Despite the many challenges Black students face in the K-12 education system, there are five bright spots to celebrate: Black male teachers are helping Black children improve in schools, the Reading Rainbow show has made a comeback with a new host, more Black students are graduating on time, SNAP benefits have been restored, and Black students are still applying to college.
Author Archives: Alvin Buyinza
Posted inEducation
Trump Administration Proposes Ending Racial Equity Reporting in Special Education
The Department of Education is considering ending a decades-old requirement for states to report data on racial inequities in special education, which advocates say would weaken protections for Black students with disabilities and make it harder for states to rectify racial disparities.
Posted inEducation
Government Shutdown Threatens Head Start Programs, Impacting 29% of Black Students
The government shutdown has caused Head Start, a federally funded program designed to help children from low-income households, to run out of money, potentially leaving hundreds of thousands of Black pre-K children without access to meals, health screenings, and family support services.
Posted inEducation
Southern HBCUs See Sharpest Drop in Black Student Enrollment over Past Decade
The number of Black students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities has decreased by nearly half a million over the past decade due to inconsistent Pell Grant funding and state budget cuts.
Posted inEducation
Trump Administration Plans to Move Special Education Programs to New Federal Partners
The Education Department is exploring new federal partnerships to support special education programs, after the Trump administration laid off nearly every staff member in the Office of Special Education Programs, potentially weakening protections for students with disabilities.
Posted inEducation
Teacher Turnover Linked to Higher Suspension Rates for Black Students
Black students are more likely to be suspended in schools with high teacher turnover, according to a new study, which found a strong relationship between teacher turnover rates and school punishments for students.
Posted inWord In Black
Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Mass Firings of Special Education Staff
The Trump administration laid off hundreds of staffers at the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services, which could make it harder for Black students with disabilities to get the support they need from the federal government, although a federal judge has temporarily blocked the move.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
ICE Raids Are Traumatizing Some of Chicago’s Students
Aggressive ICE raids in Chicago have left students too afraid to attend school, and the Trump administration has deployed hundreds of Texas National Guard soldiers to the city, leading to a lawsuit from the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago.
Posted inEducation
Becky Pringle Sounds the Alarm on the Black Teacher Exodus
The head of the nation’s largest teachers’ union says she is worried about the ongoing teacher shortage, namely among Black educators, who studies show are more likely to consider leaving […]