EduClips: Some Parkland Victims Slam District as Unsupportive; NYC Schools That Cater to Students Who Have Fallen Behind Undergoing ‘Systemic’ Transformation — and More Must-Reads From America’s 15 Biggest School Districts

EduClips is a roundup of the day’s top education headlines from America’s largest school districts, where more than 4 million students across eight states attend class every day. Read previous EduClips installments here. Get the day’s top school and policy news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for the TopSheet Education Newsletter.

Top Story

STARBUCKS RACIAL BIAS TRAINING — They were educators, not baristas, and copies of How Bear Lost His Tail lined the wall rather than promotions for the Ultra Caramel Frappuccino. But on a recent Friday afternoon, the staff of Coney Island Prep Elementary School in Brooklyn engaged in the same activity nearly 175,000 Starbucks employees will participate in today: racial bias training.

After students left for the day, nearly three dozen staff gathered in Room 446, sat in tennis-ball-bottomed chairs, and shared how they — just like everyone else — had occasionally and unintentionally offended by making assumptions based on race. Many had been on the receiving end of such offenses. They happen in schools, offices, Starbucks — everywhere, in other words. (Read at The74Million.org)

National News

GAY STUDENTS — Catholic School Rejected Its Gay Valedictorian’s Speech. So He Gave It With a Bullhorn. (Read at The New York Times)

TESTING — Can Districts Use the SAT or ACT for School Accountability Without State OK? (Read at Politics K-12)

RURAL SCHOOLS — A rural school turns to digital education. Is it a savior or devil’s bargain? (Read at NBC News)

District and State News

NEW YORK — Behind the scenes, New York City schools that serve students who have fallen behind are undergoing a ‘systemic’ transformation (Read at Chalkbeat)

CALIFORNIA — Fueled by unlimited donations, independent groups play their biggest role yet in a California primary for governor (Read at the Los Angeles Times)

FLORIDA — Some Parkland victims slam school district as unsupportive: ‘They know I am broken’ (Read at the Sun Sentinel)

TEXAS — Twice a week, these Texas students circle up and talk about their feelings. It’s lowering suspensions and preventing violence. (Read at The Texas Tribune)

PENNSYLVANIA — Philadelphia school returns donated iPads for strange reason (Read at Metro)

CALIFORNIA — California schools are short of teachers. One reason? They’re going to Texas (Read at The Sacramento Bee)

FLORIDA — The Sunshine Economy: State of Teachers’ Unions (Read at WLRN)

NEW YORK — NYC pols, advocates urge education officials to offer more social workers for homeless students (Read at the New York Daily News)

TEXAS — Texas education agency penalizes testing vendor over STAAR glitches (Read at KTSM)

Think Pieces

SCHOOL TEMPERATURE — Higher temperatures equal lower test scores — study confirms that students learn less in overheated classrooms (Read at Chalkbeat)

ENGLISH — ‘OMG This Is Wrong!’ Retired English Teacher Marks Up a White House Letter and Sends It Back (Read at The New York Times)

DEVOS — OPINION: Did Betsy DeVos just suggest that schools roll back students’ civil rights? (Read at The Hechinger Report)

ELECTION — Can Ms. Hayes go to Washington? A national teacher of the year explains why she’s running for Congress (Read at Chalkbeat)

PERSONALIZED LEARNING — Analysis: Through Co-Teaching, Team Teaching, and Collaboration, These Pioneering Schools Are Rethinking How to Best Deliver Personalized Learning for Students (Read at The74Million.org)

KINDERGARTEN — Money makes the difference for kindergarteners in the summer (Read at The Hechinger Report)

Quote of the Day

“It’s typically not a proactive call, it’s a reactive call. I think that speaks volumes.” —Jennifer Moore, a former middle school teacher who now leads racial bias trainings through her organization, Initiate Equity, on how such trainings typically get started. Starbucks is closing the majority of its locations today to engage in similar trainings. (Read at The74Million.org)

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