Weekly News Round-Up for December 7th

posted by: Melissa | December 07, 2018, 08:43 PM

Each week, KANAAE brings its members a round-up of what’s happening in education. From big, eye-catching headlines to the stories most papers overlook, we find the news our members really want to see. This week, a charter school strike, racist Christmas songs, a teacher with scissors, and more!

First Charter Strike in the Nation: Teachers in a Chicago charter school network walked off the job on Tuesday beginning the first ever strike at a charter school. Teachers demanded higher pay, greater staff diversity, and a shorter school year along with political issues like declaring the chain’s schools to be “sanctuary schools.” The strike happened after the teachers who work for the charter network voted to join the local Chicago Teachers Union, even though the union is often critical of charter schools. The network had already agreed to shorten working hours and increase pay in recent years, but was reluctant to do so further. The teachers and charter network have yet to reach a settlement.

Teacher Suspended After Students’ Racist Jingle Bells Song: A teacher in Delaware was suspended after giving an assignment that resulted in students singing an overtly racist version of Jingle Bells. The teacher had asked her 11^th grade students to rewrite a song with lyrics that explained a concept related to the Civil War. One group chose to rewrite the popular Christmas song with lyrics about the KKK. The lyrics seemed to celebrate the actions of the KKK and offended many students in the room. One student filmed the song as proof. After outrage over the incident, the teacher was removed from her position while the district investigated

Teacher Cuts Students’ Hair, Sings National Anthem: A teacher in California was arested after forcefully cutting students’ hair while singing the national anthem. When students tried to run away, she chased after them. The students said the teacher was typically a good teacher, but had a breakdown over testing earlier this week and did not seem to be herself. The teacher was later arrested for child endangerment. Her license had been suspended twice before, but each time it had been reinstated.

Happening Elsewhere:

Special education plagued by faulty teacher data

Shortage of special educators adds to classroom pressures

Children return to school 3 weeks after California wildfire

Pre-schoolers Drank Pine-Sol When Classroom Assistant Thought The Cleaning Product Was Apple Juice

Teacher seen on video punching student charged in California

School district apologizes after teacher tells students Santa isn't real

Microsoft pledges $10M to Code.org to expand computer education

New Democratic governors show shift on US charter schools

New group will try to connect school board members pushing for ‘dramatic change’ in these 10 cities

Florida education commissioner Pam Stewart resigns

Kentucky alters plan for new high school graduation rules