Joann’s notes

According to a 2024 article by CNN, the U.S. has witnessed at least 50 school shootings, with 37 occurring on K-12 school grounds. Sadly, these tragic incidents have claimed the lives of 24 people, injured 60 others, and left countless individuals with scars from the aftermath of these events. Although the initial months of the pandemic saw a significant decline in school gun violence, the years following it have shown significant increase. In fact, 2023 documented over 80 school shootings, and 2022 became one of the deadliest years on record, with nearly 50 casualties. As we enter the final stretch...

In an era where communities need to be more connected than ever, establishing strong bonds among residents is essential for the collective growth and development of the community. One powerful concept for strengthening these connections is through the community schools model.  Community schools offer a variety of additional options when compared to traditional public schools. One key component of community schools is their focus on partnerships with local organizations, businesses, and government agencies. By collaborating with these outside agencies, community schools provide a wide range of services such as after-school programs, healthcare services, adult education classes, mental health counseling, and...

According to data released by the American Library Association (ALA), there were nearly 700 attempts to ban library books in the first eight months of 2023. From January 1 to August 31, the attempts sought to challenge or censor 1,915 titles, a 20% increase compared to the same months in 2022, the organization said. Last year saw the most challenges since the ALA began tracking book censorship more than two decades ago. Such censorship extends to school libraries where we are seeing the removal or restricting of access to certain books, magazines, or other materials. This might include materials that...

In recent years, the political landscape has become increasingly divided and these differing political views are beginning to have a significant impact on public education. From debates over funding and curriculum to discussions on school choice and teacher evaluations, political ideologies are shaping the way our education system operates. One area where political views are impacting public education is funding. Different political parties often have different priorities when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars and education is no exception. Conservative lawmakers may argue for smaller government and lower taxes, leading to less funding for public schools. On the other hand,...

Summer break is often looked upon with great anticipation by both students and teachers alike. However, as research shows, summer learning loss can be a major concern for many families. Studies have found that students can lose up to two months of progress in math and reading over the summer months. This “summer slide” can disproportionately affect students from low-income families, who may not have access to the same enrichment opportunities as their peers. This is where summer learning programs come into play. Summer programs offer opportunities for students to engage in academic learning and fun activities during the summer...

When it comes to a child’s education, there is often talk of the importance of parental involvement or engagement. While the terms may seem interchangeable, there are actually important differences between the two concepts. Parent Involvement Parental involvement refers to actions or activities that parents do to support their child's learning, such as attending parent-teacher conferences or volunteering at school events. It is often seen as a more passive role, where parents are involved in their child's education but may not be actively seeking to improve it beyond these traditional activities. Parent Engagement Parental engagement, on the other hand, goes...

It can be said with assurance that COVID-19 and the resulting removal of students from school buildings, has changed the way classrooms work and has left schools, districts, and teachers searching for ways to motivate and engage students now that they are back at school. Because of the learning loss students experienced as a result of the pandemic, schools and parents are finding it challenging to figure out ways to best manage both student resilience and learning. Many school districts have been able to access funds and resources to help address the issue while parents have become more concerned about...

School board meetings and school board elections are becoming frontline battlefields for the nation’s political division. School board decisions directly impact three of our most precious resources – our children, our public schools, and our money. School boards not only determine policy, they are also the community’s educational watchdog and, in rural districts, they may be overseers of the largest employer in the area. To a considerable extent, school boards also determine the level of difficulty for parents and citizens to navigate their local public school system and find a seat at the decision-making table, itself. This is where politicization...

A lack of equitably funded public schools is creating huge barriers for many of our nation’s students. Inequitable funding is creating huge barriers for many of our nation’s public school students. According to The Century Foundation, we are underfunding our, “K-12 public schools by nearly $150 billion annually, robbing more than 30 million school children of the resources they need to succeed in the classroom.”  The schools that are being robbed of much needed funding are most often those where Black and Latinx students make up most of the student body. Funding formulas directly impact the support for public schools. For...

Critical Race Theory (CRT) is the latest clash between politicians and community stakeholders concerning how public school students should learn about history in the United States. Although this theory initially made waves on the collegiate level, somehow the discourse about CRT has spilled over into the nation's public schools and has caused quite a concern for many parents nationwide. What is Critical Race Theory? Critical Race Theory (CRT) is an academic term used to define a framework that holds the idea that racism is systemic, i.e., racism that is deeply rooted in the systems, laws, policies, and practices of daily...