tia Previously Said About Her Relationship With Tamera
Tia left fans shook back in September when she revealed she and Tamera weren’t in a great space. Durign the premiere of her reality series, ‘Tia Mowry: ‘My Next Act,’ she opened up about life after her divorce from Cory Hardrict and shared that she was adjusting to the new chapter while also feeling distant from her sister.
“In these transitions in life, sometimes you just want a hug, and you just want someone to be as accessible as they used to be, and that is not the case. It’s called life. I love my sister very much. She loves me very much. We have a closeness and a beautiful connection. But that’s what that was all about. It’s just how life unfolds, and it happens with many families,” the actress explained.
Less than a week after the Real Housewives of Potomac couple, both 41, was taken into custody on fraud charges, two attorneys, neither of whom is involved in the case against them, have spoken out, revealing that Eddie may not be able to serve as an attorney in D.C. if he is convicted of the charges he’s facing, which include insurance fraud, conspiracy insurance fraud, and making a false statement to a police officer.
“Most States, including D.C., do institute discipline for attorneys convicted of fraud or other crimes of moral turpitude. Typically, they wait until resolution of [the] criminal case but in extreme cases they may ask criminal court to make not practicing law a condition of bond,” Sam Bassett, a Texas criminal defense attorney, explained to Us Weekly on October 13.
“Eddie Osefo is at risk of losing his license. A state bar agency could definitely revoke his law license, especially upon conviction,” he continued. “Generally, a license is always subject to review or revocation upon a felony arrest or conviction.”
John W. Day, also a criminal defense attorney, further confirmed that Eddie, whose license has been active since 2014, was facing disbarment.
“Just being charged with a felony does not automatically mean Eddie Osefo will lose his law license, but if he is convicted of or pleads guilty to a felony — or a ‘serious crime’ which could include a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude — the Washington D.C. disciplinary board can seek to impose discipline on him, which might include disbarment,” he shared.
As RHOP fans have surely heard, Wendy and Eddie’s October 9 arrest stemmed from an alleged robbery at their home in April 2024, which prosecutors believe may have been staged in an effort to collect $450,000 in insurance claims.
In other RHOP news, an October 8 interview with Deadline, shared just one day before her arrest, features Wendy commenting on Karen Huger‘s release from jail and confirming she’s open to Karen’s potential return to the show.
“I have not spoken to her since her release,” Wendy said. “However, I feel like everybody should be given the opportunity to have a platform to tell their own story. There’s no point or purpose in your story being told by others.”
Following Wendy and Eddie’s arrest, the couple’s representative shared a statement.
“Dr. Wendy Osefo and her husband, Edward Osefo, are back home safely with their family and in good spirits. They are grateful for the outpouring of concern and support from friends, fans, and colleagues,” the rep said. “The Osefos, alongside their legal team, look forward to their day in court. At this time, they respectfully ask for privacy as they focus on their family and the legal process ahead.”
The Real Housewives of Potomacseason 10 airs Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
Roommates, y’all already know G Herbo and Taina Williams never miss a chance to clown each other. Taina always got jokes for Herbo, but this time she caught him off guard when she revealed whether he could actually bag her if they met for the first time.
Taina Williams Shares THIS Response When Asked If G Herbo Could Bag Her If They Met Today
LiveBitez caught clips of G Herbo and Taina Williams on a flight, the rapper started getting curious asking her questions on whether he stood a chance with her if they didn’t know each other. Taina didn’t even blink before saying, “No!” But Herbo wasn’t letting up. He tried to set the scene, saying, “What if I was sitting next to you on this flight, you telling me you wouldn’t give me your number?” Taina doubled down with another “No!” The rapper called cap on that real quick replying with, “Man you crazy as hell.” Peep the funny clip below.
Are Wedding Bells Ringing For The Couple?
Herbo doesn’t have to worry about bagging Taina, because they’re locked in for real. The Chicago musician even said he’s ready to get down on one knee right now. While chopping it up with Shannon Sharpe, Herbo let it be know that he’s more than ready to propose. “I’m ready to get on one knee right now, I’m ready to go home and propose,” Herb told Sharpe. He continued to double down on his plans, but also mentioning that he wanted his lady to have her dream wedding. “Where I am right now, I can’t wait to marry my girl.”
Taina Does It BIG For Herb’s 30th Birthday
G Herbo isn’t the only who has heart eyes. Taina Williams loves her man down too. She recently did it up for her Herb’s 30th birthday on Oct. 8. Herb even bragged out her romantic gestures via his IG Story writing, “tricked off badddd.” In pics the couple shared there was a huge Happy Birthday sign with a flood of black balloons and gifts.
Rod Wave, widely known for pouring raw emotion and pain into his music, has sparked yet another debate online. If you remember back in 2022, he told fans that ‘Beautiful Minds’ would be his last “sad” album. Since then, he’s dropped three more bodies of work, each showing growth, new vibes, and deeper storytelling. Now, social media is buzzing about whether Rod Wave is truly a “sad artist” or just one of the most relatable voices of his generation.
Rod Wave Talks About Wanting To Move Past The “Sad Artist” Label
On Friday, a clip of Rod Wave sitting down with The Joe Budden Podcast surfaced online. In the interview, the rapper shared that he no longer wants to be labeled as the “sad artist.” The conversation started when Joe Budden asked, “Pardon my ignorance, but do you have happy songs?”
Rod responded candidly, saying, “See, sh**like that make you be like, I don’t want to be the sad n***a. Every time I walk in the room, b****** be like, damn… I don’t wanna keep being the sad n***a.” He also explained that he’s hesitant to walk away from that sound completely, knowing many fans still connect deeply with his pain and feel like they need that from him.
Rod Wave says he doesn’t want to be known as the sad artist anymore📍
Joe Budden: “pardon my ignorance but do you have happy songs?”
Rod Wave: “see sh*t like that will make you be like, I don’t want to be the sad n*gga… every time I walk in the room, b*tches be like damn… I… pic.twitter.com/DyZkNxhbHy
Across social media, fans have joined in on the ongoing debate about the kind of music Rod Wave creates. While some listeners claim many of his songs lean toward the sad or depressing side, his loyal supporters were quick to step in. They made it clear that although Rod first blew up off emotional tracks, th
Instagram user @theteeta wrote, “It ain’t sad it’s just real, what else he gon talk about? Sliding and spinnin on opps and 505 how much money he got?? Don’t switch up….”
Instagram user @dontpaniccccc5 added, “Rod wave music is super relatable everyone go through things I don’t care how tough you think you are”
Instagram user @jassyblackgirl wrote, “His music not even sad fr yall just not listening HE A REAL ONE”
Then Instagram user @_bigtoy added, “It’s not sad, it’s healing”
Instagram user @banods_ wrote, “He blew up off sad music because that’s his passion and that want God is using him for. He says how a lot of pol be feeling but will never say.”
Instagram user @kdgdoji added, “Aint shit peaches and ice cream rn we need ts gang”
While X user @NasirAMubarak wrote, “why would he go on a podcast where nobody listens to him, bra has A LOT of happy/motivational songs”
X user @ZooFTG_XB wrote, “ “You’re not a real Rod Wave fan if you think the nigga only sings about being in sad times. Although that’s what we love from him. He has other bangers that don’t give a sad vibe. He’s also motivational. Got me off my feet a quite a few times with ALOT of his music”
X user @sayjuhnay added “Turks & Caicos, Smile, Get A Bag & Pressure just to name a few.”
Rod Wave Has A New Album On The Way
Despite what fans have to say, Rod Wave is letting is ready to let his music do the talking. Earlier this week, he dropped his new single “Leavin’” and announced dates for his upcoming Redemption Excellence Tour. But Rod didn’t stop there. he also took to Instagram with a photo dump captioned, “just turned my album in,” sending fans into a frenzy and fueling excitement for what’s next.
Y’all know Skai Jackson and Kim Kardashian always keep things interesting, but now they’re hitting us right in the heart with some next-level AI magic. Both stars hopped on the viral trend of recreating themselves as babies and teens — and trust, it’s a whole mood.
Skai’s showing serious love for her younger self and her baby boy, Kasai, in a sweet series of four AI-generated images that are basically giving us all the warm family vibes. In the pics, adult Skai is hugging a younger version of herself like she never wants to let go, while baby Skai is all up on little Kasai, who—let’s be real—basically stole her whole face! They looked like they’d be the best of besties growing up together. Meanwhile, adult Skai seems like she’s holding onto baby Skai even tighter, as if she’s trying to keep that childhood magic close forever. Honestly, it’s everything.
This AI Trend Is Kim’s New Fave, And Ours Too
Meanwhile, Kim K joined the wave with three stunning AI pics of her own. One image shows adult Kim hugging her baby self, while another features teenage Kim posing with daughter, North West — can we say twinning?! And in a tearjerker moment, adult Kim rocks a khaki cap and gown, diploma in hand, standing next to a digital version of her late father, Robert Kardashian. Kim captioned the post, “This AI trend might be my fave.” Honestly, us too sis — someone’s definitely cutting onions over here!
Fans Are Losing It Over These Celebs’ AI Throwbacks
Fans immediately flooded The Shade Room comment sections, sharing their thoughts on both Skai and Kim’s AI pics. Many reminisced about Skai’s iconic Band-Aid commercial from her childhood, while others got emotional, saying Kim must really miss her dad. And, of course, everyone agreed—this AI trend is straight-up crazyyy!
One Instagram user @qveenora3 said, “that actually is cute though I can’t 😭🥺”
This Instagram user @lexiiuniverse commented, “The one time AI didn’t let us down 🥹🫶🏾”
And, Instagram user @marijaebup added, “[Kasai] Looks like her as a kid fr wtf“
Meanwhile, Instagram user @yourfavoritejimmy wrote, “I wish I could go back🥲”
While Instagram user @_myrawr shared, “Say what you want about Kim but she’s always been a beauty 😍”
Then, Instagram user @_jadenovareign_ revealed, “See, I don’t mind when they use AI for personal things like this.“
Instagram user @_aniyaaaaa said, “The one with her dad 🥹🥹 ik he’s so proud of her!!“
Lastly, Instagram user @gypsy.issy added “lol Skai so obsessed with herself as a kid, she stay posting baby pics“
As she also spoke of her seating position at the Real Housewives of Orange County season 19 reunion, which filmed earlier this month, and addressed her friendship with Gretchen Rossi, 46, Shannon, 61, gave a nod to John, 62, and Alexis’ wedding story for PEOPLE, which was published very soon after they said, “I do,” on October 3.
“They got married and it was like, in PEOPLE magazine two hours later,” Shannon shared on the October 15 episode of SiriusXM’s Jeff Lewis Live, proceeding to shade John and Alexis’ “priorities.”
Although Shannon admitted the wedding “looked pretty,” she agreed with Jeff’s suggestion that she “doesn’t give a sh*t” about her ex-boyfriend’s new marriage.
“No,” she replied. “Time heals everything, and it makes you see more clearly.”
At another moment of Jeff’s show, Shannon confirmed the RHOC season 19 reunion had been filmed as she revealed she was seated in the last chair, which has long been thought to indicate a potentially jeopardized role on the show.
“I was at the end. I’ve never been at the end before. I’ve usually been in the first or second seat. I was in the end. I was straight across from [Heather Dubrow]. Heather and I were in the same position,” she shared as Jeff, 55, reasoned that she and Heather, 56, were “OGs” and likely had nothing to worry about in terms of season 20.
According to Shannon, “it was quite nice” to be out of the drama for once.
“By the grace of God, I wasn’t in a lot of the mix for once, so it was quite nice to be a part of it. But there were a lot of dark things that happened this year, and I wanted to be opinionated about them,” she explained.
Then, when asked if production chose to seat her next to Gretchen because they typically pair allies, Shannon said she “[thinks] so” as she defended her castmate against backlash.
“There were certain things that were potential issues for me during this season, but there’s still a lot more to come, and I think that Gretchen has a very big heart. I do believe that. I’ve seen it,” Shannon stated. “And she may have issues with some cast members, but then you look at how she’s treated other of us, and she doesn’t have a mean bone.”
The Real Housewives of Orange Countyseason 19 airs Thursdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
Every year, tens of thousands of infants are born prematurely, at a low birthweight, or with other conditions that would make them automatically eligible for therapeutic services that could help them thrive.
When everything goes smoothly, early intervention provides those services, required by federal law for children ages birth to 3. Funding sources for the program can vary, but it’s often paid for by a mix of federal, state, local, and private insurance dollars.
But far too few of the youngest children actually receive that help. (It’s an issue I wrote about earlier this year.) One particular gap is in services provided to infants from birth to 1. Only about 1.3 percent of babies that age receive early intervention services, compared to 7.5 percent of 2- to 3-year-olds, according to a new report from the think tank New America.
Kayla Khan, a long-time speech therapist, has experienced that gap herself.
When her infant daughter was released after a month and a half in neonatal intensive care, she asked the discharge team about early intervention services. Because of her background, she knew about the therapies.
At the time, the family lived in the Washington D.C. area, and no one at the hospital was helpful. “They said, ‘You don’t want that,’ or, ‘It’s not going to help you,’” Khan recalled.
After moving to Seattle a few months later, Khan finally connected with early intervention services that provided physical and feeding therapy to her daughter. She now helps lead a decade-old effort in Seattle to provide care and support specifically to families of “tiny babies” who are transitioning from the hospital to home.
The program relies on building trust and communication with hospital staff to ensure eligible babies get referred to early intervention and speeding up the evaluation timeline so babies get seen within three days of a referral — “really, really, really fast” for a system where the requirement for referral is 45 days, Khan said. Her program also connects families with therapists who are skilled and trained in the specific needs of newborns.
“We’re making this process that was designed for all children, birth to 3, work for the tiniest babies,” Khan said.
This kind of targeted attention for the youngest is desperately needed, according to the New America report and another that focused on Illinois, from early nonprofit advocacy group Start Early. (I recently completed a reporting fellowship with New America which supported some of my writing on early intervention, among other topics.)
Among the two reports’ recommendations:
Make the list of conditions that automatically qualify a baby for early intervention easy to understand and find. States have identified scores of different qualifying conditions that make a child more likely to develop a delay, including extreme prematurity, low birthweight, a parent with a substance use disorder, and child welfare involvement. But, as the New America report points out, finding a user-friendly list of the conditions can be a challenge. “The eligibility criteria and the way things work varies so much from one state to the next,” said report co-author Carrie Gillispie, the Early Development & Disability project director at New America.
The Start Early report noted that in a related study, two families were judged ineligible for early intervention despite their children having medical conditions that should have made them automatically eligible.
Consider co-locating early intervention staff in the NICU to make the transition as smooth as possible. Coordinators would be physically present in NICUs to build relationships, participate in medical rounds, and lead the process to enroll children in early intervention programs, the Start Early authors wrote. Both reports stress the importance of providing the family with a personal connection to early intervention before a baby gets discharged from the hospital.
Improve coordination and communication with the early intervention system, hospitals and pediatricians. Pediatricians are not always notified when doctors in the hospital refer a child to early intervention services. And well-child visits are often so short that physicians miss the full developmental picture. Too often, referrals come after a child is already starting to struggle, said Sarah Gilliland, a senior policy analyst in the New Practice Lab at New America, who co-wrote the report.
Bridge cultural and language barriers with families by hiring more multilingual hospital and early intervention staff. Cultural divides are pervasive throughout the early intervention system, where the overwhelming majority of the therapists and other providers in many communities are white, English-speaking women. But even simple forms often go untranslated: One survey found that nearly three-quarters of state early intervention referral forms are only available in English, the New America report noted. The report also stressed that families should be reassured that early intervention services are meant to be support, not surveillance. “Hesitant families might benefit from a connection with families within their own communities who can explain what to expect from early intervention,” the authors wrote.
Strengthen electronic referral systems and centralize enrollmentin early intervention programs. When I reported on the too-often broken path from the NICU to early intervention in Chicago, I heard stories of a system that relied heavily on faxing paper forms. NICU physicians often had no idea what happened with referrals they made. Indeed, surveys have found that only a fraction of early intervention coordinators have access to technology that links children’s electronic health records to the referral system.
Some states and communities are introducing technological advances which could be implemented more widely, the New America report noted. For instance, one state is trying to address the problem using “e-referrals,” which share an infant’s medical records directly with the early intervention system.
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On Thursday, October 16, celebrity hairstylist Arrogant Tae took to Instagram to share a carousel of photos with his more than 2.4 million followers. Furthermore, in the caption of his post, Tae noted that he glammed Mariah The Scientist, seemingly for the 2025 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, which went down on the evening of Wednesday, October 15.
“Glam last night with my sweet baby💕 make by her 😍😍😍 I love when she do her make up it be so cute n girly 💓💖 @mariahthescientist,” he captioned the post.
But beyond Mariah’s stunning baby pink makeup and cut crease was her dramatic new look: her hair noticeably dyed in a two-tone orange and blonde combo!
Peep all of the photos of Mariah The Scientist below.
Social Media Users’ Jaws Are Dropped & They’re Comparing Her To Keyshia Cole
Social media users immediately hopped in TSR’s comment section with dropped jaws, comparing Mariah The Scientist’s dramatic new look to Keyshia Cole’s signature two-tone hairstyle.
Instagram user @tessybeee wrote, “A Keyshia Cole inspired special 😍”
While Instagram user @tynicolle added, “CUTE It’s giving Keyshia Cole the way it is”
Instagram user @kk.moneyyy__ wrote, “Tae literally bring the best outta people 🥺😍😍😍😍”
While Instagram user @honeygolddutchie added, “Oh she single single 😂😂😂”
Instagram user @pree.zilla wrote, “Girls who do their make up as good as the makeup artist impress me so much OMG😍”
While Instagram user @ms.antisocial added, “It’s the Keisha ‘I should’ve cheated’ & ‘I changed my mind’ hair color for meeee Yessss girl 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼💕✨”
Instagram user @saucybanks wrote, “Leaving thug & changing her hair was the best decision ever 😍”
While Instagram user @inveme added, “Owww thats cute”
Instagram user @vennessyy wrote, “She in her Keyshia Cole I should’ve cheated era 😍”
While Instagram user @biggdaddy_jonny added, “I LOVE THIS😍 she looks beautiful!❤️”
Instagram user @thevampire wrote, “A SIGNNNNNNNNNN … she has to keyshia Cole hair – LET IT GOOOOOO”
While Instagram user @since_we_being_honest added, “She outside 🤏🏾🤏🏾 Whoopty doo 😭”
Mariah The Scientist Isn’t The Only One To Show Off A New Look
Mariah The Scientist isn’t the only celebrity to recently show off a new look. As The Shade Room previously reported, earlier this week, Angela Simmons took to the ‘gram to share a few photos and video posts showing off her new hair. Specifically, Simmons phased out her usual black tresses and waves combo for blonde hair and bangs.
Subsequently, social media went wild at her new look, comparing her to Beyoncé.
This story was produced by the Associated Press and reprinted with permission.
WASHINGTON – For a generation of young Americans, choosing where to go to college — or whether to go at all — has become a complex calculation of costs and benefits that often revolves around a single question: Is the degree worth its price?
Public confidence in higher education has plummeted in recent years amid high tuition prices, skyrocketing student loans and a dismal job market — plus ideological concerns from conservatives. Now, colleges are scrambling to prove their value to students.
Borrowed from the business world, the term “return on investment” has been plastered on college advertisements across the U.S. A battery of new rankings grade campuses on the financial benefits they deliver. States such as Colorado have started publishing yearly reports on the monetary payoff of college, and Texas now factors it into calculations for how much taxpayer money goes to community colleges.
“Students are becoming more aware of the times when college doesn’t pay off,” said Preston Cooper, who has studied college ROI at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. “It’s front of mind for universities today in a way that it was not necessarily 15, 20 years ago.”
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A wide body of research indicates a bachelor’s degree still pays off, at least on average and in the long run. Yet there’s growing recognition that not all degrees lead to a good salary, and even some that seem like a good bet are becoming riskier as graduates face one of the toughest job markets in years.
A new analysis released Thursday by the Strada Education Foundation finds 70 percent of recent public university graduates can expect a positive return within 10 years — meaning their earnings over a decade will exceed that of a typical high school graduate by an amount greater than the cost of their degree. Yet it varies by state, from 53 percent in North Dakota to 82 percent in Washington, D.C. States where college is more affordable have fared better, the report says.
It’s a critical issue for families who wonder how college tuition prices could ever pay off, said Emilia Mattucci, a high school counselor at East Allegheny schools, near Pittsburgh. More than two-thirds of her school’s students come from low-income families, and many aren’t willing to take on the level of debt that past generations accepted.
Instead, more are heading to technical schools or the trades and passing on four-year universities, she said.
“A lot of families are just saying they can’t afford it, or they don’t want to go into debt for years and years and years,” she said.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon has been among those questioning the need for a four-year degree. Speaking at the Reagan Institute think tank in September, McMahon praised programs that prepare students for careers right out of high school.
“I’m not saying kids shouldn’t go to college,” she said. “I’m just saying all kids don’t have to go in order to be successful.”
American higher education has been grappling with both sides of the ROI equation — tuition costs and graduate earnings. It’s becoming even more important as colleges compete for decreasing numbers of college-age students as a result of falling birth rates.
Tuition rates have stayed flat on many campuses in recent years to address affordability concerns, and many private colleges have lowered their sticker prices in an effort to better reflect the cost most students actually pay after factoring in financial aid.
The other part of the equation — making sure graduates land good jobs — is more complicated.
A group of college presidents recently met at Gallup’s Washington headquarters to study public polling on higher education. One of the chief reasons for flagging confidence is a perception that colleges aren’t giving graduates the skills employers need, said Kevin Guskiewicz, president of Michigan State University, one of the leaders at the meeting.
“We’re trying to get out in front of that,” he said.
The issue has been a priority for Guskiewicz since he arrived on campus last year. He gathered a council of Michigan business leaders to identify skills that graduates will need for jobs, from agriculture to banking. The goal is to mold degree programs to the job market’s needs and to get students internships and work experience that can lead to a job.
Bridging the gap to the job market has been a persistent struggle for U.S. colleges, said Matt Sigelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, a think tank that studies the workforce. Last year the institute, partnering with Strada researchers, found 52 percent of recent college graduates were in jobs that didn’t require a degree. Even higher-demand fields, such as education and nursing, had large numbers of graduates in that situation.
“No programs are immune, and no schools are immune,” Sigelman said.
The federal government has been trying to fix the problem for decades, going back to President Barack Obama’s administration. A federal rule first established in 2011 aimed to cut federal money to college programs that leave graduates with low earnings, though it primarily targeted for-profit colleges.
A Republican reconciliation bill passed this year takes a wider view, requiring most colleges to hit earnings standards to be eligible for federal funding. The goal is to make sure college graduates end up earning more than those without a degree.
Others see transparency as a key solution.
For decades, students had little way to know whether graduates of specific degree programs were landing good jobs after college. That started to change with the College Scorecard in 2015, a federal website that shares broad earnings outcomes for college programs. More recently, bipartisan legislation in Congress has sought to give the public even more detailed data.
Lawmakers in North Carolina ordered a 2023 study on the financial return for degrees across the state’s public universities. It found that 93 percent produced a positive return, meaning graduates were expected to earn more over their lives than someone without a similar degree.
The data is available to the public, showing, for example, that undergraduate degrees in applied math and business tend to have high returns at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, while graduate degrees in psychology and foreign languages often don’t.
Colleges are belatedly realizing how important that kind of data is to students and their families, said Lee Roberts, chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill, in an interview.
“In uncertain times, students are even more focused — I would say rightly so — on what their job prospects are going to be,” he added. “So I think colleges and universities really owe students and their families this data.”
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The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
Halle Bailey has the internet buzzing after she came through with a quick life update. The singer has been keeping things pretty low-key lately,, but now she’s popping out as she gears up for another big moment in her career.
Recently, Halle Bailey gave her fans a lil’ peek into her life. ‘The Little Mermaid’ star shared a post on X (formerly Twitter), telling her followers she feels grateful to be in a great space right now. “I’m so happy rn in my life i could cry i am living in everything ive ever prayed for. God is so good to me l, I am so thankful ,” Halle wrote. Bailey’s post was met with 19,000 likes from fans showing love and dropping replies to her update, especially since she’s been under the radar lately. Her post also arrives nine days before she gears up to drop her debut album, which will be released on Oct. 24.
Social Media Reacts To Halle’s Post About Her Life
Meanwhile, the energy stayed high in The Shade Room’s comment section. After TSR reposted Halle’s message, fans gassed her up and said they were happy to see her in a good place. Peep some of their reactions below.
Instagram user @beautifulenigma_k wrote, “She deserves to be happy too! I’m happy for her!❤️”
Instagram user @asenathidukashe wrote, “Love it for our Disney princess 😍”
While Instagram user @aestheticswithal wrote, “She’s about to hit that 2 year postpartum mark. I remember this feeling. The cloudiness finally started to clear☀️ enjoy the smile and sunshine!”
Another Instagram user @breshaee wrote, “I had this same moment driving to work this morning! God is good 🙌🏾”
Then Instagram user @berniciaboateng wrote, “I love that for her ❤️”
Instagram user @styledbyamari wrote, “I just love her and I’m so happy she’s in a better place 🫶🏽”
While another Instagram user @yanna_kookie_krunch wrote, “Healing and moving on is the best thing a female can do ❤️👌🏿💯”
Instagram user @bajanbeautynyc wrote, “❤️❤️❤️ yass Halle🫶🏿🙏🏿”
Lastly, Instagram user @melanin_glowy3 wrote, “I feel the same way about my life now😍 omg this yr best yr of my entire life.”
Halle Enjoys Sister Time With Chloe After Popping Out With New Boo
Alongside her life update, fans got a glimpse into Halle’s world when she spent quality time with Chloe Baileyin September. The ladies hit up a farm for a fun day filled with goats and giggles, even snapping a few selfies along the way.
Before that, Halle Bailey had everyone talking when she popped out with her new boo, which VIBE confirmed to be Scott Bridgeway. While it’s unclear where they stand now, the pair looked cute and cozy on a tropical baecation in July. TSR even snagged an exclusive video of them grabbing dinner in Los Angeles in August.
After being named as the “Reality Stars of the Year,” along with their castmates, including Meredith Marks, 53, and Bronwyn Newport, 40, the ladies targeted the bad behavior of others as Whitney, 39, reacted to Andy Cohen, 57, confirming that Jen Shah, 52, would never return to the show.
In their Us Weekly cover story, Angie, 51, shared her feeling that Lisa, 50, was trying to find dirt on the cast.
“I would like to see Lisa move differently in the group. Stop with going behind people’s backs,” she advised. “There’s much more interesting things … than trying to dig up information or making up lies about people in the group.”
Angie also admitted to thinking that Lisa’s antics could lead to the end of the series.
“Those things become unforgivable at some point, and it will ruin our show,” she warned.
After being asked about a misconception that bothered her, Mary, 52, shared the worst part of RHOSLC.
“The worst, darkest part was [my church] being called a cult, my little baby church,” she revealed. “Jen Shah put that out there, and then people took it and ran with it.”
She then spoke of her evolving relationships with her castmates.
“I feel like, the longer we know each other, the harder it gets to, like, for me to tell them off … Deep down, I really love them,” she admitted.
As for Heather, 51, she opened up about her lowest moment of the show.
“I came on thinking I was Lisa Barlow’s best friend. [It] was revealed to me about two weeks in that we had different versions of our friendship,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Lisa reacted to claims of “losing” her $60,000 ring to collect insurance money.
“The ring was not insured,” she confirmed, adding, “Most wealthy people don’t think about insuring their jewelry.”
Also during the interview, Whitney spoke of Andy saying that Jen wouldn’t be back on RHOSLC.
“I’m just grateful I have an answer for the red carpets now,” she noted.
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake Cityseason six airs Tuesdays at 8/7c on Bravo.
Healing and uplifting communities through music and unity is the foundation of this event space created by Zacil “DJ Sizzle Fantastic” Pech and Norma “Normz La Oaxaqueña” Fajardo.
For nearly a decade DJ Sizzle has built a reputation in the queer POC and Spanish-speaking undocumented communities for making the space for them to come together to celebrate their culture and partake in the ultimate act of resistance — joy.
Couples, companions, comadres all dance together on the dancefloor at Cumbiatón. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
Cumbiatón was created during the first Trump administration as a direct response to the erasure, racism, homophobia and xenophobia that was engrained into the administration’s mission for those first four years. Now that the second Trump administration is upon us, the racism, homophobia, transphobia and xenophobia are tenfold.
This event space is a ‘party for the hood, by the hood.’ It is led by women, queer and trans people of color in every aspect of the production process.
The recent fires that burned through Altadena and Pacific Palisades made DJ Sizzle decide to step back from marketing the event in Los Angeles, an area where people had just lost their businesses, homes and where their lives were completely thrown for a loop.
Now they’re back, doubling-down on their mission to bring cumbias, corridos and all the music many of us grew up listening to, to places that are accessible and safe for our communities.
“I started Cumbiatón back in 2016, right after the election — which was weirdly similar because we’re going through it again. And a lot of us come from the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) movement. We were the ones to really push for that to happen along with the DREAM Act.”
DJ Sizzle says that she wanted to create a space out on the streets to celebrate life and come together, because of how mentally and physically taxing it is to be a part of the marginalized communities that were and still are, a major target for ongoing political attacks.
Edwin Soto and Julio Salgado pose for a photo at a Cumbiaton event in 2024. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We need these spaces so that we can kind of refuel and rejoice in each other’s existence,” said DJ Sizzle. “Because we saw each other out on the street a lot, but never did we really have time to sit down, have a drink, talk, laugh. So I found that music was the way to bring people together and that’s how Cumbiatón got started. It was honestly like a movement of political resistance through music.”
DJ Sizzle is an undocumented community organizer who aims to not only bring awareness to the issues that her communities face, but also to make space to celebrate the wins and bond over the music that brings people in Latin America, East L.A., Boyle Heights and the Bay area together.
Julio Salgado, a queer, visionary artist and migrant rights activist from Ensenada, Baja California with roots in Long Beach and the Bay Area, connected with DJ Sizzle over their shared passion in advocating for immigrant rights.
“Cumbiatón was created during the first [Trump] administration, where you know, a lot of people were really bummed out and so what Sizzle wanted to create was a place where people could come together and celebrate ourselves,” said Salgado. “Fast-forward to the second [Trump] administration and we’re here and feel a little bit more like: ‘oh shit, things are bad again.’ But, things have always been bad.”
Salgado is involved with Cumbiatón through his art. He is a mixed-media artist who creates cartoons using his lived experience with his sobriety journey, undocumented status and queer identity.
With a background in journalism from California State University, Long Beach, Salgado documents what activists do in the undocumented spaces he has been a part of throughout his life.
In 2017, Salgado moved back to Long Beach from the Bay Area, and at the time he started doing political artwork and posters for protests against the first Trump administration, but because the nature of that work can be very tiring, he says that he turned to a more uplifting version of his art where he also draws the joy and unity in his communities.
When he and Sizzle linked up to collaborate during that time, he thought he could use his skills to help uplift this brand and bring it to the forefront of the many events that saturate the party landscape.
DJ Sizzle doing her thing on stage, giving the crowd the music they went looking for. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
“We are familiar with using the dance floor as a way to kind of put the trauma a little bit away just for one night, get together and completely forget,” said Salgado.
Coming from an undocumented background, Salgado and Sizzle say that their experience with their legal status has made them very aware of how to go about the ID-check process at the door for their events.
“When you’re undocumented, you have something called a [High Security Consular Registration (HSCR)] and it’s kind of like your ID and many of these heterosexual clubs would see that and say it was fake,” said Salgado. “But at the gay club, they didn’t care.”
Just being conscious of what that form of ID looks like and knowing that it’s not fake, helps many of the hundreds of people who come through for Cumbiatón, feel just slightly more at ease.
Edwin Soto, who is another community activist and leader in the undocu-queer community, is also involved in the planning and organizing of the event.
In the long journey of making Cumbiatón what it is now, they say that they have all been very intentional about who they bring in, making sure that whoever they are, they also understand the experience of being undocumented and accepted anyway.
“Something that Sizzle and the team have been very intentional about is making sure that [the security at the door] knows that someone might be using their consulate card,” said Soto.
Bringing together this event space is no easy task, considering the fact that their events are deeply thought out, intentional and inclusive of not just people of color, but also people with differing abilities and people who do not reflect the norm in West Hollywood clubs.
“We created the space that we were longing for that we did not see in West Hollywood,” he said. “[Cumbiatón] is what life could really be like. Where women are not harassed by men. Where people are not body-shamed for what they’re wearing.”
When it comes to their lives outside of Cumbiatón and partying, Sizzle says that it does get exhausting and planning the event gets overwhelming.
“It is really difficult, I’m not going to lie,” said DJ Sizzle. “We are at a disadvantage being queer and being undocumented because this administration triggers us to a point that, anyone who is not a part of those identities or marginalized communities would ever be able to understand,” said Sizzle. “There are times where I’m just like: ‘I’m going to cocoon for a little bit’ and then that affects the marketing and the communication.”
Usually, the events bring in hundreds of people who are looking for community, safety and inclusion. (Photo courtesy of Cumbiatón).
That’s a little bit about what goes on behind the scenes — which really shouldn’t come as a surprise for anyone who is out there fighting for basic human rights, while also making the space to party and enjoy themselves.
“I’m really trying to find balance and honestly my life raft are my friends and my community,” she said. “Like, being able to share, being able to have this plática, and be like ‘bitch, I see you and I know its fucked up, but we got each other.’”
Cumbiatón was made with the purpose of making space to include and invite the many different people in these communities who are otherwise sidelined in broader conversations and in party scenes where they are not as inclusive or thoughtful about their attendees.
“How beautiful is it to be queer and listen to rancheras and to norteñas and cumbia, and to just own it,” said Soto.
To join Cumbiatón at their next party, visit their Instagram page.
Last January, Diego Sandoval’s high school in San Diego County closed abruptly one Friday because of wildfires menacing the Southern California area. Classmates evacuated their homes as the fire spread. Frida Vergara, whose school was among the few in the area that didn’t close, recalls that friends with asthma were coughing and wheezing from the smoke.
It wasn’t the first time the students — both 17-year-old seniors in the Sweetwater Union High School District — saw how extreme weather disrupted learning. A year earlier, floods swamped parts of the county, damaging school buildings and closing one for more than a month. The problem is global: At least 242 million students in 85 countries or territories, or 1 in 7 students, lost education time in 2024 because of heat waves, fires, floods and other disasters, according to UNICEF.
Sandoval and Vergara say the connection between events like these and climate change is clear, and scientists agree: Greenhouse gases are trapping heat in the atmosphere and making disruptive and deadly weather events more common. And the two high schoolers say it’s also apparent who should pay for the damage: fossil fuel companies producing the materials that emit those gases.
That’s why, on Oct. 24, they and hundreds of other students across California plan to lead walkouts at their schools in support of state legislation that would put oil companies on the hook financially for infrastructure damage and other costs associated with the climate crisis. Young people at more than 50 high schools have signed on so far.
Known as the Polluters Pay Climate Superfund Act, the legislation is modeled on a 1980 law, passed in response to the infamous Love Canal disaster, that compels companies to pay to clean up hazardous waste they’ve created. Since 2024, two states — New York and Vermont — have adopted laws similar to the California bill that take the superfund concept and apply it to the climate crisis.
“Youth are now seeing that the ones responsible for this are the ones that are profiting billions of dollars off of climate change,” said Sandoval, who attends Eastlake High School, in Chula Vista.
Related: Want to read more about how climate change is shaping education? Subscribe to our free newsletter.
The California climate bill, introduced in February, lists climate-resilient schools, electric buses, green workforce development and job training as investments that could be covered by the superfund.
But after fierce opposition from the oil and gas industry and the California’s State Building and Construction Trades Council, a union that has often allied with the industry, the bill stalled. Esther Portillo, western environmental health director for the nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council, which supports the bill, said concerns about a major oil refinery closing and about gas prices rising also deterred legislators, including some Democrats.
Dawn Addis, a Democratic assembly member and one of the bill’s authors, said the legislation will continue to be negotiated when the legislative session resumes in January. Supporters have made progress in responding to legislators’ questions about the bill’s details, she said, adding that she was optimistic about its passage. Addis, a former public school teacher, also commended the students and their activism.
“We want obviously students in the classroom learning but this is an extreme situation,” she said. “The effects of the climate crisis are incredibly, incredibly real for kids.”
The Trump administration and a coalition of conservative states led by West Virginia have filed separate lawsuits to block the New York and Vermont laws. The administration’s lawsuitscall the state laws a “brazen attempt to grab power from the federal government and force citizens of other States and nations to foot the bill for its infrastructure wish list.” Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has canceled billions in clean energy projects, proposed rescinding rules that underpin regulation of greenhouse gases, and backed legislation that cut funding for schools to reduce their climate toll.
Like the California bill, the Vermont and New York laws single out the education system. Vermont’s, for example, talks about the fund paying for energy-efficient cooling systems and building upgrades in schools, among other types of buildings.
“This bill is an incredibly important way to provide states with the ability to pay for necessary projects they should be implementing to save lives,” said Kimberly Ong, senior attorney and senior director at the Natural Resources Defense Council, which is representing New York and Vermont in some of the lawsuits.
In California, perhaps more than any other state, the costs to schoolchildren of climate change are mounting quickly. Kids there have already missed more than 54,000 hours of school time so far this year because of extreme weather events, according to an analysis by the nonprofit UndauntedK12, which helps schools green their operations. The Los Angeles Unified School District, which sustained damage in the Palisades Fire in January, says it was forced to set aside $2.2 billion to help pay for repairs.
“Polluter pay bills are interesting and innovative ways to create new revenue for climate adaptation and mitigation without raising taxes on everyone or approving another state bond,” said Jonathan Klein, co-founder of UndauntedK12. “Fossil fuel companies have profited billions of dollars, essentially creating this crisis,” he added, “and they knew what they were doing for decades.”
He noted that it will be important for education groups and students to help ensure that schools are a priority for any revenue that does materialize from such legislation.
Juan Alanis, a Republican state assembly member who voted against the bill when it was before the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, wrote in an email that he was concerned that it unfairly penalized companies that have already contributed money through California’s cap-and-trade program to reduce emissions. “While we all share a bipartisan commitment to combating climate change and protecting Californians from its devastating impacts, AB 1243 takes us down a troubling path of retroactive punishment that creates unnecessary uncertainty for businesses,” he wrote.
His colleague on the committee, assembly member Josh Hoover, called the bill “just another attempt by Sacramento politicians to virtue signal.”
Sandoval and Vergara, the San Diego County students, say they see the influence of Big Oil. Fossil fuel companies spent more than $38 million on lobbying and related activities in California last year, nearly $12 million more than the previous high set in 2017, according to an analysis by Last Chance Alliance, a coalition of environmental, health, climate and labor groups.
Sandoval said that growing up, his schools taught him about the impact of climate change on the environment but little about what he and other students might do to stop it. Getting involved in climate activism has made him see there are steps young people can take beyond, say, using less plastic.
“When I dedicate time to doing this, I know it’s more impactful than, say, my math homework,” he said. “We’re really seeing youth advocate for something that should be so common sense, yet we’re seeing incredible opposition on the other side.”
Contact editor Caroline Preston at 212-870-8965, via Signal at CarolineP.83 or on email at preston@hechingerreport.org.
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
In New Jersey, fewer than half of 6- and 7-year-olds in special education spend the vast majority of their day with their classmates without disabilities. That might change, though, because a state special education advisory group has pledged to examine the issue.
Earlier this year, a Hechinger Report investigation revealed New Jersey is the worst in the nation when it comes to what’s known as inclusion — measured by how often students of all abilities are learning alongside one another in the classroom for at least 80 percent of the day. For young students, specifically, the rate is especially low.
In September, the council that advises New Jersey state education officials on special education issues announced plans to focus on the placement of young children with disabilities this year. It will examine how the state trains educators and administrators and study whether there’s a link between a child’s disability and their placement.
Nationwide, 68 percent of students with disabilities spend at least 80 percent of the school day learning alongside peers without disabilities, according to The Hechinger Report’s analysis of federal data. New Jersey has the lowest rate at 45 percent.
And just 48.5 percent of 6- and 7-year-olds with disabilities in New Jersey spend the vast majority of their day in a general education classroom, compared with nearly three-quarters nationally. Researchers say including those young students is often easier and more beneficial — while observers say the data shows New Jersey isn’t doing enough to protect children’s rights to try learning in inclusive classrooms in their first years of schooling.
Vin Gopal, a New Jersey senator and chair of the state Senate Education Committee, called the statistics “extremely disconcerting” and said they demonstrate that New Jersey must make “fundamental changes.”
“Evidence clearly indicates that students with disabilities, and often general education students as well, benefit profoundly from inclusive educational settings, and understanding that, New Jersey needs to do better,” Gopal, a Democrat who also serves as Senate majority conference leader, said in an email.
Under federal law, students have the right to learn alongside their peers without disabilities as much as possible. Special education experts say most students, especially young ones, can learn in a general education classroom with proper support and accommodations.
New Jersey state Sen. Vin Gopal, a Democrat, is chair of the state Senate Education committee. He’s calling for the state to improve the inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education classroom. Credit: Julio Cortez/AP Photo
Although there are some promising signs of change in New Jersey, advocates and parents say there are still many obstacles at both the state level and at the federal level as the Trump administration continues to target the Department of Education.
One potential factor behind New Jersey’s low inclusion rates: how exactly districts write and enforce individualized education programs, or IEPs. These agreements lay out what kinds of services students are required to receive, and where.
Between 2016 and 2023, state officials determined at least 50 school districts — nearly a third of those monitored — at times failed to justify where they placed students with disabilities, according to a Hechinger Report review of state records. All school districts undergo monitoring every six years in New Jersey, according to state policy.
That’s a violation of New Jersey law, which requires IEP teams — whose members include school officials and educators — to annually review and provide a written explanation for student placements. For example, if a student is assigned to be in a separate classroom, their IEP should spell out why they can’t be taught in an inclusive classroom with additional support. And IEP teams are required to come up with plans to return students to classrooms with peers without disabilities, if possible.
Districts are cited even if there is insufficient documentation in only one student’s IEP, according to Michael Yaple, a spokesperson for the New Jersey Department of Education. In a statement, Yaple said the department is focused on making sure all decisions about a child’s placement “are individualized, federally compliant, and regularly reviewed to promote inclusive opportunities.”
To Gopal, problems with IEPs point to a need for more parental involvement in these decisions and better procedures to help parents object if they disagree about their child’s placement.
“Failure to justify these placements should not be acceptable,” Gopal said. He has long focused on addressing problems with special education in the state, including sponsoring a bill last year to improve communication between schools and parents.
The bill, which was signed into law in the summer, will require districts to provide parents with details about their student’s academic progress ahead of IEP meetings, and it will also require that the state launch a working group to monitor parental involvement.
Efforts to train teachers in how to teach in inclusive classrooms are growing too.
The New Jersey-based nonprofit All in For Inclusive Education received interest from three times as many school districts as it could serve in this year’s round of applications for its New Jersey Inclusion Project program, which provides support to districts looking to improve inclusion rates. About a dozen districts were chosen to receive the training.
Advocates hope rising interest means New Jersey is on the cusp of taking the steps that school leaders in other states have taken to improve inclusion and reduce reliance on separate classrooms.
For example: Hawaii, which once had the nation’s lowest percentage of students with disabilities learning in the general education classroom at least 80 percent of the time, set a goal to improve its inclusion rate to 51 percent by 2020. Over the past decade, Hawaii increased the proportion of students who spend most of their time in general education classes by 10 percentage points to 55.6 percent.
Even if New Jersey does improve its inclusion rates, advocates say it’s important to follow what happens next. For example, federal data has never captured whether students with disabilities are receiving the services and aids they need to thrive in a general education classroom.
State efforts could be even more crucial than before as the White House works to dismantle the federal Department of Education.
In March, the Trump administration laid off half the staff of its civil rights enforcement arm, which in the past typically investigated thousands of complaints annually from students with disabilities. Last week, the Trump administration laid off nearly all employees of the U.S. Department of Education office that makes sure states are providing special education services required under federal law.
The administration has also canceled more than $30 million for 25 special education programs in 14 states, according to Education Week. The letters to those programs cited references to diversity, equity, inclusion and racism in their application materials.
The Education Department did not respond to a request for comment.
Overall, advocates — including Lindsay Kubatzky, director of policy and advocacy at the National Center for Learning Disabilities — worry Trump’s anti-DEI push will worsen efforts to integrate the nation’s 7.5 million students with disabilities in general classrooms.
“We are the ‘I’ in DEI,” Kubatzky said. “If you start attacking diversity, equity and inclusion, you’re, of course, looking at students with disabilities.”
The Hechinger Report provides in-depth, fact-based, unbiased reporting on education that is free to all readers. But that doesn’t mean it’s free to produce. Our work keeps educators and the public informed about pressing issues at schools and on campuses throughout the country. We tell the whole story, even when the details are inconvenient. Help us keep doing that.
