We’re back with Last Week’s Best Articles In Education!

Our team is always seeking the latest news in the field of education. As advocates for a quality education for ALL students, we know we have to stay up-to-date on everything that’s going on in the education spheres of our nation…from the White House to the local public school district, from new legislation to the small acts of bravery and kindness made by a single teacher, from the milestones and celebrations to the hazardous injustices affecting many of our nations students.

Here are the best stories we came across last week…because we believe you should stay up-to-date, too!

Indiana is working on a plan to make sure every school — not just white, affluent ones — has high-quality teachers via Chalkbeat

According to the state’s education plan, poor students and students of color in Title I schools (those that receive extra federal aid based on rates of poverty) are more likely than their affluent, white peers to have teachers who are ineffective, inexperienced and don’t meet Indiana certification requirements.

But groups of educators, policymakers and community members who worked with state officials to draft the plan focused on issues of training and support, leading the state to develop a number of strategies to pursue going forward that could help keep good teachers in the classroom.

Why Charter Schools Are Good Neighbors via The Atlantic

The study finds that being closer to a charter school led to small increases in math and reading scores, boosts in reported student engagement and school safety, and fewer students being held back a grade. The test score gains increased slightly more in traditional public schools that are co-located with a charter.

What’s Working: A Principal’s Perspective from a “Student-Ready” School via Huffington Post

Victor Iturralde is the founding principal of Solorio Academy High School in Chicago. Solorio is improving rapidly: outpacing the district averages across virtually every measure, including graduation rate, college enrollment rate, and college persistence rate. It is also a neighborhood school in a high-poverty area serving 98% minority students and many undocumented students.

Solorio is the type of school I like to think of as “student-ready” – that is, ready to meet each and every student where they are and do everything they can to help each student reach their full potential.

One thing to read this week…

How Julián Castro Bet on 4-Year-Olds to Transform San Antonio via Politico Magazine

San Antonio’s Pre-K 4 SA program provides high-quality, full-day pre-kindergarten for disadvantaged 4-year-olds. It’s the brainchild of former San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro, who went on to serve as President Barack Obama’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

Its kids start below the national average in cognition, math and literacy, and finish the year above average. Its founders have become evangelists for the idea that early-childhood education is key to giving poor kids an equal chance to succeed in school and life. The goal, says Sarah Baray, Pre-K 4 SA’s CEO, is nothing less than “to change the trajectory of San Antonio in one generation.”

Did any of these articles particularly speak to you? We would love to know your thoughts! Let us know in the comments below: