SCHOOL

Alexa, play “Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C!

In the winter, COVID cases shot up and plummeted with unprecedented speed. But this surge is dragging on and on in some parts of the country.

Stars of Alice Oseman's TV adaptation discuss TikTok, bullying, inclusivity and mental health.

Critics say more urgency is needed to fix a "broken system", as a long-awaited review is published.

Parents in St. Johns County School will have the chance Tuesday night to discuss the school district’s plans for a new school in the northwest part of the county.

The BBC hears from three people whose opposition to the war cost them their employment.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is condemning Disney’s response to Florida’s bill banning discussion of sexual orientation and identity in some classrooms, calling the company “woke” and saying it’s fallen for “phony hysteria” from the corporate media.

In a message Tuesday to parents of students at First Coast High School, Principal Justin Fluent said the school will be taking enhanced security measures “in light of the acts of violence taking place in our area.”

HBO's adaptation of "My Brilliant Friend," based on Elena Ferrante's best-selling novels, continues to be one of the best series on TV.

For a disproportionate number of Black Americans, paying back these debts often turn out to be a life-long struggle.

Some pupils are not complying with the new advice, and there are worries about vulnerable students.

Public school enrollment dropped three percent nationwide during the 2020-2021 school year.NPR's education team continued to track enrollment this school year and found that while districts have gained students, a significant majority are still not back to where they were prior to the pandemic.A similar story has unfolded in Los Angeles, Chicago and at more public schools across the nation.NPR education reporter Cory Turner looked into why students are still not coming back to school and what schools are trying to do about it.Meanwhile, some of the students not enrolled in public school have started being homeschooled during the pandemic. WBHM education reporter Kyra Miles spoke to Black families in Alabama who are choosing that option in increasing numbers.In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community.Email us at considerthis@npr.org.

Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai hears from an Afghan student, Rohila, who is no longer able to go to school.

High school seniors are returning to their classrooms in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, for the first time in more than six months as the city eases coronavirus restrictions

Sean “Diddy” Combs’ charter school will relocate to a larger campus in New York City.

Principals at three New York elementary schools are cracking down on “Squid Game” play after students were imitating the violent show on the playground.

Holocaust survivor Eddie Jaku, who last year published his best-selling memoir, “The Happiest Man on Earth,” has died in Sydney

A post made on the Lavilla School of the Arts’ Facebook page about “Bring Your Bible to School Day” is raising concerns, and some have been voicing those concerns on social media.

Newly-released documents from Duval County Public Schools reveal why teacher Amy Donofrio was removed from her classroom duties at the formerly-named Robert E. Lee High School, amid the heated battle over the future of the school’s name.

Parents of students who attend schools in Duval and Alachua counties have filled an emergency petition, asking for changes to be made to their school boards’ mask policies and quarantine procedures.

The Catholic church is struggling to bridge the gap between old doctrines and evolving attitudes.

The school's principal told Newsy's sister station the goal is for graduates to be "self-sustaining" right out of high school.

Naperville North High School students were told to stay home Wednesday morning because of a bomb threat being investigated by Naperville police.

Officials say three students at a South Florida junior high school have been arrested and charged with making threats on social media to shoot up their school.

Nearly all of New York City's 300,000 employees were required to be back at their workplaces on Monday as the city ended remote work. (Sept. 13)

The state's mandate ban is in effect, but some school districts with mandates say they're not changing their policies.

Newly released federal and state data shows COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations climbing among Illinois children, along with outbreaks tied to schools, as the state tries to balance limiting the virus’s spread while keeping kids in class.

Attorney’s for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday evening filed a notice of appeal, which was expected following Judge John Cooper’s ruling on mask mandates.

The News4Jax Super 6 high school volleyball poll will be published each Thursday during the regular season.

The state has taken the position it can continue imposing sanctions on school districts that don’t provide a parental opt-out as soon as it files for appeal.

A school in Texas closed for the rest of the week on Tuesday after two teachers died from COVID-19 within a week, the Waco Tribune-Herald reports. State of play: The campus at Connally Junior High School won't open until after Labor Day for deep sanitation, after sixth-grade social studies teacher Natalia Chansler died on Aug. 28, having notified the school three days earlier that she tested positive for COVID-19.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. S

CPS students return Monday. Answers to your questions about fall in-person learning.

As some Florida districts are defying an executive order by requiring students to wear masks, that move is getting some support from the highest level.

The Illinois State Board of Education restored a suburban private school’s state recognition Friday, after school officials agreed to fully comply with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s school mask mandate when students arrive on campus this month.

News4Jax wants to hear from parents of students that are going to a new school in St. Johns County.

New Stop AAPI Hate report shows 9,000+ incidents since the start of the pandemic. About 10% of all incidents happen in schools.

Duval County Public Schools said 13,030 of its students were listed as absent on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year, according to information obtained Wednesday through a public records request.

News4Jax has been receiving back-to-school photos all morning as students head back to the classroom.

One Seattle school is using a contact tracing app by Trace Innovations to keep students safe.

A second student, Cameron Kelty, has died following Tuesday's single-vehicle car crash involving four Bartlett High students.

The new school year begins as the Delta variant continues to spread across the country.

Experts say desks could also be at least three feet apart and teachers could be assigned smaller class sizes to reduce risk of infection.

Marcela Garc�a teaches science classes sitting on three cushions placed on a chair in her dining room in Chile’s capital, while many of her students listen to her from their beds because they all lack sufficient space for the remote teaching brought on by the pandemic

A private school in Ohio barred some of its students from reenrolling due to the political affiliations and activism of their parents, according to a report.

The Duval County’s school superintendent reviewed the school year that just ended and answered questions about the upcoming school year during a news conference Monday morning.

School out for summer for most children in our area but that doesn’t mean their routine has to stop. Children actually crave structure and you can inject it into your days and still make it fun.

Salman Khan hopes to return to Afghanistan to help build schools.

Bring a newspaper page or a website printout on your travels and take a picture holding it.

The results of weeks of community balloting at nine Duval County Schools being considered for renaming were counted and released to the public Wednesday evening, giving solid support to changing the name of Robert E. Lee High School and several other schools, but voters want to keep the name of two other high schools and one middle school.

Pupils wearing caps and hoodies gather outside a school in support of Ella Goodwin on Monday.

Fewer than 25% of CPS students are currently attending in-person classes.

Supporters of the renaming of nine Duval County Public Schools properties staged another demonstration Tuesday outside the school district’s administrative headquarters, about 90 minutes before a scheduled meeting of the school board.

A flurry of questions flooded Duval County Public Schools following a new emergency order from the Florida Department of Education, which laid out new rules for how local districts are allowed to handle state exams.

“It’ll be an option for all families to know that their kids are going to receive an education in which they see they’re reflected in,” said Cameron Frazier.

“It’ll be an option for all families to know that their kids are going to receive an education in which they see they’re reflected in,” said Cameron Frazier.

School's solar panel savings give every teacher up to $15,000 raises Renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar are generating more power in the U.S. than coal. Ben Tracy visits a rural Arkansas school district using the sun's rays in an unusual way.

School's solar panel savings give every teacher up to $15,000 raises Renewable sources of energy such as wind and solar are generating more power in the U.S. than coal. Ben Tracy visits a rural Arkansas school district using the sun's rays in an unusual way.

St. Ann Parish and School in Lansing, St. James Parish in Sauk Village and St. John Parish in Glenwood will be united to form one parish with two worship sites and one pastoral team, the archdiocese said in a news release. Mark Kalema will be pastor of the newly united parish, which will hold regular Mass only at St. Ann and St. James, with the schedule to be determined.

St. Benedict Parish and School in Blue Island, St. Walter Parish and School in Chicago’s Morgan Park neighborhood and St. Peter Claver Mission in Robbins will unite under a single name and pastoral staff in July, with regular public services held only at St. Benedict. St. Benedict and St. Walter schools will unite for the coming school year as one school, sharing a name, with two active campuses, the archdiocese said in a news release Tuesday night. The church at St. Walter will not hold regular Sunday Mass but can be used for school Masses, funerals and other individual events.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – High school baseball season is back and so are our Super 6 rankings. (1) St. Johns Country Day (6-0, Class 2A)Notable wins: Bartram Trail, Bolles, Glynn Academy, Ridgeview. There’s an excellent Clay County showdown a week from Friday with a home game against the Blue Devils from Green Cove Springs. Glance: Another Clay County team, another sterling start. The Bears slide due to inactivity this week and stay in the Super 6 ahead of Providence and Trinity Christian.

School's food bank provides students life lessons A food bank operating like a grocery store and housed inside a school gives students lessons in respect and retail. Mireya Villarreal shares more.

School disrupted and families without homes after deadly Texas storm A deadly Texas storm has taken a toll on teachers, parents and students, who were already having to navigate remote learning during the pandemic. Janet Shamlian reports.

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – Putnam County school leaders voted Tuesday to move forward with a revitalization plan that could reshape the district as students and families know it. School board member Sandra Gilyard, who voted against the plan, said the school district should slow down and get more input from the community. In it, former students and parents alike share how Melrose Elementary School helped shape their lives. With the finalized plan being left to Putnam County leaders, the Melrose community is just celebrating a victory. “It’s just a huge relief knowing that future generations are going to continue having those memories and the different little things that continue to build the school,” Spitzner said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Florida’s high school graduation rate hit a record-high of 90% in 2020. The Florida Department of Education said the graduation high is in part due to adjustments made during the coronavirus pandemic. The waived assessments propelled us in a direction we were already heading,” Duval County Schools Superintendent wrote in a statement. The Nassau County School District (91.6%) noted a 1.2% drop in the graduation rate since 2017-18 but still finished above the state’s average. See the results including all Florida high schools here.

The penalties for failure to stop for a school bus are now double. The penalty for passing a school bus on the side that children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal goes from a minimum of $200 to $400. If a second offense is committed in 5 years, the person’s license can be suspended for up to 2 years. Need to brush up on the rules for when to stop for a school bus? The only time you do not have to stop for a school bus stop is if you are traveling the opposite direction, and there is a raised barrier, like a concrete divider or a five-foot-wide grass median.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The ninth week of the high school football season is in the books and here’s how area teams did on Friday night. This is the last full week of the regular season as a handful of playoff games begin next week. Bolles, (6-1), Class 4A: OFF2. Trinity Christian (6-1), Class 3A: Beat Raines, 21-0. Baker County (6-1), Class 5A: Beat Bishop Kenny, 49-7.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The number of reported coronavirus cases at Fletcher High School continues to trend in the wrong direction. “It’s actually not surprising,” said Dr. Sunil Joshi, President of the Duval County Medical Society Foundation. The announcement comes as seven new cases were also reported at Sandalwood High School on Wednesday. At Douglas Anderson High School, which moved to online learning this week after an outbreak, there were no new reported cases as of Wednesday evening, according to the district. At Providence School of Jacksonville, the “small amount of cases” among high school and middle school students forced the school to move to virtual learning for the rest of the week for grades 6-12.

Fletcher High moves all instruction online after ‘approximately 16′ COVID casesPublished: October 14, 2020, 6:19 pmBeginning Thursday, students of Fletcher High School will be learning at home through at least Monday, according to a message from the school’s principal.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla – The superintendent of Duval County Public Schools, Dr. Diana Greene, is seeking to clarify the district’s policy on the display of flags and banners at school-sponsored events, citing only certain entities' flags as acceptable. The post goes on to list the official flags of the United States, U.S. military branches and the state of Florida as automatically acceptable for a school to display. The post says a school’s principal would need to approve any school spirit flags, signs or banners. Before issuing the guidance, DCPS leaders consulted with the district’s policy and compliance office and with the office of general counsel, according to spokesman Tracy Pierce. “For example, it may be appropriate for a teacher to display student banners and flags as a part of a school’s cultural or arts event.”More information about district policy can be found on the DCPS website.

“We’re not trying to get rid of remote learning, we’re not trying to force anyone to go into the school that can’t do that, we want our kids back in school,” she said. “There are districts all around us … where schools are offering full in-person education.”

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – The Nassau County School District is laying off 26 teachers and six paraprofessionals in an effort to soften the massive financial hit expected to accompany a much lower-than-expected fall enrollment. The 32 employees were in their first year of employment with the district, also referred to as “probationary status," Assistant Superintendent Mark Durham said. The employees were notified of the layoffs Sept. 11 and their final date of employment is set for Friday. As of Thursday, Durham told News4Jax the district has about 11,800 across the three learning options; traditional-brick and mortar, school-based distance learning and Nassau Virtual. Since that happened, Phillips said, four positions were made available again indicating a possible net loss of two employees.

STARKE, Fla. – The parent of a Bradford Middle School student said her daughter was told by school leaders Tuesday to take off a face mask, which displayed support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Jennifer Brown told News4Jax that her daughter, 12-year-old Deziyah Brown, was not given an immediate explanation as to why the mask was not allowed but that she was later told it was too political. The black mask has the words “I can’t breathe,” printed in large, red letters followed by “Black Lives Matter” below in white letters. Brown said her daughter was not offered a replacement mask when she was told to remove her own. Harris said the school district does have masks on hand for any student that wants to wear one.

GAINESVILLE, Fla. A series of digital charts compiled on the Alachua County Public Schools website provides the number of the reported active COVID-19 cases among students and staff at each school in the district. Active cases are defined as those reported within the previous two weeks, which is the incubation period for the virus, the page said. The page also includes a chart labeled District Totals, a running total of all cases of the virus that have been reported since Aug. 17. The dashboard notes that the cases listed on it did not necessarily involve patients who contracted the virus on a school campus. The Duval County Public Schools district planned to publish a similar COVID-19 dashboard in August with school-level information but was blocked by the Florida Health Department in Duval County, citing federal privacy laws.

This photo shows the letter a Duval County family received, notifying them that their elementary student had been in contact with a positive case of COVID-19. If the child does develop symptoms in that time, the letter suggests the child be tested for the virus. The mother said she also received a robocall from the health department Tuesday afternoon, again notifying her about her childs exposure. Those individuals are then notified by their county health department and instructed to self-isolate for 14 days after their exposure to the virus, and to contact their county health department and health care provider immediately if they develop symptoms. The unnamed parent told News4Jax Wednesday that her child is suffering from a headache and shell be taking her to be tested immediately.

Carianne Luter is a social media producer for News4Jax and has worked at Channel 4 since December 2015. She graduated from the University of North Florida with a degree in communications.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In a new poster from Duval County Public Schools, the district outlines tangible consequences for students who fail to follow the district’s mask policy, including removal from brick-and-mortar learning. The district confirmed the details of the mask policy on Monday. (Duval County Public Schools)The first time a student doesn’t wear a face mask, the district’s guidelines dictate that one be provided to that student and that the student fill out a face mask safety contract with a parent’s signature. The student’s parent will be contacted and the district will conduct “restorative practice on face mask safety,” although that practice is not defined on the poster. A third violation of the mask policy will prompt a parent conference and a citation of “failure to adhere to safety consideration” violation of the student conduct policy.

Its official-- Duval County school leaders confirm the first day of the new school year is August 20th. Thats 10 days after the original start day for the new school year. READ: Full plan from Duval County School BoardThe school board is expected to vote on this plan tomorrow. As of now, this plan calls for elementary school students to start back in the classroom 5 days a week. While elementary school students will be at their assigned brick and mortar school every day, Middle school students would go 3 to 4 days a week and high school students would attend 2 days a week.

State education leaders are working to make sure mental healthcare is accessible to students and families this upcoming school year. This week, the states Department of Education and the Department of Children and Families presented a framework for how school districts can develop their mental health plans. Mental health is more important than ever as we battle a pandemic, and that care needs to be accessible to everyone. It also includes $5.5 million for youth mental health first aid. State law required that school districts should submit their approved plans to the education commissioner by Aug. 1.

A group of Duval County parents and educators are calling out Governor Ron DeSantis for his comments over the weekend that having kids go back to schools is the right move. During a press conference, DeSantis said its a good idea and children will be better off in school. The parents and educators also wrote a letter to Superintendent Green and the school board, urging them to carefully consider the reopening plan and to encourage online learning. News4Jax reporter Maggie Lorenz was on a Zoom call with a group of five Duval County parents and educators, who sent the letter to the Duval County School Board on behalf of hundreds of other parents and teachers they said they collaborated with. Their message is no in-person school reopening plan is a safe reopening plan.We want to be back in school, said DCPS teacher Chris GuerrieriBut this group of local teachers, parents, and professors.. said Floridas spike in positive cases makes in-person learning unsafe.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A newly formed group is calling on Duval County Public Schools to require masks in buildings, postpone the school year until after the Republican National Convention and many other changes to the district’s reopening plan. The congregation of parents and stakeholders from around the Duval County School District formed the Duval Schools Pandemic Solutions Team on Friday and brought a litany of concerns to the school board during its special meeting Tuesday morning. On Tuesday, the School Board agreed to spend more than $4 million through the district’s COVID-19 fund to purchase and install 120,000 desk partitions. RELATED: Duval school board approves plan to buy desk barriers for studentsThe congregation believes every grade level, including middle and high school, should have the full-time option to keep learning virtually. Additionally, the group believes middle and high school students should also have an option to be at school full-time, saying that school is a safe haven for many students in troubled homes.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An upcoming effort to consolidate several Duval County elementary schools will see one of them approach full capacity. The building, formerly known as Northwestern Middle School until its closure in May, will reopen for the Fall 2020 semester as a new elementary school. This image was included in the Duval County School Board's agenda packet on June 16, 2020. Should it raise its current “F” grade to a “C” or above, Carter G. Woodson Elementary will dissolve and its students will also attend the new elementary school beginning in the 2021-2022 school year. In August, John Love Elementary School’s students will be moved into Long Branch Elementary School.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Amid renewed calls for the renaming of schools dedicated to Confederate civil war figures, the Duval County Public School Board voted Tuesday night to explore changing the names of six schools. The unanimous vote came after a letter from School Board Chairman Warren Jones recommending the board approve the renaming of J.E.B. Stuart Middle School, Stonewall Jackson Elementary School, Joseph Finegan Elementary School, Jefferson Davis Middle School, Edmund Kirby Smith Middle School and Robert E. Lee High School. In 2013, the Duval County school board voted unanimously to change the name of Nathan Bedford Forrest High School, later renaming it Westside High School. Demonstrators stood outside the Duval County School Board building before the meeting, holding signs, urging the district to take action.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Duval County School Board voted Tuesday evening in favor of the purchase of 143,000 reusable face masks to distribute to all students, faculty and staff in the district. The mask policy will next be reviewed by the school board after Dr. Diana Greene -- the school superintendent -- and staff have reviewed CDC protocols for returning students to face to face instruction. A spokesperson for the school district noted that the board voted on a recommendation to purchase the masks, but not to require students and staff to wear them. Your child returns with all students on Aug. 10 to a regular full-time schedule, as usual. Your child returns with all students after Labor Day with personal protection equipment and handwashing protocols.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released updated guidelines Thursday for school administrators to consider before reopening schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. (CDC)Before reopening schools, the federal agency recommended that districts be able to accomplish the following:Meet the requirements of state and local health officials;Have the ability to protect students and staff who are at a higher risk of severe illness, and;Have the ability to screen students and employees for symptoms and any history of exposure to COVID-19. Those three criteria represent only the first tier of the CDC’s reopening guidelines. Districts are advised to implement exhaustive safety and monitoring protocols including the promotion of good hygiene inside the school buildings, an increase in disinfection, social-distancing and staff training. While it is too soon to predict what the new school year will look like, we are considering many possible scenarios.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Jacksonville and Gainesville universities are in the spotlight to decide when to reopen campuses during the coronavirus pandemic. Standing outdoors on campus, Jacksonville University President Tim Cost announced on social media the school will be open for the fall semester. Cost said that task force will continue working on ways to make the fall semester successful with a focus on safety for students, staff and faculty. We know they’re coming back. They’re coming,” Dr. Fuchs said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Spring break is officially over for students in Duval County. They won’t be back in the classroom for at least another three weeks. News4Jax viewers sent in photos of their students hard at work Monday morning. Florida schools were ordered closed statewide until April 15, but -- just like a lot of their parents -- Duval County’s 130,000 students will be working from home using a website called Duval HomeRoom. Click here to read more: Schools closed, but it’s back to ‘class’ in Duval County

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than 450 Duval County school employees are reporting the need to self-isolate, according to the Duval County School District. This comes after school officials sent out a survey to school employees asking where they traveled over spring break. The school district announced Friday plans to extend spring break another week, with students returning to school on March 23. “It’s not a lot considering we have a school district of 13,000 employees,” Duval Teachers United President Terrie Brady said. It’s still unclear how many Duval County students might need to self-isolate due to possible exposure to the coronavirus.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - School classes were called off for a fourth day in Chicago after the city and striking teachers in the third-largest U.S. school system failed to settle a contract dispute over issues such as class size and staffing. Since the strike began, teachers have picketed at many of the districts 500 schools and have held downtown rallies and marches. Several Democratic presidential hopefuls have voiced their support for Chicago teachers, including Elizabeth Warren who is expected to rally with teachers at a West Side elementary school on Tuesday morning. FILE PHOTO - Teachers picket near New Field Elementary School on the second day day of a teachers' strike in Chicago, Illinois, U.S., October 18, 2019. The strike comes seven years after Chicago teachers walked out for seven days over teacher evaluations and hiring practices.

Jim Gaffigan is baffled that anyone goes to school when they aren't being paid, let alone that people pay to go to school. He's so confused by the notion, he's come up with an alternative that would likely boost college enrollment all over the country. Gaffigan shares his thoughts on why he thinks people should get paid to go to school.

School incorporates coding into every class Many industry experts say too few students are learning computer code. Beaver Country Day School in Brookline, Mass., is hoping to change that by incorporating coding into every class. Paula Ebben reports.

Inside a school where dreams are becoming reality Booker T. Washington High School in downtown Dallas, Texas is sending five of its students to The Julliard School, one of the world's greatest institutions for the performing arts. Brandon Scott explains how a one class sent a record number of students to the school in a single year.