Education

September 26, 2023 - Two days before the start of school, the Arkansas Department of Education said that AP African American Studies would not count for graduation credit, citing a recent law banning ‘indoctrination.’ Arkansas educators — including some at schools that are still offering the course — share their perspectives.

June 28, 2023 - Over the past few years, the number of attempted book bans has skyrocketed, going hand-in-hand with proposed laws to limit what can be taught in classrooms. The book titles most often targeted are those written by people of color and LGBTQ+ authors, and those featuring discussions of race, gender, and sexual orientation. In this Voices piece, we share a recent speech given by civil rights veteran Judy Richardson on the necessity of truth telling and teaching in the face of book censorship.

July 5, 2022 - A couple of longtime friends in Mississippi got to talking about the books their kids love — and immediately realized there was a dearth of Black characters. So they organized the project behind the popular "Big Monty" book series that features smart Black kids whose adventures in middle school include easy-to-follow science experiments.

May 24, 2022 - A U.S. House subcommittee recently held a hearing into ongoing efforts to limit discussion in public school classrooms on American history, race, and LGBTQ+ issues — and to punish teachers who broach those topics. Among those who testified was James Whitfield, a high school principal from North Texas who lost his job after sending students an email in response to killings of Black people by police and white vigilantes that acknowledged systemic racism and called education "a necessary conduit to get liberty and justice for all."

May 4, 2022 - Corporal punishment is disproportionately inflicted on Black children and is higher in areas with histories of lynching. Organizers are seeking to put an end to it.

May 4, 2022 - If you've never witnessed or experienced a school paddling, it may be hard to understand how terrifying they are to a child. Yet U.S. public school teachers and principals in 19 states are allowed to beat children with wooden paddles, which originated as a tool to inflict pain on enslaved people without causing permanent injury that might impede their work.

February 17, 2022 - A recent report from the Zinn Education Project comprehensively assesses educational standards for the teaching of Reconstruction history in all 50 states and finds vast room for improvement. The study urges policymakers, teachers, parents, and students to press for more attention to this history in grades K–12 as the era has assumed greater relevance amid ongoing fights for racial justice and historical accuracy.