Lead exposure remains a concern in American schools, with some cities still struggling to provide safe drinking water and others with outdated infrastructure.
Author Archives: Quintessa Williams
Posted inEducation
Chronically Absent: Why Black Kids Are Still Missing From Classrooms
Chronic absenteeism among Black students has risen to 40% compared to 24% of white students, exacerbating the Black-white education gap and potentially worsening Black high school graduation rates and future opportunities.
Posted inEducation
What California Education Cuts Could Mean for Black Students
The Trump administration’s proposal to cut nearly $8 billion in federal education funding for California could exacerbate the state’s Black student crisis, which already projects that California’s Black K-12 public school students won’t reach reading proficiency until 2070 and math proficiency until 2089.
Posted inWord In Black
What Do ICE Raids Teach Kids?
ICE raids have created a climate of fear for immigrant students, causing them to skip school and leading to anxiety, depression, and school disengagement, while advocates are pushing for legislation to restrict federal agents’ access to schools and student data.
Posted inWord In Black
Why Do Schools Keep Failing Black Kids?
Black students are struggling with math and reading proficiency, and are falling behind in preschool and high school, with systemic racial issues and poverty outside of the classroom contributing to the disparities.
Posted inEducation
Why School Has More Black Kids Thinking About Suicide
Black students are experiencing a growing mental health crisis due to systemic racism in schools, with over 40% of Black youth ages 13-17 seriously considering suicide and nearly 1 in 3 not receiving mental health care.
Posted inEducation
Should Black Students Choose College or Trades?
Black students are increasingly choosing trade schools over traditional four-year colleges due to rising college costs and stagnant wages for degree-holders, but educators recommend that students should be exposed to both options and not feel forced into one pathway.
Posted inHealth
School May Be the Only Doctor Some Black Kids Ever See
The GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which would slash Medicaid by at least $715 billion, could lead to cuts in school-based health services that are crucial for Black students, who are already at a disadvantage in the education system.
Posted inMental Health
Here’s What $1B in Cuts Mean for Black Kids’ Mental Health
Black students are at risk of significant psychological harm due to the Trump administration’s decision to slash $1 billion in federal funding for school-based mental health programs, exacerbating existing disparities in support and access to wellness-centered learning environments.
Posted inEducation
The Truth About School Policing
Five years after the murder of George Floyd, many school districts have failed to fulfill their promises to remove armed officers and replace them with counselors and restorative justice programs, instead expanding policing in schools with surveillance software and AI tools that disproportionately police Black children.