Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024 Scholastic faced backlash for putting books dealing with race, gender and sexuality in their own optional category for middle school book fairs. It's now apologizing and working to reverse course. Rachel Treisman
California mandates cursive handwriting instruction in elementary schools More than a decade after it was phased out in most schools, elementary school students in California will begin learning cursive writing next year — thanks to a new law.
U.S. book bans are taking a toll on a beloved tradition: Scholastic Book Fairs Scholastic created a separate fair category for diverse books, which it says is to help schools navigate the complexities of book bans. Librarians accused the company of caving to censorship. Rachel Treisman
7 surprising ways the public library can save you money Baking pans, legal help, language classes and more — libraries can provide so much more than books. See if your local branch offers these free or discounted resources and services. Audrey Nguyen
U.S. students are clashing over the Israel-Hamas war. What can colleges do? The conflict has heightened tensions on U.S. campuses. What is the role and responsibility of colleges right now? Rachel Treisman
ACT test scores for U.S. students drop to a 30-year low Scores have fallen for six consecutive years, and the trend accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The average scores in reading, science and math showed test-takers weren't ready for college. The Associated Press
'Please don't break our hearts.' Seattle parents, teachers protest widespread classroom shuffles Seattle parents and teachers flooded a Wednesday school board meeting to protest recent class size adjustments at about half of the district’s elementary and K-8 schools. Sami West
Seattle elementary one of two in Washington state named Blue Ribbon school For the first time in 12 years, a Seattle Public school has won a national award for academic achievement. Sami West
Washington state child care providers are struggling to survive. Sen. Murray calls for feds to help Sen. Patty Murray is calling for the federal government to renew its historic investment in the child care industry. Sami West
How kids are making sense of climate change and extreme weather NPR's Student Podcast Challenge yielded stories about how students around the U.S. are thinking about and responding to climate change. Here are some of their ideas. Janet W. Lee
