A Dwindling Supply of Teachers

A Dwindling Supply of Teachers

In 2004, teaching degrees were awarded to 106,300 students in the US. Even then, that didn’t fill the need. But those numbers have since slipped even further. In 2014, only 98,900 education graduates crossed the boards, and the numbers have continued that...
Do Eat That

Do Eat That

It’s easy to issue a blanket “Don’t eat that!” when you’re a parent who wants to keep your outdoor-loving kid safe. And there are plenty of things growing in your yard, your park, and your campground that no one should ever eat, it’s true. But...
Poor Kids Need Books

Poor Kids Need Books

Study after study has shown that children from poor families, especially those living below the poverty line, tend not to perform as well as children from wealthier families. There have been a lot of arguments to explain this, and it’s not uncommon for those arguments...
Teacher Absenteeism

Teacher Absenteeism

Educational news often talks about student truancy as an epidemic, a growing threat to student progress. But there’s another kind of absenteeism doing its own quiet harm – teachers. In Nevada, it’s a serious and growing problem. According to a 2016 study...
The English Language is a Living Thing

The English Language is a Living Thing

Everyone knows at least one person who is very particular about grammar or the way words are used in English. People who stand fervently against the singular “they,” or insist that the word decimate can only ever mean killing one in ten soldiers as a form of military...
One Man Keeps Hmong Music Alive

One Man Keeps Hmong Music Alive

Traditionally, the payment for a Hmong funerary musician, a txiv qeej (pronounced “tsee kheng”), is three ribs of the cow slaughtered for the funeral meals and a token payment, usually only enough to cover gas. There are a lot of traditions attached to the qeej, the...
Lucas’s Hand

Lucas’s Hand

Lucas Fillippini was born with no left hand. Just one of those things that happens. But at six and in school, Lucas gets reminded over and over by his fellow students that he isn’t “normal.” The other kids ask about his “little hand” and dare each...