Texas is facing a literacy crisis, with low literacy rates, inequities in the education system, and a lack of data on student progress, while also trying to integrate technology into the classroom without further widening the gap.
Category: Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
Who’s Really in Charge? The Texas Education Agency’s Expanding Power and the Growing Divide in K–12 Equity
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has taken over Fort Worth ISD, the second major urban district to fall under state control after Houston, raising concerns about equity and the growing misalignment between the elected State Board of Education and the appointed TEA.
Posted inHomepage
A Doritos Bag, a Gun Drawn, and a Black Teen Terrorized by ‘AI’
A 16-year-old Black student-athlete was handcuffed and detained at Kenwood High School in Baltimore County after an AI “gun detection” system mistook a crumpled Doritos bag for a firearm, highlighting the need for accountability and transparency in the use of AI technology.
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 […]
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Cost of Compliance: Texas Students Caught in the Fallout of SB 12
Texas’s Senate Bill 12, which bans public K-12 schools from authorizing student clubs based on sexual orientation or gender identity, has created confusion and tension in schools, with teachers and students struggling to navigate the restrictions and find clarity.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
When Budgets Fail Students: How School Funding Gaps Widen Inequities
Texas quietly slashed $607 million from public school budgets in October 2024, specifically funds that had supported special education, leaving vulnerable students at risk and creating a troubling landscape for South Dallas families.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
How a Dallas Charter School is Confronting the Barriers That Drive Students Away
Evolution Academy Charter School is a dropout recovery center that is using flexibility, relationships, and relevance to reduce chronic absenteeism and increase graduation rates for disadvantaged students.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Crisis of Civil Rights Education: What Our Classrooms Aren’t Teaching
Civil rights education is essential for students to understand the full legacy of leaders like Martin Luther King Jr., Fannie Lou Hamer, and Fred Hampton, and to prepare for the future by teaching them about the fight for justice and equity.
Posted inChan Zuckerberg Initiative
The Charter Trap: How Texas’s Approval System Fuels Inequity in Public Education
Texas is expanding charter schools while defunding public education — especially in Black and Latino communities. This story examines how state policy, vouchers, and uneven accountability are reshaping opportunity for millions of students.