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Tag: Students

  • Billionaire Palantir cofounder calls elite college undergrads a ‘loser generation’ as data reveals rise in students seeking support for disabilities | Fortune

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    That reality is showing up on a campus. A growing share of college students are seeking medical evaluations for ADHD, anxiety, and depression—and requesting academic accommodations such as extended time on exams and papers. At some of the country’s selective universities, the numbers are striking: more than 20% of undergraduates at Brown and Harvard are registered as disabled. At UMass Amherst, it’s 34%; Stanford, 38%, according to data analyzed by The Atlantic.

    While it’s clear that many students requesting accommodations do so for legitimate medical reasons and that increased diagnoses may reflect greater mental-health awareness, some experts have raised concerns about overdiagnosis and whether universities are making it too easy for students to qualify. And the debate has set off a wildfire on social media this week, catching the attention of high-profile business leaders, including Joe Lonsdale, the billionaire venture capitalist and Palantir cofounder.

    Lonsdale’s response offered no sympathy. “Loser generation,” he wrote in reaction to a graph showing the rising number of undergraduate students reporting disabilities.

    “At Stanford it’s a hack for housing though and at some point I get it, even if it’s not my personal ethics. Terrible leadership from the university.”

    He argued that families have been slowly using disability accommodations to give their children an academic advantage—when they might not actually need it.

    “Claiming your child has a disability to give them a leg up became an obvious dominant game theoretic strategy for parents without honor in the 2010’s,” Lonsdale wrote earlier this month on X. “Great signal to avoid a family / not do business with parents who act this way.”

    And while it’s unclear how many students, if any, are trying to game the system, Lonsdale has made his broader view clear: he doesn’t think universities are preparing young people—or evaluating them—in ways that matter.

    “No great companies are interested in the BS games played by universities,” he added.

    Fortune reached out to Lonsdale for further comment.

    Lonsdale’s complicated history with higher education

    Though a Stanford alum himself, Lonsdale has a complicated history with the institution and higher education more broadly.

    In the early 2010s, while serving as a mentor in a Stanford tech entrepreneurship course, Lonsdale was accused of sexual assault by a student—and banned from mentoring undergraduates for 10 years and from campus entirely. The assault charges were later dropped, but Lonsdale acknowledged violating a rule prohibiting consensual relationships between mentors and students.

    Less than a decade later, in 2021, Lonsdale cofounded his own school—the University of Austin—with Niall Ferguson, Bari Weiss, and others. The institution prides itself on freedom of speech and overcoming the “mediocrity” of traditional higher education. It welcomed its first group of undergraduates last fall and remains unaccredited.

    The school has drawn support from Lonsdale’s fellow Palantir cofounder and Stanford alum Alex Karp, who has also criticized the college system.

    “Everything you learned at your school and college about how the world works is intellectually incorrect,” Karp, Palantir’s CEO, told CNBC earlier this year.

    Instead, the 58-year-old said Palantir is building a new credential “separate from class or background,” that is the “best credential in tech.”

    “If you did not go to school, or you went to a school that’s not that great, or you went to Harvard or Princeton or Yale, once you come to Palantir, you’re a Palantirian,” Karp said during an earnings call earlier this year. “No one cares about the other stuff.”

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    Preston Fore

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  • Teaching might be synchronous, but learning is always happening asynchronously

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    Key points:

    The bell rings at 10:00 a.m. A teacher begins explaining quadratic equations. Some students lean forward, pencils ready. Others stare at the clock. A few are still turning yesterday’s lesson over in their minds. On the surface, it’s a standard, well‑planned class period. But here’s the catch: Learning doesn’t always happen on schedule.

    Think about your own class last week. Did every student learn exactly what you were teaching? Or did some of them circle back a day or two later with new questions, fresh insights, or sudden understanding?

    Across the country, laws and regulations attempt to define and balance synchronous and asynchronous instruction. Some states fund schools based on seat time, measuring how long students sit in classrooms or log into live online sessions. Here in Indiana, recent legislation even limits the number of e‑learning days that can be asynchronous, as if too many days without live teaching would somehow shortchange students. These rules were written with the best of intentions–ensuring students are engaged, teachers are available, and learning doesn’t slip through the cracks.

    Over time, “asynchronous instruction” has picked up a troubling reputation, often equated with the idea of no teaching at all–just kids simply poking through a computer on their own. But the truth is far more nuanced. The work of teaching is so difficult precisely because all learning is, at its core, asynchronous. The best teachers understand the enormous variance in readiness within any group of students. They know some learners grasp a concept immediately while others need more time, multiple exposures, or a completely different entry point. Giving them space beyond the live moment is often exactly what allows learning to take hold.

    Devoting resources to well-designed asynchronous learning, such as recorded lectures available for rewatch, self-paced learning modules, project-based activities, and educational games, allows students to immerse themselves in instructional materials and gain a better understanding of content on their terms. Instead of helping students catch up during class time, teachers can focus on whole-group instruction and a deeper analysis of curriculum content.

    When we’re measuring butts in seats or time in front of a screen with an instructor on the other end, live, we’re measuring what’s easy to measure, not what’s important. Real student engagement happens in the head of the learner, and that is far harder to quantify.

    That’s why I can’t help but wonder if some of these mandates, while well‑intentioned, actually get in the way of real learning, pushing schools to comply with a regulation rather than focus on the conditions that actually help students grow.

    What if, instead of focusing so much on the ratio of synchronous to asynchronous minutes, we asked a better question: Are students being given the time, space, and support to truly learn? Are we creating systems that allow them to circle back and show growth when they’re ready, not just when the bell rings? As an administrator, I know our district is still figuring out the complexities of putting these goals into practice.

    Instead of tying funding and accountability to time in a seat, imagine tying it to evidence of growth. Imagine policies that encourage schools to document when and how students show understanding, no matter when it happens. Imagine giving educators the freedom to design opportunities for students to revisit, rethink, and re‑engage until the learning truly sticks.

    The teaching might be synchronous. But the learning is always happening asynchronously, and if we can shift our policies, practices, and mindsets to honor that truth, we can move beyond compliance and toward classrooms where students have every chance to succeed.

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    George Philhower, Ed.D., Eastern Hancock Schools

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  • Students must intentionally develop durable skills to thrive in an AI-dominated world

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    Key points:

    As AI increasingly automates technical tasks across industries, students’ long-term career success will rely less on technical skills alone and more on durable skills or professional skills, often referred to as soft skills. These include empathy, resilience, collaboration, and ethical reasoning–skills that machines can’t replicate.

    This critical need is outlined in Future-Proofing Students: Professional Skills in the Age of AI, a new report from Acuity Insights. Drawing on a broad body of academic and market research, the report provides an analysis of how institutions can better prepare students with the professional skills most critical in an AI-driven world.

    Key findings from the report:

    • 75 percent of long-term job success is attributed to professional skills, not technical expertise.
    • Over 25 percent of executives say they won’t hire recent graduates due to lack of durable skills.
    • COVID-19 disrupted professional skill development, leaving many students underprepared for collaboration, communication, and professional norms.
    • Eight essential durable skills must be intentionally developed for students to thrive in an AI-driven workplace.

    “Technical skills may open the door, but it’s human skills like empathy and resilience that endure over time and lead to a fruitful and rewarding career,” says Matt Holland, CEO at Acuity Insights. “As AI reshapes the workforce, it has become critical for higher education to take the lead in preparing students with these skills that will define their long-term success.”

    The eight critical durable skills include:

    • Empathy
    • Teamwork
    • Communication
    • Motivation
    • Resilience
    • Ethical reasoning
    • Problem solving
    • Self-awareness

    These competencies don’t expire with technology–they grow stronger over time, helping graduates adapt, lead, and thrive in an AI-driven world.

    The report also outlines practical strategies for institutions, including assessing non-academic skills at admissions using Situational Judgment Tests (SJTs), and shares recommendations on embedding professional skills development throughout curricula and forming partnerships that bridge AI literacy with interpersonal and ethical reasoning.

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    ESchool Media Contributors

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  • Teaching math the way the brain learns changes everything

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    Key points:

    Far too many students enter math class expecting to fail. For them, math isn’t just a subject–it’s a source of anxiety that chips away at their confidence and makes them question their abilities. A growing conversation around math phobia is bringing this crisis into focus. A recent article, for example, unpacked the damage caused by the belief that “I’m just not a math person” and argued that traditional math instruction often leaves even bright, capable students feeling defeated.

    When a single subject holds such sway over not just academic outcomes but a student’s sense of self and future potential, we can’t afford to treat this as business as usual. It’s not enough to explore why this is happening. We need to focus on how to fix it. And I believe the answer lies in rethinking how we teach math, aligning instruction with the way the brain actually learns.

    Context first, then content

    A key shortcoming of traditional math curriculum–and a major contributor to students’ fear of math–is the lack of meaningful context. Our brains rely on context to make sense of new information, yet math is often taught in isolation from how we naturally learn. The fix isn’t simply throwing in more “real-world” examples. What students truly need is context, and visual examples are one of the best ways to get there. When math concepts are presented visually, students can better grasp the structure of a problem and follow the logic behind each step, building deeper understanding and confidence along the way.

    In traditional math instruction, students are often taught a new concept by being shown a procedure and then practicing it repeatedly in hopes that understanding will eventually follow. But this approach is backward. Our brains don’t learn that way, especially when it comes to math. Students need context first. Without existing schemas to draw from, they struggle to make sense of new ideas. Providing context helps them build the mental frameworks necessary for real understanding.

    Why visual-first context matters

    Visual-first context gives students the tools they need to truly understand math. A curriculum built around visual-first exploration allows students to have an interactive experience–poking and prodding at a problem, testing ideas, observing patterns, and discovering solutions. From there, students develop procedures organically, leading to a deeper, more complete understanding. Using visual-first curriculum activates multiple parts of the brain, creating a deeper, lasting understanding. Shifting to a math curriculum that prioritizes introducing new concepts through a visual context makes math more approachable and accessible by aligning with how the brain naturally learns.

    To overcome “math phobia,” we also need to rethink the heavy emphasis on memorization in today’s math instruction. Too often, students can solve problems not because they understand the underlying concepts, but because they’ve memorized a set of steps. This approach limits growth and deeper learning. Memorization of the right answers does not lead to understanding, but understanding can lead to the right answers.

    Take, for example, a third grader learning their times tables. The third grader can memorize the answers to each square on the times table along with its coordinating multipliers, but that doesn’t mean they understand multiplication. If, instead, they grasp how multiplication works–what it means–they can figure out the times tables on their own. The reverse isn’t true. Without conceptual understanding, students are limited to recall, which puts them at a disadvantage when trying to build off previous knowledge.

    Learning from other subjects

    To design a math curriculum that aligns with how the brain naturally learns new information, we can take cues from how other subjects are taught. In English, for example, students don’t start by memorizing grammar rules in isolation–they’re first exposed to those rules within the context of stories. Imagine asking a student to take a grammar quiz before they’ve ever read a sentence–that would seem absurd. Yet in math, we often expect students to master procedures before they’ve had any meaningful exposure to the concepts behind them.

    Most other subjects are built around context. Students gain background knowledge before being expected to apply what they’ve learned. By giving students a story or a visual context for the mind to process–breaking it down and making connections–students can approach problems like a puzzle or game, instead of a dreaded exercise. Math can do the same. By adopting the contextual strategies used in other subjects, math instruction can become more intuitive and engaging, moving beyond the traditional textbook filled with equations.

    Math doesn’t have to be a source of fear–it can be a source of joy, curiosity, and confidence. But only if we design it the way the brain learns: with visuals first, understanding at the center, and every student in mind. By using approaches that provide visual-first context, students can engage with math in a way that mirrors how the brain naturally learns. This shift in learning makes math more approachable and accessible for all learners.

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    Nigel Nisbet, Mind Education

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  • Immigrant Student Enrollment Is Dwindling At Schools Across The U.S.

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    From Miami to San Diego, schools around the U.S. are seeing big drops in enrollment of students from immigrant families.

    In some cases, parents have been deported or voluntarily returned to their home countries, driven out by President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown. Others have moved elsewhere inside the U.S.

    In many school systems, the biggest factor is that far fewer families are coming from other countries. As fewer people cross the U.S. border, administrators in small towns and big cities alike are reporting fewer newcomer students than usual.

    In Miami-Dade County Public Schools, about 2,550 students have entered the district from another country so far this school year — down from nearly 14,000 last year, and more than 20,000 the year before that. School board member Luisa Santos, who attended district schools herself as a young immigrant, said the trend is “a sad reality.”

    “I was one of those arrivals when I was 8 years old,” Santos said. “And this country and our public schools — I’ll never get tired of saying it — gave me everything.”

    Collectively, the enrollment declines in Miami-Dade erased about $70 million from the district’s annual budget, forcing administrators to scramble to cover the unexpected shortfall.

    In San Diego, Principal Fernando Hernandez has enrolled dozens of newcomer students from across Latin America over the past couple years. But so far this school year, he hasn’t enrolled a single newcomer student.

    The drops in immigrant students add to strains on enrollment at many traditional public schools, which have seen overall numbers dip due to demographic changes and students opting for alternatives like private schools and homeschooling. Despite needs for English instruction and social supports, the newcomers in some districts have helped to buoy enrollment and bring critical per-pupil funding in recent years.

    In northern Alabama, Albertville City Schools Superintendent Bart Reeves has seen the local economy grow along with its Hispanic population, which for decades has been drawn by the area’s poultry processing plants. Albertville soon will be getting its first Target store, a sign of the community’s growing prosperity.

    Reeves’ district is home to one of Alabama’s largest Hispanic student populations, with about 60% identifying as Hispanic. But Reeves said the district’s newcomer academy at a local high school hasn’t been enrolling any new students.

    “That’s just not happening this year with the closure of the border,” said Reeves, who expects the hit to his budget from enrollment declines will cost him about 12 teacher positions.

    Some students are self-deporting with their families

    One Sunday morning in August, Edna, a 63-year-old immigrant from El Salvador, got the call she had been dreading. Her friend, a mother from Guatemala with seven young children, had been detained in Lake Worth, Florida, on immigration charges while she was out grabbing a treat for her kids’ breakfast.

    The family had prepared for this moment. There were legal documents in place granting temporary custody of the children to Edna, who asked to be identified only by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement.

    “I’ll be here, and we’ll be OK,” she recalled telling the oldest child, a 12-year-old boy.

    In the weeks that followed, Edna stayed home with two younger kids and got their five older siblings on the bus each day to attend Palm Beach County public schools, where enrollment has fallen by more than 6,000 students this year. One day in September, all seven children boarded a plane to Guatemala to be reunited with their mom, leaving behind neighborhood friends, band practices, and the only life they had ever known.

    “My house feels like a garden without flowers,” Edna said. “They’re all gone.”

    The family is now living in a rural part of Guatemala, out of reach of phone service. School there had already started for the year and the mother, who did not attend school herself as a child, was keeping them home and weighing whether to enroll them next year, Edna said.

    Teachers look on as students play on the playground at Perkins K-8 School in San Diego. The schools principal said he worries students are missing out on chances to learn how to show empathy, to share, to disagree, to understand each other.
    Teachers look on as students play on the playground at Perkins K-8 School in San Diego. The schools principal said he worries students are missing out on chances to learn how to show empathy, to share, to disagree, to understand each other.

    Schools accustomed to newcomers see far fewer this year

    The declines in the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. were already becoming evident in school registration numbers this summer.

    Denver Public Schools enrolled 400 new-to-country students this summer, compared to 1,500 during the previous summer. Outside Chicago, Waukegan Community Unified School District 60 signed up 100 fewer new immigrant students. And administrators in the Houston Independent School District shuttered the Las Americas Newcomer School, a program dedicated to children who are new to the U.S., after its enrollment fell to just 21 students from 111 last year.

    The shift is visible in places like Chelsea, Massachusetts, a city outside Boston that has long been a destination for new immigrants. The 6,000-student Chelsea Public Schools system has attracted Central Americans looking for affordable housing, and more recently, the state housed newly-arrived Haitians in shelters there. This year, the usual influx of newcomers didn’t materialize.

    “This year has been different. Much more quiet,” said Daniel Mojica, director of Chelsea’s parent information center.

    Over the summer, 152 newcomers signed up for Chelsea Public Schools, compared to 592 new-to-country students the previous summer.

    Some are also picking up and leaving. Since January, 844 students have withdrawn from the district, compared to 805 during the same period last year. Mojica said a greater share of students leaving – roughly a quarter – are returning to their native countries.

    He attributes that partly to the presence of masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers walking the city’s streets.

    “You can feel the fear in the air,” he said.

    Educators worry students are missing out

    In San Diego, Principal Fernando Hernandez has enrolled dozens of newcomer students from across Latin America over the past couple years. Many made the treacherous journey through the jungles of the Darien Gap before setting up camp in a park near Perkins K-8 school.

    About a third of students at the school are homeless. Staff have become experts on supporting kids who are facing adversity. As more newcomers arrived, Hernandez watched as Mexican American students switched up their playground slang to be better understood by their new classmates from Venezuela, Colombia and Peru.

    But so far this school year, he hasn’t enrolled a single newcomer student. Other families did not return when the new school year began.

    Hernandez fears the toll of the disruption will extend far beyond students’ academic progress. He worries students are missing out on chances to learn how to show empathy, to share, to disagree, to understand each other.

    “This is like a repeat of the pandemic where the kids are isolated, locked up, not socializing,” he said.

    “These kids, they have to be in school,” he added.

    Natacha, a parent who moved with her family to California after leaving Venezuela, said she tries to avoid going out in public, but continues sending her daughters to school. Natacha, who asked to only be identified by her first name because she fears immigration enforcement, said she braces herself as she drives the girls home each afternoon, scanning the road behind her in case another car is following hers.

    “I entrust myself to God,” she said.

    The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

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  • How CTE inspires long and fulfilling careers

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    This post originally published on iCEV’s blog, and is republished here with permission.

    A career-centered education built on real experience

    One of the most transformative aspects of Career and Technical Education is how it connects learning to real life. When students understand that what they’re learning is preparing them for long and fulfilling careers, they engage more deeply. They build confidence, competence, and the practical skills employers seek in today’s competitive economy.

    I’ve seen that transformation firsthand, both as a teacher and someone who spent two decades outside the classroom as a financial analyst working with entrepreneurs. I began teaching Agricultural Science in 1987, but stepped away for 20 years to gain real-world experience in banking and finance. When I returned to teaching, I brought those experiences with me, and they changed the way I taught.

    Financial literacy in my Ag classes was not just another chapter in the curriculum–it became a bridge between the classroom and the real world. Students were not just completing assignments; they were developing skills that would serve them for life. And they were thriving. At Rio Rico High School in Arizona, we embed financial education directly into our Ag III and Ag IV courses. Students not only gain technical knowledge but also earn the Arizona Department of Education’s Personal Finance Diploma seal. I set a clear goal: students must complete their certifications by March of their senior year. Last year, 22 students achieved a 100% pass rate.

    Those aren’t just numbers. They’re students walking into the world with credentials, confidence, and direction. That’s the kind of outcome only CTE can deliver at scale.

    This is where curriculum systems designed around authentic, career-focused content make all the difference. With the right structure and tools, educators can consistently deliver high-impact instruction that leads to meaningful, measurable outcomes.

    CTE tools that work

    Like many teachers, I had to adapt quickly when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. I transitioned to remote instruction with document cameras, media screens, and Google Classroom. That’s when I found iCEV. I started with a 30-day free trial, and thanks to the support of their team, I was up and running fast. 

    iCEV became the adjustable wrench in my toolbox: versatile, reliable, and used every single day. It gave me structure without sacrificing flexibility. Students could access content independently, track their progress, and clearly see how their learning connected to real-world careers.

    But the most powerful lesson I have learned in CTE has nothing to do with tech or platforms. It is about trust. My advice to any educator getting started with CTE? Don’t start small. Set the bar high. Trust your students. They will rise. And when they do, you’ll see how capable they truly are.

    From classroom to career: The CTE trajectory

    CTE offers something few other educational pathways can match: a direct, skills-based progression from classroom learning to career readiness. The bridge is built through internships, industry partnerships, and work-based learning: components that do more than check a box. They shape students into adaptable, resilient professionals.

    In my program, students leave with more than knowledge. They leave with confidence, credentials, and a clear vision for their future. That’s what makes CTE different. We’re not preparing students for the next test. We’re preparing them for the next chapter of their lives.

    These opportunities give students a competitive edge. They introduce them to workplace dynamics, reinforce classroom instruction, and open doors to mentorship and advancement. They make learning feel relevant and empowering.

    As explored in the broader discussion on why the world needs CTE, the long-term impact of CTE extends far beyond individual outcomes. It supports economic mobility, fills critical workforce gaps, and ensures that learners are equipped not only for their first job, but for the evolution of work across their lifetimes.

    CTE educators as champions of opportunity

    Behind every successful student story is an educator or counselor who believed in their potential and provided the right support at the right time. As CTE educators, we’re not just instructors; we are workforce architects, building pipelines from education to employment with skill and heart.

    We guide students through certifications, licenses, career clusters, and postsecondary options. We introduce students to nontraditional career opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed, and we ensure each learner is on a path that fits their strengths and aspirations.

    To sustain this level of mentorship and innovation, educators need access to tools that align with both classroom needs and evolving industry trends. High-quality guides provide frameworks for instruction, career planning, and student engagement, allowing us to focus on what matters most: helping every student achieve their full potential.

    Local roots, national impact

    When we talk about long and fulfilling careers, we’re also talking about the bigger picture:  stronger local economies, thriving communities, and a workforce that’s built to last.

    CTE plays a vital role at every level. It prepares students for in-demand careers that support their families, power small businesses, and fill national workforce gaps. States that invest in high-quality CTE programs consistently see the return: lower dropout rates, higher postsecondary enrollment, and greater job placement success.

    But the impact goes beyond metrics. When one student earns a certification, that success ripples outward—it lifts families, grows businesses, and builds stronger communities.

    CTE isn’t just about preparing students for jobs. It’s about giving them purpose. And when we invest in that purpose, we invest in long-term progress.

    Empowering the next generation with the right tools

    Access matters. The best ideas and strategies won’t create impact unless they are available, affordable, and actionable for the educators who need them. That’s why it’s essential for schools to explore resources that can strengthen their existing programs and help them grow.

    A free trial offers schools a way to explore these solutions without risk—experiencing firsthand how career-centered education can fit into their unique context. For those seeking deeper insights, a live demo can walk teams through the full potential of a platform built to support student success from day one.

    When programs are equipped with the right tools, they can exceed minimum standards. They can transform the educational experience into a launchpad for lifelong achievement.

    CTE is more than a pathway. It is a movement driven by student passion, educator commitment, and a collective belief in the value of hard work and practical knowledge. Every certification earned, every skill mastered, and every student empowered brings us closer to a future built on long and fulfilling careers for everyone.

    For more news on career readiness, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub.

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    Dr. Richard McPherson, Ed.D.

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  • More parents are homeschooling–and turning to podcasts for syllabus support

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    Key points:

    A revolution quietly underway in American education: the rise of homeschooling. In the past decade, there’s been a 61 percent increase in homeschool students across the United States, making it the fastest growing form of education in the country. You might not have noticed (I didn’t, at first), because only about 6 percent of students are homeschooled nationally. But that number is nearly double what it was just two years ago.

    Then I noticed something that made me take a closer look closer to home. At Starglow Media, the podcast company I founded in 2023, nearly 20 percent of our listenership comes from homeschool families. That substantially overindexes against the national population. In other words, podcasts were particularly popular in the homeschool community.

    I was curious, for my business and in general. We make podcasts for kids (and their parents)  without any specific content for homeschool families. Why was audio resonating so well with this audience? I did some digging, and the answers surprised me.

    First, I wanted to find out why homeschooling was booming. According to the Washington Post, the explosive growth is consistent across “every measurable line of politics, geography, and demographics.” Experts have offered multiple explanations. Some families started homeschooling during COVID and never went back, others want greater say in what their children learn. Some families feel their kids are safer from violence and discrimination at home, others think it’s a better environment for children with disabilities. All these reasons collectively suggest a broader motivation: people are dissatisfied with the traditional education system and are taking it into their own hands.

    None of these factors, however, explained why podcasts were popular among homeschool families. So I decided to ask the question myself. I reached out to some Starglow listeners in the Starglow community to hear what about the format was appealing to them. Three main themes emerged.

    Many people told me that podcasts are uniquely well-suited to address educational hurdles facing homeschool families. When you’re a homeschool parent, it can be difficult to navigate all the resources that inform lesson planning while ensuring that the content is age- and subject-appropriate. Parents have found podcasts to be an intuitive way to elevate their curricula. They can search for subjects, filter by age group, and trust that the content is suitable for their kids. Ads on the network add another layer of value–because parents can trust the content, they tend to trust further educational materials promoted via the same channels. Simply put, the podcast ecosystem offers a reliable means to supplement lesson plans.

    They also offer a clear financial benefit. Homeschooling can be expensive, especially in STEM, but the majority of states don’t offer government subsidies for homeschool education. Podcasts have proven to be a cost-effective way to supplement at-home learning modules. Parents appreciate that it’s free to listen.

    Lastly–and this came up in nearly every conversation–they fit in well to homeschool life. Routine is a critical part of any educational context, and podcasts are useful anchors in the school day. Parents can easily pair podcasts with lessons at any point in their day, whether it’s a current events primer paired with a news podcast over breakfast or a specific episode of “Who Smarted” (our most popular educational podcast) about how snow forms worked into a science lesson. In this way, podcasts are becoming an integral part of family life in the homeschool community. Educational content like “Who Smarted” or an age-appropriate audiobook of “Moby Dick” may be the gateway, but families tend to co-listen throughout the day, whether it’s to KidsNuz over coffee or a Koala Moon story at night.

    What does all this mean? Homeschooling is growing, and with it is the need for flexible, affordable, and trustworthy educational content. To meet that demand, families are turning to audio, which offers age-appropriate solutions that can be worked into family life through regular co-listening.

    I expect that the homeschool movement will continue to grow, because new formats and strategies are offering families new opportunities. That’s good news, because we need innovation in education right now. Test scores are falling, literacy is in decline, and school absenteeism hasn’t fully bounced back from the pandemic. The homeschool surge is just one indicator of our increased dissatisfaction with the status quo. If we want to course correct, we all need to embrace new resources, podcasts or otherwise, to enhance education at home and in the classroom. New media has the potential to transform how people teach–we should embrace the opportunity.

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    Jed Baker, Starglow Media

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  • A teacher used a vase to explain grief to her fourth graders—and parents everywhere are learning from it

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    When fourth grade teacher Ryan Brazil placed a glass vase on her classroom desk, her students didn’t expect an emotional lesson. But within minutes, that vase became a symbol of how grief fills our hearts and minds, and how compassion helps make space again.

    The simple demonstration she shared in a viral Instagram video, now viewed 417,000 times, used pom-poms and a crumpled piece of paper to show her students how grief can fill our hearts and minds. It was a moment of vulnerability that resonated far beyond her classroom, offering a powerful reminder of how empathy takes root when we give children permission to feel.

    A vase that became a lesson in empathy

    In the video, Brazil begins by explaining that the vase represents her brain and heart. She drops in small pom-poms, each symbolizing the daily things that fill her mental space: noise, questions, mistakes, and ordinary stress. Normally, she tells her students, there’s still room for patience and calm.

    Then she adds a crumpled piece of black paper. This, she explains, is grief. When grief enters our lives, it takes up space that once belonged to patience or focus. “Grief takes up space, not just in your heart, but in your brain,” she tells them. “It can make you more tired, less patient, and quicker to feel overwhelmed.”

    Brazil shared with Upworthy that she recently lost her sister unexpectedly and wanted her students to understand why she might seem distracted or short-tempered. Instead of hiding her pain, she decided to talk about it, and in doing so, invited her students to do the same.

    Afterward, the class drew their own “vases,” filling the inside with feelings and thoughts and the outside with things that help them make space again: kindness, laughter, drawing, talking, resting. Together, they created a collaborative piece that read, “We make space for each other.”

    Related: TikTok video shows why a mother hasn’t moved her daughter’s shoes in three years — and the grief behind them

    Why lessons like this help kids process grief

    Children experience grief differently than adults. They often feel emotions they can’t yet name, and that can lead to confusion or fear. Research from the Continuity in Education shows that open, age-appropriate conversations about loss help children develop emotional resilience and reduce anxiety.

    Similarly, studies published in the Child Mind Institute indicate that when adults model emotional expression and self-awareness, children become better able to regulate their own feelings. Brazil’s vase demonstration gave her students a tangible way to understand this—showing them that emotional capacity is something we all manage, and that it’s okay when the space inside feels smaller.

    By bringing her grief into the open, she helped her students see that even grown-ups struggle, and that emotions don’t need to be hidden to be respected.

    Related: Andrew Garfield’s heartfelt conversation with Elmo shows us why we should talk to kids about grief

    What people are saying

    The comments on Brazil’s video reflect just how deeply the moment resonated across generations and experiences.

    • “I just want to hug the little person I can hear making little grief noises.” — annccabw

    • “You are not a therapist, friend. No reason you should’ve worked these kids up like this.”  — tonyandjamiediflorio

    • “We need more of this kind of teaching and how to teach like this. It’s really power to our students. thanks for being vulnerable” — kristyheffnerhilton

    • “Ugh and not to mention little kids only have a tiny vase (depending their age) so this is where tantrums come from. That’s why spilling their goldfish is just too much to handle. Bc it doesn’t have to be grief. It could be other things taking up their space.” — klrb28

    1. “This touches my heart on so many levels: I carry a 10 year old grieving heart inside me, the age I was when my dad died. He was a teacher, who was loved by students and parents, just as I’m sure you are. I’m a grief professional, educator, and writer for over 20 years and this is one of the most beautiful and clear and extraordinary explanations I have ever heard. Thank you from my grown-up and little grieving heart. ”

      ❤

      — @mrs.brazil_28

    The mix of gratitude, debate, and reflection reveals how powerfully grief intersects with learning and parenting. Many viewers saw the vase as a visual metaphor for empathy itself—a reminder that every child and adult carries invisible weight.

    What parents can take from the vase metaphor

    Ryan Brazil’s lesson offers more than a classroom takeaway. It’s a guide for parents who want to help children navigate big emotions at home.

    • Create a “heart space” jar: Encourage your child to place drawings, notes, or keepsakes that represent the person or feeling they’re missing. This practice, supported by findings in the Journal of Loss and Trauma, can help externalize emotions and make abstract feelings concrete.

    • Name what fills your vase: Use Brazil’s metaphor to describe emotional overload in age-appropriate language. Saying “my vase feels really full today” models awareness without shame.

    • Keep the conversation going: Research from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) shows that ongoing discussions about loss and emotional wellbeing help children build long-term coping skills.

    These small actions can turn grief from an isolating experience into a shared process of understanding.

    Making space for each other

    When Ryan Brazil told her students, “We make space for each other,” she offered a truth that extends well beyond her classroom. Grief can shrink our capacity, but compassion expands it again. By making space for our own feelings, we show our children that theirs are safe too—and that healing often begins when we simply decide to share what we carry.

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  • Room to grow: Creating a classroom built for success

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    Key points:

    For decades, curriculum, pedagogy, and technology have evolved to meet the changing needs of students. But in many schools, the classroom environment itself hasn’t kept pace. Classic layouts that typically feature rows of desks, limited flexibility, and a single focal point can often make it harder for educators to support the dynamic ways students learn today.

    Classrooms are more than places to sit–when curated intentionally, they can become powerful tools for learning. These spaces can either constrain or amplify great teaching. By reimagining how classrooms are designed and used, schools can create environments that foster engagement, reduce stress, and help both teachers and students thrive.

    Designing a classroom for student learning outcomes and well-being

    Many educators naturally draw on their own school experiences when shaping classroom environments, often carrying forward familiar setups that reflect how they once learned. Over time, these classic arrangements have become the norm, even as today’s students benefit from more flexible, adaptable spaces that align with modern teaching and learning needs.

    The challenge is that classic classroom setups don’t always align with the ways students learn and interact today. With technology woven into nearly every aspect of their lives, students are used to engaging in environments that are more dynamic, collaborative, and responsive. Classrooms designed with flexibility in mind can better mirror these experiences, supporting teaching and learning in meaningful ways, even without using technology.

    To truly engage students, the classroom must become an active participant in the learning process. Educational psychologist Loris Malaguzzi famously described the classroom as the “third teacher,” claiming it has just as much influence in a child’s development as parents or educators. With that in mind, teachers should be able to lean on this “teacher” to help keep students engaged and attentive, rather than doing all the heavy lifting themselves.

    For example, rows of desks often limit interaction and activity, forcing a singular, passive learning style. Flexible seating, on the other hand, encourages active participation and peer-to-peer learning, allowing students to easily move and reconfigure their learning spaces for group work or individual work time.

    I saw this firsthand when I was a teacher. When I moved into one of my third-grade classrooms, I was met with tables that quickly proved insufficient for the needs of my students. I requested a change, integrating alternative seating options and giving students the freedom to choose where they felt most comfortable learning. The results exceeded my expectations. My students were noticeably more engaged, collaborative, and invested in class discussions and activities. That experience showed me that even the simplest changes to the physical learning environment can have a profound impact on student motivation and learning outcomes.

    Allowing students to select their preferred spot for a given activity or day gives them agency over their learning experience. Students with this choice are more likely to engage in discussions, share ideas, and develop a sense of community. A comfortable and deliberately designed environment can also reduce anxiety and improve focus. This means teachers experience fewer disruptions and less need for intervention, directly alleviating a major source of stress by decreasing the disciplinary actions educators must make to resolve classroom misbehavior. With less disruption, teachers can focus on instruction.

    Supporting teachers’ well-being

    Just as classroom design can directly benefit student outcomes, it can also contribute to teacher well-being. Creating spaces that support collaboration among staff, provide opportunities to reset, and reduce the demands of the job is a tangible first step towards developing a more sustainable environment for educators and can be one factor in reducing turnover.

    Intentional classroom design should balance consistency with teacher voice. Schools don’t need a one-size-fits-all model for every room, but they can establish adaptable design standards for each type of space, such as science labs, elementary classrooms, or collaboration areas. Within those frameworks, teachers should be active partners in shaping how the space works best for their instruction. This approach honors teacher expertise while ensuring that learning environments across the school are both flexible and cohesive.

    Supporting teacher voice and expertise also encourages “early adopters” to try new things. While some teachers may jump at the opportunity to redesign their space, others might be more hesitant. For those teachers, school leaders can help ease these concerns by reinforcing that meaningful change doesn’t require a full-scale overhaul. Even small steps, like rearranging existing furniture or introducing one or two new pieces, can make a space feel refreshed and more responsive to both teaching and learning needs. To support this process, schools can also collaborate with learning environment specialists to help educators identify practical starting points and design solutions tailored to their goals.

    Designing a brighter future for education

    Investing in thoughtfully designed school environments that prioritize teacher well-being isn’t just about creating a more pleasant workplace; it’s a strategic move to build a stronger, more sustainable educational system. By providing teachers with flexible, adaptable, and future-ready classrooms, schools can address issues like stress, burnout, and student disengagement. When educators feel valued and empowered in their spaces, they create a better work environment for themselves and a better learning experience for their students. Ultimately, a supportive, well-designed classroom is an environment that sets both educators and students up for success.

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    Dr. Sue Ann Highland, School Specialty

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  • Reliable and relatable resources build confident students: The triple Rs of scholastic esports

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    Key points:

    I know what it feels like to stand in front of a classroom that does not have enough. Not enough computers. Not enough up-to-date software and technical tools. Not enough resources to give every student the experience they deserve. When students notice these gaps, they notice more than the missing tools. They begin to question whether their education and, by extension, their potential really matters. That doubt can quietly drain their confidence.

    This is why dependable resources are not simply a bonus in education. They are a lifeline. In my role leading the Scholastic Esports Academy in the Five Carat Choice Program at Palm Beach Lakes High School, I have watched how access to quality equipment and meaningful project-based learning transforms students from the inside out. It is not only about what they learn but about how they begin to see themselves.

    I have been fortunate to develop partnerships with organizations like Cleverlike Studios, changing the game for my students by bringing advanced technology and creativity directly into the classroom. For example, they learned how to create new characters for Minecraft and designed custom esports jerseys for their Minecraft characters. Students were engaged while learning in games they know and love. These experiences allow them to express their creativity and see their ideas come to life while building complex skills such as coding, digital media, and game design.  

    When students make the leap from simple play to design, careers in technology and digital media suddenly seem accessible, even if they have never seen themselves in these fields before. Scholastic esports is an avenue within the educational landscape that merges the captivating realm of the video game industry with project based learning and educational objectives. It capitalizes on students’ existing interests for STEM subjects, including gamification, digital media, robotics, and financial literacy, directing them towards a structured and educational setting.

    In just five years, the Palm Beach Lakes Scholastic Esports Academy has grown from a small club of ten students to more than five hundred, becoming a full CTE academy that operates both during the school day and after school. Through this experience, students are earning four to five industry certifications along their four year pathway. Their success demonstrates what happens when resources are reliable, relatable, and creativity is encouraged. Students are now able to see themselves in real time through 3D models and their own digital designs, creating new characters for Minecraft and customizing their own esports jerseys.

    Recognizing this success, the Pew Foundation invested nearly $500,000 to expand our infrastructure and transform the program from an after school club into a full daytime classroom experience, creating even greater opportunities for growth and student success. Now, when our students walk into the Esports classroom, they enter a space built around their passions. They see powerful gaming computers, professional streaming equipment, and projects that speak their language. Suddenly, the skills they once thought were only for others become reachable. They begin to realize that their love for video games, robotics, and digital media can open doors to real world careers and college opportunities.

    The results speak for themselves:

    • In FY23 Palm Beach Lakes High School used a Pew Grant to launch the esports course and compared outcomes with a matched group of students.
    • Students who participated in esports had significantly lower rates of in-school or out-of-school suspension, with about half as many incidents as their non-esports peers.
    • Absenteeism among esports students was also slightly lower.
    • While GPA and certification pass rates were similar, the behavioral improvements were clear and meaningful.

    These numbers match what I see every day. Students who once struggled to stay engaged now show up early to practice. They stay late to collaborate. They treat each other with a level of respect and teamwork that carries over into their other classes.

    None of this would be possible without reliable and relatable resources that connect directly to students’ interests and experiences. In a Title I school, these tools make learning meaningful by turning abstract ideas into hands-on projects that students can see, touch, and create. Expanding their minds through hands-on learning and project based materials from companies like Cleverlike Studios, our students gain access to educational tools that connect classroom lessons to real world applications. Coding challenges, game design projects, and digital media activities inspire creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration. Most importantly, this work helps students see that their ideas and talents have value and that their creativity can open doors to future opportunities. 

    For many of my students’ resources have always been scarce. But in the Scholastic Esports Academy they find more than equipment. They find opportunity. They discover that their skills have value beyond the game and that their voices and ideas matter. They begin to picture themselves as leaders in technology, media, and STEM fields.

    Student Alyssa Chavez said, “Last year, we completed an assignment to design a jersey for our esports teams to wear on Minecraft. The Esports Jersey assignment was very helpful and even inspiring to me because it helped me learn to adapt and appeal to the suggestions and requirements that a client or partner would want me to apply to a project.   The use of the Blockbench program helped me to understand the importance of knowing how to navigate and use a program to do my best work for certain projects. When making the jersey, I took the elements and colors of our ‘Retro Rams’ branding and applied them to the jersey to create a design that represents unity and teamwork, showcasing the unity of our esports team.”

    This is why I believe scholastic esports is not just about gaming. It is about creating a bridge between curiosity and opportunity. It is about giving students in under-resourced communities the confidence to dream bigger and the tools to make those dreams real.

    The ongoing success of our academy is proof that when education is supported with vision, dedication, and the right resources, students will rise. We have created a space where learning feels real, where creativity thrives, and where confidence is built through experience. Partners like Cleverlike Studios have played a part in this progress by providing educational tools that enhance what we do every day. Together, we are demonstrating that reliable and relatable learning environments not only inspire achievement but also prepare students to succeed beyond the classroom.

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    Julius Edwards, Palm Beach Lakes Esports & Sunshine State Esports League

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  • Making career readiness meaningful in today’s classrooms

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    Key points:

    As a high school STEM teacher at Baldwin Preparatory Academy, I often ask myself: How can we make classroom learning more meaningful for our students? In today’s rapidly evolving world, preparing learners for the future isn’t about gathering academic knowledge. It is also about helping all learners explore potential careers and develop the future-ready skills that will support success in the “real world” beyond graduation.

    One way to bring those two goals together is by drawing a clear connection between what is learned in the classroom and future careers. In fact, research from the Education Insights Report shows that a whopping 87 percent of high school students believe that career connections make school engaging–and as we all know, deeper student engagement leads to improved academic growth.

    I’ve tried a lot of different tactics to get kids engaged in careers over my 9 years of teaching. Here are my current top recommendations:

    Internship opportunities
    As many educators know, hands-on learning is effective for students. The same goes for learning about careers. Internship opportunities give students a way to practice a career by doing the job.

    I advise students to contact local businesses about internships during the school year and summer. Looking local is a wonderful way to make connections, learn an industry, and practice career skills–all while gaining professional experience.

    Tallo is another good internship resource because it’s a digital network of internships across a range of industries and internship types. With everything managed in Tallo, it’s easy for high school students to find and get real-world work experience relevant to school learning and career goals. For educators, this resource is helpful because it provides pathways for students to gain employable skills and transition into the workforce or higher education.

    Career events
    In-person career events where students get to meet individuals in industries they are interested in are a great way for students to explore future careers. One initiative that stands out is the upcoming Futures Fair by Discovery Education. Futures Fair is a free virtual event on November 5, 2025, to inspire and equip students for career success.

    Held over a series of 30-minute virtual sessions, students meet with professionals from various industries sharing an overview of their job, industry, and the path they took to achieve it. Organizations participating in the Futures Fair are 3M, ASME, Clayco, CVS Health, Drug Enforcement Administration, Genentech, Hartford, Honda, Honeywell, Illumina, LIV Golf, Meta, Norton, Nucor, Polar Bears International, Prologis, The Home Depot, Verizon, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

    Students will see how the future-ready skills they are learning today are used in a range of careers. These virtual sessions will be accompanied by standards-aligned, hands-on student learning tasks designed to reinforce the skills outlined by industry presenters. 

    CTE Connections
    All students at Baldwin Preparatory Academy participate in a career and technical education pathway of their choosing, taking 6-9 career specific credits, and obtaining an industry-recognized credential over the course of their secondary education. As a STEM teacher, I like to connect with my CTE and core subject colleagues to learn about the latest innovations in their space. Then I connect those innovations to my classroom instruction so that all students get the benefit of learning about new career paths.

    For example, my industry partners advise me about the trending career clusters that are experiencing significant growth in job demand. These are industries like cybersecurity, energy, and data science. With this insight, I looked for relevant reads or classroom activities related to one of those clusters. Then, I shared the resources back with my CTE and core team so there’s an easy through line for the students.

    As educators, our role extends beyond teaching content–we’re shaping futures. Events like Futures Fair and other career readiness programs help students see the relevance of their learning and give them the confidence to pursue their goals. With resources like these, we can help make career readiness meaningful, engaging, and empowering for every student.

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    Jessica Stanford, RN, Baldwin Preparatory Academy

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  • Why busy educators need AI with guardrails

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    Key points:

    In the growing conversation around AI in education, speed and efficiency often take center stage, but that focus can tempt busy educators to use what’s fast rather than what’s best. To truly serve teachers–and above all, students–AI must be built with intention and clear constraints that prioritize instructional quality, ensuring efficiency never comes at the expense of what learners need most.

    AI doesn’t inherently understand fairness, instructional nuance, or educational standards. It mirrors its training and guidance, usually as a capable generalist rather than a specialist. Without deliberate design, AI can produce content that’s misaligned or confusing. In education, fairness means an assessment measures only the intended skill and does so comparably for students from different backgrounds, languages, and abilities–without hidden barriers unrelated to what’s being assessed. Effective AI systems in schools need embedded controls to avoid construct‑irrelevant content: elements that distract from what’s actually being measured.

    For example, a math question shouldn’t hinge on dense prose, niche sports knowledge, or culturally-specific idioms unless those are part of the goal; visuals shouldn’t rely on low-contrast colors that are hard to see; audio shouldn’t assume a single accent; and timing shouldn’t penalize students if speed isn’t the construct.

    To improve fairness and accuracy in assessments:

    • Avoid construct-irrelevant content: Ensure test questions focus only on the skills and knowledge being assessed.
    • Use AI tools with built-in fairness controls: Generic AI models may not inherently understand fairness; choose tools designed specifically for educational contexts.
    • Train AI on expert-authored content: AI is only as fair and accurate as the data and expertise it’s trained on. Use models built with input from experienced educators and psychometricians.

    These subtleties matter. General-purpose AI tools, left untuned, often miss them.

    The risk of relying on convenience

    Educators face immense time pressures. It’s tempting to use AI to quickly generate assessments or learning materials. But speed can obscure deeper issues. A question might look fine on the surface but fail to meet cognitive complexity standards or align with curriculum goals. These aren’t always easy problems to spot, but they can impact student learning.

    To choose the right AI tools:

    • Select domain-specific AI over general models: Tools tailored for education are more likely to produce pedagogically-sound and standards-aligned content that empowers students to succeed. In a 2024 University of Pennsylvania study, students using a customized AI tutor scored 127 percent higher on practice problems than those without.
    • Be cautious with out-of-the-box AI: Without expertise, educators may struggle to critique or validate AI-generated content, risking poor-quality assessments.
    • Understand the limitations of general AI: While capable of generating content, general models may lack depth in educational theory and assessment design.

    General AI tools can get you 60 percent of the way there. But that last 40 percent is the part that ensures quality, fairness, and educational value. This requires expertise to get right. That’s where structured, guided AI becomes essential.

    Building AI that thinks like an educator

    Developing AI for education requires close collaboration with psychometricians and subject matter experts to shape how the system behaves. This helps ensure it produces content that’s not just technically correct, but pedagogically sound.

    To ensure quality in AI-generated content:

    • Involve experts in the development process: Psychometricians and educators should review AI outputs to ensure alignment with learning goals and standards.
    • Use manual review cycles: Unlike benchmark-driven models, educational AI requires human evaluation to validate quality and relevance.
    • Focus on cognitive complexity: Design assessments with varied difficulty levels and ensure they measure intended constructs.

    This process is iterative and manual. It’s grounded in real-world educational standards, not just benchmark scores.

    Personalization needs structure

    AI’s ability to personalize learning is promising. But without structure, personalization can lead students off track. AI might guide learners toward content that’s irrelevant or misaligned with their goals. That’s why personalization must be paired with oversight and intentional design.

    To harness personalization responsibly:

    • Let experts set goals and guardrails: Define standards, scope and sequence, and success criteria; AI adapts within those boundaries.
    • Use AI for diagnostics and drafting, not decisions: Have it flag gaps, suggest resources, and generate practice, while educators curate and approve.
    • Preserve curricular coherence: Keep prerequisites, spacing, and transfer in view so learners don’t drift into content that’s engaging but misaligned.
    • Support educator literacy in AI: Professional development is key to helping teachers use AI effectively and responsibly.

    It’s not enough to adapt–the adaptation must be meaningful and educationally coherent.

    AI can accelerate content creation and internal workflows. But speed alone isn’t a virtue. Without scrutiny, fast outputs can compromise quality.

    To maintain efficiency and innovation:

    • Use AI to streamline internal processes: Beyond student-facing tools, AI can help educators and institutions build resources faster and more efficiently.
    • Maintain high standards despite automation: Even as AI accelerates content creation, human oversight is essential to uphold educational quality.

    Responsible use of AI requires processes that ensure every AI-generated item is part of a system designed to uphold educational integrity.

    An effective approach to AI in education is driven by concern–not fear, but responsibility. Educators are doing their best under challenging conditions, and the goal should be building AI tools that support their work.

    When frameworks and safeguards are built-in, what reaches students is more likely to be accurate, fair, and aligned with learning goals.

    In education, trust is foundational. And trust in AI starts with thoughtful design, expert oversight, and a deep respect for the work educators do every day.

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    Nick Koprowicz, Prometric

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  • Philly students receive a ‘Launchpad’ to a successful career in technology

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    Saturday, October 25, 2025 9:26PM

    Philly students receive a 'Launchpad' to a successful career

    In efforts to give a boost to Philly students, this initiative provides a “Launchpad.”

    PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (WPVI) — In efforts to give a boost to Philly students, this initiative provides a “Launchpad.”

    The free program teaches them about technology and develops skills for a future career.

    Today was their event where they learned how to deconstruct and rebuild a PC.

    “Our young people come here and they feel like they found their people…that are not only really passionate but also really dedicated and hardworking. Having that when you’re 18-19 can be super motivating in terms of launching your career and taking it to the next level,” said Program Director, Nick Imparato.

    For more information, check out the video above.

    Also, check out their website.

    Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    Nick Iadonisi

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  • Missing transgender college student Lia Smith died by suicide: M.E.

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    A transgender Middlebury College student reported missing on October 19 died by suicide, authorities in Vermont said.

    An autopsy conducted by the Vermont Chief Medical Examiner’s Office in Burlington identified the body discovered Thursday during a search for Lia Smith as the 21-year-old transgender former student-athlete, Vermont State Police announced late Friday. The medical examiner on Friday determined that the student died by suicide.

    “No additional details are available about this case,” the state police said in a statement.

    Smith, who previously lived in Woodside, California, was reported missing on Sunday—two days after she was last seen on campus. Authorities found a body Thursday in a field west of Middlebury in Cornwall near The Knoll, the college’s organic farm, state police said.

    Officials at the college of roughly 2,800 undergraduates initially notified students on Sunday about Smith, whose disappearance was reported to Middlebury police earlier that afternoon.

    “This is incredibly saddening news, and we are working to support our community in every way we can at this difficult time,” Middlebury College President Ian Baucom said in a statement Thursday after authorities found the unidentified body near the western edge of campus.

    “I know that this is extraordinarily difficult news to receive as we continue to hold Lia and all her family and friends tight in our hearts,” Baucom’s statement continued. “As ever, please care for yourselves and one another.”

    Counseling services had been available to Middlebury students beginning on Monday, Baucom said.

    “We will do everything we can to find Lia,” university officials said in a statement earlier this week. “She is a beloved member of our Middlebury family and there is nothing more important than the health, safety, and wellbeing of our students and of our entire community.”

    Smith’s father contacted police after not being able to reach her and connecting with friends, according to The Middlebury Campus, the school’s student newspaper.

    Smith, who double majored in statistics and computer science, previously competed on the women’s swimming and diving team. She also participated in chess and women in computer science clubs at Middlebury, the newspaper reported.

    In February, Smith spoke at a panel at the college hosted by student group Queers & Allies to discuss the politicization of transgender health care, The Middlebury Campus reported.

    Smith cited a strong support network for transgender students on campus during her appearance.

    “Know that there are people in your community that are here for you and care about you,” she said.

    Searches conducted this week near the campus by Middlebury police, Vermont State Police and other law enforcement agencies included K-9 teams and drones. Staff at the liberal arts college scoured all campus facilities as well, Baucom said.

    More than 600 Middlebury students had also joined an online group to share updates of the extensive effort to find Smith, WPTZ reported.

    “We’re a really small community,” senior Lucy Schembre told the station. “Even if you don’t know someone personally, you definitely know somebody who knows them, and you’ve definitely seen them around. It’s very jarring for somebody who’s supposed to be here to not be here.”

    Middlebury police declined to comment on inquiries by Newsweek on whether Smith’s gender identity played a role in her disappearance.

    A study conducted in 2023 revealed that 42 percent of transgender adults in the United States have attempted suicide and 81 percent have thought about ending their own lives.

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  • How Windows 11 is powering the next generation of K-12 innovation

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    Key points:

    As school districts navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape, IT and academic leaders face a growing list of challenges–from hybrid learning demands and complex device ecosystems to rising cybersecurity threats and accessibility expectations. To stay ahead, districts need more than incremental upgrades–they need a secure, intelligent, and adaptable technology foundation.

    That’s the focus of the new e-book, Smarter, Safer, and Future-Ready: A K-12 Guide to Migrating to Windows 11. This resource takes an in-depth look at how Windows 11 can help school districts modernize their learning environments, streamline device management, and empower students and educators with AI-enhanced tools designed specifically for education.

    Readers will discover how Windows 11:

    • Protects district data with built-in, chip-to-cloud security that guards against ransomware, phishing, and emerging cyberattacks.
    • Simplifies IT management through automated updates, intuitive deployment tools, and centralized control–freeing IT staff to focus on innovation instead of maintenance.
    • Drives inclusivity and engagement with enhanced accessibility features, flexible interfaces, and AI-powered personalization that help every learner succeed.
    • Supports hybrid and remote learning with seamless collaboration tools and compatibility across a diverse range of devices.

    The e-book also outlines practical strategies for planning a smooth Windows 11 migration–whether upgrading existing systems or introducing new devices–so institutions can maximize ROI while minimizing disruption.

    For CIOs, IT directors, and district technology strategists, this guide provides a blueprint for turning technology into a true driver of academic excellence, operational efficiency, and district resilience.

    Download the e-book today to explore how Windows 11 is helping K-12 districts become smarter, safer, and more future-ready than ever before.

    Laura Ascione
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    Laura Ascione

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  • After deadly floods, Spaniards fight to save photos

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    Hundreds of photographs hang to dry at a laboratory, fragile reminders of birthday celebrations and summer vacations nearly swept away by last year’s deadly floods in Spain.

    But thanks to a university-led initiative, many of these memories have been rescued from ruin.

    Decked in white lab coats and masks to protect themselves from mould and other contaminants, a group of students at a laboratory at Valencia’s Polytechnic University carefully clean and restore photos.

    A sign next to a pile of mud-stained photo albums that sits by the entrance warns: “Do not touch. Contaminated material.”

    Nearby, a pile of empty photo albums still bears traces of the mud that swept through parts of the Mediterranean region of Valencia during the torrential rains of October 29, 2024, killing more than 200 people and destroying thousands of homes.

    In the chaos that followed, a wave of volunteers rushed to help residents clean up the 800,000 tonnes of debris left by Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in a generation and salvage what they could.

    “We started getting calls from students who were helping in the affected areas and noticed that entire albums of photographs were being thrown away,” said Esther Nebot, a professor at the university and the co-director of the project Salvem les fotos (“Let’s Save the Photos”).

    “Those same students began collecting photographs in their backpacks,” she added, pointing to the freezers where the damaged images were stored before being painstakingly restored.

    – ‘Incredibly satisfying’ –

    Since the project began, roughly 340,000 images have passed through the lab.

    Volunteers, students, donors and professors have restored about 75 percent of them.

    “The disaster caused enormous losses at the documentary and historical level, and above all at the social level,” Nebot said.

    “Many objects don’t have economic value, or even historical significance, but they carry immense emotional weight.”

    Using a small brush and a bucket of increasingly murky water, doctoral student Ruth Acuna delicately cleans a black-and-white photograph, faintly showing the portrait of a woman.

    The 25-year-old, who has been with the project since the beginning, said she was aware of the responsibility of handling the memories of families who have already lost so much.

    “Sometimes you see a photo and think, ‘this won’t survive,’ and suddenly it comes out perfect,” she said. “It’s incredibly satisfying.”

    – ‘Cried a lot’ –

    At a nearby table, other students carefully dismantle warped albums or disinfect and clean faded photographs, which were then hung to dry.

    The most delicate prints, mostly in black and white, are flattened between cardboard sheets to prevent curling.

    Some images are so damaged that faces are nearly unrecognisable. Others, however, have begun to tell fragments of life once more.

    “It’s very rewarding to clean photos and, especially when they’re badly damaged, see a face emerge,” said student Andrea Baldwin, gently wiping a photo with cotton.

    “It fulfils you to know families can see these memories again together.”

    In an adjacent room, two students digitise and categorise the images, preparing them to be returned to their owners in a format similar to their original albums.

    Nebot, the co-director of the project, said the moment when restored photos are returned to families — some still without homes — are often very emotional.

    “We have cried a lot,” she said.

    “We set aside time to show them how we handled their photos, and it’s also a way to thank them for their trust.”

    rs/ds/imm/ach

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  • This Gen Zer dropped out of college and is making over $100,000 repairing plane engines after 21 months of training | Fortune

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    For decades, the formula for success seemed clear: go to college, get a degree, and land a stable job. But for many Gen Zers, that equation no longer adds up. With rising tuition, heavy student debt, and a shaky job market, more young workers are rethinking the four-year degree and turning to faster and cheaper routes to a steady career.

    Bianca Miller was one of them.

    Initially, she enrolled in a four-year program, hoping to build a career working with machines and engines. But as classes piled up, she started to feel disconnected from her dream.

    “I was studying mechanical engineering and I didn’t like the fact that half of my classes didn’t relate to the actual career that I wanted to get into,” Miller told Fortune. “I was disappointed by that.”

    Even students who stuck it out didn’t seem much better off. She said even some of the brightest mechanical engineering students she knew struggled to find work, sometimes not even landing unpaid internships.

    So she took her career into her own hands. Instead of slogging through years of general education requirements and piling up debt, she turned her eyes to the skilled trades. Miller dropped out of college and enrolled in a 21-month technician program at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance’s northern New Jersey campus in early 2022.

    By the time she graduated, she had no trouble finding a job. In fact, she said companies were practically “begging” for workers. Now working for United Airlines as an avionics technician at Newark Liberty International Airport, repairing plane engines and electrical systems, the 25-year-old has already doubled her investment in the program and makes over six-figures. Plus, unlike many office workers, her job isn’t at risk of being replaced by AI.

    “The opportunities are endless,” Miller said. “At the end of the day, there really is no wrong.”

    Why skilled trades are winning Gen Z

    As postpandemic travel continues to rebound, the aviation industry is booming. Meanwhile, aging aircraft fleets and a wave of retirements have created an urgent demand for new technicians.

    According to the latest CAE Aviation Talent Forecast, the industry will need about 416,000 new aircraft maintenance technicians over the next eight years. In the U.S., the median salary for these roles is around $79,000, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But Miller said overtime can push pay well above six figures, and in some cases past $300,000. 

    Miller’s path reflects a growing trend among Gen Z choosing skill-based training over four-year degrees. Enrollment at trade-focused institutions has surged nearly 20% since the spring of 2020, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.

    That said, traditional higher education is far from obsolete. Despite the challenges of today’s job market, millions of degree holders still find jobs annually. And over a lifetime, a bachelor’s degree has an average 682% return on investment, underscoring its long-term value. At the same time, alternative education pathways are proving faster, cheaper, and lucrative.

    “[Trade school] is just not talked about enough. It’s not presented as an idea because of how we were raised. It’s you go to college—trade school is not really an option,” Miller said. “But the job market is great.”

    Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.

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    Preston Fore

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  • Plenty of schools have no-zeroes policies. And most teachers hate it, a new survey finds

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    This story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters.

    About one in four teachers say their schools don’t give students zeroes. And nearly all of them hate it.

    The collection of practices known as equitable grading, which includes not giving students zeroes, not taking off points for lateness, and letting students retake tests, has spread in the aftermath of the pandemic. But it wasn’t known how widespread the practices were.

    A new nationally representative survey released Wednesday finds equitable grading practices are fairly common, though nowhere near universal. More than half of K-12 teachers said their school or district used at least one equitable grading practice.

    The most common practice — and the one that drew the most heated opposition in the fall 2024 survey — is not giving students zeroes for missing assignments or failed tests. Just over a quarter of teachers said their school or district has a no-zeroes policy.

    Around 3 in 10 teachers said their school or district allowed students to retake tests without penalty, and a similar share said they did not deduct points when students turned in work late. About 1 in 10 teachers said they were not permitted to factor class participation or homework into students’ final grades.

    Only 6% of teachers said their school used four or more equitable grading practices.

    That was surprising to Adam Tyner, who co-authored the new report for the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank, in partnership with the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization. He expected more schools would be following a “whole package” of grading reforms supported by advocates like former teacher and education consultant Joe Feldman, who wrote the influential book “Grading for Equity.”

    “It’s not like this has swept the country,” said Tyner, who has studied grading practices. He argues that some policies meant to create equity lead to grade inflation and don’t benefit students.

    The findings come as many schools are rethinking what students should have to do to get a high school diploma, and how much emphasis should be put on grades. At the same time, many schools continue to struggle with student disengagement and historically high rates of absenteeism following the pandemic. As a result, they’re trying to hold students accountable for their work without making it impossible to catch up on missed assignments.

    Though ideas about how to grade students more fairly predate the pandemic, several large districts started rethinking their grading practices following that disruption, as more students struggled to meet strict deadlines or do their homework.

    Proponents of equitable grading say it’s important for students to be able to show what they know over time, and that just a few zeroes averaged into a grade can make it difficult for students to ever catch up. When students don’t see a path to passing a class, it can make them less motivated or stop trying altogether.

    Still, some teachers have pushed back, arguing that no-zeroes policies can hurt student motivation, too.

    That showed up in the recent survey.

    Eight in 10 teachers said giving students partial credit for assignments they didn’t turn in was harmful to student engagement. Opposition to no-zeroes policies came from teachers of various racial backgrounds, experience levels, and who worked with different demographics of students.

    No-zeroes policies can take various forms but often mean that the lowest possible grade is a 50 on a 100-point scale. Some schools use software that will automatically convert lower grades to a 50, one teacher wrote on the survey.

    Schools that enrolled mostly students of color were more likely to have no-zeroes policies, the survey found. And middle schools were more likely than high schools and elementary schools to have no-zeroes policies, no-late-penalty policies, and retake policies.

    Researchers weren’t sure why those policies popped up more in middle schools.

    But Katherine Holden, a former middle school principal in Oregon’s Ashland School District who trains school districts on equitable grading practices, has some guesses.

    High schools may be more worried that changing their grading practices will make it harder for students to get into college, Holden said — a misconception in her eyes. And districts may see middle schoolers as especially likely to benefit from things like clear grading rubrics and multiple chances to show what they know, as they are still developing their organization and time-management skills.

    In the open-ended section of the survey, several teachers expressed concerns that no-zeroes policies were unfair and contributed to low student motivation.

    “Students are now doing below-average work or no work at all and are walking out with a C or B,” one teacher told researchers.

    “Most teachers can’t stand the ‘gifty fifty,’” said another.

    More than half of teachers said letting students turn in work late without any penalty was harmful to student engagement.

    “[The policy] removes the incentive for students to ever turn work in on time, and then it becomes difficult to pass back graded work because of cheating,” one teacher said.

    But teachers were more evenly divided on whether allowing students to retake tests was harmful or not.

    “Allowing retakes without penalty encourages a growth mindset, but it also promotes avoidance and procrastination,” one teacher said.

    Another said teachers end up grading almost every assignment more than once because students have no reason to give their best effort the first time.

    The report’s authors recommend getting rid of blanket policies in favor of letting individual teachers make those calls. Research has shown that other grading reforms, such as grading written assignments anonymously or using grading rubrics, can reduce bias.

    Still, teachers don’t agree on the best approach to grading. In the survey, 58% of teachers said it was more important to have clear schoolwide policies to ensure fair student grading — though the question didn’t indicate what that policy should look like — while the rest preferred using their professional judgment.

    “There are ways to combat bias, there are ways to make grading more fair, and we’re not against any of that,” Tyner said. “What we’re really concerned about is when we’re lowering standards, or lowering expectations. … Accountability is always a balancing act.”

    Nicole Paxton, the principal of Mountain Vista Community School, a K-8 school in Colorado’s Harrison School District 2, has seen that balancing act in action.

    Her district adopted a policy a few years ago that requires teachers to grade students on a 50-100 scale. Students get at least a 50% if they turn in work, but they get a “missing” grade if they don’t do the assignment. Middle and high schoolers are allowed to make up missing or incomplete assignments. But it has to be done within the same quarter, and teachers can deduct up to 10% for late assignments.

    Paxton thinks the policy was the right move for her district. She says she’s seen it motivate kids who are struggling to keep trying, when before they stopped doing their work because they didn’t think they could ever bounce back from a few zeroes.

    “As adults, in the real world, we get to show what we know and learn in our careers,” Paxton said. “And I think that kids are able to do that in our building, too.”

    Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.

    For more news on classroom trends, visit eSN’s Innovative Teaching hub.

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    Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

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  • Why mentorship networks are essential in the college admissions process

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    Key points:

    As the vice president of academic affairs and a member of the admissions committee at SSP International (SSPI), a nonprofit organization offering immersive scientific experiences, I review hundreds of applications each year from rising seniors for our flagship program, Summer Science Program. What we’ve learned is that many of our bright and talented students are navigating their academic careers without access to the same supports as similarly high-achieving students.

    Where other Summer Science Program applicants might benefit from private tutors, college consultants, or guidance from parents familiar with the college application process and the high stress of today’s competitive college market, these students rise to the top of the applicant pool without leaning on the same resources as their peers.

    This is especially true for first-generation students who will be the first in their families to graduate from high school, go through the college admissions process, apply for financial aid, and enroll in college. Not only do they need to be more resourceful and self-reliant without the support of their personal networks, but they also often take on the responsibility of guiding their parents through these processes, rather than the other way around.

    School counselor shortage

    For many students who are underrepresented in academia, their exposure to different colleges, careers, and networks comes from their school counselors. While the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) recommends a minimum student-to-school counselor ratio of 250:1, the nationwide shortage of counselors led to a national average ratio of 385:1 between 2020-2023. That is a lot of strain on counselors who already serve as jacks of all trades–needing to keep up with evolving college admissions processes, understand the financial circumstances of hundreds of families, provide emotional support, and stay on top of the job market to advise accordingly. This ultimately affects the level of personalized counseling students receive.

    Making the college admissions process accessible

    In 2020, SSPI launched College Link, a mentorship program offering Summer Science Program alumni access to one-on-one or group mentoring. Mentors support students during their transition from high school to college through guidance on financial aid, early decision/early action processes, college applications, personal essay writing, resume workshopping, and more. To date, College Link has served over 650 mentees and recruited over 580 mentors sourced from SSPI’s 4,200 alumni network.

    This mentorship network comprises individuals from various backgrounds, leading successful and diverse careers in academia and STEM. Mentors like Dr. Emma Louden, an astrophysicist, strategist, and youth advocate who also helped develop the program, provided SSPI’s recent alumni with insights from their real-world professional experiences. This helps them explore a variety of careers within the STEM field beyond what they learn about in the classroom.

    Demographic data from last year’s Summer Science Program cohort showed that 37 percent of participants had parents with no higher education degree. That is why College Link prioritizes one-on-one mentoring for first-generation college alumni who need more personalized guidance when navigating the complexities of the college application and admission process.

    College Link also offers group mentoring for non-first-generation students, who receive the same services from several mentors bringing great expertise on the varying topics highlighted from week to week.

    With the support of College Link, nearly one hundred percent of Summer Science Program alumni have gone on to attend college, including MIT, Stanford, Harvard, Caltech and other prestigious institutions.

    Using College Link as a blueprint

    As the U.S. continues to face a counselor shortage, schools can further support students, especially first-generation students, through the college admissions process by creating mentorship networks using the College Link model. Schools can tap into their alumni network and identify successful role models who are ready to mentor younger generations and guide them beyond the admissions process. With the widespread implementation of Zoom in our everyday lives, it is now easier than ever to build networks virtually.

    Mentorship networks in schools can provide additional support systems for high school students and alleviate the pressures school counselors experience daily during college admissions season. Let’s continue to ensure the college admissions process is accessible to all students.

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    Dr. Mike Manzella, SSP International

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  • Teaching isn’t about perfection, it’s about showing up–here’s how to do that

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    Key points:

    When I walked into my first classroom almost a decade ago, I had no idea how many “first days” I would experience–and how each one would teach me something new.

    Growing up–first in the Virgin Islands and then later in Florida–I always felt pulled toward teaching. Tutoring was my introduction, and I realized early that I was a helper by nature. Still, my path into the classroom wasn’t straightforward–I changed majors in college, tried different things, and it wasn’t until six months after graduation that a friend pointed me toward Teach For America. That leap took me all the way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, far from home and family, but I was fortunate to find a strong cohort of fellow teachers and mentors who grounded me.

    Those early years weren’t easy. Being away from home, balancing the demands of teaching, and later, raising two kids of my own–it could feel overwhelming. My mentors kept me steady, reminding me that teaching is about community and connection. That lesson has never left me. 

    As I started this school year–my eighth first day of school at the front of the classroom–I’m reflecting on other lessons learned that help me help my students thrive.

    Connection is the key to everything. If students know you believe in them, they’ll start believing in themselves. I think of one student in particular who was failing in my class repeatedly, and finally passed–not because I’m a miracle worker, but because we built trust. I bought into him, and eventually, he bought into himself. Those are the moments that make the long days and sacrifices worth it.

    Make your classroom a safe space to learn. I teach 10th-grade biology and 11th-grade dual-enrollment engineering; these are subjects that can seem intimidating to young people. I tell my students that I want to hear each and every one of their ideas. No one’s brains are alike. My brain isn’t like yours, and yours isn’t like your neighbor’s. Listening to everyone’s thoughts, processes, and ideas helps us expand our own thinking and understanding. Especially with a subject matter like science, I want students to know that there is no shame in exploring different ideas together. In fact, that’s what makes this kind of work exciting.

    Lean on your network. We preach the importance of continuous learning to our students, and rightfully so. There is always room to grow in every subject. I believe teachers need to model this for our students. I lean heavily on my support system: my mentors, my master teacher, and other educators and coaches. They are always there to bounce ideas off of, helping me continue to strengthen my lessons and outcomes. This also builds community; two of my mentors, Sabreen Thorne and Marie Mullen, are Teach For America Greater Baton Rouge alumnae who still work for the organization and still make the effort to keep in touch, invite me to community events, and offer me words of wisdom.

    I’m proud that these approaches have been working. This past year, our school, Plaquemine High School, saw the most improved test scores in the Iberville Parish School District. It wasn’t magic–it was the collective effort of teachers and students who decided we could do better, together. I was also honored to receive the Shell Science Lab Regional Makeover grant, which provides us with resources to upgrade our science lab. We’ll be able to provide the equipment our students deserve. Science classrooms should be safe spaces where every idea matters, where students feel empowered to experiment, question, and create. This grant will help us bring that vision to life.

    Eight years in, I’ve learned that teaching isn’t about perfection. It’s about showing up, reflecting, leaning on others, and never losing sight of why we’re here: to open doors for kids. Every year, every day, is another chance to do just that.

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    Gelisa Patin, Plaquemine High School

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