Just after sunrise Saturday, a school bus rolled up to a Sacramento County shopping center, filled with students from H. Allen Hight Elementary School in Natomas.The arriving students – open to experiencing a back-to-school boost – were soon greeted by volunteers eager to assist them on a shopping adventure.“They asked if we could find 70 students that would be willing to go on a shopping spree,” said the school’s principal, Andrea Mitchell. “We said, ‘Of course. We’ll find students.’”Mitchell explained how she and her staff selected students for the spree.“We looked into some of the students who we thought could benefit most,” she said. “We called those parents, and they said yes, and here we are.”The organizations that invited the students on the outing are the two Active 20-30 Clubs of Sacramento – Men’s Chapter No. 1 & Women’s Chapter No. 1032. The groups partnered for the annual event that is now in its 45th year.“We’re just excited to be able to help these kids start the school year with confidence,” said Chris Marshall of the Men’s Chapter No. 1 Active 20-30 Club. “It’s important for us as a group to make sure that kids that might seem unseen, feel seen.”The event also provided kids with backpacks, toiletries, school supplies, haircuts, hot breakfasts and outdoor activities.“It’s our duty to privilege and our platform to help those who need our help the most,” Marshall said. Natomas Unified School District donated that school bus to get students to and from their shopping spree. A day organizers hope will give the students a sense of how much their community cares for them.“They kept saying, ‘Why did you pick us?’” Mitchell said. “And we said, ‘Because you deserve it!’”For more information about the Active 20-30 Clubs or to assist with their mission of helping local youth, visit this link.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Just after sunrise Saturday, a school bus rolled up to a Sacramento County shopping center, filled with students from H. Allen Hight Elementary School in Natomas.
The arriving students – open to experiencing a back-to-school boost – were soon greeted by volunteers eager to assist them on a shopping adventure.
“They asked if we could find 70 students that would be willing to go on a shopping spree,” said the school’s principal, Andrea Mitchell. “We said, ‘Of course. We’ll find students.’”
Mitchell explained how she and her staff selected students for the spree.
“We looked into some of the students who we thought could benefit most,” she said. “We called those parents, and they said yes, and here we are.”
The organizations that invited the students on the outing are the two Active 20-30 Clubs of Sacramento – Men’s Chapter No. 1 & Women’s Chapter No. 1032. The groups partnered for the annual event that is now in its 45th year.
“We’re just excited to be able to help these kids start the school year with confidence,” said Chris Marshall of the Men’s Chapter No. 1 Active 20-30 Club. “It’s important for us as a group to make sure that kids that might seem unseen, feel seen.”
The event also provided kids with backpacks, toiletries, school supplies, haircuts, hot breakfasts and outdoor activities.
“It’s our duty to privilege and our platform to help those who need our help the most,” Marshall said.
Natomas Unified School District donated that school bus to get students to and from their shopping spree. A day organizers hope will give the students a sense of how much their community cares for them.
“They kept saying, ‘Why did you pick us?’” Mitchell said. “And we said, ‘Because you deserve it!’”
For more information about the Active 20-30 Clubs or to assist with their mission of helping local youth, visit this link.
THE EVENT. LISA. SO WE ARE HEARING FROM MORE PEOPLE WHO WERE AT THAT RALLY TODAY. KCRA 3’S ANAHITA JAFARY IS IN THE NEWSROOM WITH WHAT THEY SAW. YEAH. CURTIS. LISA, FEAR IS THE WORD ECHOING ACROSS UTAH VALLEY UNIVERSITY. STUDENTS TELL ME THEY NEVER THOUGHT THEY’D EXPERIENCE SOMETHING LIKE THIS AT THEIR SCHOOL. ONE STUDENT TELLS US SHE FELT THE EVENT WASN’T VERY SECURE, SAYING SHE DIDN’T NOTICE MANY SAFETY MEASURES IN PLACE. ESPECIALLY WITH HOW PACKED IT WAS NOT ONLY WITH STUDENTS, BUT FAMILIES, LARGE CROWDS, AND EVEN PROTESTERS. ONE COUPLE WE SPOKE WITH SAYS THE LOUD BANG DIDN’T SOUND LIKE A GUNSHOT AT FIRST, BUT ONCE PEOPLE STARTED SHOUTING AND RUNNING, THEY KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG. HERE’S WHAT THEY REMEMBER FROM THOSE TERRIFYING MOMENTS. WE’RE JUST TALKING FOR A LITTLE BIT, AND WE HEARD A BIG LOUD. WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE. AND AT FIRST I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A GUNSHOT. I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE LIKE A SOMEONE. I DON’T KNOW, SETTING OFF LIKE A FIREWORK OR SOMETHING. I DON’T KNOW. BUT EVERYONE STARTED RUNNING AND WE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THAT THEY SAW BLOOD. AND SO THAT’S WHEN IT STARTED TO GET SCARY. SO WE WERE RUNNING OUT OF THERE. IT WAS KIND OF LIKE A SKETCHY ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIKE METAL DETECTORS OR ANYTHING. LIKE PEOPLE COULD JUST WALK IN. AND SO THERE WERE A LOT OF FAMILIES THERE TO. BUT AFTER WE HEARD IT, I WAS SO SCARED. I DIDN’T THINK, I DIDN’T WANT TO THINK IT WAS A GUN OR A SHOOTING. BUT I REALIZED, LIKE, THERE WAS NO WAY IT WASN’T GOING TO BE, THAT. STUDENTS SAY THEY’RE NOW UNEASY ABOUT RETURNING TO CAMPUS AND UNCERTAIN ABOUT WHAT THE UNIVERSITY WILL DECIDE FOR UPCOMING CLASSES. LIVE IN THE NEWSROOM. I’M ANAHITA JAFARY KCRA THREE NEWS. THANK YOU. AND HERE IS MORE ABOUT CHARLIE KIRK, THE CONSERVATIVE ACTIVIST WAS 31 YEARS OLD, A FATHER OF TWO. HE FOUNDED TURNING POINT USA IN 2012. THE NONPROFIT ADVOCATES FOR CONSERVATIVE POLITICS ON HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, AND PRESIDENT TRUMP CREDITED KIRK AND HIS GROUP FOR GALVANIZING A
Utah college where Charlie Kirk was killed is a lesser-known school but the state’s largest
The Utah college where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday is the state’s largest public university after years of rapid enrollment growth, but is lesser known than other colleges in the state.Related video above: Utah Valley University students recount terror after the assassination of Charlie KirkUtah Valley University was founded under a different name in 1941 as a vocational school focused on providing war production training. It didn’t begin offering four-year degrees until the 1990s, a move that fueled a fivefold increase in enrollment over the next three decades. It now has nearly 47,000 students, according to the university website.Nearly nine out of 10 students at the school in Orem are from Utah, and 18% of students are 25 years old or older. Business and psychology are among the most popular majors.Utah Valley University’s campus is right off a major highway about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, where the state’s flagship school, the University of Utah, is located.Utah Valley is also just a few miles away from Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.Related video below: Witness to assassination of Charlie Kirk recounts chaosUtah is one of 14 states that allow some level of concealed carry of firearms on public college and university campuses. FBI Director Kash Patel initially said on social media that a “subject” had been taken into custody, only to later say that the person had been released after being questioned.A person of interest in Wednesday’s shooting was in custody, officials said, but no information has been released about whether that person was legally carrying a weapon.The Utah Valley University Wolverines have several athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball teams that play in the Western Athletic Conference.Related video below: Utah officials give first news conference after Charlie Kirk shooting
SALT LAKE CITY —
The Utah college where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot Wednesday is the state’s largest public university after years of rapid enrollment growth, but is lesser known than other colleges in the state.
Related video above: Utah Valley University students recount terror after the assassination of Charlie Kirk
Utah Valley University was founded under a different name in 1941 as a vocational school focused on providing war production training. It didn’t begin offering four-year degrees until the 1990s, a move that fueled a fivefold increase in enrollment over the next three decades. It now has nearly 47,000 students, according to the university website.
Nearly nine out of 10 students at the school in Orem are from Utah, and 18% of students are 25 years old or older. Business and psychology are among the most popular majors.
Utah Valley University’s campus is right off a major highway about 40 miles south of Salt Lake City, where the state’s flagship school, the University of Utah, is located.
Utah Valley is also just a few miles away from Brigham Young University, which is owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, known widely as the Mormon church.
Related video below: Witness to assassination of Charlie Kirk recounts chaos
Utah is one of 14 states that allow some level of concealed carry of firearms on public college and university campuses. FBI Director Kash Patel initially said on social media that a “subject” had been taken into custody, only to later say that the person had been released after being questioned.
A person of interest in Wednesday’s shooting was in custody, officials said, but no information has been released about whether that person was legally carrying a weapon.
The Utah Valley University Wolverines have several athletic teams, including men’s and women’s basketball teams that play in the Western Athletic Conference.
Related video below: Utah officials give first news conference after Charlie Kirk shooting
OLYMPIA, Wash. – According to the results from Spring 2025 state assessments in Washington State released Wednesday, student performance in math and English language arts (ELA) continues to improve.
The tests, administered in grades 3–8 and 10, are required under federal law and measure whether students are on track for college-level coursework without needing remediation.
This year’s results show that 71% of students demonstrated at least foundational grade-level knowledge in ELA, while 63% met that mark in math, with gains recorded across all tested grades in math and most grades in ELA.
Looking ahead, Washington will focus on modernizing math instruction to better align with workforce needs.
DENVER (AP) — Three teens have been hospitalized in critical condition after a shooting at a suburban Denver high school, authorities said Wednesday.
The shooting happened around midday at Evergreen High School in Evergreen, about 30 miles west of Denver, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jacki Kelley said.
All those taken to the hospital are believed to be students, Kelley said. She did not immediately have details on their injuries.
All three teens were either in the emergency room or undergoing surgery as of mid-afternoon at St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood, Colorado, CEO Kevin Cullinan said. He said he does not believe there were any other victims from the shooting.
It is not clear who the shooter was or how many shooters may have been involved in the shooting, Kelley said.
Over 100 police officers from around the Denver area rushed to the school to try to help, Kelley said. The sheriff’s office is the same agency that responded to the school shooting at the 1999 Columbine High School shooting that killed 14 people, including a woman who died earlier this year of complications from her injuries in the shooting.
This image provided by Pierce County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025 shows weapons seized from the home of a 13-year-old boy in Pierce County, Wa., who authorities said had appeared to idolize school shooters. (Pierce County Sheriff’s Office via AP)
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A 13-year-old boy described by police as obsessed with school shooters was arrested on multiple firearms possession charges and causing a threat after they say they found social media posts about intentions to kill and seized 23 guns and ammunition from his home.
The boy pleaded not guilty to a total of five charges, four of them felonies, in juvenile court on Monday. He was arrested over the weekend in Washington’s Pierce County.
The boy’s name has not been released. It was not immediately known if he had a lawyer. Juvenile court records are generally confidential.
Firearms were mounted on walls and handguns were found unsecured throughout the home, sheriff’s Deputy Carly Cappetto said in a news release Monday.
“Several pieces of evidence from the suspect’s bedroom indicated he was obsessed with past school shooters and imitated similar behaviors with photos and inscriptions throughout his room,” she said. Loaded magazines with school shooter writings on them were removed.
“It appeared the suspect had everything ready to go to commit a mass shooting type of incident. It is unknown who or what the intended target was going to be, but it’s clear it was a matter of time before a tragic incident occurred,” Cappetto said.
The boy’s parents said their son had no intention of harming anyone. His mother, who attended the court hearing, suggested in an interview afterward that the social media posts were an attempt to “be cool” among peers, KOMO-TV reported.
Cappetto said the boy was last enrolled in the Franklin Pierce School District in 2021. He was currently unenrolled and was not currently an active student in any school district.
Denver Public Schools has not complied with the Trump administration’s request that the district convert all multi-stall, all-gender bathrooms in its schools into separate facilities for female and male students by the agency’s Monday deadline.
In a five-page response dated Sunday, DPS general counsel Kristin Bailey accused the U.S. Department of Education’sOffice of Civil Rights of “intransigence,” a failure to adequately communicate and a “startling” lack of clarity surrounding the alleged Title IX violation levied against the school district.
“We write to rebut the stated presumption that the District and the Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) are at an impasse,” Bailey wrote. “We are not. In fact, as the District has shared throughout this Directed Investigation, we want to discuss resolution options with OCR, and at this stage, the District remains interested in doing so.”
Education Department representatives did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Denver Post on Monday.
DPS Superintendent Alex Marrero issued a statement the following day, vowing to protect Denver students and families from an administration hostile to the LGBTQ community.
The department’s Office of Civil Rights said DPS’s all-gender restrooms violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, enacted to allow girls and women to participate in educational activities in school, including sports, without sexual harassment.
The office gave the district 10 days to agree to a proposed resolution — which included converting all-gender restrooms back to single-sex facilities — or “risk imminent enforcement action.”
The findings come after the Education Department announced in January that it was investigating DPS over the East High’s conversion of a girls restroom into a bathroom for all genders last academic year.
The Denver high school created the gender-neutral bathroom at the request of students who wanted another facility, choosing to convert a girls bathroom because it was more cost-effective, district officials said.
The all-gender bathroom has stalls that offer more privacy than other facilities, with 12-foot walls that nearly reach the ceiling and metal blocks that prevent people from seeing through.
In response to the January investigation, East High recently renovated a boys bathroom into a second all-gender restroom — a move the district said it made to address any disparity. The district has two other all-gender facilities, at the Denver School of the Arts and the Career Education Center Early College.
In the federal agency’s letter alleging DPS violated Title IX, the Education Department also said the Denver district created “a hostile environment for its students by endangering their safety, privacy and dignity” through its use of all-gender restrooms.
The Trump administration has repeatedly threatened to cut K-12 and higher education funding from schools with policies that the federal government calls discriminatory, particularly those that relate to gender identity, the LGBTQ community and race.
Bailey argued in Sunday’s response that the Office of Civil Rights failed to articulate what about the gender-neutral restrooms constituted a Title IX violation and what possible remedies existed despite multiple requests by the district for further discussion.
The accusation of a “hostile environment,” Bailey wrote, was new.
“This new and different allegation has never been discussed and raises a host of new questions in addition to those that have been unanswered throughout the process thus far,” Bailey wrote. “If OCR can provide a more precise articulation, based in fact, of the reasons it purports to have sufficient evidence to support a legal conclusion that the bathroom created a hostile environment, it may prompt an appropriate resolution to this matter.”
The district requested to engage in a 90-day resolution negotiation period.
Americans are famous for our creative dissents against taxes — just take the Boston Tea Party. Last week, a New Jersey man carried on the tradition at a town meeting by dancing to express his response to a property tax hike.In a video livestreamed on Cranford TV-35, Will Thilly, a candidate for the Cranford township committee, gets out of his seat and dances his way up to the podium. An official tells him, “I started your time,” and Thilly holds up his finger as he continues dancing.He pauses to grab a bottle of water and pieces of paper before asking the audience about their weekends. “Did you know I could do the backspin? Anybody?” he says. “Wanna see me do the backspin? No? I’m gonna do the backspin.”After proceeding to do so and unsuccessfully motioning for the audience to applaud, Thilly jumps into his remarks.”Well, why did our taxes go up so much? We were told the referendum was going to bring it up for an average household about $400,” he says. “And mine went up, like, 900 bucks. I think we were told, like, that was from the schools or something? But the school referendum said it would only go up, like I said, 400 bucks on an average assessed home.””So I wanted to know why it went up, if it did much more than that,” he goes on. “And what extra expenses were incurred by the schools that weren’t told to the public when we voted on that referendum?”Thilly then moonwalks back to his seat.”Thank you, Mr. Thilly,” Cranford Mayor Terrence Curran then says, according to NBC. “I like the interpretative dance.”Cranford is a town of less than 25,000 people as of the 2020 census, located 18 miles southwest of Manhattan. Thilly’s campaign website says he is running to “tell you the truth, to fight for what you need, and to defend our Town and schools,” explaining that he opposes “$150 million in 30-year tax exemptions to billionaire developers” for a development in his town.
Americans are famous for our creative dissents against taxes — just take the Boston Tea Party. Last week, a New Jersey man carried on the tradition at a town meeting by dancing to express his response to a property tax hike.
In a video livestreamed on Cranford TV-35, Will Thilly, a candidate for the Cranford township committee, gets out of his seat and dances his way up to the podium. An official tells him, “I started your time,” and Thilly holds up his finger as he continues dancing.
He pauses to grab a bottle of water and pieces of paper before asking the audience about their weekends.
“Did you know I could do the backspin? Anybody?” he says. “Wanna see me do the backspin? No? I’m gonna do the backspin.”
After proceeding to do so and unsuccessfully motioning for the audience to applaud, Thilly jumps into his remarks.
“Well, why did our taxes go up so much? We were told the referendum was going to bring it up for an average household about $400,” he says. “And mine went up, like, 900 bucks. I think we were told, like, that was from the schools or something? But the school referendum said it would only go up, like I said, 400 bucks on an average assessed home.”
“So I wanted to know why it went up, if it did much more than that,” he goes on. “And what extra expenses were incurred by the schools that weren’t told to the public when we voted on that referendum?”
Thilly then moonwalks back to his seat.
“Thank you, Mr. Thilly,” Cranford Mayor Terrence Curran then says, according to NBC. “I like the interpretative dance.”
Cranford is a town of less than 25,000 people as of the 2020 census, located 18 miles southwest of Manhattan. Thilly’s campaign website says he is running to “tell you the truth, to fight for what you need, and to defend our Town and schools,” explaining that he opposes “$150 million in 30-year tax exemptions to billionaire developers” for a development in his town.
Nearly 100 parents and students gathered at Thursday’s Sacramento City Unified School District board meeting to protest the removal of Jeanine Rupert, a sixth-grade teacher at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School.The removal comes after an incident at the end of last school year, when Rupert and her students removed old carpeting from her classroom, which may have contained asbestos. “She was removed from the classroom without due process, without cause. And secretly!” James Frazee, a parent at the meeting, said. “This was done on a Friday before a three-day weekend, and told she can’t show up. And this is allegedly over pulling up carpet.”Parents and students spoke in support of Rupert, describing her as an incredible teacher and role model.”I think it’s a horrible loss for our school to lose her,” one student said.”Mrs. Rupert has been the leader. She’s been an absolute joy to the school,” a parent added. “She’s been somebody who’s constantly helping our students, not just in the classroom, but outside the classroom.”Another student expressed deep admiration for their teacher.”I personally think that Mrs. Rupert was just one of the most magical teachers, maybe in the history of the world,” they said.The district claims Rupert was removed after the carpet was taken out, but stated: “The District’s fact-gathering and investigation into the matter were just completed earlier this week. The determination was made that none of the asbestos tiles underneath the classroom carpet had been damaged when students were present. The removal of the carpet did not cause a disturbance that would cause exposure to asbestos.Nonetheless, now that the investigation is complete, District staff will begin the process of reaching out to individual families to reassure them of their student’s safety and provide any necessary support.”Rupert’s father attended the meeting, sharing that his daughter has been devastated by her removal. “She tried to get it replaced for five years, and she decided to take it on her own. She’s torn up. She’s given her life to Phoebe Hearst,” said Tim O’Brien, Rupert’s father.Many families are confused by the district’s handling of the situation. “It blows the mind to think that somebody would be removed for something like that. She has a track record of excellence in the classroom,” one parent said.”I can’t believe that she’s getting fired for one carpet. That doesn’t make any sense to me,” a student added.Community members organized quickly after the district changed Thursday night’s meeting time. Organizers were expected to give public comment at 6 p.m.”It was around 4 o’clock when it was supposed to be at 5,” one attendee said.”It was a complete lack of transparency because it was unclear when we were supposed to be able to come and speak,” another person at the meeting added.The district stated that Rupert was not fired and remains employed, but parents reported receiving an email from Principal Brooke Fahey indicating she has been replaced by another teacher set to start on Sept. 8. The district says, “Mrs. Rupert will be teaching at a different school this year.” KCRA posed multiple follow-up questions to the district regarding the situation, including where Rupert will be teaching, and has yet to hear back. See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Nearly 100 parents and students gathered at Thursday’s Sacramento City Unified School District board meeting to protest the removal of Jeanine Rupert, a sixth-grade teacher at Phoebe A. Hearst Elementary School.
The removal comes after an incident at the end of last school year, when Rupert and her students removed old carpeting from her classroom, which may have contained asbestos.
“She was removed from the classroom without due process, without cause. And secretly!” James Frazee, a parent at the meeting, said. “This was done on a Friday before a three-day weekend, and told she can’t show up. And this is allegedly over pulling up carpet.”
Parents and students spoke in support of Rupert, describing her as an incredible teacher and role model.
“I think it’s a horrible loss for our school to lose her,” one student said.
“Mrs. Rupert has been the leader. She’s been an absolute joy to the school,” a parent added. “She’s been somebody who’s constantly helping our students, not just in the classroom, but outside the classroom.”
Another student expressed deep admiration for their teacher.
“I personally think that Mrs. Rupert was just one of the most magical teachers, maybe in the history of the world,” they said.
The district claims Rupert was removed after the carpet was taken out, but stated:
“The District’s fact-gathering and investigation into the matter were just completed earlier this week. The determination was made that none of the asbestos tiles underneath the classroom carpet had been damaged when students were present. The removal of the carpet did not cause a disturbance that would cause exposure to asbestos.
Nonetheless, now that the investigation is complete, District staff will begin the process of reaching out to individual families to reassure them of their student’s safety and provide any necessary support.”
Rupert’s father attended the meeting, sharing that his daughter has been devastated by her removal.
“She tried to get it replaced for five years, and she decided to take it on her own. She’s torn up. She’s given her life to Phoebe Hearst,” said Tim O’Brien, Rupert’s father.
Many families are confused by the district’s handling of the situation.
“It blows the mind to think that somebody would be removed for something like that. She has a track record of excellence in the classroom,” one parent said.
“I can’t believe that she’s getting fired for one carpet. That doesn’t make any sense to me,” a student added.
Community members organized quickly after the district changed Thursday night’s meeting time. Organizers were expected to give public comment at 6 p.m.
“It was around 4 o’clock when it was supposed to be at 5,” one attendee said.
“It was a complete lack of transparency because it was unclear when we were supposed to be able to come and speak,” another person at the meeting added.
The district stated that Rupert was not fired and remains employed, but parents reported receiving an email from Principal Brooke Fahey indicating she has been replaced by another teacher set to start on Sept. 8.
The district says, “Mrs. Rupert will be teaching at a different school this year.”
KCRA posed multiple follow-up questions to the district regarding the situation, including where Rupert will be teaching, and has yet to hear back.
Back-to-school season arrives every year with a mixed bag of emotions for most educators, including anticipation and excitement, but also anxiety. The opportunity to catch up with friendly colleagues and the reward of helping students connect with material also comes with concern about how best to present and communicate that material in a way that resonates with a new classroom.
An annual challenge for K-12 educators is creating a syllabus that engages students and will be used throughout the year to mutual benefit rather than tucked in a folder and forgotten about. Today’s digital transformation can be a means for educators to create a more dynamic and engaging syllabus that meets students’ and parents’ needs.
While it can be overwhelming to think about learning any new education technology, the good news about a digital syllabi is that anyone who’s sent a digital calendar invite has already done most of the technical-learning legwork. The more prescient task will be learning the best practices that engage students and enable deeper learning throughout the year.
Step one: Ditch the PDFs and print-outs
Creating a syllabus that works begins with educators stepping into the shoes of their students. K-12 classrooms are full of students who are oriented around the digital world. Where textbooks and binders were once the tools of the trade for students, laptops and iPads have largely taken over. This creates an opportunity for teachers to create more dynamic syllabi via digital calendars, rather than printed off or static PDFs with lists of dates, deadlines, and relevant details that will surely change as the year progresses. In fact, many learning management systems (LMS) already have useful calendar features for this reason. Again, teachers need only know the best way to use them. The digital format offers flexibility and connectivity that old-school syllabi simply can’t hold a candle to.
Tips for creating an effective digital syllabus
Classroom settings and imperatives can vary wildly, and so can the preferences of individual educators. Optimization in this case is in the eye of the beholder, but consider a few ideas that may wind up on your personal best practices list for building out your digital syllabus every year around this time:
Make accessing the most up-to-date version of the syllabus as frictionless as possible for students and parents. Don’t attach your syllabus as a static PDF buried in an LMS. Instead, opt-in to the calendar most LMS platforms offer for the mutual benefit of educators, students, and parents. To maximize engagement and efficiency, teachers can create a subscription calendar in addition or as an alternative to the LMS calendar. Subscription calendars create a live link between the course syllabus and students’ and/or parents’ own digital calendar ecosystem, such as Google Calendar or Outlook. Instead of logging into the LMS to check upcoming dates, assignments, or project deadlines, the information becomes more accessible as it integrates into their monthly, weekly, and daily schedules, mitigating the chance of a missed assignment or even parent-teacher conference. Students and parents only have to opt-in to these calendars once at the beginning of the academic year, but any of the inevitable changes and updates to the syllabus throughout the year are reflected immediately in their personal calendar, making it simpler and easier for educators to ensure no important date is ever missed. While few LMS offer this option within the platform, subscription calendar links are like any hyperlink–easy to share in emails, LMS message notifications, and more.
Leverage the calendar description feature. Virtually every digital calendar provides an option to include a description. This is where educators should include assignment details, such as which textbook pages to read, links to videos or course material, grading rubrics, or more.
Color-code calendar invitations for visual information processors. Support different types of information processors in the classroom by taking the time to color-code the syllabus. For example, purple for project deadlines, red for big exams, yellow for homework assignment due dates. Consistency and routine are key, especially for younger students and busy parents. Color-coding, or even the consistent naming and formatting of events and deadlines, can make a large impact on students meeting deadlines.
Encourage further classroom engagement by integrating digital syllabus “Easter eggs.” Analog syllabi often contain Easter eggs that reward students who read it all the way through. Digital syllabi can include similar engaging surprises, but they’re easy to add throughout the year. Hide extra-credit opportunities in the description of an assignment deadline or add an invitation for last-minute office hours ahead of a big quiz or exam. It could be as simple as a prompt for students to draw their favorite animal at the bottom of an assignment for an extra credit point. If students are aware that these opportunities could creep up in the calendar, it keeps them engaged and perhaps strengthens the habit of checking their classroom syllabus.
While the start of the new school year is the perfect time to introduce a digital syllabus into the classroom, it’s important for educators to keep their own bandwidth and comfortability in mind. Commit to one semester with a digital syllabus and spend time learning the basic features and note how the classroom responds. From there, layer in more advanced features or functionality that helps students without being cumbersome to manage. Over time, educators will learn what works best for them, their students and parents, and the digital syllabus will be a classroom tool that simplifies classroom management and drives more engagement year-round.
Joep Leussink, AddEvent
Joep Leussink is the Head of Growth at AddEvent, a San Francisco-based platform that provides event and calendar marketing solutions. With a proven track record in driving growth for B2B SaaS companies from Series B to post-IPO, Joep leverages his expertise in demand generation and growth marketing to make AddEvent known and accessible to everyone.
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A Florida State linebacker is in critical but stable condition after being shot while visiting family, the Seminoles said Monday.Ethan Pritchard, a 6-foot-2, 224-pound freshman from Sanford, was in intensive care at a Tallahassee-area hospital. He was shot Sunday evening while inside a vehicle outside apartments in Havana, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.“The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time,” FSU said in a statement. “Further updates will be provided as they are available.”Pritchard did not play in Florida State’s season opener, a 31-17 victory Saturday over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
A Florida State linebacker is in critical but stable condition after being shot while visiting family, the Seminoles said Monday.
Ethan Pritchard, a 6-foot-2, 224-pound freshman from Sanford, was in intensive care at a Tallahassee-area hospital. He was shot Sunday evening while inside a vehicle outside apartments in Havana, according to the Gadsden County Sheriff’s Office.
“The Pritchard family is thankful for the support from so many people, as well as the care from first responders and medical professionals, and asks that their privacy be respected at this time,” FSU said in a statement. “Further updates will be provided as they are available.”
Pritchard did not play in Florida State’s season opener, a 31-17 victory Saturday over No. 8 Alabama in Tallahassee.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the educational landscape, teachers have a unique opportunity to model how to use it responsibly, creatively, and strategically.
Rather than viewing AI as a threat or distraction, we can reframe it as a tool for empowerment and efficiency–one that allows us to meet student needs in more personalized, inclusive, and imaginative ways. Whether you’re an AI beginner or already experimenting with generative tools, here are five ways to infuse AI into your classroom this school year:
1. Co-plan lessons with an AI assistant
AI platforms like ChatGPT, Eduaide.ai, and MagicSchool.ai can generate lesson frameworks aligned to standards, differentiate tasks for diverse learners, and offer fresh ideas for student engagement. Teachers can even co-create activities with students by prompting AI together in real time.
Try this: Ask your AI assistant to create a standards-aligned lesson that includes a formative check and a scaffold for ELLs–then adjust to your style and class needs.
2. Personalize feedback without the time drain
AI can streamline your feedback process by suggesting draft comments on student work based on rubrics you provide. This is particularly helpful for writing-intensive courses or project-based learning.
Ethical reminder: Always review and personalize AI-generated feedback to maintain professional judgment and student trust.
3. Support multilingual learners in real time
AI tools like Google Translate, Microsoft Immersive Reader, and Read&Write can help bridge language gaps by offering simplified texts, translated materials, and visual vocabulary support.
Even better: Teach students to use these tools independently to foster agency and access.
4. Teach AI literacy as a 21st-century skill
Students are already using AI–let’s teach them to use it well. Dedicate time to discuss how AI works, how to prompt effectively, and how to critically evaluate its outputs for bias, credibility, and accuracy.
Try this mini-lesson: “3 Prompts, 3 Results.” Have students input the same research question into three AI tools and compare the results for depth, accuracy, and tone.
5. Automate the tedious–refocus on relationships
From generating rubrics and newsletters to drafting permission slips and analyzing formative assessment data, AI can reduce the clerical load. This frees up your most valuable resource: time.
Pro tip: Use AI to pre-write behavior plans, follow-up emails, or even lesson exit ticket summaries.
The future of AI
AI won’t replace teachers–but teachers who learn how to use AI thoughtfully may find themselves with more energy, better tools, and deeper student engagement than ever before. As the school year begins, let’s lead by example and embrace AI not as a shortcut, but as a catalyst for growth.
Timothy Montalvo, Iona University
Timothy Montalvo is an educator passionate about leveraging technology to enhance student learning outcomes. With over a decade of experience in social studies education, he is dedicated to preparing students for active citizenship in the digital age. He currently serves as a Middle School Assistant Principal in Westchester, NY and an adjunct professor of education at Iona University in New York. He can be reached on Twitter/X @MrMontalvoEDU.
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Brevard Public Schools showcased several programs at local schools meant to get students on a faster path to a career in medicine, engineering, culinary arts and even space.WESH 2 got an exclusive look at the career-centered programs giving these students hands-on experience to do crucial jobs.“I love this program, I wish my parents would have had this growing up,” senior Madison Fostvedt said.Her parents are both in the medical field. She’s part of the nursing program at Melbourne High School. It recently partnered with Health First to streamline students directly to jobs at their hospitals.“I’m gonna apply at Holmes Regional to start as a CNA,” Fostvedt said. “Then I’m gonna go to Eastern Florida or Keiser to start getting my nursing degree.”Over in the kitchen, the culinary program at Melbourne High has students catering local events. They whipped up some chocolate chip cookies and bananas Foster on Thursday.We then went to Palm Bay Magnet High School. Students in their fire academy practice search and rescue, and later this year, students like Bryce Medina will have an opportunity to complete a live burn for the first time.”This gives you a jumpstart more than anyone just joining,” Medina said. “It’s a great opportunity.”The school also has an engineering program that partners with NASA. It’s called the HUNCH program: High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware. It was one of NASA’s first engineering programs in Brevard County.”You see the big companies like SpaceX. You see big companies like Blue Origin– not just NASA jobs but commercial jobs because we are changing the way information moves right here in Brevard County,” Congressman Mike Haridopolos said. “These students are gonna have a bright future because high-paying jobs are waiting for them.”Congressman Haridopolos toured the programs on Thursday to see the impact of public dollars going toward our students.”To have this hands-on training, learning firsthand from the professionals who actually do it, really remarkable thing,” Haridopolos said.VyStar Credit Union is also partnering with the district to bring a business program to Melbourne High School.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. —
Brevard Public Schools showcased several programs at local schools meant to get students on a faster path to a career in medicine, engineering, culinary arts and even space.
WESH 2 got an exclusive look at the career-centered programs giving these students hands-on experience to do crucial jobs.
“I love this program, I wish my parents would have had this growing up,” senior Madison Fostvedt said.
Her parents are both in the medical field. She’s part of the nursing program at Melbourne High School. It recently partnered with Health First to streamline students directly to jobs at their hospitals.
“I’m gonna apply at Holmes Regional to start as a CNA,” Fostvedt said. “Then I’m gonna go to Eastern Florida or Keiser to start getting my nursing degree.”
Over in the kitchen, the culinary program at Melbourne High has students catering local events. They whipped up some chocolate chip cookies and bananas Foster on Thursday.
We then went to Palm Bay Magnet High School. Students in their fire academy practice search and rescue, and later this year, students like Bryce Medina will have an opportunity to complete a live burn for the first time.
“This gives you a jumpstart more than anyone just joining,” Medina said. “It’s a great opportunity.”
The school also has an engineering program that partners with NASA. It’s called the HUNCH program: High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware. It was one of NASA’s first engineering programs in Brevard County.
“You see the big companies like SpaceX. You see big companies like Blue Origin– not just NASA jobs but commercial jobs because we are changing the way information moves right here in Brevard County,” Congressman Mike Haridopolos said. “These students are gonna have a bright future because high-paying jobs are waiting for them.”
Congressman Haridopolos toured the programs on Thursday to see the impact of public dollars going toward our students.
“To have this hands-on training, learning firsthand from the professionals who actually do it, really remarkable thing,” Haridopolos said.
VyStar Credit Union is also partnering with the district to bring a business program to Melbourne High School.
Another school shooting has unfolded, this time in Minnesota, as a new school year gets underway in many towns and cities across the United States.
Two children — an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old — were killed and 17 others, including 14 children, were hurt when a gunman opened fire through the windows of a church during a Mass service at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning, according to Minneapolis Police.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gunman was in his early 20s and armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. O’Hara told reporters at a press conference that police believe the shooter fired from all three weapons.
The suspect died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said, adding that they are still investigating a possible motive behind the attack.
Law enforcement officers set up barriers after a shooting at Annunciation Church, which is also home to a an elementary school, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 27, 2025.
People gather at a vigil tonight at Lynnhurst Park after a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis.
Bruce Kluckhohn/AP
Read on to see six tips from experts on how to discuss school shootings with kids.
1. Be proactive in talking with kids.
Dr. Mona Potter, a board-certified child and adolescent psychiatrist, said that when a tragedy happens, parents should “avoid avoiding” when it comes to talking about it with their kids.
“Rather than try to protect them, it’s really important to think about how do we prepare them for the world,” Potter told ABC News. “And that’s going to be different for the little ones, from the middle schoolers, from the high schoolers, but really being attuned to what your kids need, and making sure that you’re encouraging brave behaviors. Break it down into small steps and really encourage them to take on the world, and help them feel like you trust them and you know that they can do it.”
Dr. Deborah Gilboa, a board-certified family physician and resilience expert, also said parents and caregivers should consider their child’s age and situation when deciding how to talk with them about events like school shootings.
“The first thing to think about is how old is my kid, and are they gonna hear about [the school shooting] anyway,” Gilboa told “Good Morning America” in 2023, after six people were killed at The Covenant School in Nashville. “So if they’re going to hear about it anyway, or they’re over the age of 8, it’s an important conversation to know how to have with your child.”
Gilboa said parents and caregivers can start the conversation with a question, like, “Have you heard about this?”
The next step, according to Gilboa, is to thoughtfully listen to a child’s reply.
“We really listen to their answer before we flood them with more information,” Gilboa said, adding that adults should refrain from telling kids how or how not to feel. “[Telling a child] ‘there’s nothing to be afraid of,’ doesn’t really help.”
2. Be truthful about what happened.
Dr. Melissa Brymer, director of terrorism and disaster programs at the UCLA-Duke National Center for Child Traumatic Stress, said parents and caregivers should be truthful with kids in an age-appropriate way.
“For our young kids, they don’t need to have all the details,” Brymer told ABC News in 2022. “Many times they’re going to be worried about their safety, your safety as a parent or caregiver or their family members’ safety, so we want to reiterate what’s being done to help them right now.”
Brymer said parents should be prepared for teenagers to want a “much more in-depth conversation.”
“How do we talk about what this event has meant that might have impacted our value system?” Brymer said of a potential conversation starter with a teen. “Can you encourage your kids to think about is there a club or some type of activity that they can do within their schools to show and create change? In these times, many of us start to feel lonely. How do we reach out to those that might not have someone in their life?”
3. Take care of yourself as a parent or caregiver.
Gilboa said the “first step” a parent or caregiver should take before talking with a child is to make sure their own emotions are in check and that they feel supported too.
“We can’t come to our kids and have the conversation if we’re a wreck,” Gilboa said. “Then, they’re going to feel like they need to take care of us.”
Brymer also suggested parents and caregivers take a “pause” so they can be ready to talk to their kids.
“Sometimes we don’t have the words right away,” Brymer said. “We might need to reach out to our own support systems and have those conversations, and then we can have them with our kids.”
If a child’s stress levels or response to a mass shooting are hard to manage, experts say parents and caregivers shouldn’t hesitate to seek guidance from their pediatrician, a school counselor, social worker or other mental health experts. Parents should also seek out professional mental health help if they are struggling.
4. Keep an eye out for changes in kids’ behaviors.
Psychiatrist and author Dr. Janet Taylor said children may respond to disturbing news about mass shootings in different ways, and parents and caregivers should pay attention to see if their child’s behaviors change.
Children may experience problems focusing, have difficulty sleeping or become more irritable, according to Taylor.
“If you have younger children and they suddenly get more clingy or want to sleep in bed with you, pay attention to that and cuddle them as they need it,” Taylor told “GMA” in 2022, after 21 people were killed in a shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. “Older kids may become more isolated or feel that they have to solve things by themselves.”
Gilboa said parents and caregivers should also watch for kids who may develop a fear of going to school, who look for reasons to stay home and who withdraw from activities.
“Ask them, ‘Hey, tell me more about what’s going on.’ Don’t just assume it’s because they have a test they don’t want to take or something like that,” Gilboa said. “And make sure that if you’re really worried about them, you’re reaching out to their doctor or to their guidance counselor, their school counselor to get a little bit of extra support for you and for them.”
5. Remember to keep checking in with kids.
Instead of discussing a school shooting only once, Robin Gurwitch, a licensed clinical psychologist and retired Duke University professor, said it’s crucial to continue the conversation over time.
“A one-and-done conversation is not sufficient,” Gurwitch told ABC News in 2018, after 17 students and teachers were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. “Let your child or teenager know that ‘I really do care about you and I am open to having this discussion.’”
Gurwitch added, “It is really important to check back in tomorrow, to check back in the next day, to find out, ‘What are your friends talking about related to this school shooting?’”
6. Offer kids a chance to help.
Gilboa said that helping kids focus on a sense of purpose after tragedy can help protect their mental health.
She said parents and caregivers should ask a child if there is something that they can do together to help, or a way they can make a difference, either on the issue at hand or something else to make the world better.
“That teaches kids that they matter, that their actions matter and they can have positive impact, and mattering improves their mental health,” Gilboa said. “If we have empathy for their feelings, ask them how they’re doing and involve them in making a difference, we’re giving them the best shot we can of having stronger mental health through some unbelievable stressors.”
The National Child Traumatic Stress Network offers comprehensive resource guides for parents, caregivers and educators to support students. Click here for resources related to school shootings.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, free, confidential help is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or text the national lifeline at 988. Even if you feel like it, you are not alone.
Editor’s note: This report was originally published on March 28, 2023.
More than $250 million down, another $530 million to go.
That’s how much of a projected $783 million state budget hole the Colorado legislature filled by the time a special session called to address the impact of the federal tax bill ended Tuesday afternoon — and the larger amount that still remains. Erasing the rest of the red ink will fall to Gov. Jared Polis, who plans to rebalance this year’s budget in the coming days through a mix of cuts to state funding and a big dip into the rainy-day fund.
Over six days, the legislature’s majority Democrats fulfilled their part of a plan worked out with the governor’s office: to pass legislation that is expected to generate enough revenue to close about a third of the shortfall projected for the state’s budget in the current fiscal year, which began July 1. They ended tax breaks and found other ways to offset declining state income tax revenue, while leaving spending cuts largely for Polis to decide.
“What we did here in this special session is soften the blow,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges, a Greenwood Village Democrat who chairs the legislature’s budget committee. “But when the federal government cuts $1.2 billion in revenue from the state with a stroke of a pen, after we’ve already cut $1.2 billion (from the budget) in the regular session, that’s a tough deficit to come back from in a way that doesn’t impact the people of Colorado.”
The special session ended with 11 bills going to Polis for final approval. Five sought to fill the budget gap, largely by ending tax incentives for businesses and high-income earners.
The single largest revenue-raising measure, House Bill 1004, will auction off tax credits that can be claimed in future tax years for a discount. Backers expected that bill to bring in an additional $100 million to state coffers this year, at the expense of about $125 million in future years.
Together, those measures add up to $253 million in revenue to reduce the projected deficit — money that Democrats say represents averted cuts to Medicaid, schools and hospitals.
“Colorado legislators stepped up and helped protect children’s food access and minimized the devastating cost increases to health insurance premiums across the state, to the best of our ability,” Polis, who signed two of the new bills earlier Tuesday, said in a statement.
The legislature’s Joint Budget Committee expects to meet Thursday to hear Polis’ plan to address the remaining $500 million or so, including mid-year spending cuts.
As part of his call for a special session on Aug. 6, Polis announced a statewide hiring freeze. He said in an interview before the session started that he hoped to avoid cuts to K-12 education, but he has left all other options on the table, including Medicaid program spending.
The plan also factors in a significant use of reserves to offset some of the remaining gap.
Partisan debates
Over the past week, Republicans fought the Democrats’ bills, but strong Democratic majorities in both legislative chambers all but preordained the outcome.
“Not only did we increase taxes, we’re balancing the budget on the back of small businesses,” said Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, a Brighton Republican on the budget committee.
One of the bills heading to Polis would erase a fee paid by the state to businesses for collecting sales taxes — an outdated subsidy, according to Democrats, and an unnecessary new burden now put on businesses, according to Republicans.
Republicans said before the session that they’d likely challenge several bills in court over allegations that they violate provisions in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights that require voter approval for tax increases. Kirkmeyer and Rep. Rick Taggart, a Grand Junction Republican who’s also on the budget committee, said bills going to the governor that would eliminate some tax credits and allow the sale of tax credits against future collections seemed particularly vulnerable to a challenge under TABOR.
Debate throughout the special session took a distinctly partisan edge. Democrats laid the cuts on congressional Republicans and President Donald Trump and called the federal tax bill a de facto theft of benefits from the poorest Coloradans to benefit the wealthiest.
Republicans countered that the federal bill delivered much-needed tax cuts, and they said Democrats sought to yank those away instead of cutting partisan priorities.
Legislators begin to gather in the Senate Chambers before the start of another day of the special legislative session at the Colorado State Capitol in Denver on Aug. 26, 2025. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
Bills on wolves, artificial intelligence
Other bills passed sought to respond to different aspects of the federal bill, formerly known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” as well as other priorities.
Lawmakers stripped general fund money away from the voter-approved program to reintroduce wolves in the state, though releases are expected to continue this winter. They tweaked ballot language for a measure about taxes for universal school meals to allow that money to go to general food assistance, as well, if voters approve it in November.
The legislature also approved a bill allowing state Medicaid program to pay Planned Parenthood for services provided, after the federal government specifically barred federal money from going to the organization.
Polis included in his call of the session that lawmakers address concerns swirling around the state’s first-in-the-nation regulations of artificial intelligence after a similar effort in the spring blew up. The rules now in law go into effect in February.
After days of bruising negotiations, lawmakers punted on any new changes and delayed the existing rules from going into effect until the end of June — giving them time to resume the debate during the next regular legislative session in January.
Demolition was temporarily halted in May on a building to make way for a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Detroit after crews failed to notify nearby residents and a school.
A Detroit Montessori school is asking a Wayne County judge to immediately halt construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant next door, arguing developers violated zoning laws and endangered children by building just feet from its playground.
The Giving Tree Montessori, which serves 116 children from infancy through kindergarten, filed an emergency motion last week, accusing Verus Development Group (VDG) and Chick-fil-A of ignoring Detroit’s zoning ordinance and the conditions of a Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) order by expanding their project onto land designated as school use.
The school contends that the 3,000-square-foot, drive-thru-only restaurant, which would operate feet from its playground, violates a city ordinance prohibiting fast food restaurants within 500 feet of a school.
“Defendants are using and/or attempting to use the VDG Disputed Parcel as part of the property to construct a restaurant within 100 feet—mainly 6 feet away — from The Giving Tree in violation of City Code Section 50-12-131, prohibiting a fast-food restaurant within 500 feet of a school,” the motion states.
Giving Tree Montessori sued VDG and Chick-fil-A in June, alleging the drive-thru project at 17761 Mack Avenue near the border of Grosse Pointe Park violates zoning laws, poses an immediate danger to children’s health and safety, and could force the school to close down.
Steve Neavling
The school says it will have to eliminate this playground for infants and toddlers because it’s too close to the Chick-fil-A site.
“The construction borders the school playground, exposing children to heavy machinery and construction activities on the opposite side of the fence,” school owner Renee Chown said in an affidavit filed with the motion. “The playground has had to be shrunken to shield everyone from flying debris and construction activities. A planned expansion of the playscape had to be stopped.”
As a result of the construction, two families have already withdrawn their enrollment for the 2025-26 school year, and the Montessori was forced to cancel plans to build more space and outdoor areas for the children, Chown said.
Chown said Detroit police were called on at least two occasions “because heavy and dangerous construction equipment has been placed dangerously close to students that are playing outside on the school playground.”
She added, “Gaping holes have been left in material bordering the fence which are small enough to allow a child to easily slip through and into an active construction site.”
The development has drawn opposition from parents, educators, and neighbors, including at public meetings where dozens spoke out against the plan. The city initially rejected the project in October 2023 over traffic concerns, but the Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals overturned that decision in March.
City officials have argued the 500-foot restriction doesn’t apply because Giving Tree wasn’t officially recognized as a school under zoning rules until June 2024, two months after the zoning was approved. But the lawsuit says that’s a technicality meant to justify a decision that favors developers over children’s safety.
Demolition began in May without notice or fencing, prompting the city to temporarily halt the work. A sign went up days later, reading, “Chick-fil-A Coming Soon.”
Since then, construction has been ongoing.
In an affidavit, former Detroit zoning manager and certified city planner Tonja Bolden Stapleton supported the school’s case, saying the city’s Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) issued the permit “prematurely, in error” and should rescind it.
Stapleton said the site plan failed to meet several requirements, including a drive-thru escape lane, loading zone, and landscape buffers. More significantly, she said, the project never received a variance for the 500-foot school spacing requirement.
Steve Neavling
Giving Tree Montessori School serves 116 infants, toddlers, and kindergarteners.
“The site is less than 500 [feet] from The Giving Tree Montessori School,” Stapleton said. “This location restriction was never waived by the BZA.”
The motion also argues that developers improperly expanded the project site after a boundary dispute was settled in April 2024, adding the disputed parcel without returning to the BZA for approval.
“This materially expanded the project site beyond what the BZA considered and approved,” Stapleton said.
She added, “Proceeding without BZA review violates both the express conditions of the Decision and Order and the procedural requirements of the zoning ordinance.”
Chown said the lack of oversight and notice left families blindsided.
Developers said the restaurant will serve up to 1,700 cars a day and generate $10 million in annual sales.
For families and small business owners in the East Side neighborhood, the project is a clash between wealthy developers and a corporate fast-food chain, and the people who live, work, and raise their children next door.
Metro Times was unable to reach developers for comment.
Most California voters strongly disapprove of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies and believe that raids in the state have unfairly targeted Latinos, according to a new poll.
The findings, released Sunday, reflected striking emotional reactions to immigration enforcement. When voters were asked to describe their feelings about news reports or videos of immigration raids, 64% chose rage or sadness “because what is happening is unfair.”
Among Democrats, 91% felt enraged or sad. Conversely, 65% of Republicans felt hopeful, “like justice is finally being served.”
Such divisions were consistent across 11 questions about the administration’s overall immigration strategy and specific aspects of the way enforcement is playing out in the state, with divisions along partisan lines. The UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll was conducted for the Los Angeles Times.
Democrats almost unanimously oppose President Trump’s tactics on immigration, the poll showed. Most Republicans support the president, though they are not as united as Democrats in their approval.
“It was essential to show the strength of feelings because Democrats are strongly on the negative side of each of these policies,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the Berkeley IGS Poll. “That struck me. I don’t usually see that kind of extreme fervor on a poll response.”
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The poll found that 69% of respondents disapprove of the way immigration enforcement is being carried out in the state.
Among Democrats, 95% disapprove, as well as 72% of voters with no party preference or others not affiliated with the two major parties, whereas 79% of Republicans approve.
The poll was completed online in English and Spanish from Aug. 11-17 by 4,950 registered voters in California.
A question that showed the least unified support among Republican voters asked respondents whether they agree or disagree that federal agents should be required to show clear identification when carrying out their work. The question comes as immigration agents have carried out raids using face coverings, unmarked cars and while wearing casual clothing.
Some 50% of Republicans agreed that agents should have to identify themselves, while 92% of Democrats agreed.
G. Cristina Mora, IGS co-director and a sociology professor at UC Berkeley who studies race and immigration, helped develop the poll questions. She said the poll shows that Republican voters are much more nuanced than Democrats. They also split on questions about due process, birthright citizenship and immigration enforcement in sensitive locations.
“Republicans are much more fractured in their thinking about immigration across the state,” Mora said.
Mora said she developed the question about agent identification in response to the recent bill led by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) that would require immigration officers to display their agency and name or badge number during public-facing enforcement actions, similar to police and other local law enforcement.
Padilla also spearheaded a letter last month to Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Todd Lyons seeking information about the agency’s policies regarding the identification of agents while on duty. ICE has justified the tactics by stating that agents are at risk of doxxing and have faced increased assault on the job.
“The public has a right to know which officials are exercising police power, and anonymous enforcement undermines both constitutional norms and democratic oversight,” Padilla and 13 other Democrats wrote in the letter.
Another poll question that garnered mixed support of Republicans asked respondents to agree or disagree with the statement, “ICE agents should expand immigration enforcement into schools, hospitals, parks and other public locations.”
Among Republicans, 53% agreed with that statement, though fewer than 1 in 3 agree strongly. Meanwhile, 94% of Democrats disagreed.
Shortly after Trump took office, his administration rescinded a 2011 memo that restricted immigration agents from making arrests in sensitive locations, such as churches, schools and hospitals. Since then, agents have been filmed entering locations that were previously considered off limits, putting immigrant communities on edge.
Schools in Los Angeles reopened this month with “safe zones” in heavily Latino neighborhoods and changed bus routes with less exposure to immigration agents. An 18-year-old high school senior, Benjamin Marcelo Guerrero-Cruz, was walking his family’s dog in Van Nuys when he was taken into federal immigration custody.
Mora said the varied responses illustrate how California Republicans view the Trump administration’s immigration tactics with “degrees of acceptability.” They might feel strongly that immigrants with violent criminal histories should be deported, she said, but the takeover of MacArthur Park, when a convoy of immigration agents in armored vehicles descended there in a show of force, or the enforcement actions outside of public schools “might have been a step too far.”
Mike Madrid, a GOP political consultant who wrote a book about how Latinos have transformed democracy, said the split among Republicans is consistent with national polling. The trend is problematic for Trump, he said, because it means he is losing big swaths of his base.
“This is becoming viewed as overreach more than it is immigration control,” he said. “The idea sets a frame for it, but the actual implementation is widely unpopular.”
Republicans were largely united in response to other questions. Asked about the Trump administration’s proposal to do away with birthright citizenship — which confers citizenship to all children born in the U.S. regardless of their parent’s legal status — 67% of GOP respondents approved, and most of them strongly approved. By contrast, 92% of Democrats disapproved, and as did seven in 10 respondents overall.
Mora said she was surprised by the fact that Latinos didn’t stand out as substantially more opposed to Trump’s actions than voters of other racial and ethnic groups. For example, 69% of Latino voters said ICE raids have unfairly targeted Latinos, just five percentage points higher than the 64% of white non-Latino voters who agreed.
“You would imagine Latinos would be through the roof here, but they’re not,” Mora said. She said this reminded her of research around the tendency for Latinos to individualize their experiences instead of seeing them as racially unjust.
Broadly, 72% of Latinos disagree with the way the Trump administration is enforcing immigration laws in California, while 25% approve and 3% have no strong opinion.
Among Latino voter subgroups, older men and third-generation (or beyond) women are the more likely to support the way immigration enforcement is being handled in California, with 38% of Latino men over age 40 in agreement compared to 11% of Latinas ages 18-39, although among both groups majorities disapprove.
Madrid said that’s consistent with national polling showing a decrease in support for Republicans among Latinos after record gains in the last presidential election. The question, he said, is whether Trump’s approval ratings among Latinos could regress substantially enough to flip control of Congress in the midterms.
The sheriff of Volusia County has a warning for drivers and parents of young e-bike riders: vigilance is needed now more than ever.The rise of e-bike popularity means a slew of children have begun riding them to school, said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.Chitwood recently went to visit a 14-year-old named Hunter who was hit by a car while riding an e-bike on the first day of school in Deltona.”We’re lucky that he’s alive,” Chitwood said.Hunter had to be airlifted to a hospital and is now recovering after he was hit while crossing an intersection on Roble Lane and Howland.Chitwood said the young rider had stopped at the intersection as a car was stopped. When he began riding forward, the driver hit the gas and struck him.”I think he’s having a hard time understanding why the person who hit him never got out of the car, never turned the engine off and never responded to his replies,” Chitwood said.Now, he’s reinforcing a message of e-bike safety, and he said Hunter wants to help by creating a personal PSA to riders and drivers.”His father, when they bought him the e-bike, they had made the trek back and forth to school: here’s where the stop signs are. How many parents do that? Before he left for school, they had a little bit of an argument, he said, ‘You’re not taking that e-bike without a helmet,’” said Chitwood.The helmet very likely saved his life, he added.Chitwood said, with the speed of e-bikes, drivers should be hypervigilant of their surroundings.Riders of e-bikes should always wear a helmet and should obey the rules of the road to a tee.”Never assume the driver sees you. Never.””Sooner or later, the government’s going to have to get around to regulating these things,” Chitwood said.
DELTONA, Fla. —
The sheriff of Volusia County has a warning for drivers and parents of young e-bike riders: vigilance is needed now more than ever.
The rise of e-bike popularity means a slew of children have begun riding them to school, said Sheriff Mike Chitwood.
Chitwood recently went to visit a 14-year-old named Hunter who was hit by a car while riding an e-bike on the first day of school in Deltona.
“We’re lucky that he’s alive,” Chitwood said.
Hunter had to be airlifted to a hospital and is now recovering after he was hit while crossing an intersection on Roble Lane and Howland.
Chitwood said the young rider had stopped at the intersection as a car was stopped. When he began riding forward, the driver hit the gas and struck him.
“I think he’s having a hard time understanding why the person who hit him never got out of the car, never turned the engine off and never responded to his replies,” Chitwood said.
Now, he’s reinforcing a message of e-bike safety, and he said Hunter wants to help by creating a personal PSA to riders and drivers.
“His father, when they bought him the e-bike, they had made the trek back and forth to school: here’s where the stop signs are. How many parents do that? Before he left for school, they had a little bit of an argument, he said, ‘You’re not taking that e-bike without a helmet,’” said Chitwood.
The helmet very likely saved his life, he added.
Chitwood said, with the speed of e-bikes, drivers should be hypervigilant of their surroundings.
Riders of e-bikes should always wear a helmet and should obey the rules of the road to a tee.
“Never assume the driver sees you. Never.”
“Sooner or later, the government’s going to have to get around to regulating these things,” Chitwood said.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Evergreen Public Schools (EPS) will delay the start of the 2025-26 school year by one week, pushing the first day of classes to Tuesday, September 2, due to ongoing contract negotiations with a key classified employees union.
The decision, announced Friday, follows a unanimous vote by the EPS Board of Directors to adjust the school calendar. The delay is intended to give district negotiators additional time to reach a deal with the Public School Employees (PSE) Large Group union, whose contract expires on August 30.
Union leaders have indicated that their members—approximately 1,400 paraeducators, bus drivers, security officers, and maintenance staff—have authorized a strike starting August 26, the original first day of school.
“By delaying the start of school, we are giving bargaining teams an opportunity to reach a contract that is fair to both sides and sustainable under our current budget constraints,” said EPS Superintendent Dr. Christine Moloney. “A one-week delay will allow students, families, and staff to make plans with less of the uncertainty that often comes with day-to-day negotiation developments.”
Dr. Moloney emphasized that school cannot safely operate without the union’s essential staff.
Negotiations with the PSE Large Group began in March and entered mediation in July with the assistance of a state-appointed mediator from the Public Employment Relations Commission. The district is continuing to provide updates and proposal details on its PSE Large Group Bargaining webpage.
What Families Need to Know Next Week
Despite the delayed start, certain services and programs will continue as planned:
Middle and high school athletics will proceed as scheduled.
New student registration remains open both online and at school sites.
Boundary assistance is available via the EPS Boundary Department or by emailing [email protected].
As drastic SEPTA cuts are scheduled to begin Sunday, officials with the transit agency areimplementing new safety plans for students as they brace for schedule backlogs and crowds ahead of the first day of school.
General Manager Scott Sauer said that while he still feels optimistic that a funding deal could be worked out through the state legislature in the coming days, the deadline for rolling back the service cuts has already passed — and the public should begin planning for how they will be impacted.
During a news conference Friday morning, SEPTA Transit Police Chief Charles Lawson said the department will continue to dispatch additional officers during peak student travel times, but acknowledged that there will be more “unknowns” going into the school year.
Increased police presence can be expected on about a dozen routes, where officers will be riding buses, patrolling in vehicles, walking around stations and watching cameras, according to the chief.
Police will also establish check-ins each morning with schools to determine where the agency’s resources are most needed. This will continue throughout the school year, or so long as it proves itself productive.
Lawson said his agency will continue its work with the Philadelphia Police Department to enact crowd control measures in known hot spots and encouraged students to use theSEPTA Transit Watchapplication to report any suspicious activity.
Philadelphia students will return Monday, just one day after 20% of the city’s trains, buses and trolley services will be cut due to lack of adequate funding from the state legislature. Lawson and Sauer urged students and parents to establish a plan ahead of the first day of school and to leave themselves extra time to travel.
“We are going to have a lot of staff out in the field — police officers, bus operators, ambassadors, you name it,” Lawson said. “Use us if you need to figure out where you’re going, if you need information. Have a backup plan on an alternate route.”
Time is ticking for state representatives to finalize a deal to fund the state’s largest transit system and, according to Sauer, even if the legislature comes to an agreement in the next day or two, the doomsday cuts are still likely to move forward.
“If a deal were to happen over the next 48 hours, we will do everything in our power to try to put as much service back on the street as we can, but it will be very difficult for us to restore service in a manner that customers will be used to,” Sauer said Friday morning. “… I just continue to urge lawmakers to keep meeting and keep talking. I’m still optimistic that something will happen, I just need it to happen soon.”
To put the extremity of the service changes into perspective, Sauer said that during an Eagles home game in the past, SEPTA would use between 12-14 trains to move anywhere from 14,000 to 17,000 fans from the stadium. After the cuts, there will only be three trains available for next month’s home opener.
“It’s frustrating for me, but I’m more frustrated for our customers; they are the true victims,” he said. “They have to now figure out their life around a new SEPTA, a SEPTA that none of us ever wanted.”
The departure and replacement of school principals represents one of the most significant organizational changes within educational institutions, creating ripple effects that permeate every aspect of school operations. This phenomenon, increasingly prevalent in contemporary education systems, deserves thorough examination for its profound impact on institutional effectiveness, academic achievement, and organizational stability.
When a principal exits an educational institution, the immediate effects reverberate throughout the entire school system. The administrative vacuum extends far beyond mere personnel changes, as new principals invariably bring distinct leadership philosophies, strategic priorities, and management approaches that can fundamentally reshape the school’s operational framework. Current research in educational leadership suggests that schools typically require between three to five years to fully stabilize following leadership transitions, indicating that frequent turnover can trap institutions in continuous cycles of adjustment and reorganization.
The principal’s role transcends traditional administrative leadership, functioning as the cultural architect of the school community. During leadership transitions, the delicate fabric of established relationships between administration, faculty, and staff enters a period of uncertainty and realignment. The school’s cultural identity, carefully constructed through years of shared experiences and mutual understanding, often undergoes substantial transformation as new leadership implements alternative approaches to community building and professional collaboration. This cultural shift can significantly impact teacher motivation, student engagement, and overall school climate.
Academic program integrity and student achievement metrics frequently experience fluctuations during principal transitions. New leaders typically introduce fresh perspectives on curriculum implementation, instructional methodologies, and resource allocation strategies. While innovation and new approaches can catalyze positive change, frequent shifts in academic direction may disrupt educational continuity and student progress. Empirical studies have consistently demonstrated that schools experiencing frequent principal turnover often exhibit temporary declines in student achievement metrics, with particularly pronounced effects in high-poverty areas where stability serves as a crucial factor for student success.
The impact extends deep into stakeholder relationships and community partnerships. Parents, community organizations, and local partners must adapt to new leadership styles, communication protocols, and institutional priorities. The critical process of building and maintaining trust, essential for effective school-community partnerships, frequently requires renewal with each leadership change. This cyclical process can affect various aspects of school operations, from volunteer program effectiveness to community support for school initiatives and funding proposals.
Professional development trajectories and staff retention patterns often undergo significant changes during principal transitions. Different leaders may emphasize various areas of professional growth or implement modified evaluation systems, directly affecting teacher satisfaction and career advancement opportunities. Research indicates a strong correlation between principal turnover and increased teacher attrition rates, creating compound effects on institutional stability and educational continuity. This relationship suggests that leadership stability plays a crucial role in maintaining a consistent and experienced teaching staff.
The challenges of strategic planning become particularly acute in environments characterized by frequent leadership changes. Multi-year improvement initiatives risk interruption or abandonment as new principals implement different priorities and approaches. This instability can affect various aspects of school development, from technology integration plans to curriculum development initiatives, potentially compromising the institution’s ability to achieve long-term educational objectives and maintain consistent progress toward established goals.
Educational institutions can implement various strategies to minimize the negative impacts of principal turnover, including developing comprehensive transition protocols, maintaining detailed documentation of ongoing initiatives, creating strong distributed leadership teams, establishing clear communication channels during transitions, and building robust institutional memory through systematic record-keeping. These mitigation strategies prove essential for maintaining organizational stability and educational effectiveness during periods of leadership change.
The implications of principal turnover extend throughout the educational ecosystem, influencing everything from daily operations to long-term strategic initiatives. Understanding these complex dynamics becomes increasingly crucial for educational stakeholders, policymakers, and administrators in developing effective strategies to maintain institutional stability and educational quality during leadership transitions. As educational institutions continue to evolve in response to changing societal needs and expectations, the ability to manage leadership transitions effectively becomes paramount for ensuring consistent, high-quality education for all students.
This comprehensive analysis of principal turnover effects provides valuable insights for educational professionals, administrators, and policymakers working to create more stable and effective learning environments. The ongoing challenge lies in balancing the potential benefits of new leadership perspectives with the fundamental need for institutional stability and continuous educational improvement, all while maintaining focus on the ultimate goal: providing optimal learning opportunities for students in an ever-changing educational landscape.
Dr. Jason Richardson, Garden City Elementary School & the International University of the Caribbean
Dr. Jason Richardson is a Teacher Leader at the Garden City Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia and a Professor of Graduate Studies at the International University of the Caribbean (Jamaica). He holds a Diploma in Principalship from the National Leadership College of Jamaica, Bachelor of Education from the International University of the Caribbean, Master of Science in Counseling and Consulting Psychology from the International University of the Caribbean, Educational Specialist Degree and a Doctor of Education Degree in Leadership and Management from the William Howard Taft University.
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Dr. Jason Richardson, Garden City Elementary School & the International University of the Caribbean
