A Bold Shift to Make Public Schools Serve Poor Students

http://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/a-bold-shift-to-make-public-schools-serve-poor-students-20160125

Abigail Savitch-Lew

Yes! Magazine

25 January 2016

Text / Over 3000 Words

Last year, New York City began turning schools in poor neighborhoods into community schools—combining rigorous instruction and extracurricular enrichment with a broad social support system.

In South Africa, Families Are Throwing In a Load of Laundry and Picking Up a Book

http://www.takepart.com/article/2016/01/01/libromat

Rebecca L. Weber

TakePart

1 January 2016

Text / Under 800 Words

At the Libromat—a portmanteau of library and laundromat—parents learn to read and share books with their children during the spin and dry cycles, saving mothers time.

A Peek into Silicon Valley's Newest Bet: AltSchool

https://medium.com/bright/a-peek-into-silicon-valley-s-latest-bet-altschool-abf6c6973ecd

Mary Jo Madda

Bright Magazine

1 July 2015

Multi-Media / Under 800 Words

AltSchools use a completely different education system - interconnecting technology and hands on experiments - to help students achieve a higher degree of learning. Students are grouped into small, personalized cohorts so they can be both mentors and mentees for their fellow peers, creating a collaborative learning space for all.

Child Care and the Overwhelmed Parent

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/child-care-and-the-overwhelmed-parent

Courtney E. Martin

The New York Times

24 July 2014

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The problem and importance of finding reliable childcare for poor, working parents is increasingly prevalent. Lawmakers and non-profits alike are creating new solutions to help make childcare affordable.

How an unconventional principal used blended learning to help turn around a struggling urban school

http://hechingerreport.org/how-an-unconventional-principal-used-blended-learning-to-help-turn-around-a-struggling-urban-school

Jennifer D. Jordan

The Hechinger Report

8 September 2015

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Through effective leadership and blended traditional and online learning, a struggling school in Rhode Island improved student achievement, teacher satisfaction, technology upgrades, and parent involvement.

In India, Revealing the Children Left Behind

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/23/in-india-revealing-the-children-left-behind

Tina Rosenberg

The New York Times

23 October 2014

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Volunteers with the Annual Status of Education Report test children's math and reading skills in villages across India. While 96 percent of Indian children are in school, ASER reveals that many of them are not receiving a real education. "Learning camps", an initiative called Read India, and grouping children by ability, not age, are helping bridge the gap.

Kindergartens Ringing the Bell for Play Inside the Classroom

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/education/out-of-the-books-in-kindergarten-and-into-the-sandbox.html?_r=0

Motoko Rich

The New York Times

9 June 2015

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As American classrooms have focused on raising test scores in math and reading, an outgrowth of the federal No Child Left Behind law and interpretations of the new Common Core standards, even the youngest students have been affected, with more formal lessons and less time in sandboxes. Washington and Minnesota are beginning to train teachers around the state on the importance of so-called purposeful play — when teachers subtly guide children to learning goals through games, art and general fun.

Young Movers, With a Passion for Change

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/01/young-peacemakers

David Bornstein

The New York Times

1 May 2013

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Young people are often viewed as needing protection or needing correction. However, a Boston organization is creating young peacemakers and powerful change makers by taking kids seriously and giving them the tools to act on their ideas.

Forging and Welding an Education

https://medium.com/bright/forging-and-welding-an-education-1df991e4dabf#.zqa6mqdaq

Peter Willhoite

Bright Magazine

10 September 2015

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In Oakland, a non-profit created an industrial arts education school offering youth an alternative classroom for learning where failure is welcomed and everything is hands on, such as welding and forging. The non-profit, which is known as The Crucible, was founded in 1999, and serves more than 8,000 students per year, all managed by close to 100 faculty members.

In Colorado, Teaching to a Changing Climate

https://medium.com/bright/in-colorado-teaching-to-a-changing-climate-831b81a32358

Mary Slosson

Bright Magazine

2 June 2015

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Colorado has had challenges teaching climate change to elementary and secondary school students because of political divisiveness. Regional advocacy groups and professionals manage to teach climate change through engaging field trips, filmmaking, and outdoor learning.