We live in an ever-evolving world, powered by advancements across STEM fields. Today, STEM has become increasingly intertwined with how we live our daily lives–from how we learn, to how we work, to entertainment and more.
STEM innovations are a major force driving society forward, as we’ve most recently seen with the AI explosion that is generating a growing demand for STEM talent in the workforce. In fact, STEM employment is set to increase nearly 3x the rate of non-STEM employment by 2033.
As teachers, our job is to equip students to excel in our dynamic world–not only within the classroom, but to also empower them to build foundational skills that will help them to thrive when they enter the workforce.
As STEM talent continues to become vital, these skills are ones K-12 teachers must ensure we’re implementing in our classrooms, because introducing STEM education early on helps spark curiosity among students.
So, what can teachers do to fuel a passion for STEM among their students?
The power of project-based learning
Project-based learning (PBL) is proving itself to be a successful pedagogy–nearly half (46%) of K-12 Gen Z students say opportunities to engage with learning material in a hands-on way drive their interest, and about one-third most enjoy what they’re learning when they can make real-world connections.
PBL is an alternative to traditional rote learning methods. When applying PBL to STEM education, instead of having students listening passively to information, they actively engage in real-world problems that require them to use STEM concepts to solve complex problems. This hands-on approach allows students to develop a deeper sense of knowledge of the topic they’re learning about–they’re not just merely memorizing but also learning from its applications. For instance, in a PBL setting, students could identify lack of access to filtered water as a problem and then work together to design a sustainable water filtration system to address this challenge.
PBL helps students not only supplement theoretical knowledge but also provide a sense of purpose and applicability. It helps enhance the learning experience for students by making it enjoyable and allowing students to see the impact they can bring out into the world beyond the classroom.
When it comes to STEM, PBL plays a powerful role in tapping into students’ curiosity. STEM curriculums aren’t typically viewed as ones that power creativity, but by framing learning in terms of interesting questions or issues, PBL allows students to explore, experiment and learn these topics in a unique way that allows them to become innovators in the classroom. This process can be highly motivating, allowing students to become agents in their own learning process. The sense of ownership and pride that comes with successfully finishing a challenging project can ignite a lifetime interest in STEM.
Building the skills to power future STEM innovators
PBL helps enhance learning experiences for students by making the process more exciting and engaging, and it also allows them to develop and foster crucial skills that are necessary in our STEM-powered world.
By introducing PBL into the classroom, students are given the opportunity to work closely together on project work, which allows them to harness core skills like collaboration, clear communication, vital problem-solving abilities, creativity and perseverance. These skills are ones that empower students throughout their education journey–from K-12 and beyond–and are also essential for STEM career success. Encouraging skills like creativity in students’ developmental years empowers them to think outside of the box–a crucial competency for STEM professionals. Creativity drives innovation, and helping students to flex and build this muscle early on will allow them to enter the STEM workforce ready to drive change.
Figuring out how to implement PBL can feel overwhelming, especially if the existing curriculum doesn’t allow room for this approach. Luckily for teachers, there are a plethora of great programs, like the National Science Teaching Association and Toshiba’s ExploraVision, which offer support and resources to make PBL opportunities a reality, helping us spark a passion for STEM among our students.
Shaping STEM leaders in the classroom
As we’ve seen with AI’s rapid advancements, STEM fields are shaping the nation’s future. Today’s students are soon to become the future leaders of tomorrow. Teachers bear a responsibility to prepare them with the skills they need to thrive in their education–as well as in the workplace.
Project-based learning is a critical, and proven, means of providing students with hands-on, experiential learning that nurtures curiosity, skills and a sense of purpose. As we prepare our students to address the challenges and opportunities of the future, PBL is an integral and effective tool, fueling a lifelong passion for STEM and equipping students with the skills necessary to become strong STEM leaders.
Tami Brook, STEM School Highlands Ranch
Tami Brook is a second-grade teacher at STEM School Highlands Ranch. With six years of experience in problem-based learning, she’s dedicated to challenging students to apply their knowledge and explore innovative solutions to real-world problems.
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As a paraprofessional for over 3 years and going on my 5th year as a certified special education resource teacher, I’ve learned that no two learners are ever quite the same. Each student brings unique strengths, challenges, and ways of processing the world around them. Each student has their own learning path and rate.
That’s why differentiation is not just a teaching strategy–it’s the heart of student engagement and student success. When students feel that lessons are designed for them, they become more confident, motivated, and curious learners.
Research supports this, too. Studies show that differentiated instruction can significantly increase student engagement and achievement, especially when supported by digital tools that allow for flexibility and personalization. Thankfully, today’s technology makes it easier than ever to meet students where they are, while still aligning instruction with grade-level state curriculum.
Below are two tools that have transformed how I differentiate instruction in my classroom and help my students feel successful every day.
Personalized practice for mastery
One of my go-to resources for differentiation is IXL, a digital platform that provides personalized skill practice across multiple subject areas. I love that IXL adapts to each student’s learning level, it meets them where they are and builds from there.
For example, in math, my students might all be working on problem-solving, but IXL tailors the level of difficulty and types of problems based on their individual performance. Some may start with basic word problems, while others are ready for multi-step reasoning. The immediate feedback helps students self-correct and celebrate their progress in real time.
IXL also helps me as a teacher. The diagnostic tools identify skill gaps and strengths, giving me insight into how to group students for small-group instruction or how to adjust future lessons. It’s a win-win: Students feel empowered to grow, and I have data-driven insights that make planning more intentional.
Engaging Resources for All Learners
Another tool I rely on daily is Discovery Education Experience. This classroom companion is packed with interactive lessons, quizzes, videos, virtual field trips, activities, and so much more that make learning come alive for my students.
I use Discovery Education Experience to differentiate my instruction based on the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills) standards we’re required to teach, but with flexibility to meet each student’s needs. I can easily find numerous resources that support both teacher planning and student learning, all from one spot. For example, when teaching a reading comprehension skill, I can assign a short video for visual learners, a guided reading passage for independent practice, and an interactive quiz for students who thrive on technology.
The best part? It allows me to blend digital and print options. Some students work best completing a printed activity, while others enjoy interactive online lessons. That flexibility means every student has an entry point into the learning experience, regardless of ability level.
Insider tips for differentiating with technology
Over the years, I’ve learned that differentiation doesn’t have to be complicated–it just needs to be intentional. Here are a few tips that help make it manageable and meaningful:
Start small: Pick one lesson or one tool to differentiate and build from there.
Use data as your guide: Platforms like IXL and Discovery Education Experience make it easy to see where students need support or enrichment.
Offer choice: Let students decide how they show what they’ve learned–through writing, drawing, creating a slide, or recording a short video.
Blend print and digital: Not every student thrives on a screen; mixing modalities keeps engagement high.
Incorporate positive reinforcement: Celebrate progress often, even in small steps. Stickers, praise, raffles, and/or printable certificates can motivate students to keep working toward their goals. Recognizing effort builds confidence and encourages persistence, especially for students who may struggle emotionally and academically. I also have students track their progress in their interactive journals to motivate and celebrate their successes. A progress tracker holds the students accountable and continues to engage them to work towards their academic goals.
Differentiation is all about giving every student what they need to succeed. Teachers can create classrooms that are not only more inclusive but also more engaging and empowering.
Each day, I’m reminded that when we meet students at their level and celebrate their progress, we help them discover their own love for learning. That’s what makes teaching so rewarding, and technology can be one of our best partners in making it happen.
Emily Skinner, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District
Emily Skinner is a Special Education Teacher at Warner Elementary School of Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District in Texas. Emily has served as a paraprofessional for over 3 years and is going on her 5th year as a certified special education resource teacher. Outside of teaching, Emily enjoys spending time outdoors, crafting, and upcycling items.
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A San Francisco teachers’ strike that closed public schools for some 50,000 students this week ended Friday as the union reached a tentative agreement with the cash-strapped school district, which will provide pay raises and improved healthcare benefits.
The tentative contract between the San Francisco Unified School District and United Educators of San Francisco includes a 5% raise over two years for teachers and fully funded healthcare for union members and their families starting in 2027, according to the union.
“We won!” the union said in a statement just after 5:30 a.m. Friday.
“We know our work is not done,” the statement read. “While we didn’t win everything we know we deserve, this strike allowed us to imagine our schools and classrooms as they should be with staffing levels high enough that our students can learn and thrive.”
Schools have been closed since the strike began Monday, leaving families to scramble for child care and meals as teachers rallied for their first strike since 1979.
Campuses will not reopen until Wednesday. The district called Friday a “transition day” for staffers, who were expected to return to their work sites. The district said schools would remain closed Monday for Presidents Day and Tuesday for Lunar New Year.
“I recognize that this past week has been challenging,” San Francisco schools Supt. Maria Su said in a statement Friday.
She added: “I am so proud of the resilience and strength of our community. This is a new beginning, and I want to celebrate our diverse community of educators, administrators, parents, and students as we come together and heal.”
Teachers took to picket lines despite last-minute pleas from San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and prominent lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), to keep classrooms open while contract negotiations — which began in March 2025 — continued.
The union said it had been clear about its timeline.
The San Francisco teachers’ strike could portend more labor unrest in California, where educators in other major districts, including Los Angeles, have signaled that they, too, are prepared to strike for higher pay, smaller class sizes and more resources.
Last year, the California Teachers Assn., the statewide teachers’ union, launched the “We Can’t Wait” campaign, urging union chapters to band together to be forceful in labor negotiations.
Members of United Teachers Los Angeles voted overwhelmingly last month to authorize their leadership to call a strike, increasing pressure as negotiations stall and as the Los Angeles Unified School District is planning for likely staff layoffs and budget cuts.
In San Diego, the teachers’ union voted before winter break to authorize a one-day unfair labor practice strike on Feb. 26 if the San Diego Unified School District does not improve special education staffing.
The labor tensions come as COVID relief funds have ended and public school enrollment in California has plummeted in recent years, leading to reduced state funding.
The San Francisco deal comes as the district is facing a $102-million budget deficit and is under state fiscal oversight because of a long-standing financial crisis. The district has said that if layoffs are needed to close the gap, employees will be given notices this spring.
San Francisco is one of the nation’s most expensive cities, where the average home sells for nearly $1.4 million and the average monthly rent of $3,700 is double the national average, according to Zillow.
Cassondra Curiel, the teachers’ union president, said in a statement this week that “the affordability crisis for those of us devoted to San Francisco’s next generation is real.”
Curiel said rising healthcare premiums were adding to the financial strain, pushing teachers and support staff out of the district, which has hundreds of educator vacancies.
The tentative agreement falls short of the 9% pay raise for teachers that the union had asked for.
The deal, according to the union, includes an 8.5% pay raise over two years for lower-paid classified employees.
The agreement also includes so-called sanctuary school protections for immigrant and refugee students and limitations on the district’s use of artificial intelligence.
A Seabreeze High School paraprofessional was arrested on Thursday for allegedly kicking a 17-year-old student with Down syndrome during a behavioral incident, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.The incident was reported to the Seabreeze High School assistant principal, who notified the on-campus school resource officer. During the investigation, police recovered evidence revealing Dontel Wright, 50, intentionally kicked a student. The student then ran and attempted to hide from Wright behind the bleachers.According to the report, Wright then followed the student and forcibly pulled the student from under the bleachers.The student did not sustain any injuries.The student’s parents have been notified and have expressed their intent to press charges on behalf of their child.As a result of the investigation, police arrested Wright.This remains an active criminal case, and no further details are being released at this time.Volusia County Schools released a statement regarding the incident:”Volusia County Schools is aware of the recent arrest of a Seabreeze High School employee on a charge of child abuse. The employee has been immediately reassigned away from students pending the outcome of this investigation.Local law enforcement is leading the criminal investigation, and our Professional Standards team is conducting a parallel employment investigation. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement throughout this process.The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We hold all employees to the strictest standards of professional conduct and do not tolerate any behavior that compromises the trust our families place in us.As this is an active investigation, we cannot share additional details at this time.”
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. —
A Seabreeze High School paraprofessional was arrested on Thursday for allegedly kicking a 17-year-old student with Down syndrome during a behavioral incident, according to the Daytona Beach Police Department.
The incident was reported to the Seabreeze High School assistant principal, who notified the on-campus school resource officer.
During the investigation, police recovered evidence revealing Dontel Wright, 50, intentionally kicked a student. The student then ran and attempted to hide from Wright behind the bleachers.
According to the report, Wright then followed the student and forcibly pulled the student from under the bleachers.
The student did not sustain any injuries.
The student’s parents have been notified and have expressed their intent to press charges on behalf of their child.
As a result of the investigation, police arrested Wright.
This remains an active criminal case, and no further details are being released at this time.
Volusia County Schools released a statement regarding the incident:
“Volusia County Schools is aware of the recent arrest of a Seabreeze High School employee on a charge of child abuse. The employee has been immediately reassigned away from students pending the outcome of this investigation.
Local law enforcement is leading the criminal investigation, and our Professional Standards team is conducting a parallel employment investigation. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement throughout this process.
The safety and well-being of our students is our highest priority. We hold all employees to the strictest standards of professional conduct and do not tolerate any behavior that compromises the trust our families place in us.
As this is an active investigation, we cannot share additional details at this time.”
Los Angeles Archbishop José H. Gomez celebrated what he called a “Mass for Peace” at Our Lady of the Angels on Wednesday, stopping just short of a direct appeal to the Trump administration to draw down its aggressive immigration enforcement efforts as protesters gathered blocks away.
“We are united with everybody in our country praying for peace, and specifically praying for immigrants in our country,” Gomez said during an address from the pulpit Wednesday afternoon.
“Today, we especially pray for our government leaders, for the law enforcement officers and for those protesting and defending the immigrant families in this struggle here in Los Angeles.”
As police helicopters buzzed overhead monitoring the demonstration nearby, the archbishop called on God to “awaken again the conscience of Americans.”
Parishioners fill the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels for a Mass led by Archbishop José H. Gomez.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
His remarks coincided with a student walkout, with teen protesters converging on the Metropolitan Detention Center about a mile away.
More than 500 students carrying signs and draped in flags gathered at the intersection of Aliso and Los Angeles streets and marched to the jail, where a swarm of police stood behind yellow caution tape.
Kiro Perez, a freshman from Robert F. Kennedy Community Schools, held a sign above her faded green hair that read, “My parents work more than the President.”
“I’m fighting for my father, my mom, my siblings and everyone else,” Kiro said.
After working for more than a decade, her father had his application for a green card approved less than two years ago, Kiro said. She said that for months, he has obsessively checked ICE activity and has lived in fear.
“I don’t want him to feel scared anymore,” she said.
Los Angeles is the largest archdiocese in the United States, home to 3.8 million Catholics. A plurality of the faithful are immigrants and the overwhelming majority are Latino. Born in Mexico, Gomez is the first Latino person to serve as archbishop of Los Angeles, and the highest-ranking Latino bishop in the United States, according to the church.
Faith leaders have increasingly been at odds with the president, despite longtime strategic alignment between the administration and the ascendant conservative wing of American Catholicism.
Archbishop José H. Gomez leads Mass on Wednesday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times )
“I don’t know if anyone’s OK with what’s happening right now,” said Isaac Cuevas, the archdiocese senior director of life, justice and peace. “We shouldn’t be these kinds of people.”
The region’s Catholic institutions responded to last year’s aggressive raids with an outpouring of charity, reorganizing many food pantries around grocery delivery and ministering directly to communities many described as under siege.
But the political response was more muted. Some clergy members joined protests, but the church largely shied from similar action at the highest levels.
A nun makes her way through the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels on Wednesday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
“It breaks my heart, because I’m an immigrant,” said Lupita Sanchez, a Franciscan nun who joined the Mass on Wednesday. “The only way that we can help the world is by praying.”
Prayer was at the heart of Gomez’s message Wednesday as well. But other Catholics were more critical.
“The clergy who are the boots on the ground were out there from Day One, not only doing charity but working for justice,” said Catholic activist Rosa Manriquez. “We now have quite a few bishops and cardinals coming out and being present, which is very important. As far as our archdiocese is concerned — not so much.”
Gomez is a longtime member of Opus Dei, a conservative Catholic movement with deep ties to the Trump administration.
Vice President JD Vance underwent a 2019 conversion steeped in some of the group’s most prominent thinkers. The late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was a member, and five of the nine sitting justices are conservative Catholics with ties to the group.
Members of the Catholic Church fill the cathedral.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Trump’s newest 9th Circuit appointee, Eric Tung, also converted under the movement’s influence.
“During the time of the rise of this regime, our archbishop was the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops,” Manriquez said. “Their silence enabled this. You can’t argue with the statistics of how many Catholics voted for this regime.”
In the 2024 election, 1 in 5 Trump voters identified as Catholic, a Pew Research Center study found.
Pope Leo XIV, shown leading a Mass in December, has forcefully condemned the Trump administration’s aggressive tactics.
(Chris McGrath / Getty Images)
Pope Leo XIV, who became bishop of Rome after Pope Francis’ death last spring, has forcefully condemned the administration’s aggressive tactics, calling them “extremely disrespectful.” Last fall, the powerful U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly in support of a “special message” decrying militarized immigration enforcement and pleading for reform.
“To our immigrant brothers and sisters, we stand with you in your suffering,” they wrote. “We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people.”
Times staff writer Christopher Buchanan contributed to this report.
MINNEAPOLIS — For weeks, administrators at this charter high school have arrived an hour before class, grabbed neon vests and walkie-talkies, and headed out into the cold to watch for ICE agents and escort students in.
Lately, fewer than half of the 800 sudents show up.
“Operation Metro Surge,” the immigration crackdown in Minnesota that led to nationwide protests after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, has had students, parents and teachers on edge regardless of their immigration status.
Signs of a fearful new normal are all over the school. Green craft paper covers the bottom of many first-floor windows so outsiders can’t peer in. A notice taped outside one door says unauthorized entry is prohibited: “This includes all federal law enforcement personnel and activities unless authorized by lawful written direction from appropriate school officials or a valid court order.”
Students at a Minneapolis high school classroom with many empty seats on Jan. 29, 2026.
Staff coordinate throughout the day with a neighborhood watch group to determine whether ICE agents are nearby. When they are, classroom doors are locked and hallways emptied until staff announce “all clear.”
Similar tactics have been utilized by schools in other cities hit by immigration raids across the country. The Los Angeles Unified School District established a donation fund for affected families and created security perimeters around schools last summer.
But it appears nowhere have students felt the repercussions of local raids more than in Minneapolis.
Many schools have seen attendance plummet by double-digit percentages. At least three other, smaller charter schools in Minneapolis have completely shut down in-person learning.
At this high school, which administrators asked The Times not to identify for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration, 84% of students are Latino and 12% are Black. Staff and students are being identified by first or middle names.
A balloon sits in a hallway at the high school.
Doors and windows are covered at the school so outsiders can’t see in.
Three students have been detained — and later released — in recent weeks. Two others were followed into the school parking lot and questioned about their immigration status. Several have parents who were deported or who self-deported. Latino staff said they have also been stopped and questioned about their legal status.
“Our families feel hunted,” said Noelle, the school district’s executive director.
Students returned from winter break on Jan. 6, the same day 2,000 additional immigration agents were dispatched to Minneapolis to carry out what Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons called the agency’s “largest immigration operation ever.” The next day, an ICE officer fatally shot Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three.
“I describe that day as if you’re on an airplane and it’s really bad turbulence, and you have to keep your cool because, if you don’t, you lose the entire building,” said Emmanuel, an assistant principal. “It felt like we went through war.”
Attendance dropped by the hundreds as parents grew too afraid to let their children leave home. School leaders decided to offer online learning and scrambled to find enough laptops and mobile hotspots for the many students who didn’t have devices or internet. Some teachers sent packets of schoolwork to students by mail.
A teacher at the Minneapolis high school that administrators asked The Times not to identify for fear of retaliation by the Trump administration. Teachers and students there also asked not to be identified.
Noelle said in-person attendance, which had dropped below 400 students, increased by around 100 in the third week of January. Then federal agents shot and killed 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti, and attendance plummeted again.
Rochelle Van Dijk, vice president of Great MN Schools, a nonprofit supporting schools that serve a majority of students of color, said many schools have redirected tens of thousands of dollars away from other critical needs toward online learning, food distribution and safety planning. For students still attending in person, recess has frequently been canceled, and field trips and after-school activities paused.
Even if students return to school by mid-February, Van Dijk said, they will have missed 20% of their instructional days for the year.
“A senior who can’t meet with their college counselor right now just missed support needed for major January college application deadlines. Or a second-grader with a speech delay who is supposed to be in an active in-person intervention may lose a critical window of brain plasticity,” she said. “It is not dissimilar to what our nation’s children faced during COVID, but entirely avoidable.”
At the high school, administrators said they tried to create “a security bubble,” operating under protocols more typical of active shooter emergencies.
Gym class at the Minneapolis school, where many students are so afraid of ICE that they won’t go to the campus.
If agents were to enter the building without a judicial warrant, the school would go into a full lockdown, turning off lights, staying silent and moving out of sight. That hasn’t happened, though ICE last year rescinded a policy that had barred arrests at so-called sensitive locations, including schools.
Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for the Department of Homeland Security, said that blaming ICE for low school attendance is “creating a climate of fear and smearing law enforcement.”
“ICE does not target schools,” McLaughlin said. “If a dangerous or violent illegal criminal alien felon were to flee into a school, or a child sex offender is working as an employee, there may be a situation where an arrest is made to protect the safety of the student. But this has not happened.”
Alondra, a 16-year-old junior who was born in the U.S., was arrested after school Jan. 21 near a clinic where she had gone with a friend, also 16, to pick up medication for her grandmother.
She said that as she was about to turn into the parking lot, another car sped in front of her, forcing her to stop. Alondra saw four men in ski masks with guns get out. Scared, she put her car in reverse. Before she could move, she said, another vehicle pulled up and struck her car from behind.
Alondra shared videos with The Times that she recorded from the scene. She said agents cracked her passenger window in an attempt to get in.
“We’re with you!” a bystander can be heard telling her in the video as others blow emergency whistles.
She said she rolled her window down and an agent asked to see her ID. She gave him her license and U.S. passport.
“Is it necessary to have to talk to you or can I talk to an actual cop?” she asks in the video. “Can I talk to an actual cop from here?”
“We are law enforcement,” the agent replies. “What are they gonna do?”
In another video, an agent questions Alondra’s friend about the whereabouts of his parents. Another agent is heard saying Alondra had put her car in reverse.
“We’re underage,” she tells him. “We’re scared.”
A sign directs students to line up for their school bus route. Bus pickups are staggered, with one group of students escorted outside at a time. This way, the children can be taken back inside the school or onto the bus more easily if ICE arrives.
A Minneapolis Public Radio reporter at the scene said agents appeared to have rear-ended Alondra’s car. But Alondra said an agent claimed she had caused the accident.
“It’s just a simple accident, you know what I mean?” he says in the video. “We’re not gonna get on you for trying to hit us or something.”
“Can you let us go, please?” her friend, visibly shaken, asks the agent at his window.
Alondra and her friend were handcuffed and placed in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle as observers filmed the incident. At least two observers were arrested as agents deployed tear gas and pepper spray, according to an MPR report.
The agents took the students to the federal Whipple Building. Alondra said the agents separated the friends, looked through and photographed her belongings and had her change into blue canvas shoes before chaining her feet together and placing her in a holding cell alone.
“I asked at least five times if I could let my guardian know what was happening, because I was underage, but they never let me,” she said.
Finally, around 7 p.m., agents released Alondra — with no paperwork about the incident — and she called her aunt to pick her up. Her friend was released later.
Meanwhile, school administrators who saw the MPR video called Alondra’s family and her friend’s.
Alondra said officers didn’t know what had happened to her car and told her they would call her when she could pick it up. But no one has called, and school administrators who helped her make calls to Minneapolis impound lots haven’t been able to locate it either.
Though Alondra could attend classes online, she felt she had to return to campus.
“I feel like if I would have stayed home, it would have gone worse for me,” she said, her lip quivering. “I use school as a distraction.”
The backstage of the auditorium, dubbed the bodega, has been turned into a well-stocked pantry for families who are too afraid to leave their homes.
A volunteer organizes donated items for distribution to families at the Minneapolis high school.
A teacher makes a delivery to a family in Minneapolis.
Teachers and volunteers sort donations by category, including hygiene goods, breakfast cereals, bread and tortillas, fruit and vegetables, diapers and other baby items. Bags are labeled with each student’s name and address and filled with the items their family has requested. After school, teachers deliver the items to the students’ homes.
Noelle said some students, particularly those who are homeless, are now at risk of failing because they’re in “survival mode.” Their learning is stagnating, she said.
“A lot of these kids are — I mean, they want to be — college-bound,” Noelle said. “How do you compete [for admission] with the best applicants if you’re online right now and doing one touch-point a day with one teacher because that’s all the technology that you have?”
On Thursday afternoon, 20 of 44 students had shown up for an AP world history class where the whiteboard prompt asked, “Why might some people resort to violent resistance rather than peaceful protest?”
Upstairs, in an 11th-grade U.S. history class, attendance was even worse — four students, with 17 others following online. The topic was what the teacher called the nation’s “first immigration ban,” the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882.
Students head to their bus at the high school.
Morgan, the teacher, asked the students to name a similarity between the Chinese exclusion era and current day.
“Immigrants getting thrown out,” one student offered.
“Once they leave, they can’t come back,” said another.
“The fact that this is our first ban on immigration also sets a precedent that this stuff can happen over and over and over again,” Morgan said.
Sophie, who teachers English language learners, led the effort to organize the online school option. She is from Chile and says she has struggled to put her own fear aside to be present for the students who rely on her. Driving to school scares her, too.
“It’s lawless,” she said. “It doesn’t matter that I have my passport in my purse. The minute I open my mouth, they’re going to know that I’m not from here.”
Sophie said she once had to call a student’s mother to say her husband had been taken by immigration agents after another school staffer found his car abandoned on a nearby street.
“Having to have that conversation wasn’t on my bingo card for that day, or any day,” she said. “Having to say that we have proof that your husband was taken and hearing that woman crying and couldn’t talk, and I’m like, what do I say now?”
Close to the 4:15 p.m. dismissal, administrators again donned their neon vests and logged on to the neighborhood Signal call for possible immigration activity.
Students walk to a bus Thursday. Dismissal used to be a free-for-all, with large numbers of students rushing outside as soon as the bell rang.
Dismissal used to be a free-for-all — once the final bell rang, students would rush outside to find their bus or ride or to begin the walk home.
Now pickups are staggered, with students escorted outside one bus at a time. Teachers grab numbered signs and tell students to line up according to their route. If ICE agents pull up, administrators said, they could rush a smaller group of students onto the bus or back inside.
In yet another example of how the immigration raids had crippled attendance, some buses were nearly empty. On one bus, just two students hopped on.
As a former admissions officer and now an independent education consultant, I’ve read thousands of college essays. The ones that earn students admission to their dream schools aren’t necessarily the most polished. They’re the ones that sound like the student and express that student’s personality and experience. Within a few minutes of reading a file, I could distinguish between an applicant who had checked all the boxes and a real person I could imagine. As I tell my students, “Colleges are admitting you, not your essay.”
Writing that kind of essay starts with what I call the 3 P’s: following a process, showing your personality, and letting go of perfection.
How process removes pressure
The number one challenge my students face with their essays is deciding where to start. They worry that they won’t engage the reader right away or won’t be creative enough. There’s a myth that the opening needs to be shocking, that it needs to be something that’s never been heard before. To help students overcome this hurdle, I encourage them to find their voice through a low-pressure process that begins with exercises such as free writing or simply telling me their story, which I record.
In the past few years, I’ve worked with many students who have solved their “blank page” panic by using AI to draft their essays. Students are often hesitant to admit they’ve used these tools, which creates a barrier between us. While I coach them to use AI responsibly for brainstorming or outlining, many still fall back on it for the actual writing.
I researched tools that could support a student’s voice without replacing it, yet many still worked behind the scenes. I wanted a platform that offered inspiration, feedback, and insights without taking over the creative process. I chose Esslo, which allows me to collaborate with students on their actual writing, along with tools like College Planner Pro and Grammarly.
I was working with a student who was spending too many words of her essay writing about what was happening to her mom, so I asked her to self-assess her “contribution” score and then check it against the AI-powered score from Esslo. Revising an essay is like teaching someone to golf–you can’t fix everything at once. Working on one area at a time creates a process that is more manageable and effective for students and counselors.
Personality over polish
Even an essential process can go too far. If students revise endlessly to chase near-perfect scores on a rubric, they often scrub away the pieces and quirks that make it uniquely theirs. At the end of what we believe is the final draft, I have my students read their essays aloud. Then I ask them, “Is this something you would say? On a scale of zero to 10, would this actually come out of your mouth?” If it’s not seven or above, then we’re not going to submit that essay.
I also ask students, “What part of this essay is written because you think it’s what the reader wants to hear?” And sometimes, if an essay isn’t working, I’ll ask, “What’s the real story behind this? What part of this story are you hiding?” We’ll talk about it, and more often than not, that conversation will uncover the authentic essay. An essay that sounds like the student–even if it’s imperfect–will always do better than a flawless essay that could have been written by anyone.
The problem with perfection
Every student needs a different path to get a finished essay. Some do well with tech tools, but others use them to chase perfection, over-revising their essays until they become overly complicated. Think about the best books you’ve read. They flow naturally and show personality. It’s important to remember that a personal statement isn’t an AP English assignment–it doesn’t need to be academically rigid, but it needs to be honest.
If getting started is the hardest part for many of my students, knowing when to stop can be almost as challenging. When do they stop revising? When do they need to start over? Sometimes I tell students to scrap everything and grab an actual pen and paper. Set a timer for 15 minutes and answer the prompt with a specific scenario, whatever comes to mind, with as much detail as possible. Even if the experience they write about doesn’t end up getting submitted as their answer to that specific prompt, it is usually so vulnerable and unique that they’ll be able to use it for another essay.
Whether it’s a student writing too much about her mom or someone stuck focusing on what they think admissions officers want to hear, my advice is the same: Write about yourself and don’t be afraid to be who you are. Tech tools can be an enormous help in this process–not by pushing students toward perfect rubric scores, but by helping them present the real person behind the application.
Christa Olson, Independent Education Consultant
Christa Olson is an independent education consultant in the Bay Area. She can be reached at christamarieolson@gmail.com.
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Our students are coming of age in a world that demands global competency. From economic interdependence to the accelerating effects of climate change and mass migration, students need to develop the knowledge and skills to engage and succeed in this diverse and interconnected world. Consequently, the need for global competency education is more important than ever.
“Being born into a global world does not make people global citizens,” Andreas Schleicher of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has said. “We must deliberately and systematically educate our children in global competence.”
Here at Global Cities, we regularly talk with educators eager to bring global competency into their classrooms in ways that engage and excite students to learn. Educators recognize the need, but ask a vital question: How do we teach something we can’t measure?
It’s clear that in today’s competitive and data-driven education environment, we need to expand and evaluate what students need to know to be globally competent adults. Global competency education requires evaluation tools to determine what and whether students are learning.
The good news is that two recent independent research studies found that educators can use a new tool, the Global Cities’ Codebook for Global Student Learning Outcomes, to identify what global competency learning looks like and to assess whether students are learning by examining student writing. The research successfully used the evaluation tool for global competency programs with different models and curricula and across different student populations.
Global Cities developed the Codebook to help researchers, program designers, and educators identify, teach, and measure global competency in their own classrooms. Created in partnership with Harvard Graduate School of Education’s The Open Canopy, the Codebook captures 55 observable indicators across four core global learning outcomes: Appreciation for Diversity, Cultural Understanding, Global Knowledge, and Global Engagement. The Codebook was developed using data from our own Global Scholars virtual exchange program, which since 2014 has connected more than 139,000 students in 126 cities worldwide to teach global competency.
In Global Scholars, we’ve seen firsthand the excitement of directly connecting students with their international peers and sparking meaningful discussions about culture, community, and shared challenges. We know how teachers can effectively use the Codebook and how Global Cities workshops extend the reach of this approach to a larger audience of K-12 teachers. This research was designed to determine whether the same tool could be used to assess global competency learning in other virtual exchange programs, not only Global Cities’ Global Scholars program.
These studies make clear that the Codebook can reliably identify global learning in diverse contexts and help educators see where and how their students are developing global competency skills in virtual exchange curricula. You can examine the tool (the Codebook) here. You can explore the full research findings here.
The first study looked at two AFS Intercultural Programs curricula, Global You Changemaker and Global Up Teen. The second study analyzed student work from The Open Canopy‘s Planetary Health and Remembering the Past learning journeys.
In the AFS Intercultural Programs data, researchers found clear examples of students from across the globe showing Appreciation for Diversity and Cultural Understanding. In these AFS online discussion boards, students showed evidence they were learning about their own and other cultures, expressed positive attitudes about one another’s cultures, and demonstrated tolerance for different backgrounds and points of view. Additionally, the discussion boards offered opportunities for students to interact with each other virtually, and there were many examples of students from different parts of the world listening to one another and interacting in positive and respectful ways. When the curriculum invited students to design projects addressing community or global issues, they demonstrated strong evidence of Global Engagement as well.
Students in The Open Canopy program demonstrated the three most prevalent indicators of global learning that reflect core skills essential to effective virtual exchange: listening to others and discussing issues in a respectful and unbiased way; interacting with people of different backgrounds positively and respectfully; and using digital tools to learn from and communicate with peers around the world. Many of the Remembering the Past posts were especially rich and coded for multiple indicators of global learning.
Together, these studies show that global competency can be taught–and measured. They also highlight simple, but powerful strategies educators everywhere can use:
Structured opportunities for exchange help students listen and interact respectfully with one another
Virtual exchange prompts students to share their cultures and experiences across lines of difference in positive, curious ways
Assignments that include reflection questions–why something matters, not just what it is–help students think critically about culture and global issues
Opportunities for students to give their opinion and to decide to take action, even hypothetically, builds their sense of agency in addressing global challenges
The Codebook is available free to all educators, along with hands-on professional development workshops that guide teachers in using the tool to design curriculum, teach intentionally, and assess learning. Its comprehensive set of indicators gives educators and curriculum designers a menu of options–some they might not have initially considered–that can enrich students’ global learning experiences.
Our message to educators is simple: A community of educators (Global Ed Lab), a research-supported framework, and practical tools can help you teach students global competency and evaluate their work.
The question is no longer whether we need more global competency education. We clearly do. Now with the Codebook and the Global Ed Lab, teachers can learn how to teach this subject matter effectively and use tools to assess student learning.
Marjorie B. Tiven, Global Cities, Inc.
Marjorie B. Tiven is the Founder and President of Global Cities, Inc., a program of Bloomberg Philanthropies.
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Teacher preparation programs have long emphasized curriculum, instruction, and assessment. However, they often fall short in one critical area: social-emotional and mental health needs of students.
We work daily with students whose academic success is inseparable from their psychological well-being. Nonetheless, we witness new educators wishing they were trained in not just behavior management, but, nowadays, the non-academic needs of children. If preservice programs are going to meet the demands of today’s classrooms, they must include deeper coursework in counseling, psychology, and trauma-informed teaching practices.
Students today are carrying heavier emotional burdens than ever before. Anxiety, bullying, depression, grief, trauma exposure (including complex trauma), and chronic stress are unfortunately quite common. The fallout rarely appears in uniform, typical, or recognizable ways. Instead, it shows up as behaviors teachers must interpret and address (i.e., withdrawal, defiance, irritability, avoidance, conflict, aggression and violence, or inconsistent work).
Without formal training, it is easy to label these actions as simple “misbehaviors” instead of asking why. However, seasoned educators and mental health professionals know that behaviors (including misbehaviors) are a means of communication, and understanding the root cause of a student’s actions is essential to creating a supportive and effective classroom.
Oftentimes, adults fall into a pattern of describing misbehaviors by children as “manipulative” as opposed to a need not being met. As such, adults (including educators) need to shift their mindsets. This belief is supported by research. Jean Piaget reminds us that children’s cognitive and emotional regulation skills are still developing and naturally are imperfect. Lev Vygotsky reminds us that learning and behavior are shaped by the quality of a child’s social interactions, including with the adults (such as teachers) in their lives. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy further reinforces that psychological safety and belonging must be met before meaningful learning or self-control can occur, and teachers need to initiate psychological safety.
Traditional classroom management training is often sparse in traditional preservice teacher training. It often emphasizes rules, procedures, and consequences. They absolutely matter, but the reality is far more nuanced. Behavior management and behavior recognition are not the same. A student who shuts down may be experiencing anxiety. A child who blurts out or becomes agitated may be reacting to trauma triggers in the environment. A student who frequently acts out may be seeking connection or stability in the only way they know how. Trauma-informed teaching (rooted in predictability, emotional safety, de-escalation, and relationship-building) is not just helpful, but is foundational in modern schools. Yet, many new teachers enter the profession with little to no formal preparation in these practices.
The teacher shortage only heightens this need. Potential educators are often intimidated not by teaching content, but by the emotional and behavioral demands that they feel unprepared to address. Meanwhile, experienced teachers often cite burnout stemming from managing complex behaviors without adequate support. Courses focused on child development, counseling skills, and trauma-informed pedagogy would significantly improve both teacher confidence and retention. It would also be beneficial if subject-area experts (such as the counseling or clinical psychology departments of the higher education institution) taught these courses.
Of note, we are not suggesting that teachers become counselors. School counselors, social workers, psychologists, and psychometrists play essential and irreplaceable roles. However, teachers are the first adults to observe subtle shifts in their students’ behaviors or emotional well-being. Oftentimes, traditional behavior management techniques and strategies can make matters worse in situations where trauma is the root cause of the behavior. When teachers are trained in the fundamentals of trauma-informed practice and creating emotionally safe learning environments, they can respond skillfully. They can collaborate with or refer students to clinical mental-health professionals for more intensive support.
Teacher preparation programs must evolve to reflect the emotional realities of today’s classrooms. Embedding several clinically grounded courses in counseling, psychology, and trauma-informed teaching (taught by certified and/or practicing mental-health professionals) would transform the way novice educators understand and support their students. This would also allow for more studies and research to take place on the effectiveness of various psychologically saturated teaching practices, accounting for the ever-changing psychosocial atmosphere. Students deserve teachers who can see beyond behaviors and understand the rationale beneath it. Being aware of behavior management techniques (which is often pretty minimal as teacher-prep programs stand now) is quite different than understanding behaviors. Teachers deserve to be equipped with both academic and emotional tools to help every learner thrive.
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Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Middle School & William Howard Taft University & Jennifer Veitch, Bessemer City Middle School
Special education is at a breaking point. Across the country, more children than ever are being referred for evaluations to determine whether they qualify for special education services. But there aren’t enough school psychologists or specialists on staff to help schools meet the demand, leaving some families with lengthy wait times for answers and children missing critical support.
The growing gap between need and capacity has inspired districts to get creative. One of the most debated solutions? Remote psychoeducational testing, or conducting evaluations virtually rather than face-to-face.
Can a remote evaluation accurately capture what a child needs? Will the results hold up if challenged in a legal dispute? Is remote assessment equivalent to in-person?
As a school psychologist and educational consultant, I hear these questions every week. And now, thanks to research and data released this summer, I can answer with confidence: Remote psychoeducational testing can produce equivalent results to traditional in-person assessment.
What the research shows
In July 2025, a large-scale national study compared in-person and remote administration of the Woodcock-Johnson V Tests of Cognitive Abilities and Achievement (WJ V), the latest version of one of the most widely-used and comprehensive assessment systems for evaluating students’ intellectual abilities, academic achievement, and oral language skills. Using a matched case-control design with 300 participants and 44 licensed school psychologists from across the U.S., the study found no statistically or practically significant difference in student scores between in-person and remote formats.
In other words: When conducted with fidelity, remote WJ V testing produces equivalent results to traditional in-person assessment.
This study builds on nearly a decade of prior research that also found score equivalency for remote administrations of the most widely used evaluations including WJ IV COG and ACH, RIAS-2, and WISC-V assessments, respectively.
The findings of the newest study are as important as they are urgent. They show remote testing isn’t just a novelty–it’s a practical, scalable solution that is rooted in evidence.
Why it matters now
School psychology has been facing a workforce shortage for over a decade. A 2014 national study predicted this crunch, and today districts are relying on contracting agencies and remote service providers to stay afloat. At the same time, referrals for evaluations are climbing, driven by pandemic-related learning loss, growing behavioral challenges, and increased awareness of neurodiversity.
The result: More children and families waiting longer for answers, while school psychologists are facing mounting caseloads and experiencing burnout.
Remote testing offers a way out of this cycle and embraces changes. It allows districts to bring in licensed psychologists from outside their area, without relocating staff or asking families to travel. It helps schools move through backlogs more efficiently, ensuring students get the services they need sooner. And it gives on-site staff space to do the broader preventative work that too often gets sidelined. Additionally, it offers a way to support those students who are choosing alternate educational settings, such as virtual schools.
Addressing the concerns
Skepticism remains, and that’s healthy. Leaders wonder: Will a hearing officer accept remote scores in a due process case? Are students disadvantaged by the digital format? Can we trust the results to guide placement and services?
These are valid questions, but research shows that when remote testing is done right, the results are valid and reliable.
Key phrase: Done right. Remote assessment isn’t just a Zoom call with a stopwatch. In the most recent study, the setup included specific safeguards:
Touchscreen laptops with screens 13” or larger;
A secure platform with embedded digital materials;
Dual cameras to capture the student’s face and workspace;
A guided proctor in-room with the student; and
Standardized examiner and proctor training protocols.
This carefully structured environment replicates traditional testing conditions as closely as possible. All four of the existing equivalency studies utilized the Presence Platform, as it already meets with established criteria.
When those fidelity conditions are met, the results hold up. Findings showed p-values above .05 and effect sizes below .03 across all tested subtests, indicating statistical equivalence. This means schools can confidently use WJ V scores from remote testing, provided the setup adheres to best practices.
What district leaders can do
For remote testing to succeed, schools need to take a thoughtful, structured approach. Here are three steps districts can take now.
Vet providers carefully. Ask about their platform, equipment, training, and how they align with published research standards.
Clarify device requirements. Ensure schools have the right technology in place before testing begins.
Build clear policies. Set district-wide expectations for how remote testing should be conducted so everyone–staff and contractors alike–are on the same page.
A path forward
Remote assessment won’t solve every challenge in special education, but it can close one critical gap: timely, accurate evaluations. For students in rural districts, schools with unfilled psychologist positions, virtual school settings, or families tired of waiting for answers, it can be a lifeline.
The research is clear. Remote psychoeducational testing works when we treat it with the same care and rigor as in-person assessment. The opportunity now is to use this tool strategically–not as a last resort, but as part of a smarter, more sustainable approach to serving students.
At its best, remote testing is not a compromise; it’s a path toward expanded access and stronger support for the students who need it most.
More than 200 students at Legends Academy Charter School are facing uncertainty after the school’s board voted to close the Orlando campus just weeks before students are set to return from winter break.The school’s board of directors voted 4-2 Monday to shut down the charter school, citing unsustainable financial challenges. Legends Academy has served the community for nearly 25 years.Parents say the timing and lack of notice made the decision especially difficult for families.“Disgraced is the only word that I have,” said Saleena Simmons, whose son attended the school for four years.Simmons said her son was devastated when he learned he would not be returning to Legends Academy.“He was sobbing. My son does not cry,” she said. “He couldn’t even enjoy his Christmas because the only thing he’s thinking about is he won’t have his friends from school.”Simmons said parents received notice of the board meeting just before winter break, leaving little time to process or prepare for the closure. With her son just one semester away from high school, she worries about how quickly students will be placed elsewhere.“They’re going to help us with withdrawal paperwork, but nothing was based on getting these kids into classrooms immediately,” Simmons said.According to the school’s website, Legends Academy had 214 students enrolled. As of our check on Monday, the website no longer lists academic or enrollment information, displaying only a notice about Monday’s board meeting.In the meeting, board chair Frank Mitchell said the decision was made due to ongoing financial issues.“We do have the financial issues ahead of us, and we do have to make a decision,” Mitchell said. “We need to act so we can provide for the transition period and the next steps.”The school’s board of directors sent this statement to WESH2 News: “For nearly 25 years, Legends Academy has been a place of learning, growth and community for students and families, made possible by the dedication of its educators and staff. After careful review of the school’s financial condition and long-term viability, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges. This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families. The Board is working closely with the School District to complete the required closure process and support families as they plan next steps.”Simmons said the closure impacts more than just students.“It’s 200-plus students. It’s all of the staff,” she said. “These people are displaced. They don’t have a job.”The school said it is working with Orange County Public Schools to complete the closure process and plans to support families as they determine next steps.
ORLANDO, Fla. —
More than 200 students at Legends Academy Charter School are facing uncertainty after the school’s board voted to close the Orlando campus just weeks before students are set to return from winter break.
The school’s board of directors voted 4-2 Monday to shut down the charter school, citing unsustainable financial challenges. Legends Academy has served the community for nearly 25 years.
Parents say the timing and lack of notice made the decision especially difficult for families.
“Disgraced is the only word that I have,” said Saleena Simmons, whose son attended the school for four years.
Simmons said her son was devastated when he learned he would not be returning to Legends Academy.
“He was sobbing. My son does not cry,” she said. “He couldn’t even enjoy his Christmas because the only thing he’s thinking about is he won’t have his friends from school.”
Simmons said parents received notice of the board meeting just before winter break, leaving little time to process or prepare for the closure. With her son just one semester away from high school, she worries about how quickly students will be placed elsewhere.
“They’re going to help us with withdrawal paperwork, but nothing was based on getting these kids into classrooms immediately,” Simmons said.
According to the school’s website, Legends Academy had 214 students enrolled. As of our check on Monday, the website no longer lists academic or enrollment information, displaying only a notice about Monday’s board meeting.
In the meeting, board chair Frank Mitchell said the decision was made due to ongoing financial issues.
“We do have the financial issues ahead of us, and we do have to make a decision,” Mitchell said. “We need to act so we can provide for the transition period and the next steps.”
The school’s board of directors sent this statement to WESH2 News:
“For nearly 25 years, Legends Academy has been a place of learning, growth and community for students and families, made possible by the dedication of its educators and staff. After careful review of the school’s financial condition and long-term viability, the Board of Directors made the difficult decision to close the school due to unsustainable financial challenges. This decision was not made lightly and does not diminish the impact the school has had on generations of families. The Board is working closely with the School District to complete the required closure process and support families as they plan next steps.”
Simmons said the closure impacts more than just students.
“It’s 200-plus students. It’s all of the staff,” she said. “These people are displaced. They don’t have a job.”
The school said it is working with Orange County Public Schools to complete the closure process and plans to support families as they determine next steps.
eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #6 focuses on DEI in education.
Key points:
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives have become integral to educational institutions across the United States. DEI aims to foster environments where all students can thrive regardless of their backgrounds. The programs are designed to address systemic inequalities, promote representation, and create inclusive spaces for learning. However, as DEI becomes more prevalent, it also faces scrutiny and debate regarding its effectiveness, implementation, and impact on educational outcomes.
One of the main advantages of DEI in education is the promotion of a more inclusive and representative curriculum. Students gain a broader understanding of the world by integrating diverse perspectives into course materials. This enhances critical thinking and empathy. Furthermore, the approach prepares students to navigate and contribute to our increasingly globalized society. Moreover, exposure to diverse viewpoints encourages students to challenge their assumptions and develop a more nuanced perspective on complex issues.
DEI initiatives also contribute to improved academic outcomes by fostering a sense of belongingness amongst students. When students see themselves reflected in their educators and curricula, they are more likely to feel valued and supported. This leads to increased engagement and motivation. This sense of inclusion can result in higher retention and graduation rates (particularly among historically marginalized groups). Furthermore, diverse learning environments encourage collaboration and communication skills because students learn to work effectively with peers from different backgrounds.
In addition to benefiting students, DEI programs can enhance faculty satisfaction and retention. Institutions that prioritize diversity in hiring and promotion practices create more equitable workplaces. This can lead to increased job satisfaction among faculty members. Mentorship programs and professional development opportunities focused on DEI can also support faculty in creating inclusive classroom environments, which further benefits students.
Despite these benefits, DEI initiatives are not without challenges. One significant concern is the potential for resistance and backlash from individuals who perceive DEI efforts as a threat to traditional values (in other words, a form of reverse discrimination). This resistance can manifest in various ways (opposition to DEI policies, legal challenges, and political pressure). Such opposition can hinder the implementation and effectiveness of DEI programs, thereby creating a contentious atmosphere within educational institutions.
Another challenge is the difficulty in measuring the success of DEI initiatives. Without clear metrics, it can be challenging to assess the impact of these programs on student outcomes, faculty satisfaction, or institutional culture. The lack of quantifiable data can lead to skepticism about the efficiency of DEI efforts, thus resulting in reduced support or funding for such programs. Additionally, the absence of standardized definitions and goals for DEI can lead to inconsistent implementation across institutions.
Resource allocation is also a critical issue in the execution of DEI initiatives. Implementing comprehensive DEI programs often requires significant financial investment (funding for specialized staff, training, and support services). In times of budget constraints, institutions may struggle to prioritize DEI efforts. This may lead to inadequate support for students and faculty. Without sufficient resources, DEI programs may fail to achieve their intended outcomes thus further fueling criticism and skepticism.
The potential for tokenism is another concern associated with DEI initiatives. When institutions focus on meeting diversity quotas without fostering genuine inclusion, individuals from underrepresented groups may feel marginalized or exploited. Tokenism may undermine the goals of DEI by creating superficial diversity that does not translate into meaningful change or equity. To avoid this, institutions must commit to creating inclusive environments where all individuals feel valued and empowered to contribute fully.
Furthermore, DEI programs can sometimes inadvertently reinforce stereotypes or create division among student populations. For example, emphasizing differences without promoting commonalities may lead to increased social fragmentation or feelings of isolation among certain groups. Educators must carefully balance the celebration of diversity with the promotion of unity and shared values to foster cohesive learning communities.
In summary, DEI initiatives in education offer numerous benefits, but these programs also face significant challenges. To maximize the positive impact of DEI efforts, educational institutions must commit to thoughtful, well-resourced, and inclusive implementation strategies that promote genuine equity and inclusion for all members.
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Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Middle School and William Howard Taft University
eSchool News is counting down the 10 most-read stories of 2025. Story #8 focuses on the debate around teachers vs. AI.
Key points:
A colleague of ours recently attended an AI training where the opening slide featured a list of all the ways AI can revolutionize our classrooms. Grading was listed at the top. Sure, AI can grade papers in mere seconds, but should it?
As one of our students, Jane, stated: “It has a rubric and can quantify it. It has benchmarks. But that is not what actually goes into writing.” Our students recognize that AI cannot replace the empathy and deep understanding that recognizes the growth, effort, and development of their voice. What concerns us most about grading our students’ written work with AI is the transformation of their audience from human to robot.
If we teach our students throughout their writing lives that what the grading robot says matters most, then we are teaching them that their audience doesn’t matter. As Wyatt, another student, put it: “If you can use AI to grade me, I can use AI to write.” NCTE, in its position statements for Generative AI, reminds us that writing is a human act, not a mechanical one. Reducing it to automated scores undermines its value and teaches students, like Wyatt and Jane, that the only time we write is for a grade. That is a future of teaching writing we hope to never see.
We need to pause when tech companies tout AI as the grader of student writing. This isn’t a question of capability. AI can score essays. It can be calibrated to rubrics. It can, as Jane said, provide students with encouragement and feedback specific to their developing skills. And we have no doubt it has the potential to make a teacher’s grading life easier. But just because we can outsource some educational functions to technology doesn’t mean we should.
It is bad enough how many students already see their teacher as their only audience. Or worse, when students are writing for teachers who see their written work strictly through the lens of a rubric, their audience is limited to the rubric. Even those options are better than writing for a bot. Instead, let’s question how often our students write to a broader audience of their peers, parents, community, or a panel of judges for a writing contest. We need to reengage with writing as a process and implement AI as a guide or aide rather than a judge with the last word on an essay score.
Our best foot forward is to put AI in its place. The use of AI in the writing process is better served in the developing stages of writing. AI is excellent as a guide for brainstorming. It can help in a variety of ways when a student is struggling and looking for five alternatives to their current ending or an idea for a metaphor. And if you or your students like AI’s grading feature, they can paste their work into a bot for feedback prior to handing it in as a final draft.
We need to recognize that there are grave consequences if we let a bot do all the grading. As teachers, we should recognize bot grading for what it is: automated education. We can and should leave the promises of hundreds of essays graded in an hour for the standardized test providers. Our classrooms are alive with people who have stories to tell, arguments to make, and research to conduct. We see our students beyond the raw data of their work. We recognize that the poem our student has written for their sick grandparent might be a little flawed, but it matters a whole lot to the person writing it and to the person they are writing it for. We see the excitement or determination in our students’ eyes when they’ve chosen a research topic that is important to them. They want their cause to be known and understood by others, not processed and graded by a bot.
The adoption of AI into education should be conducted with caution. Many educators are experimenting with using AI tools in thoughtful and student-centered ways. In a recent article, David Cutler describes his experience using an AI-assisted platform to provide feedback on his students’ essays. While Cutler found the tool surprisingly accurate and helpful, the true value lies in the feedback being used as part of the revision process. As this article reinforces, the role of a teacher is not just to grade, but to support and guide learning. When used intentionally (and we emphasize, as in-process feedback) AI can enhance that learning, but the final word, and the relationship behind it, must still come from a human being.
When we hand over grading to AI, we risk handing over something much bigger–our students’ belief that their words matter and deserve an audience. Our students don’t write to impress a rubric, they write to be heard. And when we replace the reader with a robot, we risk teaching our students that their voices only matter to the machine. We need to let AI support the writing process, not define the product. Let it offer ideas, not deliver grades. When we use it at the right moments and for the right reasons, it can make us better teachers and help our students grow. But let’s never confuse efficiency with empathy. Or algorithms with understanding.
Dennis Magliozzi & Kristina Peterson, University of New Hampshire’s Writers Academy
Kristina Peterson and Dennis Magliozzi have been teaching English since 2008. Kristina has a master’s degree in teaching and over a decade of experience mentoring teachers. Dennis holds an MFA in poetry and a PhD from the University of New Hampshire. Together, they co-teach in the University of New Hampshire’s Writers Academy and Learning Through Teaching program. Their work on generative AI’s impact in the classroom is highlighted on Heinemann’s blog, and in their forthcoming book, AI in the Writing Workshop: Finding the Write Balance.
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Dennis Magliozzi & Kristina Peterson, University of New Hampshire’s Writers Academy
WEEK WITH SUNSHINE. HELLO AND THANK YOU TO THE EARTH SCIENCE CLASSES AT MERRIMACK HIGH SCHOOL, WHO I VISITED WITH YESTERDAY. WE TALKED ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY WE USE TO FORECAST STORMS, AND A RECAP OF THE BIG STORMS AND THE TYPES OF STORMS WE GET HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. SOME GREAT QUESTIONS BY THEM ABOUT MY JOB AND YES, ABOUT THE ALARM CLOCK. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WHEN THREE CLASSES SHOW UP IN A THEATER, THEY ALL SPREAD OUT. SO NO ONE IS IN THE FRONT ROW. WHEN YOU DO A HIGH SCHOOL KIND OF THE WAY THAT GOES, ISN’T IT? BUT A HUGE THANK YOU TO
News We Love: School faculty sleep on roof after fundraising success
Three faculty members at Lancaster County Christian School are sleeping on the roof as a reward for students surpassing their fundraising goal.At the beginning of this month, the school aimed to raise $500,000 to construct a new building on one of its campuses to alleviate overcrowded classrooms.Video above: Earth science classroomsThe school ended up earning more than $737,000.
LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. —
Three faculty members at Lancaster County Christian School are sleeping on the roof as a reward for students surpassing their fundraising goal.
At the beginning of this month, the school aimed to raise $500,000 to construct a new building on one of its campuses to alleviate overcrowded classrooms.
Claudio Manuel Neves Valente is seen at an Alamo rental car office in Boston, Massachusetts.
Providence Police Department
The man suspected of killing two students and injuring nine at Brown University on Saturday had a last known address in Miami, law-enforcement authorities said Thursday night.
The suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente from Portugal, was found dead of a gunshot wound in a New Hampshire storage facility, Providence Chief of Police Oscar L. Perez, Jr. said during a Thursday night news conference. He was found with a satchel seen on video footage and two firearms, authorities said.
Authorities said Neves Valente last lived in a home at 1310 NE 200th St. in Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade property records show the current owner of the home is not Neves Valente. The 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home, valued at $423,439, sits in a residential neighborhood near Aventura in the northernmost part of Miami-Dade.
New Hampshire authorities revealed Thursday that the suspected Brown University shooter, Claudio Neves Valente, had a last known address in Miami-Dade County in this home in the 1300 block of Northeast 200th Street. Sofia Saric Miami Herald Staff
News broke late Thursday night of the yellow house’s connection to the mass shooting that has drawn international attention.
The neighborhood was quiet around midnight as a woman walked her small dog in front of the home with its horseshoe driveway and palm trees in the front yard. Neighboring homes were dark except for Christmas lights strung from the trees and houses, along with holiday-themed inflatables.
Authorities have talked to the current residents of the home and discussed if they had possible connections to Neves Valente. They didn’t elaborate.
Security camera footage shows Brown University shooting suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente. Providence Police Department
Florida license and plates
On Tuesday, Providence police were alerted to a Reddit post offering tips about the shooter’s whereabouts that read, “The police need to look into a grey Nissan with Florida plates, possibly a rental. That was the car he [Neves Valente] was driving,” according to the affidavit. The Reddit poster also told authorities they saw Neves Valente in public.
A man named Claudio Manuel Neves Valente rented a Nissan Sentra on Dec. 1 at Alamo Rental Cars in Boston using a Florida driver’s license, authorities said.
Security camera footage shows the Nissan Sentra that investigators say was rented by Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the man accused of fatally shooting two Brown University students and injuring nine others. Providence Police Department
Police swarmed Salem, New Hampshire, Thursday after finding the abandoned car with the Florida plates believed to be connected to him. That’s where they found the body in the storage facility.
Authorities said they are also looking into any possible links between the Brown University shooting and the shooting death on Monday of MIT Professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro, 47. Loureiro also is a native of Portugal and he and Neves Valente studied together in Lisbon, police said.
Neves Valente attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, from the fall of 2000 to the spring of 2001 as a doctoral student studying physics. He officially withdrew in the fall of 2003.
Authorities said Neves Valente left the United States, but did not disclose when. He returned in September 2017 at JFK airport in New York. He was issued a diversity immigrant visa a few months prior, and attained permanent legal residency.
Miami Herald staff writer Grethel Aguila contributed to this story.
Police on scene at the Extra Space Storage facility in Salem, N.H., Thursday night, Dec. 18, 2025., where the Brown University shooting suspect was found dead. Matthew J. Lee Boston Globe via Getty Images
This story was originally published December 18, 2025 at 10:22 PM.
Miami Herald Cops and Breaking News Reporter Devoun Cetoute covers a plethora of Florida topics, from breaking news to crime patterns. He was on the breaking news team that won a Pulitzer Prize in 2022. He’s a graduate of the University of Florida, born and raised in Miami-Dade. Theme parks, movies and cars are on his mind in and out of the office.
In today’s schools, whether K-12 or higher education, AI is powering smarter classrooms. There’s more personalized learning and faster administrative tasks. And students themselves are engaging with AI more than ever before, as 70 percent say they’ve used an AI tool to alter or create completely new images. But while educators and students are embracing the promise of AI, cybercriminals are exploiting it.
In 2025, the U.S. Department of Education reported that nearly 150,000 suspect identities were flagged in recent federal student-aid forms, contributing to $90 million in financial aid losses tied to ineligible applicants. From deepfakes in admissions to synthetic students infiltrating online portals and threatening high-value research information, AI-powered identity fraud is rising fast, and our educational institutions are alarmingly underprepared.
As identity fraud tactics become more scalable and convincing, districts are now racing to deploy modern tools to catch fake students before they slip through the cracks. Three fraud trends keep IT and security leaders in education up at night–and AI is supercharging their impact.
1. Fraud rings targeting education
Here’s the hard truth: Fraudsters operate in networks, but most schools fight fraud alone.
Coordinated rings can deploy hundreds of synthetic identities across schools or districts. These groups recycle biometric data, reuse fake documents, and share attack methods on dark web forums.
To stand a fair chance in the fight, educational institutions must work with identity verification experts that enable a holistic view of the threat landscape through cross-transactional risk assessments. These assessments spot risk patterns across devices, IP addresses, and user behavior, helping institutions uncover fraud clusters that would be invisible in isolation.
2. Deepfakes and injected selfies in remote enrollment
Facial recognition was once a trusted line of defense for remote learning and test proctoring. But fraudsters can now use emulators and virtual cameras to bypass those checks, inserting AI-generated faces into the stream to impersonate students. In education, where student data is a goldmine and systems are increasingly remote, the risk is even more pronounced.
In virtual work environments, for example, enterprises are already seeing an uptick in the use of deepfakes during job interviews. By 2028, Gartner predicts 1 in 4 job candidates worldwide will be fake. The same applies to the education sector. We’re now seeing fake students, complete with forged government IDs and a convincing selfie, slide past systems and into financial aid pipelines.
So, what’s the fix? Biometric identity intelligence, trusted by a growing number of students, can verify micro-movements, lighting, and facial depth, and confirm whether a real human is behind the screen. Multimodal checks (combining visual, motion, and even audio data) are critical for stopping AI-powered identity fraud.
3. Synthetic students in your systems
Unlike stolen identities, synthetic identities are crafted from real–and fake–fragments, such as a legit SSN combined with a fake name. These “students” can pass enrollment checks, get campus credentials, and even apply for financial aid.
Traditional document checks aren’t enough to catch them. Today’s identity verification tools must use AI to detect missing elements, like holograms or watermarks, and flag patterns including identical document backgrounds, which is a key sign of industrial-scale fraud.
AI-powered identity intelligence for education
As digital learning becomes the norm and AI accelerates, identity fraud will only get more sophisticated. However, AI also offers educators a solution.
By layering biometrics, behavioral analytics, and cross-platform data, schools can verify student identities at scale and in real time, keeping pace with advancing threats, and even staying one step ahead.
Ashwin Sugavanam, Jumio Corporation
Ashwin Sugavanam is currently the VP, AI & Identity Analytics at Jumio Corporation. Ashwin is a visionary Data and Analytics leader with two decades of overall experience out of which he has spent the last decade in helping organizations incubate and scale Data & AI practices. Over the last couple of years Ashwin has helped organizations drive measurable business outcomes by responsibly scaling Data and AI initiatives, implementing modern concepts like Data Mesh and MLOps, and leveraging tools such as the Data Scientist Co-Pilot to accelerate impact. He can be reached on LinkedIn and at the company website https://www.jumio.com/ .
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Between kindergarten and second grade, much of the school day is dedicated to helping our youngest students master phonics, syllabication, and letter-sound correspondence–the essential building blocks to lifelong learning.
Unfortunately, this foundational reading instruction has been stamped with an arbitrary expiration date. Students who miss that critical learning window, including our English Language Learners (ELL), children with learning disabilities, and those who find reading comprehension challenging, are pushed forward through middle and high school without the tools they need. In the race to catch up to classmates, they struggle academically, emotionally, and in extreme cases, eventually disengage or drop out.
Thirteen-year-old Alma, for instance, was still learning the English language during those first three years of school. She grappled with literacy for years, watching her peers breeze through assignments while she stumbled over basic decoding. However, by participating in a phonetics-first foundational literacy program in sixth grade, she is now reading at grade level.
“I am more comfortable when I read,” she shared. “And can I speak more fluently.”
Alma’s words represent a transformation that American education typically says is impossible after second grade–that every child can become a successful reader if given a second chance.
Lifting up the learners left behind
At Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School in Hanover, Ind., I teach middle-school students like Alma who are learning English as their second language. Many spent their formative school years building oral language proficiency and, as a result, lost out on systematic instruction grounded in English phonics patterns.
These bright and ambitious students lack basic foundational skills, but are expected to keep up with their classmates. To help ELL students access the same rigorous content as their peers while simultaneously building the decoding skills they missed, we had to give them a do-over without dragging them a step back.
Last year, we introduced our students to Readable English, a research-backed phonetic system that makes English decoding visible and teachable at any age. The platform embeds foundational language instruction into grade-level content, including the textbooks, novels, and worksheets all students are using, but with phonetic scaffolding that makes decoding explicit and systematic.
To help my students unlock the code behind complicated English language rules, we centered our classroom intervention on three core components:
Rhyming: The ability to rhyme, typically mastered by age five, is a key early literacy indicator. However, almost every ELL student in my class was missing this vital skill. Changing even one letter can alter the sound of a word, and homographic words like “tear” have completely different sounds and meanings. By embedding a pronunciation guide into classroom content, glyphs–or visual diacritical marks–indicate irregular sounds in common words and provide key information about the sound a particular letter makes.
Syllabication patterns: Because our ELL students were busy learning conversational English during the critical K-2 years, systematic syllable division, an essential decoding strategy, was never practiced. Through the platform, visual syllable breaks organize words into simple, readable chunks that make patterns explicit and teachable.
Silent letter patterns: With our new phonics platform, students can quickly “hear” different sounds. Unmarked letters make their usual sound while grayed-out letters indicate those with a silent sound. For students frustrated with pronunciation, pulling back the curtain on language rules provided them with that “a-ha” moment.
The impact on our students’ reading proficiency has been immediate and measurable, creating a cognitive energy shift from decoding to comprehension. Eleven-year-old Rodrigo, who has been in the U.S. for only two years, reports he’s “better at my other classes now” and is seeing boosts in his science, social studies, and math grades.
Taking a new step on a nationwide level
The middle-school reading crisis in the U.S. is devastating for our students. One-third of eighth-graders failed to hit the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) benchmark in reading, the largest percentage ever. In addition, students who fail to build literacy skills exhibit lower levels of achievement and are more likely to drop out of school.
The state of Indiana has recognized the crisis and, this fall, launched a new reading initiative for middle-school students. While this effort is a celebrated first step, every school needs the right tools to make intervention a success, especially for our ELL students.
Educators can no longer expect students to access grade-level content without giving them grade-level decoding skills. Middle-school students need foundational literacy instruction that respects their age, cognitive development, and dignity. Revisiting primary-grade phonics curriculum isn’t the right answer–educators must empower kids with phonetic scaffolding embedded in the same content their classmates are learning.
To help all students excel and embrace a love of reading, it’s time to reject the idea that literacy instruction expires in second grade. Instead, all of us can provide every child, at any age, the chance to become a successful lifelong reader who finds joy in the written word.
Kim Hicks, Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School
Kim Hicks is the Director ESL Program at Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School in Hanover, Indiana.
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Kim Hicks, Southwestern Jefferson County Consolidated School
‘We all panicked and ran’: Brown University freshman speaks after deadly shooting
PROVIDENCE TODAY. THAT’S RIGHT. BEN, THAT VIGIL ACTUALLY JUST WRAPPED UP A FEW MOMENTS AGO HERE AT LIPPITT MEMORIAL PARK. AND YOU CAN SEE PEOPLE ARE STILL LINGERING AROUND HERE WANTING TO BE IN COMMUNITY AFTER THIS UNTHINKABLE TRAGEDY HAPPENED AT BROWN UNIVERSITY. IT WAS REALLY A BEAUTIFUL CEREMONY. THERE WAS SINGING, THERE WAS PRAYER, AND OF COURSE, COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AFTER THIS UNIMAGINABLE EVENT. I SPOKE TO SEVERAL PEOPLE HERE, BOTH COMMUNITY MEMBERS, FACULTY AT THE UNIVERSITY AND PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THIS AREA, ALL SAYING THEY THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED HERE. THERE WAS ACTUALLY A HOLIDAY EVENT ALREADY SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE AT THIS PARK. OF COURSE, WITH EVERYTHING HAPPENING AT BROWN UNIVERSITY, THE EVENT RAPIDLY SWITCHED INTO A VIGIL AND A MOMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY TO COME TOGETHER. HERE’S WHAT SOME PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT HOW TIGHT KNIT THIS PLACE IS. THIS IS A SMALL SCHOOL. EVERYONE KNOWS EVERYONE. IT’S GREAT. STRENGTH IS ITS INTIMACY, AND WE’RE SEEING THAT TONIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT’S TERRIBLE REASON FOR US TO GET TOGETHER. BUT IT IS VERY HEARTWARMING TO SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE AND HOW MUCH LOVE THERE IS. THE RED CROSS WAS ALSO HERE, AS WELL AS OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, MAKING SURE EVERYONE HAD EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER SAFELY. THERE’S ALSO ENHANCED LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE HERE. I CAN TELL YOU THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE PATROLS HAPPENING AROUND THIS PARK, AS WELL AS LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WALKING THROUGHOUT THE CROWD, MAKING SURE EVERYONE FELT COMFORTABLE. BUT OF COURSE, AFTER SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS, THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO COME TOGETHER. AND FROM WHAT EVERYONE IS SAYING, PROVIDENCE IS SUCH A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY. THEY REALLY WANT IT TO BE TOGETHER IN THIS MOMENT. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THEY DID. FOR NOW, WE’RE LIVE IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND. DANAE BUCCI WCVB NEWSCENTER 5. AND OUR THANKS TO JENNY FOR THAT. AND IF YOU’RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH PROVIDENCE AND BROWN UNIVERSITY, SO HERE ON THAT SIDE OF THE STREET IS THE ENGINEERING BUILDING. BARRAS AND HOLLY ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET ARE HOMES. THIS UNIVERSITY IS VERY MUCH INTERCONNECTED AND INTERTWINED WITH PROVIDENCE NEIGHBORHOODS HERE. AND SO THIS EVENT, THIS SHOOTING IS CERTAINLY IMPACTING MORE THAN JUST THE BROWN UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY. IT’S IMPACTING THE GREATER PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY AS WELL. OUR CAITLIN GALEHOUSE, WITH THIS PART OF THE STORY, AS A LOT OF BUSINESSES IN THIS CITY STILL REMAIN CLOSED, THE PROVIDENCE COMMUNITY HAS BEEN SHAKEN BY THIS TRAGEDY. WE’RE IN WAYLAND SQUARE. THIS IS ABOUT A MILE OFF CAMPUS, AND IT’S BEEN RELATIVELY QUIET THIS AFTERNOON. IN FACT, SOME STORES ARE ACTUALLY CLOSED BECAUSE OF THE SHOOTING. I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON AT ALL. FEAR, ANXIETY. TRAGEDY. STRIKING PROVIDENCE SATURDAY AFTER A MAN OPENED FIRE IN A CLASSROOM AT BROWN UNIVERSITY, KILLING TWO STUDENTS AND INJURING NINE OTHERS. THIS IS DEFINITELY BONDING EVERYONE CLOSER TOGETHER. KIND OF SOUNDS AS HORRIBLE AS IT IS. IT’S KIND OF LIKE TRAUMA BONDING IN A WAY. WE’RE ALL HERE AT THE SAME EXACT UNIVERSITY, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH THE SAME THINGS. IT’S BEEN ONE DAY SINCE THE TRAGIC INCIDENT BROKE OUT AT THE UNIVERSITY, AND MANY ARE STILL DIGESTING THE REALITY OF WHAT HAPPENED. I’M JUST SADDENED FOR THE BROWN COMMUNITY AND THE ENTIRE STATE. IT’S JUST TRAGIC, THE THE TRAGEDY BEING SO CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS AND, YOU KNOW, FINISHING OUT THE SCHOOL YEAR AND READY TO CELEBRATE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND ALL, TO HAVE THAT TAKEN AWAY JUST BY SOME SENSELESS ACT. THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER WAS LIFTED EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, BUT THE STREETS ARE STILL QUIET, PROBABLY LESS PEOPLE OUT OF THE COFFEE SHOPS THERE WAS YESTERDAY. WE WERE GOING TO GO OUT TO DINNER. WE DID, AND OBVIOUSLY WE JUST STAYED INSIDE. IT’S A LOT. IT’S IT’S SAD. IT’S SCARY. WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE, COWORKERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, CHECKING IN ON US LAST NIGHT. AND I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS THAT ALSO KIND OF LIVE LIKE SURROUNDING EAST SIDE AREA. SO YEAH, EVERYONE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO HOW TO PROCESS AND HOW TO MOVE ON. BROWN UNIVERSITY HAS CANCELED CLASSES AND FINAL EXAMS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE SEMESTER DUE TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES. REPORTING IN P
‘We all panicked and ran’: Brown University freshman speaks after deadly shooting
A shooting Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, that killed two students and injured nine others has left many students, families and city officials struggling to process the tragedy. Members of the Brown community expressed shock and sadness as they mourned the loss of the two students. Video above: Brown University students, community shaken by campus mass shootingAuthorities said the person believed to be responsible fled the scene, prompting a shelter-in-place order that lasted into the early morning hours Sunday. Students were told to stay where they were, silence their cellphones and, at one point, hide. Drew Nelson, a freshman at Brown, described the terrifying moments after the shooting. “We were running out probably a minute or two after the shooting, and there were already, I would guess, between five and 10 cop cars outside. I didn’t see anything that would, I would call a suspect. I didn’t see the shooter. I just kept running until I was nowhere near the building,” he said. Students are now leaving campus and returning home, but for many, that process of healing is only beginning.
A shooting Saturday at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, that killed two students and injured nine others has left many students, families and city officials struggling to process the tragedy.
Members of the Brown community expressed shock and sadness as they mourned the loss of the two students.
Video above: Brown University students, community shaken by campus mass shooting
Authorities said the person believed to be responsible fled the scene, prompting a shelter-in-place order that lasted into the early morning hours Sunday.
Students were told to stay where they were, silence their cellphones and, at one point, hide.
Drew Nelson, a freshman at Brown, described the terrifying moments after the shooting.
“We were running out probably a minute or two after the shooting, and there were already, I would guess, between five and 10 cop cars outside. I didn’t see anything that would, I would call a suspect. I didn’t see the shooter. I just kept running until I was nowhere near the building,” he said.
Students are now leaving campus and returning home, but for many, that process of healing is only beginning.
USC women’s basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb suffered a bitter defeat Saturday when her team lost 79-51 to top-ranked team UConn. But after she walked off court, she weighed in on a more pressing matter: the deadly shooting at her alma mater, Brown University.
“It’s the guns,” Gottlieb said as she began a post-game news conference at the Ivy League school. “It doesn’t need to be this way.”
Gottlieb said she got back to the locker room Saturday after the USC Trojans’ home game with No. 1 UConn Huskies and had “a million text messages” from former Brown teammates. A gunman had opened fire during final exams, killing two students and injuring nine others.
“We’re the only country that lives this way,” Gottlieb said, her voice shaking as she noted that she knew people who have children at Brown. “Parents should not have to be worried about their kids.”
Gottlieb, who graduated from Brown in 1999, was a member of the women’s basketball team and served as a student assistant coach during her senior season.
One of her former teammates, she said, was flying into Providence on Sunday, because she had a daughter who had taken shelter in the basement of the library, and “she doesn’t know what’s going on there.”
Oscar Perez, the Providence police chief, said Sunday that a person of interest in his 20s was in custody. No charges have been filed, he said, noting “we’re in the process of collecting evidence.”
On Saturday, students and faculty spent the night on lockdown, trapped inside classrooms and dorms while law enforcement fanned out across Providence to search for the shooter.
“Hopefully, everyone is safe and praying for peace for those that have lost people,” Gottlieb said before she assessed her team’s game against the Huskies. “And that’s that. It’s more important than basketball. We can all be better.”
Brown University has canceled all remaining classes and exams for the fall semester.
“The past 24 hours really have been unimaginable,” Christina Paxson, university president, wrote in an email to alumni. “It’s a tragedy that no university community is ever ready for.”
STUDENT. THAT’S RIGHT. AND THE STUDENT WORRIES ABOUT LOANS AND PAYING FOR HER EDUCATION. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, BALTIMORE ADMINISTRATORS SAY TO THE STUDENTS, CONTINUE TO PURSUE YOUR DREAMS. HE HAS NO ALLERGIES TO THIS MEDICATION. IN THIS CLINICAL SITUATION, LAB STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND NURSING SCHOOL IN BALTIMORE ARE PRACTICING AND GAINING CONFIDENCE IN THEIR SKILLS TO CARE FOR PATIENTS. OTHER STUDENTS ARE GIVING THEIR END OF SEMESTER PRESENTATIONS. SOME NURSES WHO HAVE COME BACK TO SCHOOL FOR MORE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING ARE WORRIED ABOUT NEWS. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS CONSIDERING EXCLUDING NURSING FROM ITS DEFINITION OF PROFESSIONAL DEGREE PROGRAMS. IT’S PRETTY UPSETTING FOR, I THINK, A LOT OF US. JAMIE CUTLER HAS BEEN A NURSE FOR FOUR AND A HALF YEARS. SHE IS NOW STUDYING TO GET HER DOCTORATE DEGREE IN NURSING. THEY SAW US AS FRONTLINE WORKERS ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO. WE WERE ESSENTIAL IN THE COVID PANDEMIC, AND NOW THEY’RE SAYING THAT WE’RE NOT ESSENTIAL AND THAT THEY DON’T WANT TO LOAN US MONEY TO GET OUR DEGREES AND ENHANCE OURSELVES. UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. BALTIMORE’S TAKE ON THE PROPOSAL. IT WAS SHOCKING, BUT IT WASN’T COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN TRACKING THIS ISSUE. THE PROVOST SAYS THIS WILL IMPACT STUDENTS AND HEALTH CARE. WE WANT TO ATTRACT STUDENTS FROM A VARIETY OF SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS SO THAT THEY COULD GO OUT AND BE PRACTITIONERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING IN RURAL COMMUNITIES. AND SO THE DIRECT IMPACT OF THIS, IT MAKES THESE PROGRAMS LESS, LESS ACCESSIBLE. WHAT ARE ADMINISTRATORS TELLING STUDENTS? WE’VE GOT YOU AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT, NOTWITHSTANDING THE POLICY AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARDS OUR MISSION, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE THE HUMAN CONDITION. THE FINAL DECISION IS SET FOR JULY 2026. UNIVERSITY’S NURSING AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE NOT GIVING UP. THEY ARE TRYING TO GET THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO RECONSIDER. REPORTING LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN
Lawmakers urge Education Department to add nursing to ‘professional’ programs list amid uproar
A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional,” adding to public outcry after nurses were omitted from a new agency definition.The Trump administration’s list of professional programs includes medicine, law and theology but leaves out nursing and some other fields that industry groups had asked to be included. The “professional” label would allow students to borrow larger amounts of federal loans to pursue graduate degrees in those fields.Video above: Nursing students concerned over possible loss of federal student loan accessUnder new rules proposed by the Trump administration, students in graduate programs deemed professional could borrow up to $200,000 for their degrees in total, and up to $50,000 a year. Loans for other graduate programs would be capped at $100,000 in total and $20,500 per year.In the past, graduate students had been able to borrow federal loans up to the full cost of their programs.In a Friday letter, lawmakers argue that a $100,000 cap on nursing graduate programs would make it harder for students to pay for expensive but high-demand programs, like those for nurse anesthetists. The annual cap would also pinch students in year-round nurse practitioner programs, which charge for three terms a year rather than just two and often cost more than $20,500 a year, they wrote.The letter challenges the Education Department’s claim that few nursing students would be affected by the caps.Programs for certified nurse anesthetists can cost more than $200,000, lawmakers said, but the programs typically pay off and supply a workforce that “overwhelmingly provides anesthesia to rural and underserved communities where higher cost physicians do not practice.”Video below: Massachusetts hospitals cut vacancies but critical staffing gaps persist, report saysThe letter was signed by more than 140 lawmakers, including 12 Republicans. It was sent by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., and Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., leaders of the Senate and House nursing caucuses.Another Democrat, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, sent a similar letter this week. Excluding nurses would require students to take out riskier private loans or put tuition out of reach entirely, said Torres, who represents the South Bronx.”A restrictive interpretation would undermine our healthcare and education systems, weaken our workforce, and close doors for low-income, first-generation, and immigrant students who make up much of my district,” Torres said.The Trump administration has said new loan caps are needed to pressure colleges to reduce tuition prices.In deciding what would count as a professional degree, the department relied on a 1965 law governing student financial aid. The law lays out several examples of professional programs but says it is not an exhaustive list. The Trump administration adopted those examples as the only fields in its definition.Those deemed professional are: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.The definition drew blowback from nursing organizations and other industry groups that were left out, including physical therapists and social workers. Department officials have said the new proposal may change as it’s finalized in a federal rulemaking process.
WASHINGTON —
A bipartisan group in Congress is urging the Education Department to add nursing to a list of college programs that are considered “professional,” adding to public outcry after nurses were omitted from a new agency definition.
The Trump administration’s list of professional programs includes medicine, law and theology but leaves out nursing and some other fields that industry groups had asked to be included. The “professional” label would allow students to borrow larger amounts of federal loans to pursue graduate degrees in those fields.
Video above: Nursing students concerned over possible loss of federal student loan access
Under new rules proposed by the Trump administration, students in graduate programs deemed professional could borrow up to $200,000 for their degrees in total, and up to $50,000 a year. Loans for other graduate programs would be capped at $100,000 in total and $20,500 per year.
In the past, graduate students had been able to borrow federal loans up to the full cost of their programs.
In a Friday letter, lawmakers argue that a $100,000 cap on nursing graduate programs would make it harder for students to pay for expensive but high-demand programs, like those for nurse anesthetists. The annual cap would also pinch students in year-round nurse practitioner programs, which charge for three terms a year rather than just two and often cost more than $20,500 a year, they wrote.
The letter challenges the Education Department’s claim that few nursing students would be affected by the caps.
Programs for certified nurse anesthetists can cost more than $200,000, lawmakers said, but the programs typically pay off and supply a workforce that “overwhelmingly provides anesthesia to rural and underserved communities where higher cost physicians do not practice.”
Video below: Massachusetts hospitals cut vacancies but critical staffing gaps persist, report says
The letter was signed by more than 140 lawmakers, including 12 Republicans. It was sent by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, D-Ore., and Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Va., leaders of the Senate and House nursing caucuses.
Another Democrat, Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York, sent a similar letter this week. Excluding nurses would require students to take out riskier private loans or put tuition out of reach entirely, said Torres, who represents the South Bronx.
“A restrictive interpretation would undermine our healthcare and education systems, weaken our workforce, and close doors for low-income, first-generation, and immigrant students who make up much of my district,” Torres said.
The Trump administration has said new loan caps are needed to pressure colleges to reduce tuition prices.
In deciding what would count as a professional degree, the department relied on a 1965 law governing student financial aid. The law lays out several examples of professional programs but says it is not an exhaustive list. The Trump administration adopted those examples as the only fields in its definition.
Those deemed professional are: pharmacy, dentistry, veterinary medicine, chiropractic, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathic medicine, podiatry, theology and clinical psychology.
The definition drew blowback from nursing organizations and other industry groups that were left out, including physical therapists and social workers. Department officials have said the new proposal may change as it’s finalized in a federal rulemaking process.
