[{"_createdAt":"2024-04-08T22:53:53Z","publishDate":"2024-04-09","category":"education","slug":"/story/2024/04/new-study-reveals-what-stresses-american-teachers-out-the-most","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-04-08T22:53:53Z","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"title":"New Study Reveals What Stresses American Teachers Out The Most","summary":"Educators are dealing with a lot both in and out of the classroom these days.","body":[{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"We’ve seen many reports over the past several years regarding the impact that COVID-19 had on students, but pandemic shutdowns also threw educators for a loop … and that’s not the only thing that has public school teachers ","_key":"e4ea0422ae4e0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["254dde2ecc3e"],"text":"worried","_key":"e4ea0422ae4e1"},{"_key":"e4ea0422ae4e2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" these days."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7d54f9da8e35","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2024/04/04/whats-it-like-to-be-a-teacher-in-america-today/","_key":"254dde2ecc3e"}]},{"_key":"d3b1dd25c07e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"1c92592269830","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A litany of challenges"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"884eb610b9a7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to a report compiled by the Pew Research Center, teachers are considerably less satisfied with their jobs than the average of all U.S. workers. Just over half of American employees say they are extremely or very satisfied, compared to","_key":"c5b746dffeb70"},{"text":" just one-third ","_key":"cc5a6e9b5efa","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":"of kindergarten-to-12th-grade educators.","_key":"a5d44b352cc0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"fe5178c76a3a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"In addition to the learning loss associated with COVID-19, the common concerns voiced by teachers involve chronic understaffing and simmering partisan disputes about what goes on in the classroom.","_key":"4cfb666c419d0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"35a3cd5caf95","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Researchers identified a few key metrics that reflect the opinion teachers have about their chosen profession.","_key":"f33eeb2e5c7a0"}]},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Seven in 10","_key":"5216ff1f1d040"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" teachers say there is a teacher shortage at their school.","_key":"da5e9de0dd84"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c93c0ad475bf"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Roughly ","_key":"dd77aaeb9a330","_type":"span"},{"_key":"6ec2b0a486ce","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"two-thirds"},{"_key":"601d555bbd42","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" describe teaching as overwhelming."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"64a386fb7ebe"},{"_key":"2a6da6c49bcf","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"More than","_key":"04138535fe420"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" three-fourths","_key":"c267bedd2215"},{"marks":[],"text":" say the job is a frequent source of stress.","_key":"6247cbd888d0","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ccf33a4bb6d4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Making matters worse in the long run, more than half of current teachers surveyed said they would not recommend their career path to those in younger generations.","_key":"067cac06b95e0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"10d087116baa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Performance and behavior","_key":"3a4f679f44c90"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"10cba7d9b645","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Not only are most teachers struggling to ensure their students are meeting educational milestones, but they’re also increasingly concerned about behavioral problems that disrupt the learning environment.","_key":"d810e33e7aff0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Just 17%","_key":"9cf31fca04080","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of teachers describe their students’ academic performance as either excellent or good and ","_key":"42150e53a337"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"only 13% ","_key":"0defc801b6e2"},{"marks":[],"text":"say the same about behavior. Nearly half give their students either fair or poor marks in both categories.","_key":"c4a3e1044e6b","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d8ea4bc70cad"},{"_key":"3614ad338664","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0a4da25563170","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While the pandemic was a big factor, educators also say parents are not doing enough to address issues at home. "},{"_key":"4a2933dc0e2f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Nearly 80% "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"of respondents said parental involvement is insufficient when it comes to holding students accountable for misbehavior at school.","_key":"6bba39792b79"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"image":{"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8972602739726026,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/2d4e2aebc461f8c1ad295a6512277e1d6f982829-480x270.gif","assetId":"2d4e2aebc461f8c1ad295a6512277e1d6f982829","metadata":{"dimensions":{"height":270,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MADvl]R%K5i^r?RgIVbb%N%1_NV?V[RiM|","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#2a3d5a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#acbcc8"},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":1.1,"background":"#859fc6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.14,"background":"#3e3a3d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":8.14,"background":"#3e3a3d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#7494b4"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#a4b7d4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"},"uploadId":"3FeWqho9REJiUHm5ve1pfyDgPpFFR3hP","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_createdAt":"2024-04-08T22:52:41Z","_id":"image-2d4e2aebc461f8c1ad295a6512277e1d6f982829-480x270-gif","originalFilename":"6ad463af-7252-4ecc-86d0-6b95d2f0116c.gif","extension":"gif","_rev":"8oX1aYlBxufWon2OZK20eG","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/2d4e2aebc461f8c1ad295a6512277e1d6f982829-480x270.gif","size":1561161,"mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"2d4e2aebc461f8c1ad295a6512277e1d6f982829","source":{"url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/snl-saturday-night-live-season-49-gJZTXW1U5mqjlqHK6k","name":"Snl Teacher GIF by Saturday Night Live","id":"gJZTXW1U5mqjlqHK6k"},"_updatedAt":"2024-04-08T22:52:41Z"}},"_id":"d9f5896c-d78b-4515-a715-c3df58062879","id":"xqyURZGK","_rev":"8oX1aYlBxufWon2OZK22kQ","visibility":"true"},{"image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9452054794520547,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_rev":"E2tO8XATxmuiKf4BP1iAYm","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294.gif","_id":"image-c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-04-06T00:18:11Z","extension":"gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","size":1466631,"assetId":"c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826","originalFilename":"4f0a5d36-fbe3-4d4e-9689-6e5f24b896b7.gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VWK8@%{i*}Rj9G=xRkRkxaM|kCWVR*s:s:aeWBbHoyxa","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":10.66,"background":"#8c0610"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#ccb798","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.32},"vibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":12.44,"background":"#dc0433","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"dominant":{"background":"#dc0433","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":12.44},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.1,"background":"#46322e"},"muted":{"background":"#917764","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.42},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.09,"background":"#eb8aa3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.6326530612244898,"height":294}},"source":{"name":"Floridas 20Th Congressional District GIF by GIPHY News","id":"eOXqAez4rR8Kf0xu9f","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/news-floridas-20th-congressional-district-omari-hardy-eOXqAez4rR8Kf0xu9f"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826-480x294.gif","_createdAt":"2024-04-06T00:18:11Z","uploadId":"7JuxzEsepOPg38RNjhhnqBPjGg85CN90","sha1hash":"c843b766b8ac9b139064d9177df25ecdf1b19826"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"_id":"b15c0c12-730f-4732-a7b7-d3559ed41ac0","visibility":"true","summary":"The cost of a four-year university education has been soaring for decades.","slug":"/story/2024/04/sixfigure-college-tuition-is-very-nearly-a-reality-but-why","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_rev":"E2tO8XATxmuiKf4BP1iCkm","title":"Six-Figure College Tuition Is Very Nearly A Reality — But Why?","id":"HTGuyLPh","_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-04-06","category":"education","_updatedAt":"2024-04-06T00:20:21Z","body":[{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Massive debt for college graduates is nothing new, but the constantly rising cost of tuition has accelerated in recent years. There are now a few colleges that are within a hair of ","_key":"d36cef8a4ab20","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["2a7c5047336c"],"text":"charging","_key":"d36cef8a4ab21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" $100,000 per year.","_key":"d36cef8a4ab22"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a23f31b45037","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/05/your-money/paying-for-college/100k-college-cost-vanderbilt.html","_key":"2a7c5047336c"}]},{"_key":"e423d1425f05","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So let’s take a look at where we are and where all of that money ends up.","_key":"6fc1637ad4900"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"8e74bf3bec5b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"More than just an education","_key":"ef3953c5e53c0"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cc082a546c0c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While learning is the most important aspect of college in the long term, there are","_key":"f456b787a3da0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" plenty of other short-term concerns","_key":"8c90ffb210c4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that add a lot to the cost of attending.","_key":"c07d5f0c6e07"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So far, Vanderbilt University is among the handful of campuses where the cost has soared to these heights. Reports indicate the latest all-inclusive tuition price is","_key":"aefb68732bff0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" $98,426 per year","_key":"6bc2e7660745"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for the Nashville college’s engineering program.","_key":"2e850da07f21"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bcf1ba7241bf"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"24fb4b41e91d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Most students pay much less","_key":"f34296c304480"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Only about one-third of Vanderbilt students pay the total cost, with the others getting some relief in the form of scholarships and/or financial aid. And of course, most colleges have much less expensive (though maybe not easily affordable) tuition costs.","_key":"c4649bab0daa0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"069d2fd89742"},{"_key":"65e4da917d97","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In-state tuition to the average public college is","_key":"e842887f70d90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" just over $24,000","_key":"5e1290546fb5"},{"_key":"018608fda9d0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" per year."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"318a56f4ccfc","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The annual cost of a private university","_key":"3ecaa8e886020"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" tops $56,000","_key":"3db164b7162d"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"47e9a2c378af"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"34e20fcd97260","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"31% of public and 18% of private college students"},{"text":" qualify for free tuition and fees.","_key":"c03a35fb3dc7","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"57c986b94864"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But students and parents alike are increasingly aware of the soaring costs, even if they don’t fully understand why college has gotten so expensive.","_key":"31ca5023afdb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"739d1d67bdd7"},{"children":[{"text":"Figuring out the actual value","_key":"767a32fbf57f0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8270d1293d33","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"56b772e029f0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Many Gen Zers are foregoing four-year college altogether … but for those who decide to take that route, it’s important to understand what that tuition money really buys.","_key":"1834ee9fe2f70","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2345f513abe1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the case of Vanderbilt, more than half goes to","_key":"0d2be0b162820"},{"_key":"cc163ec16864","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" faculty and staff salaries and benefits"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". The cost of keeping up with regulations also takes up a big chunk of that incoming revenue.","_key":"832fbfe8d2cb"}]}],"_createdAt":"2024-04-06T00:20:21Z"},{"image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"_rev":"NGE2YBkAAIYd9ITz2NF1LI","mimeType":"image/gif","_updatedAt":"2024-03-18T23:18:37Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M9C5}7PE9$tT={[Uv|V=nMR$$nxIxuWZI@","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.38,"background":"#8c5364","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#9cb7dd","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.42,"background":"#213b71","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#ccb8b2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":3.29},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.52,"background":"#497bc1"},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":4.38,"background":"#8c5364","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#5c372f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.11}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwABAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAFBv/EACMQAAIBAwMEAwAAAAAAAAAAAAECBAADERIhQQUGExQiMVL/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFAgP/xAAdEQACAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIEEgMRITFB/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDg2kvZtsodtSjYnmkTpEZIUZo74uXUy+TzRe+WMVYfr4TJ3wPusjr0m6seAqsADbBPxFbWq7hqYp9FVrMpwyfozy5A3qojsTpJ/I4qo7YUT4P/2Q==","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7518248175182483,"height":274}},"originalFilename":"0e2e60db-16a9-4213-9b9d-28437468c27a.gif","size":1193081,"assetId":"1385f5493db17e625a3817c0cbb783cad15af368","_id":"image-1385f5493db17e625a3817c0cbb783cad15af368-480x274-gif","sha1hash":"1385f5493db17e625a3817c0cbb783cad15af368","source":{"name":"Oregon GIF by GIPHY News","id":"Fbgwpq0E2tkhi2ncoP","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/news-oregon-2022-midterms-orgov-Fbgwpq0E2tkhi2ncoP"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/1385f5493db17e625a3817c0cbb783cad15af368-480x274.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/1385f5493db17e625a3817c0cbb783cad15af368-480x274.gif","_createdAt":"2024-03-18T23:18:37Z","uploadId":"QfpNHjDkQmNhfbCSjHDWSIWz6gXchRLx","_type":"sanity.imageAsset"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9520547945205478,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1}},"visibility":"true","id":"CqfRqXCa","publishDate":"2024-03-19","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"It’s now been four years since COVID-19 was declared a worldwide pandemic. And whether that seems like yesterday or you can’t seem to remember a time before the lock downs, it’s obvious that there have been ","_key":"4d7c60b0b61a0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"some incredible repercussions","_key":"42e953a77caf"},{"_key":"76d22bf578ed","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" not just from the disease but also the measures taken in an effort to slow its spread."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"95661a737819"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Perhaps no group has sustained more pronounced long-term ","_key":"09316b81e49a0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["765ac9360003"],"text":"damage","_key":"09316b81e49a1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than students … and we’re just now starting to recognize the magnitude of those widespread school closures.","_key":"09316b81e49a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0760863fb5bf","markDefs":[{"_key":"765ac9360003","_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/18/upshot/pandemic-school-closures-data.html"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Beyond the headlines","_key":"2c916e51b3ad0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3eb9a9561ce1","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"aae6e476b4c4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There have been countless reports about learning loss and mental health issues associated with the ","_key":"d7275dd6b73b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"abrupt shift to remote learning","_key":"5149748979e4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". But when experts dig into the data, the magnitude of the situation comes into an even starker focus.","_key":"cfc66edb3ecc"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"e2312d05be860","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Shutdowns were initially seen as a necessary precaution against the spread of the virus. In hindsight, however, the prevailing wisdom is that students were kept out of the classroom for"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" longer than they should’ve been","_key":"ed86ecde450a"},{"_key":"963834144c6c","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — especially since the evidence shows those shutdowns played a negligible role in slowing the spread of COVID-19."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e4847ed13bc0","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"77d163f1f938","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Facing the consequences","_key":"8c8d27fe49190"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Even schools that reopened fairly quickly have seen a significant dip in student performance, and","_key":"66acb7d7e4ed0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" those that stayed closed longer","_key":"8a5b60333090","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" have experienced an even more pronounced impact.","_key":"bd527a8feae4"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"277768e61653"},{"style":"normal","_key":"db67dc904ed2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A study found that in school districts that spent most of the 2020-21 school year in remote learning, students on average were more than half a grade behind in math. Students that learned primarily in person during that year were about one-third of a grade behind.","_key":"37716207e0d60"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ded70cbf1648","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Evidence shows that ","_key":"5e2548ba8d510"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"schools in low-income communities","_key":"dd4656dd23e7"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" were hit even harder.","_key":"ddd8905518be"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"310bbaabf6f1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"As teachers and students work to regain what they lost, we’re all left with a clear reminder of how important in-person learning is. And experts hope officials remember that when and if another major health crisis emerges.","_key":"b349789636340","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"}],"summary":"Some communities have been hit harder than others.","slug":"/story/2024/03/four-years-later-assessing-the-damage-of-covid-school-shutdowns","_rev":"NGE2YBkAAIYd9ITz2NmFPf","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2024-03-18T23:11:33Z","_updatedAt":"2024-03-19T02:48:19Z","category":"education","title":"Four Years Later: Assessing The Damage Of COVID School Shutdowns","_id":"e3fba455-ee68-40bf-8ea3-fde7510cec3d","_type":"story"},{"_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-03-10T23:08:08Z","image":{"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8732876712328766,"x":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"extension":"gif","uploadId":"8oms3RNhuILFB9PVh50N4vagbVYrKzu3","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","size":1162413,"assetId":"bc4e58025f5cb73c03f20b5d207f7742a3fc0e63","_createdAt":"2024-03-10T23:04:59Z","_updatedAt":"2024-03-10T23:04:59Z","originalFilename":"476f25c7-8e22-4402-a1f6-056c8944d8d8.gif","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"bc4e58025f5cb73c03f20b5d207f7742a3fc0e63","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/bc4e58025f5cb73c03f20b5d207f7742a3fc0e63-500x281.gif","metadata":{"blurHash":"MUGu%YxuflW=M{~qoz%LazRjxtWBS$Rkae","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"title":"#000","population":1.19,"background":"#e7d3c6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#08232d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.72},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":2.87,"background":"#d5c6bc"},"vibrant":{"background":"#4a9ab4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.09,"background":"#263840"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#263840","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.09},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.72,"background":"#9f816a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":500,"aspectRatio":1.7793594306049823,"height":281},"isOpaque":true},"_rev":"N0bUebeE94DQNt5AKixP4l","source":{"name":"a.p. bio school GIF by NBC","id":"xThtajG0JaEWYlIg3m","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/nbc-school-teacher-xThtajG0JaEWYlIg3m"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/bc4e58025f5cb73c03f20b5d207f7742a3fc0e63-500x281.gif","_id":"image-bc4e58025f5cb73c03f20b5d207f7742a3fc0e63-500x281-gif"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0}},"summary":"A major new study questions the conventional wisdom. ","publishDate":"2024-03-11","category":"education","body":[{"_key":"8440f3d538fb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In many districts across the country, the number of students in each class has trended upward over the course of recent decades. This means teachers are required to address the needs of more kids and, as logic would dictate, aren’t able to spend as much","_key":"9b143b2d39fd0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" one-on-one time","_key":"09145e88d8b5"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" meeting the individual requirements of each student.","_key":"9f3eeadc9f63"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"71368263698e","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://newsroom.taylorandfrancisgroup.com/small-class-sizes-not-better-for-pupils-grades-or-resilience-says-study/","_key":"5cb981db15e3"}],"children":[{"text":"So it stands to reason that many parents have been ","_key":"a0b3600444f40","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["5cb981db15e3"],"text":"advocating","_key":"a0b3600444f41"},{"text":" for smaller class sizes. But is this really the answer to better student performance and all-around educational success?","_key":"a0b3600444f42","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"19b8a36c43ab","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"57225009dfab0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What the experts say"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"03fdee0bed5d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"A new report published in the International Journal of Science Education turns conventional wisdom on its head, using data gathered from nearly 3,000 high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds in China and Japan to form its conclusions.","_key":"1c6c6d90b9620","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"0b9dce60c075","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the end, researchers found that:","_key":"71006fe990330"}],"_type":"block"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9ba0bc6b4bf3","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Fewer students in a class ","_key":"47a3d206c0b60"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"doesn’t directly equate","_key":"5fe5d7065977"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to better grades.","_key":"20aae7db4f67"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"f17b097434d0","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In some cases, smaller classes resulted in","_key":"0089b190bd2d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" worse educational outcomes","_key":"656259b5daf1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"730f574d1329"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d2da79ed0f01","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"8b5b2b775c170","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Hiring more teachers"},{"_key":"41908daff8b9","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" doesn’t generate higher academic achievement."}],"level":1},{"style":"normal","_key":"44a2d3e2d71c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"af33fb94fb8b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Lead author Tao Jiang explained that, at least in terms of science education, the data found that “emphasizing the reduction of class sizes in school may not benefit resilience” and had either “no relevance to resilience or were disadvantageous for resilience.”"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"59dafd5ddf69","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c65c66cb10690","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Quality over quantity"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"5e44bf919b4b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"75e95f485c900","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s a bit of a cliche, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. In the end, experts say that attracting the best educators to the classroom is far more impactful for students than simply reducing the number of kids in each class."}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6a9aeaff56e1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Specifically, the report found that teachers ","_key":"c915db754a9d0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"96ad1458a50c","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"with effective discipline standards"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" can boost student performance even in large classes. As a result of the findings, the study’s authors are encouraging education officials at every level to shift their attention from decreased class size to the recruitment of the highest quality teachers possible.","_key":"d187283ca244"}]}],"_id":"de68e465-b985-4265-ab02-5b4eba6bb5b5","id":"LVIFqREI","title":"Smaller Class Sizes Might Not Be The Educational Panacea Many Parents Think It Is","_rev":"seGCXGK12eeByBptRrvS7f","slug":"/story/2024/03/smaller-class-sizes-might-not-be-the-educational-panacea-many-parents-think-it-is","_updatedAt":"2024-03-10T23:08:08Z","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"_createdAt":"2024-03-06T23:08:20Z","image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5085616438356164,"y":0.49742893578510017,"height":0.9948578715702003,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8938356164383562},"_type":"image","attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"_rev":"piwByiNk2M0JyXFbECpGRL","originalFilename":"sstk-14360353d.jpg","mimeType":"image/jpeg","metadata":{"palette":{"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.61,"background":"#7c6c9e"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#fbb87e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"population":6.73,"background":"#874104","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":6.7,"background":"#cbbfce","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"background":"#a54f05","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.1},"dominant":{"background":"#874104","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.73},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":1.17,"background":"#4e3f32","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":6000,"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":4000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V6CP3Q00DN?HtT1N=GIukBxq00?wW]M_NX.8RieTS6V@","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"sha1hash":"43d9589c49ff77bb072db153fb9bff93affd1391","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/43d9589c49ff77bb072db153fb9bff93affd1391-6000x4000.jpg","size":4242435,"assetId":"43d9589c49ff77bb072db153fb9bff93affd1391","_createdAt":"2024-03-06T23:07:04Z","extension":"jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","description":"The ChatGPT logo is being displayed on a smartphone screen in Athens, Greece, on February 22, 2024. (Photo Illustration by Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto)","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/43d9589c49ff77bb072db153fb9bff93affd1391-6000x4000.jpg","creditLine":"Nikolas Kokovlis/NurPhoto/Shutterstock","_id":"image-43d9589c49ff77bb072db153fb9bff93affd1391-6000x4000-jpg","_updatedAt":"2024-03-06T23:07:04Z","uploadId":"Mo8A8M2FZCHiOUjGXhlWcc2q4lAiwxo3"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0}},"publishDate":"2024-03-07","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"a004102cad5c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"011e02e60a7b0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s been a mixture of optimism and skepticism regarding the increased use of artificial intelligence among students. Some say it’ll make cheating even easier while others see it as a powerful tool to aid in the learning process."}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"9a1251985c6a","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.axios.com/2024/03/06/ai-tools-teachers-chatgpt-writable","_key":"0016cadb01ef"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Either way, it seems that AI is here to stay … and now ","_key":"4446ced9280a0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["0016cadb01ef"],"text":"teachers","_key":"4446ced9280a1"},{"text":" are getting in on the action.","_key":"4446ced9280a2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"b1bb6edf3b10","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Making the grade","_key":"6f65501d49220"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"5a7d3181f604","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"ChatGPT, an early innovator of the user-friendly AI tools that have flooded the market over the past year or so, is now powering","_key":"89055ea381720"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a platform called Writable","_key":"ec1bbebf15cb"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", which is designed to aid in the time-consuming task of grading written assignments.","_key":"8c90a00d04b3"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which has produced educational material for generations, purchased the product last year and it is now being implemented by 3rd through 12th grade teachers.","_key":"ef34ef200f0b0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e07c83a5a60a"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9c632a05964b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Here’s how it’s designed to be used:","_key":"30e5c39950820"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The teacher ","_key":"63dfafab26f30"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"inputs student essays","_key":"e7f28b805a6b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" into the Writable system.","_key":"2ab5f437e5fd"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1a61943aa170","listItem":"bullet"},{"_key":"d72053606969","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"ChatGPT ","_key":"b15df8c7ab620"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"reviews the work","_key":"0fc5863738e7"},{"marks":[],"text":" and makes observations.","_key":"ceadbd283726","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"The teacher ","_key":"f72bbac1f5a30","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"makes final adjustments ","_key":"ca8eca3ce4d6"},{"marks":[],"text":"before grading.","_key":"d3996860c70f","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"08de4df3c99b","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Writable is designed with anonymity in mind, so students are not identified during the review process.","_key":"05c6bce5e8ee0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0a43323beb9d"},{"style":"normal","_key":"58dc9d0c2baa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A warm reception","_key":"644c522219950"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Teachers always have a lot on their plates, so an opportunity to ease some of that burden is sure to be","_key":"e630cf6563430"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a welcome addition","_key":"5e60cf65ea90"},{"_key":"c80f1912a860","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to the education process. Sure, there are some concerns about accuracy, but Houghton Mifflin Harcourt CEO Jack Lynch noted that the system is designed as a “human in the loop” program."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4e981ee440e0","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That simply means that someone (in this case, the teacher) is responsible for confirming that the AI review was appropriate before signing off on it.","_key":"2af93b839ff20"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8579101a1625"},{"style":"normal","_key":"51e83bc27dc5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“We have a lot of teachers who are using the program and are","_key":"f8f6a4ccd31a0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"75db1135ed2c","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" very excited about it"},{"_key":"bdcb3db791d5","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” he said."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In addition to grading, educators are also starting to use AI in the creation of lesson plans and broader curriculums for their classes.","_key":"36473415b55c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9ac2d95d26d9"}],"_updatedAt":"2024-03-06T23:08:20Z","summary":"ChatGPT is taking some of the load off of overburdened teachers.","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","_id":"4227e538-c50e-4ee0-a7d6-a913b1e34056","slug":"/story/2024/03/its-not-just-students-who-are-taking-advantage-of-ai-in-the-classroom","title":"It’s Not Just Students Who Are Taking Advantage Of AI In The Classroom","id":"r7w76Cre","_type":"story","category":"education","_rev":"piwByiNk2M0JyXFbECrW5v"},{"publishDate":"2024-02-27","image":{"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":1,"x":0.5,"y":0.47058823529411775,"height":0.8284313725490197},"_type":"image","attribution":"Wikipedia","asset":{"_updatedAt":"2024-02-26T23:29:25Z","mimeType":"image/jpeg","assetId":"7c88c96f6df1c493e98f1fe5c3c3e5ec38af1a76","_createdAt":"2024-02-26T23:29:25Z","_id":"image-7c88c96f6df1c493e98f1fe5c3c3e5ec38af1a76-1600x1200-jpg","originalFilename":"AECOM_Buildings.JPG","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","size":503582,"sha1hash":"7c88c96f6df1c493e98f1fe5c3c3e5ec38af1a76","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/7c88c96f6df1c493e98f1fe5c3c3e5ec38af1a76-1600x1200.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/7c88c96f6df1c493e98f1fe5c3c3e5ec38af1a76-1600x1200.jpg","extension":"jpg","uploadId":"Zy4aG1FXqM9Q4f9G4LndYxL2h0daqR87","metadata":{"dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.3333333333333333,"height":1200,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":1600},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V#H2i[WARij]og~qf7fkjsjt?bofbbayae%MWXofayWW","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"background":"#99b3c7","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":3},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.04,"background":"#bb774f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.23,"background":"#3a4b63"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":5.23,"background":"#3a4b63","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#ae5651","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.28,"background":"#d6a981","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#661d23","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.09}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"},"_rev":"ADz8RFrWctO7ioaeTrtttS"}},"slug":"/story/2024/02/one-womans-massive-donation-is-wiping-out-tuition-at-this-medical-school","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_updatedAt":"2024-02-26T23:30:54Z","title":"One Woman’s Massive Donation Is Wiping Out Tuition At This Medical School","category":"education","_rev":"ADz8RFrWctO7ioaeTrvzpw","body":[{"_key":"b77f448a92b1","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/26/nyregion/albert-einstein-college-medicine-bronx-donation.html","_key":"1cf69b1884ef"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The ultra-wealthy often get a bad rap for spending their money on vanity projects instead of investments that will help society for generations to come. But not everyone in the 1% falls into that category … as evidenced by a huge ","_key":"5e783474e0740","_type":"span"},{"_key":"5e783474e0741","_type":"span","marks":["1cf69b1884ef"],"text":"donation"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by the widow of financier David Gottesman.","_key":"5e783474e0742"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"95f10953adca","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A billion-dollar gift","_key":"231dc9b29ea40"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"175940bbe3cd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Dr. Ruth Gottesman, now 93, had a bold plan for the fortune she inherited from her late husband. The former professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, provided the school with","_key":"8cf7cde578560"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a whopping $1 billion donation","_key":"605af9b454a9"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", stipulating that the money be used to ensure students can attend the school tuition-free.","_key":"7c7e778039a8"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"She is currently the chair of the college’s board of trustees and recently opened up about the process that resulted in her decision to bestow such a generous gift to the school.","_key":"a02e8b4e46a40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ceb4089bf597"},{"style":"normal","_key":"dd5107e52ee7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"About four years ago, she sat next to Dr. Philip Ozuah, who oversees the college, on a flight to Florida.","_key":"03561ad6d6690"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6f0825456bc7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"250bf5ff15200","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It sparked"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" a friendship that remains strong ","_key":"9e4760f40914"},{"_key":"ff4c9b20ae71","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"— and shortly thereafter, a pandemic changed the world."}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8a4ee472c73","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Ozuah made house calls each day to check on the couple and, after David died in 2022, his widow remembered those interactions from the early days of COVID.","_key":"7edaf55dea900"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8aced3fd5878","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"5a179c525b530","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“Whatever you think is right”"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"David Gottesman died at the age of 96, leaving Ruth with grief as well as a fortune.","_key":"6fbb21fc73b30"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"326ac592c80f"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"93ba551a7746","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“He left me, unbeknownst to me, ","_key":"6f63595d79450","_type":"span"},{"_key":"b89efddfd46a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a whole portfolio of Berkshire Hathaway stock"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” she recalled.","_key":"63ee19253c5f"}]},{"children":[{"text":"Attached with her inheritance was an open-ended directive: “Do whatever you think is right with it.”","_key":"9d44a07c7f360","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"da4283349944","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8231fe5dffd1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With an average student debt","_key":"e9d11f2d49e90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" higher than most New York medical schools","_key":"11b3c3e026bd"},{"marks":[],"text":", the doctor reached her decision: “I wanted to fund students at Einstein so that they would receive free tuition.”","_key":"4c8dafc0c958","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"73e575396b0a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"35169371f9c90","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And with her donation, that will be the case for the foreseeable future."}]}],"visibility":"true","summary":"Her inheritance came with the instruction to do \"whatever you think is right.\"","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2024-02-26T23:30:54Z","_id":"35e9176e-4f61-4c62-b8b0-803474a5e487","id":"lKMpRnn0"},{"_rev":"4A550hyVSGx50kBPRob7qi","id":"yyv4hRbT","_updatedAt":"2024-01-18T04:16:12Z","title":"Did You Receive A College Rejection Or Deferral Letter? Don’t Be Too Upset.","_type":"story","summary":"Acceptance might be the goal, but there's always a Plan B ... or C, or D. ","publishDate":"2024-01-18","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"7fad481c7023","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The admissions process can be kind of brutal for high school graduates, their parents, and pretty much anyone involved in the waiting game. After ","_key":"9ddc409479c80"},{"_key":"24fe338b005f","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"all the preparation "},{"marks":[],"text":"that goes into filling out the application, it often results in being forced to bide your time while an admissions board decides whether to accept it or not.","_key":"d11b7071448e","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/early-decision-deferred-rejected-dream-college-2024-1","_key":"4c31d09e9ad6","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"text":"For those still patiently waiting, and even those who have gotten a rejection or deferral letter, ","_key":"050f312987110","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"insiders","_key":"050f312987111","_type":"span","marks":["4c31d09e9ad6"]},{"marks":[],"text":" say it’s not the end of the world. Things can, and often do, work out in the end.","_key":"050f312987112","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3b00d724bd47"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d73c53304b19","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Understand the factors","_key":"36847a3f6bf10"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Even some of the most qualified candidates will not make the cut and a rejection doesn’t necessarily mean that the student didn’t have an impressive application. There are several reasons that a school might immediately accept an otherwise qualified applicant, including:","_key":"9c35db98f60f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8baff1662817","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"04e9b1af9b08","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Prioritizing needs","_key":"8a840cf1eb970"},{"marks":[],"text":": If a school’s orchestra is losing several cellists, it might look for students who are skilled at playing the cello.","_key":"cc03c08a6e22","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Prioritizing yield","_key":"824a70c7b9700"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Colleges take into account the typical percentage of accepted students who ultimately enroll.","_key":"245b37c87a28"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8dc098de6274","listItem":"bullet"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6dc3bb770d74","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Prioritizing options","_key":"9cbcc499f3b60"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Schools aren’t motivated to send out early acceptance letters if they still have a steady flow of applications coming in.","_key":"3ead0ba5a617"}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"Exercising your power","_key":"53d9dfef46a40","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5754debefee7"},{"children":[{"text":"Instead of receiving an acceptance letter, you might get a deferral, but that’s not the end of the road. This might give you a chance to","_key":"b4d39b3a37d10","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" submit additional information","_key":"bb9c6e7b76d6"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that could boost your chances, but each case is unique and it’s up to you to follow the instructions provided.","_key":"05de413464a9"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6a0b719ca8c2","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"fc0777d5b0c1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Do some research to find out more about what the school’s priorities are and figure out how to put your best foot forward.","_key":"e913f67a91540"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"dee9d9086689","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Worst case scenario is that you receive a rejection, but in many cases this is","_key":"d76a10223a020","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" an opportunity to re-evaluate","_key":"adf0db0128be","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and find another option you might not have even considered before.","_key":"b221c3026863"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"category":"education","_createdAt":"2024-01-18T00:24:53Z","_id":"0c895023-daf9-4202-9017-76494470c1d7","visibility":"true","image":{"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.6575342465753427,"x":0.6695205479452047,"y":0.4487326716430156,"height":0.6411287015011078},"_type":"image","attribution":"CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock","asset":{"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/1b9647d8b72f3ec15c141bd73d61926edb863407-6000x4008.jpg","creditLine":"CJ GUNTHER/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock","_rev":"x85C0o6nGPFIdPQ9jNjVFV","description":"A Harvard University flag flies outside of Lehman Hall on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 03 January 2024. Harvard University President Claudine Gay resigned as the shortest tenure of the position, in wake of plagiarism allegations and a recent congressional hearing regarding the response by the school to the Israel-Hamas war.","sha1hash":"1b9647d8b72f3ec15c141bd73d61926edb863407","assetId":"1b9647d8b72f3ec15c141bd73d61926edb863407","_updatedAt":"2024-01-18T04:15:49Z","extension":"jpg","uploadId":"Kw2JG4zy5upxrxXYfdkEazjmWry2x4OQ","mimeType":"image/jpeg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/1b9647d8b72f3ec15c141bd73d61926edb863407-6000x4008.jpg","_createdAt":"2024-01-18T04:15:49Z","metadata":{"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":6000,"aspectRatio":1.4970059880239521,"height":4008},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VCByv|Ik-@W8W?pfiZb|VrW?KR#jOan~slxbNFs;W=V?","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"population":4.77,"background":"#d49287","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#5c3424","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#703228","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.42,"background":"#6e93d2"},"dominant":{"background":"#6e93d2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.42},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":6.24,"background":"#4c3731","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"background":"#8c7f78","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.35}}},"size":4088451,"_id":"image-1b9647d8b72f3ec15c141bd73d61926edb863407-6000x4008-jpg","originalFilename":"sstk-14283961i.jpg"}},"slug":"/story/2024/01/did-you-receive-a-college-rejection-or-deferral-letter-dont-be-too-upset"},{"_id":"331c70a8-b2e4-4d05-8b62-bf63a11f9436","_type":"story","_createdAt":"2023-11-19T23:58:39Z","category":"education","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"283bec414cb8","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-build-your-own-college-degrees-customized-major-jobs-2023-10","_key":"970e71341923"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A growing number of college students are starting to treat higher education as a buffet, picking and choosing the ","_key":"8feb6929cbb20"},{"_type":"span","marks":["970e71341923"],"text":"options","_key":"8feb6929cbb21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that best suit their own personal desires and needs. And it could help them navigate a very uncertain future.","_key":"8feb6929cbb22"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The rise of “chaos studies”","_key":"0a8ea74bb4df0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"51358a153866","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ac0631b646d8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"While it’s not entirely unheard of for enterprising college students to develop their own path through the four (give or take) years after graduating high school, most previous generations have generally gravitated toward established majors like computer engineering or business.","_key":"1589a30650830","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"6dbc5e5b8e9f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"But with so much about the future up in the air, there’s an unmistakable trend of students who are ","_key":"48b632f0a02e0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"pursuing relatively uncharted courses","_key":"8a765337a98d"},{"marks":[],"text":" in hopes of staking out a niche that will allow them to earn a living and pursue a rewarding career of their own making.","_key":"4f1da791fb82","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some notable examples include “chaos studies” and “food theory,” but the options are really only limited by the imagination of the students themselves.","_key":"183bd7e424850"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"25409a00f25f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Facing unparalleled obstacles","_key":"58af2c3d69e50","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3839199ef5d6"},{"style":"normal","_key":"521fc052ab55","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The threat of artificial intelligence on the job market is a big factor in this foundational shift toward so-called interdisciplinary degrees.","_key":"960dfe1c5ab20"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"AI could ","_key":"23b78ad44ead0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"replace 300 million jobs","_key":"712856359127"},{"text":" or more in the relatively near future","_key":"65333c0a468f","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"84eec903dc0e","listItem":"bullet"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3e20ebd376a9","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Students have responded by ","_key":"027d647c8b180"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"prioritizing creativity","_key":"d211825ed433","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":" as a path toward success","_key":"21c315c4705f","_type":"span"}],"level":1},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Interdisciplinary degrees ","_key":"1a4d788c3e180"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"spiked by nearly 20%","_key":"28d55aa62493"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" between 2010 and 2020","_key":"7642b32fe159"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4bd6f4050959","listItem":"bullet"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b8579a08edba","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Regardless of the economic forecast, there’s always been a segment of the population with a desire to build a customized path to success. Take renowned crossword puzzle creator Will Shortz, for example.","_key":"7586b42656710"}]},{"_key":"f743d10bc149","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“I remember ","_key":"60b7cb30b7210"},{"text":"joking about majoring in puzzles","_key":"15486514dda2","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" as a kid, never imagining that such a thing was possible until my mom discovered the individualized major program,” he said.","_key":"8d9d0ee90672"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"0e628624e750","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But while it was a novelty for Shortz decades ago, many current college students see these self-made majors as a necessity.","_key":"a403026cd45b0"}],"_type":"block"}],"id":"4Fj77pZv","title":"A Chaotic Economy Is Giving Rise To Highly Customizable College Programs","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"_updatedAt":"2023-11-20T00:02:49Z","slug":"/story/2023/11/a-chaotic-economy-is-giving-rise-to-highly-customizable-college-programs","image":{"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.876712328767123,"x":0.5616438356164385,"y":0.5,"height":1},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"source":{"name":"back to school college GIF by Rodney Dangerfield","id":"l4HoeVtb6LMTRfJII","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/rodneydangerfield-rodney-dangerfield-l4HoeVtb6LMTRfJII"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/04882617c5b3b13cf1a33f0c89e8a3f3bd5c6200-480x288.gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M26*XJEJS]R7#=~o9tV|WBsAi^D+=zNGI:","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#442414","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"population":1.27,"background":"#a39693","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#c56839"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":5.82,"background":"#444733","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":5.82,"background":"#444733","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.02,"background":"#8b6c63","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#e0b098","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAMABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQFAgf/xAAeEAADAQACAgMAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABBEhIhJBcf/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAID/8QAGREAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECETEh/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDjkUlJBT1Lj72rvCUUZ1Jd/Yn5d6e7GciE8A5VCXoA3kFhpxino6rS5blNzWFF7VQAoH5jLFzIlE6Cg4xYen//2Q==","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.6666666666666667,"height":288}},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"04882617c5b3b13cf1a33f0c89e8a3f3bd5c6200","_updatedAt":"2023-11-20T00:01:07Z","originalFilename":"b6709506-3347-4296-acb7-b9bb2bd4b879.gif","_rev":"ptJFItwQLLQyGEyXZibw6N","size":1512944,"assetId":"04882617c5b3b13cf1a33f0c89e8a3f3bd5c6200","_id":"image-04882617c5b3b13cf1a33f0c89e8a3f3bd5c6200-480x288-gif","uploadId":"CDsj3Gbk7gpysfZRqNLcip3cNI4mzsbl","mimeType":"image/gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/04882617c5b3b13cf1a33f0c89e8a3f3bd5c6200-480x288.gif","_createdAt":"2023-11-20T00:01:07Z"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0}},"_rev":"gAzu8Y5tTZmfii9VoZ8BFN","visibility":"true","publishDate":"2023-11-20","summary":"Settling for an ordinary major could soon be a thing of the past."},{"_type":"story","title":"Homeschooling Is On The Rise — And Here Are Some Key Reasons Why","_createdAt":"2023-11-14T00:12:05Z","id":"EGqjxXP9","publishDate":"2023-11-14","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"e9dc0b01-97f5-4b02-b29c-4dc53dfc18b6","_updatedAt":"2023-11-14T04:26:31Z","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although public, private, and charter school enrollments still make up the vast majority of educational options for American parents, ","_key":"28c54a7b17e30"},{"text":"there’s another alternative","_key":"7b312a481bef","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — homeschooling — that’s slowly gaining a foothold.","_key":"9584991e9778"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d339de53d523"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7709beee7b08","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/homeschooling-rates-us-increase-post-pandemic","_key":"8334b6505653"}],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"But why are so many parents suddenly interested in teaching their own children? The ","_key":"212578be92690","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["8334b6505653"],"text":"evidence","_key":"212578be92691"},{"_key":"212578be92692","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" points to a few factors."}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Health","_key":"29740ef482cf0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": After the pandemic forced many parents to take on the role of ad hoc educator, a number of them decided to stick it out in part to protect their kids from the spread of COVID or other illnesses.","_key":"35d05a918048"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d4f6616ce20f","listItem":"bullet"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Culture","_key":"269ce35ee2910","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": Whether it’s conservatives worried about political indoctrination or minority families concerned about racism, there are many different reasons that parents might choose to keep their kids out of traditional schools.","_key":"e947e53253d3"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c8811c5e8e7d","listItem":"bullet"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Safety","_key":"a9528d6618a30","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":": With the troubling rise in school shooting incidents and the ever present danger of bullying, some parents believe that homeschooling is a safer option than sending their children to a classroom.","_key":"c9529f60e379","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"89ceab46132c","listItem":"bullet"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e831007847de","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Special needs","_key":"c1ab3b1f30550"},{"text":": From developmental issues to learning disabilities, a number of parents believe that schools don’t have the resources to meet their children’s individual needs.","_key":"29330dc98bab","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"34f790eb087b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There are other reasons that parents opt for homeschooling, and the proof that it’s a growing trend can be found in the numbers. While it became more popular in the immediate aftermath of COVID-19, the pandemic-era increase remained obvious throughout the most recent school year.","_key":"e30413d067410"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Homeschooling is the fastest-growing educational alternative in the U.S. and estimates indicate as many as ","_key":"5bea4db07a780"},{"text":"2.7 million American kids","_key":"a7c79be4fd5d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":" are currently being taught at home.","_key":"b8fdef2d422e","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1d010b794cba","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"87edec1678cf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A ","_key":"1b536b6723f00"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"common thread ","_key":"473e2216366b","_type":"span"},{"text":"runs through all of the parents who endorse this method, according to homeschooling advocate Jen Garrison Stuber.","_key":"f086d16deb4f","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"3dda01b8e794","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Being able to tailor the education to the individual child is one of the things that is extremely personally persuasive for people to come to homeschooling and then decide to stay,” she said.","_key":"f9f6f0d96b020"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"category":"education","slug":"/story/2023/11/homeschooling-is-on-the-rise-and-here-are-some-key-reasons-why","summary":"It spiked during COVID, but the trend doesn't seem to be reversing.","image":{"attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"assetId":"59d82669f8d7dac0bbea51235c46c6ad7cb7d212","extension":"jpg","mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"59d82669f8d7dac0bbea51235c46c6ad7cb7d212","size":764461,"metadata":{"dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":3260,"aspectRatio":1.500230096640589,"height":2173},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VFHwfW}^9[57M_8{a0xuE1wHk*NFDjwN-VD+Rk%2kqo}","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.57,"background":"#e16f71","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"population":6.25,"background":"#72141b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#d3c6bf","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":6.21},"vibrant":{"background":"#3a9ed0","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01},"dominant":{"background":"#94755f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.34},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.17,"background":"#313b58"},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":7.34,"background":"#94755f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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"},"creditLine":"Jonathan Goldberg/Shutterstock","_id":"image-59d82669f8d7dac0bbea51235c46c6ad7cb7d212-3260x2173-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-11-14T00:10:45Z","_createdAt":"2023-11-14T00:10:45Z","originalFilename":"sstk-11750384a.jpg","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/59d82669f8d7dac0bbea51235c46c6ad7cb7d212-3260x2173.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/59d82669f8d7dac0bbea51235c46c6ad7cb7d212-3260x2173.jpg","uploadId":"sZ7IMBiepotMZqHAn14hwG3uAPJ1pIEp","_rev":"daNTnIVKDne6EZH5AQl2TQ","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","description":"A five year old girl working on an art project at home, with her sister (partially obscured) to the left."},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.7089041095890408,"x":0.49999999999999994,"y":0.43058126619770454,"height":0.7171829363610185},"_type":"image"},"_rev":"k4EamRMh6p5ODkKuaiNe9P"},{"publishDate":"2023-11-13","_id":"5d0e47c7-dd8b-4e2e-b3e1-080306fdb31c","_type":"story","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","summary":"Members of the first graduating class are about to receive their degrees.","slug":"/story/2023/11/educated-behind-bars-how-northwestern-university-is-leading-the-way","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Far from merely a source of punishment, prison should be a way for incarcerated individuals to achieve rehabilitation and receive the essential tools that might not have been available before their convictions.","_key":"734e897a6c230","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3e25ccbc8fff"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"aa282ee802ce","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.axios.com/2023/11/12/northwestern-univeristy-prison-education-program-graduation","_key":"98553a49a9e1"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For many prisoners,","_key":"b1ece11aa6e60"},{"_key":"d221e736c175","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" this includes an education"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And while there have been programs, including college courses, available inside of American prisons for generations, one university is taking the concept ","_key":"be9ce158a480"},{"_key":"b1ece11aa6e61","_type":"span","marks":["98553a49a9e1"],"text":"further"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"b1ece11aa6e62"}]},{"_key":"73a18bc740aa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"A top 10 institution","_key":"5830f32985da0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"4709f11c693e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Northwestern University has a storied reputation, including its status on U.S. News and World Reports’ list of top 10 universities in the country. But for dozens of students preparing to receive their bachelor’s degrees, there were no traditional classrooms and their dorm rooms were behind heavily guarded prison walls.","_key":"92befbe9d5e70"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b84b74346de0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A total of ","_key":"1247d8be6e0d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"80 prisoners registered","_key":"4e66f7908645"},{"_key":"f77fd2149ba7","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for the university’s first-ever Northwestern Prison Education Program and will officially graduate later this week."}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"67aeac587f3c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"da1de8a848c20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Not only did they achieve this goal despite being locked up, but founding director Jennifer Lackey noted the other factors that could have been roadblocks to their success — most notably, a global pandemic."}]},{"children":[{"text":"“What this cohort lived through, it’s really ","_key":"f6966f3a8af20","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"nothing short of extraordinary","_key":"91df81c7356c"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” she said.","_key":"870bfbc735ec"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"119de34f24b1","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"b11097981c72","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"933b31fb9e290","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A glimpse inside"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"09c82ac61cd4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Since there are obvious challenges for those in the prison program that traditional students don’t face, the learning environment looks much different for these individuals.","_key":"35a40de5d7830"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d9070aa2a632","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Professors generally show up at the prison for ","_key":"538132c3a1720"},{"_key":"26c85209247a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"in-person lectures"},{"_key":"63b178ddb3fd","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"level":1},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"da94fdf7d110","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Staffers ","_key":"7fa366970f050"},{"_key":"320e3c8ba4d9","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"collect handwritten assignments"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and deliver printed lessons.","_key":"fd2222b7c732"}],"level":1},{"_key":"911e3a1e74b8","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Students released before graduating can ","_key":"8ffd6344a87e0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"attend classes remotely","_key":"7bc2d78f82ff"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"6cdd127efad0","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While these students can benefit directly, evidence shows that the program is also good for society as a whole. For every $1 invested in prison education programs, ","_key":"1c9a48a5dcbd0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"as much as $5 is saved","_key":"b7cea8c9ba7b"},{"text":" in the cost of future incarceration due to the fact that the recidivism rate is almost cut in half among those who successfully complete such programs.","_key":"10f410869eb5","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"64629bba548e"}],"category":"education","_rev":"k4EamRMh6p5ODkKuad8ZMX","_updatedAt":"2023-11-13T00:29:41Z","_createdAt":"2023-11-13T00:29:41Z","id":"QR6zULy3","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Northwestern University/YouTube screenshot","asset":{"mimeType":"image/png","originalFilename":"Screenshot 2023-11-12 at 7.27.27 PM.png","extension":"png","uploadId":"GUwp8INbIS3SbKxOiCFa1BwhIouECkSb","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/759c8867f0745dab68e9414a35075f5fa8b03480-1618x796.png","_createdAt":"2023-11-13T00:27:47Z","_id":"image-759c8867f0745dab68e9414a35075f5fa8b03480-1618x796-png","_rev":"k4EamRMh6p5ODkKuad8IXz","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","size":1141038,"assetId":"759c8867f0745dab68e9414a35075f5fa8b03480","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"population":0.01,"background":"#c4847c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.48,"background":"#a3b5cc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#543d32","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.21},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.03,"background":"#90756a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#c48c7c"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#5b2e29","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":1.48,"background":"#a3b5cc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"width":1618,"aspectRatio":2.0326633165829144,"height":796,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions"},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MCF?68IA00Nf-W4-NH_Ns,D%DhxaxvjYRj"},"sha1hash":"759c8867f0745dab68e9414a35075f5fa8b03480","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/759c8867f0745dab68e9414a35075f5fa8b03480-1618x796.png","_updatedAt":"2023-11-13T00:27:47Z"}},"title":"Educated Behind Bars: How Northwestern University Is Leading The Way"},{"publishDate":"2023-11-02","title":"Exploring The Pros And Cons Of School Smartphone Bans","slug":"/story/2023/11/exploring-the-pros-and-cons-of-school-smartphone-bans","_createdAt":"2023-11-01T22:00:56Z","image":{"attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/5728106638ab712896af49a8bb97370dc8436962-498x280.gif","_createdAt":"2023-04-08T01:18:01Z","_id":"image-5728106638ab712896af49a8bb97370dc8436962-498x280-gif","_updatedAt":"2023-04-08T01:18:01Z","uploadId":"yteqaCmWivAA66VwLhBv2tOAYNSkSVqY","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"5728106638ab712896af49a8bb97370dc8436962","originalFilename":"giphy-15.gif","extension":"gif","mimeType":"image/gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/5728106638ab712896af49a8bb97370dc8436962-498x280.gif","assetId":"5728106638ab712896af49a8bb97370dc8436962","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#dd4e21","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":5.88,"background":"#bd987a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.92,"background":"#523c30"},"muted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":5.88,"background":"#bd987a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#eda38b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.03,"background":"#4f1c0c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#842f14","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAgMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQDBgf/xAAiEAACAgEEAQUAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAUGERMSITEyQVH/xAAWAQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAwT/xAAaEQACAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARIhMQJh/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDJre42hkkSemviDwsnscUsa6trrlEXUFYEKDjLRJYVRMocH9yXbenVLNG8s8CuEJK8/WZ650urwWk3FFI7N2dXr8SOeMMq1lVE7gAcA4Yw9GSWo//Z","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":498,"aspectRatio":1.7785714285714285,"height":280},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M69GjjoyoL%2NG^*xuxt9atR~oWBI=%1Io"},"_rev":"6xTNCZX1NeZwYMttdCSa1Y","size":1618263},"_type":"image"},"_type":"story","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_updatedAt":"2023-11-02T04:04:33Z","visibility":"true","body":[{"_key":"b73eb92c1c72","markDefs":[{"_key":"a5e7154da2da","_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/31/technology/school-smartphone-bans.html"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While smartphones have become ubiquitous throughout modern society in recent years, there’s one place where their use is generally not permitted: school classrooms. On the surface, it might make sense to implement bans to cut down on ","_key":"d15f6240de190"},{"text":"cyberbullying, distractions, cheating, etc.","_key":"3da8c484613a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":", but a growing number of experts say school administrators should ","_key":"2d7863463db5","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["a5e7154da2da"],"text":"reconsider","_key":"d15f6240de191"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"d15f6240de192","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"2f9bd36c414c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The anti-ban argument","_key":"35bd8c090bb00","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A number of nations, including Italy and China, are enforcing universal prohibitions on phone use during instruction periods. And several U.S. jurisdictions have implemented their own versions of such bans.","_key":"80324984be150"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"71c550e288bc"},{"style":"normal","_key":"07b9c1fb084f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some form of restriction is currently in place for students in roughly one-fourth of all the countries on Earth. But ","_key":"5b902205ca830"},{"text":"there are some exceptions","_key":"3e9bdacd8a32","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", particularly for students with special needs or in cases for which teachers believe the devices can provide an educational benefit.","_key":"046f3f3ada7e"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"d0140aae406e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But after more than three decades of increasing scrutiny over the use of phones in class, critics say there are some compelling reasons to scale back those bans. Here are some of the reasons they provide:","_key":"52a77dbf131f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"Bans can negatively impact ","_key":"e72816101fe70","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"students who have jobs","_key":"3426c0ebc659","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" or other responsibilities.","_key":"635893950a59"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d5cc49b46980","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"8630c1b7534e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Handing down suspensions for policy violations ","_key":"1c12d19127ae0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"can set students back","_key":"e2d3e4299c33"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" academically.","_key":"62de74bc13c9"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"a9dbf89805aa","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Cellphones can provide a ","_key":"4b5f9e4c14cd0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"pivotal form of communication","_key":"d656cc07c68b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in case of an emergency.","_key":"2b5fbeebbf2d"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"So, what’s the answer?","_key":"fa17a03baed90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a1dd02cac5d0","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9b6c0bf69c86","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2a7b8b9ff8330","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"We’ve already addressed some of the reasons that these bans were implemented in the first place, but there hasn’t been a lot of in-depth research to evaluate how effective they actually are. There was even one U.S. study conducted in 2016 that showed schools with cellphone bans experienced "},{"text":"a higher rate of cyberbullying","_key":"2d49c6a9606c","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than those without them.","_key":"f6567074787e"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That’s why the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization urges administrators to let students “learn the risks and opportunities” of smartphones, adding: “Shielding students from new and innovative technology can put them at a disadvantage.”","_key":"074a2e9aae260"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bfb6e969bdc8"}],"id":"BMnAyT6y","_rev":"b28Q1Zd9IX35ClbiuIMxdU","summary":"Some forms of the common prohibition have been around for more than 30 years.","category":"education","_id":"7c8e622a-5a15-4fa7-ba23-6566ebd870f9"},{"_updatedAt":"2023-10-31T01:20:06Z","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Modern Family/ABC/Giphy","asset":{"assetId":"8b0ef3b474c5573746e92c46ee09c5f771b285f0","_createdAt":"2023-10-31T01:20:01Z","_id":"image-8b0ef3b474c5573746e92c46ee09c5f771b285f0-480x270-gif","originalFilename":"No Big Deal Graduation.gif","_rev":"dYuDtz3wYRqWgkk6vAYiba","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","size":3309572,"uploadId":"rrl7GyxYvXFQz6Ky4ljcyV1VhITDnuqo","mimeType":"image/gif","_updatedAt":"2023-10-31T01:20:01Z","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/8b0ef3b474c5573746e92c46ee09c5f771b285f0-480x270.gif","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/8b0ef3b474c5573746e92c46ee09c5f771b285f0-480x270.gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":2.06,"background":"#cbc6b2","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"background":"#4364a5","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.37},"dominant":{"background":"#585640","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.21},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.21,"background":"#585640"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#ae7c62"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.27,"background":"#faf8e7"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#74340c"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFwAAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYHA//EACMQAAIBBAEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAECAwAEBRESBiFRBxQjMUH/xAAXAQADAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIE/8QAHREAAgIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAEQMEEiExUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A29T8rkZETHYqVonHySMDrt4qV3fUd7lMfJFczSMkG04qdb81YevLeI3QfgOTFQSP0VF1giSbIKqAKGk7UYEV8b2OhcWUlSp9i/lLHGRXbLH7mRSAeSfWyKKaui4IpcGjSRqzc2GyKKzNqVUlalbL5uf/2Q==","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MXEVyo~p-.%Mxu-:xtRkoJjY%LxbM|R+a_"},"sha1hash":"8b0ef3b474c5573746e92c46ee09c5f771b285f0"}},"_rev":"dYuDtz3wYRqWgkk6vAYiw6","slug":"/story/2023/10/the-gender-gap-in-high-school-graduation-rates-is-taking-a-toll-on-society","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"3c5bcf76-3a64-4356-970b-13a1eb567aa5","body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://apnews.com/article/high-school-graduation-rate-boys-c7b8dff33221e0ded2d1369397d96455","_key":"a912bc1fd2d0","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Most of us are familiar with the pay gap between men and women as well as efforts currently underway to close it. But there’s another gender disparity that has gone largely unnoticed — with ","_key":"c0cd957a56c20"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"potentially devastating","_key":"f74e45330b53"},{"text":" long-term ","_key":"bccc33b4d98d","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"consequences","_key":"c0cd957a56c21","_type":"span","marks":["a912bc1fd2d0"]},{"text":".","_key":"c0cd957a56c22","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a64197f7e8de"},{"_key":"4970e7e073d9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Dropping out","_key":"da15b33dda350"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In communities across the U.S., girls are consistently more likely than boys to finish high school. And while there’s plenty of debate about whether a college degree is necessary for future success, the ","_key":"636b30f43ee00"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"benefits of a high school diploma","_key":"7385201b6527","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" are acknowledged by pretty much everyone.","_key":"e7631a49b82b"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f68b7830de09"},{"_key":"1381d52e96aa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Experts don’t know for sure why this has become such a steady trend, but there are a few likely factors at play, including:","_key":"0da3d94d93960"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"25d2b7adc72e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Boys are more likely to have their education ","_key":"3fb55d8033d80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"derailed by suspensions","_key":"e829ed669782"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" or other forms of disciplinary action.","_key":"9835ce8be948"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b8ebf16d33610","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Boys are "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"statistically less likely","_key":"e7b305f675c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to seek intervention or professional help for mental health issues.","_key":"fd416191b8cd"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"757420c2bbad"},{"style":"normal","_key":"c8375685b66f","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Boys believe they’ll be able to ","_key":"acd1b216a05b0","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"earn a good living","_key":"b4feb69575c0"},{"text":" even if they don’t finish high school.","_key":"8a402992f843","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"_key":"a448caab6d0f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"While some initially gain traction in the real world without a diploma, the impact of that decision might not be fully realized for many years to come.","_key":"aaaaf48a73a90","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"bb3dbba1a62f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Imperfect data","_key":"0cd411f4d6dc0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s impossible to tell precisely how much less likely boys are to graduate than girls since states aren’t required to report gender-specific stats. Nevertheless, one estimate determined that in 2018, there were about ","_key":"e84558bb0b050"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"45,000 fewer boys","_key":"85d384df5610"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" who graduated from high school than girls.","_key":"136a5b5b3a8d"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d4e0bd56481f"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That resulted in a net disadvantage of ","_key":"321806d8ea680"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"roughly six percentage points","_key":"d58b8dddca5f"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for boys, a number that remained unchanged as of 2021.","_key":"5ce9b9d31ca1"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"53d76816dcbc","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c954d7dbcb2b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So what does it all mean? Not only do multiple studies show that boys who earn a high school diploma earn more on average than those who don’t over the course of a lifetime, men who didn’t graduate are also statistically more likely to end up behind bars.","_key":"6b4ea733f5660"}]}],"summary":"It's a troubling trend that comes with lifelong consequences.","_createdAt":"2023-10-30T20:31:53Z","_type":"story","category":"education","publishDate":"2023-10-31","id":"h6dkA7vx","visibility":"true","title":"The Gender Gap In High School Graduation Rates Is Taking A Toll On Society"},{"_createdAt":"2023-10-18T19:49:39Z","_rev":"Vu0sE7COuqT2adbgGojcFk","id":"9JFUwnVl","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"extension":"gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/38e350053d0a961cb367130234245b74b2a74ad5-480x269.gif","_updatedAt":"2023-10-19T03:20:44Z","metadata":{"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7843866171003717,"height":269},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MPJtMw9F2|Vr#Q01o#EM$$%3ADoH=ZX7Na","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.82,"background":"#2b3063","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"background":"#525aa9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.17},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.25,"background":"#fc9fa1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#142c7c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.41,"background":"#b7a2c9"},"vibrant":{"population":9.47,"background":"#3355ab","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"population":9.47,"background":"#3355ab","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette"}},"_rev":"U3GZ997kXIBmIFNLnXU7DX","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/38e350053d0a961cb367130234245b74b2a74ad5-480x269.gif","originalFilename":"ezgif.com-crop-3.gif","size":983746,"assetId":"38e350053d0a961cb367130234245b74b2a74ad5","_createdAt":"2023-10-19T03:20:44Z","_id":"image-38e350053d0a961cb367130234245b74b2a74ad5-480x269-gif","uploadId":"6N3aCRyCLw4JmevY45nfFFU3YB8wmHTk","mimeType":"image/gif","sha1hash":"38e350053d0a961cb367130234245b74b2a74ad5"}},"summary":"Experts say awareness and training are the keys to addressing the problem.","_updatedAt":"2023-10-19T03:20:47Z","slug":"/story/2023/10/confronting-the-hidden-issue-behind-many-students-poor-math-performance","visibility":"true","_type":"story","_id":"25c710ec-e179-4a66-b44b-057ce57f99eb","category":"education","title":"Confronting The Hidden Issue Behind Many Students’ Poor Math Performance","publishDate":"2023-10-19","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"It’s one of the idiomatic ","_key":"40db933b1b330","_type":"span"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"“3 R’s” of education","_key":"83172564d0eb","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", but too often students who struggle with “‘rithmatic” are deprived of the tools that would help them reach their full potential.","_key":"d62816a69559"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3d6a3ec0479f"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://apnews.com/article/dyscalculia-school-math-disability-1365774aecc6c04fd40ece9e5082a2b2","_key":"f8d50a4169dd"}],"children":[{"_key":"3bce2923cbcd0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And experts increasingly "},{"_type":"span","marks":["f8d50a4169dd"],"text":"believe","_key":"3bce2923cbcd1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that the problem lies in the fact that there isn’t enough testing going on to identify various types of math-related learning disabilities.","_key":"3bce2923cbcd2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e98a445f087f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A widespread issue","_key":"274878f991eb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9337a6ca5873"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f7dd1bcd2b0f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The most common form of math disability is known as dyscalculia, and some estimates suggest as many as 7% of all students could suffer from a form of the neurodevelopmental disorder.","_key":"d423843a1f030"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"c3bed135eb2d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Signs of the disability can vary from child to child, but many of these kids:","_key":"72384f56a2830","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5bd8b4f7902e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Find it difficult to recognize","_key":"d0c1a4a623650"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" numbers and other patterns","_key":"d18d8ce33a0e"}],"level":1},{"_key":"d1585009fb75","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Struggle with basic math functions","_key":"dc024790c9630"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" like addition or subtraction","_key":"41bc5e5ff789"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Forget directions","_key":"e4db55e623220"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" when completing grade-level problems","_key":"7b5873981727"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bea54d8a1881","listItem":"bullet"},{"style":"normal","_key":"7343e75ddfa8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Even if a student is performing well in other subjects, issues with math could still be a sign of a disorder — much like dyslexia can impact reading comprehension.","_key":"c8e62a2e770a0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"But while schools have increased testing for dyslexia and other disabilities, math disorders remain largely undiagnosed.","_key":"2ae0601e0c100","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0a0273b9af26","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"61366b7f8d48","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2b395bfbecc20","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“Mom, am I stupid?”"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"271747396321","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"d084155c593c0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The mother of one third-grade student recalled the tough road that led to realizing that her daughter was struggling with dyscalculia. The 9-year-old had demonstrated difficulty counting, telling time, and completing other tasks in the past and her mother sought tutoring — but it didn’t seem to help."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"a8b1ba7c14cf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“We hit a point where she was asking me, ‘Mom, am I stupid?” said Laura Jackson.","_key":"8273aee09ecb0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Eventually, a friend told her about the disorder and she realized ","_key":"7d7697ffb1160"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"that’s what was holding her daughter back.","_key":"2ccd97d39eb1","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a3ae2f38729d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c9403d18d464","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"For many other parents, however, there’s little if any support available, in large part because of a lack of clinical research. But experts are now trying to increase awareness and promote methods to help address this common — but often overlooked — problem.","_key":"806179e445d60"}]}],"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"summary":"Many pandemic-era problems don't seem to apply to these schools.","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"b0a3b3fcd133","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When you think of where the Pentagon excels, you might think of military training or the procurement of state-of-the-art weapons and equipment.","_key":"2c8d49ea60490"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"1d3a9fa0701c","markDefs":[{"_key":"e75706fe2674","_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/10/us/schools-pandemic-defense-department.html"}],"children":[{"_key":"4f97b93771c00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A less obvious but nonetheless correct "},{"_key":"4f97b93771c01","_type":"span","marks":["e75706fe2674"],"text":"answer"},{"marks":[],"text":" would be education.","_key":"4f97b93771c02","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Outpacing private and public schools","_key":"fb05609651360"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b1828777335f","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f65d27430a6d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Educating the children of American men and women in uniform is a task that the Defense Department doesn’t take lightly … and that fact is ","_key":"91541b3433a40"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"evident in the results","_key":"91541b3433a41"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that such schools regularly achieve.","_key":"91541b3433a42"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Take Faith Middle School in Fort Moore, Georgia, for example. Principal Amy Dilmar is well aware that education took a big blow during COVID-19, which resulted in learning loss across the board due to school closures and related factors.","_key":"4b5f414d37590"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c0bcd4d646d5"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1dbe01e782b3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Nevertheless, ","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb40"},{"text":"she has seen test scores soar","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb41","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" in direct contradiction to the trends seen elsewhere in the nation’s education system. And she’s not alone.","_key":"3ed81d1c5eb42","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2636e99d06df","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Schools operated by the DOD ranked ","_key":"f2fd444b4c560","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"higher than all other jurisdictions","_key":"f2fd444b4c561"},{"text":" in math and reading scores registered in the National Assessment of Educational Progress exam.","_key":"f2fd444b4c562","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"cfd502e54da8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0124d8d61f720","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Furthermore, the racial and income-based disparities that have been persistent in other types of education don’t seem to be as prevalent in these schools."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"af40baf73eb0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What are they doing right?","_key":"d507ac41fee10"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"151042f61e0a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As Harvard University’s Martin West explained: “If the Department of Defense schools were a state, ","_key":"a523310ed11d0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"we would all be traveling there","_key":"a523310ed11d1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to figure out what’s going on.”","_key":"a523310ed11d2"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"But the secret to this success might not be easy to replicate nationwide. Experts believe that these schools are ","_key":"c2026b42877c0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"shielded from certain issues","_key":"c2026b42877c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that negatively impact traditional schools due to ample funding and the natural diversity of the military.","_key":"c2026b42877c2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4861f6621273"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Additionally, since the Defense Department makes decisions based on a central departmental standard, ","_key":"7ddd75de2b5e0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"7ddd75de2b5e1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it isn’t easily swayed"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by school boards, cultural debates, and politics.","_key":"7ddd75de2b5e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4f9a5793daca"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ead9b2f124a1","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And since students are the kids of military personnel, each family has a home, healthcare, and at least one stable income.","_key":"06dc0c713d120"}]}],"_id":"dc292833-5675-4534-9452-3f406e9ace8a","_updatedAt":"2023-10-10T22:11:40Z","slug":"/story/2023/10/exploring-why-and-how-the-defense-department-does-education-so-well","_type":"story","title":"Exploring Why (And How) The Defense Department Does Education So Well","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_rev":"4WYc4ZxftysheRL4psWn6q","visibility":"true","id":"bl9KdOa2","publishDate":"2023-10-11","image":{"hotspot":{"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.875,"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270.gif","size":1666650,"_createdAt":"2023-10-10T22:10:53Z","_updatedAt":"2023-10-10T22:10:53Z","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MQJ7,R.SRnt8og_NtRs,f,jYo#tRoft6ax","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.04,"background":"#d49c2f"},"dominant":{"background":"#37291f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.4},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.4,"background":"#37291f"},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.82,"background":"#917855","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":4.06,"background":"#ccb06e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":6.92,"background":"#693d20","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#d4c3af","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c","originalFilename":"b00a64bd-35be-4742-801c-a59e0f53b6a6.gif","uploadId":"9LBIG9u2usyyffhRWTTUiAouyljbLonU","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"Revise English GIF by Reuben Armstrong","id":"KDYB0cH4HW8xc3VIAx","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/marches-marchesschool-marchesacademy-KDYB0cH4HW8xc3VIAx"},"extension":"gif","_rev":"CMb7wrJRucKlhj6d9HYQp6","_id":"image-e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270-gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c-480x270.gif","assetId":"e113739809e0b2c633348aa0cdda200a262ee62c"},"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0}},"category":"education","_createdAt":"2023-10-10T22:11:40Z"},{"_createdAt":"2023-09-10T22:42:13Z","title":"Florida Universities Now Accept This Controversial SAT Alternative","id":"zfc7p9s9","_type":"story","category":"education","_updatedAt":"2023-09-10T22:42:13Z","publishDate":"2023-09-11","summary":"The standardized test has only been around since 2015.","_id":"55362e49-9a80-458c-bd9c-117efe642547","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"_rev":"U0Q7vpJfI9lIAC0Insk7qT","mimeType":"image/jpeg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/c06758a254d2a39d731c980b1d9166dcba3de51b-6000x4000.jpg","_createdAt":"2023-09-10T22:41:17Z","_id":"image-c06758a254d2a39d731c980b1d9166dcba3de51b-6000x4000-jpg","metadata":{"palette":{"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":6.49,"background":"#2d324c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"muted":{"population":7.78,"background":"#4f5f8a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.7,"background":"#c6987a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.13,"background":"#201f6d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#000","population":8.32,"background":"#cec7c6","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.34,"background":"#403ea9"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.34,"background":"#403ea9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":6000,"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":4000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"V7AARj%80H$=-t009ZyFsoRioa?H-OE2X8OaR*V?Nbs:","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"uploadId":"fRDb4K1sie4pZ59nY6PSaui3OTFbKTSK","description":"Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis speaks at his campaign event about the Bipartisan agreement on the debt ceiling and criticizes the deal. Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis delivers remarks at the \"Our Great American Comeback\" Tour campaign event at Manchester Community College in Manchester. Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis is running for President of the United States in the 2024 Election.","assetId":"c06758a254d2a39d731c980b1d9166dcba3de51b","originalFilename":"sstk-13943839p.jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"c06758a254d2a39d731c980b1d9166dcba3de51b","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/c06758a254d2a39d731c980b1d9166dcba3de51b-6000x4000.jpg","extension":"jpg","creditLine":"Kyle Mazza/SOPA Images/Shutterstock","size":2725104,"_updatedAt":"2023-09-10T22:41:17Z"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.7636986301369858,"x":0.549657534246575,"y":0.5591344769426961,"height":0.8817310461146077,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"}},"_rev":"U0Q7vpJfI9lIAC0Insk9QX","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"slug":"/story/2023/09/florida-universities-now-accept-this-controversial-sat-alternative","visibility":"true","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"590e7b3d6b5d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some prestigious universities have already made SAT and ACT results optional when applying for admission. Nevertheless, these standardized tests still ","_key":"9955eed28c7b0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"carry a lot of weight","_key":"9955eed28c7b1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for admissions boards at many of the nation’s colleges.","_key":"9955eed28c7b2"}]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.npr.org/2023/09/10/1198638538/what-to-know-classic-learning-test-florida-sat-act-colleges","_key":"b8ba19755f1e"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And high school graduates planning to attend college in Florida now have another ","_key":"aae041a2d7ba0"},{"marks":["b8ba19755f1e"],"text":"option","_key":"aae041a2d7ba1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to consider.","_key":"aae041a2d7ba2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ea20a242c53d"},{"style":"normal","_key":"26dcefd63539","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Classic Learning Test","_key":"0f7d6bb3d22d0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"442c838e0fe9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A newcomer in the standardized testing world, the CLT was first introduced in 2015. Supporters — including Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — say it focuses on ","_key":"2f3e1a5247820"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"the fundamentals and classical texts","_key":"2f3e1a5247821","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" while eschewing the social and cultural issues that have gained a foothold in modern education.","_key":"2f3e1a5247822"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"On the other hand, critics claim it’s ","_key":"10adfccde41c0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"part of a conservative ploy","_key":"10adfccde41c1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to redefine higher education — and its board does include folks like right-wing activist Christopher Rufo.","_key":"10adfccde41c2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2917deb1bd34"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The CLT is officially described as a way to provide a “","_key":"3e6bf95ce84b0"},{"text":"more rigorous and comprehensive measure","_key":"3e6bf95ce84b1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” of college aptitude than either the SAT or ACT. A practice test shows references to Plato, Cicero, and other classic thinkers, which seems to back up the arguments of its proponents.","_key":"3e6bf95ce84b2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6ef4b4fb3124","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d1199e5c2da0","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But it’s about an hour shorter than the other standardized tests, and the College Board, which is responsible for the SAT, said that ","_key":"c53d42860e4d0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"some math concepts were not included","_key":"c53d42860e4d1","_type":"span"},{"marks":[],"text":" in the practice exam.","_key":"c53d42860e4d2","_type":"span"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0de91a73a98d","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"A statewide debate continues","_key":"3e047240217e0","_type":"span"}]},{"_key":"03fc5eae07ba","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although the Florida university system officially approved the acceptance of the CLT, not everyone was on board. As the ACT explained,","_key":"68023eeb516c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" there hasn’t been a study","_key":"68023eeb516c1"},{"text":" comparing the two tests so it’s unclear exactly how they stack up against each other.","_key":"68023eeb516c2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Amanda Phalin serves on the state university system’s governing board and said that she’s not opposed to using the CLT in the future but noted that “","_key":"797a2aa9d8d30"},{"_key":"797a2aa9d8d31","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"we do not have the empirical evidence"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to show that this assessment is in the same quality as the ACT and the SAT.”","_key":"797a2aa9d8d32"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"582a561e3ff5","markDefs":[]}]},{"body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.vox.com/policy/23847728/public-school-vouchers-choice-cara-fitzpatrick-book","_key":"ca7b4624b3ec","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Traditional public schools have faced mounting ","_key":"546a6dc549cf0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["ca7b4624b3ec"],"text":"criticism","_key":"546a6dc549cf1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" over curriculum and other issues, leading to ","_key":"546a6dc549cf2"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"a rise in efforts","_key":"546a6dc549cf3","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to provide parents with vouchers allowing them to send their kids to private schools.","_key":"546a6dc549cf4"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f0f0947bc1b6"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Meanwhile, teachers' unions are advocating for more taxpayer funding to go to public schools in order to fill labor shortages and provide the best education possible.","_key":"cbf3cda77d410"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2e38bb0aa962"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Here’s where things stand","_key":"c966d031ec580"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9cbdcd5079b8"},{"style":"normal","_key":"00ffe3b0b9c6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Journalist Cara Fitzpatrick has been covering the issue for a while and recently sat down for an interview with Vox to discuss the current trends and where she thinks education will go from here.","_key":"ac4a0bc780450"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In a number of conservative-leaning states, lawmakers are carrying out a “school choice” strategy that largely ","_key":"d5b8fc70f9320"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"revolves around vouchers","_key":"d5b8fc70f9321"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". And while many of these efforts have been struck down in court, Fitzpatrick believes that the tide might be turning.","_key":"d5b8fc70f9322"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0f872e3a367d"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f403fedb9e2f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Over the course of the past several decades, school choice proponents have been able to chisel away at legal roadblocks — most notably the ","_key":"78ce32433d670"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"separation of church and state","_key":"78ce32433d671"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", since many private schools are religious in nature.","_key":"78ce32433d672"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"c1d8e88d0470","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Given the Supreme Court’s conservative majority, Fitzpatrick thinks the issue is ripe for exploitation by voucher supporters.","_key":"5b34163fc29a0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"She wrote the book on it","_key":"1c9b8a0c656c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4a7d22e53ef8"},{"style":"normal","_key":"b61bb9b884ca","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although she attempted to shy away from the cultural powder keg surrounding the topic, Fitzpatrick wrote a book about the debate that proclaimed conservatives are ","_key":"551c53a50b8f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"on the way to winning the war","_key":"551c53a50b8f1"},{"text":".","_key":"551c53a50b8f2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"67bfedfaee38","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As pundits and politicians share their concerns about the current education system, a growing number of Americans are expressing similar misgivings. While the author acknowledged that it “can be a little intimidating” to go through all the studies on the matter, she said that’s not the real point.","_key":"5c79ffd017a00"}]},{"_key":"85bc7b2135b4","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“What I believe and I wanted the book to show is that this debate in America is ","_key":"02d312b19ac20"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"really more about values","_key":"02d312b19ac21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than about outcomes,” Fitzpatrick said.","_key":"02d312b19ac22"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"slug":"/story/2023/09/private-vs-public-the-great-national-school-war-heats-up","image":{"crop":{"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0},"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9000000000000004,"x":0.5},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"uploadId":"hzffFOVQeW4j3eWSbM4OtVY1uysY6gc1","sha1hash":"c2b2ad43907da2a1f1a35ae9aa2436a8417fbd36","_createdAt":"2023-09-06T23:23:35Z","_updatedAt":"2023-09-06T23:23:35Z","extension":"gif","metadata":{"blurHash":"M7AAK~={000z%M00WA~qkWM{yDS4Md-Bt7","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"vibrant":{"background":"#c84636","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"dominant":{"title":"#fff","population":8.32,"background":"#7c5d57","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#333b4c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":1.09},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.32,"background":"#7c5d57","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"population":0,"background":"#e29f96","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.31,"background":"#33120e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":5.75,"background":"#bfa7a4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGQAAAgMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYDBAUH/8QAIBAAAgIDAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAQIDBQAEEQYhEoGh0f/EABUBAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAED/8QAGBEAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABESASL/2gAMAwEAAhEDEQA/AOYUiJY2KQToJFA6EK9ByG5hOlvSiPTkSDvfSEKMVKLyC1rtkTaW48UvCPkAO/oy/c+YX+9XtBtWcskRPtSF/mOb0xfEo1EnVl6EH2cMRzv7RPTM2GUslJ//2Q==","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true},"source":{"name":"High School GIF","id":"8FhXc8w45aN32","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/teacher-anyone-ferris-bueller-8FhXc8w45aN32"},"assetId":"c2b2ad43907da2a1f1a35ae9aa2436a8417fbd36","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/c2b2ad43907da2a1f1a35ae9aa2436a8417fbd36-480x270.gif","_id":"image-c2b2ad43907da2a1f1a35ae9aa2436a8417fbd36-480x270-gif","originalFilename":"5ae725c5-c72b-46a1-8a64-674883b85df8.gif","_rev":"U0Q7vpJfI9lIAC0Inl5lsj","mimeType":"image/gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/c2b2ad43907da2a1f1a35ae9aa2436a8417fbd36-480x270.gif","size":952214}},"_rev":"QMK4spJO8vAgIB9pUrt6uv","_updatedAt":"2023-09-06T23:26:18Z","_type":"story","id":"l1dFegxH","visibility":"true","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"category":"education","publishDate":"2023-09-07","_id":"8468192e-ec5e-4a92-9382-4d002163a406","title":"Private Vs. Public: The Great National School War Heats Up","_createdAt":"2023-09-06T23:26:18Z","summary":"One side might be gaining the upper hand."},{"_rev":"feK73B60925EhXUCHUQN9a","_type":"story","summary":"One recently tenured professor weighed in on the thorny issue.","publishDate":"2023-08-14","_id":"b90ad00c-5976-430e-a32c-5b3758834c04","category":"education","title":"Is Tenure A Good Or Bad Thing For Professors? Or Is It Both?","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_updatedAt":"2023-08-14T01:21:41Z","image":{"asset":{"mimeType":"image/gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/436c63234c0df0d9329ff8ca0c170dc6b76242cc-480x269.gif","extension":"gif","uploadId":"fPMinQYTprxPFyutDp7EKxiFTmBsWqn7","_rev":"bzZ5SGBSb1WLZp9hRCnhNA","originalFilename":"ezgif-3-76b46179d5.gif","metadata":{"blurHash":"M9AS[9-V0K5Q~B%1xaR*IoRk9[Rk-UxGS2","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"background":"#a17a70","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":14.47},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#544942","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.32},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":14.47,"background":"#a17a70","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#debb9a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.13,"background":"#1f140a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#734a25","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#c07c3e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQGBQf/xAAjEAACAgEDAwUAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADBAURIQYxQQcSExQV/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwL/xAAYEQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAISE//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A5p0x9f8AZra9UYFT7Q3beN+oOItRxslEStn4IU95F5djpapRiCp3G3iUvVNr3aZpb2MWdhyT5huXoZjR5ubGqYlAdoRnGA+FeIS4b//Z","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.7843866171003717,"height":269,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480},"isOpaque":true},"size":2627181,"_id":"image-436c63234c0df0d9329ff8ca0c170dc6b76242cc-480x269-gif","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/436c63234c0df0d9329ff8ca0c170dc6b76242cc-480x269.gif","_updatedAt":"2023-08-14T01:21:32Z","sha1hash":"436c63234c0df0d9329ff8ca0c170dc6b76242cc","assetId":"436c63234c0df0d9329ff8ca0c170dc6b76242cc","_createdAt":"2023-08-14T01:21:32Z"},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy"},"body":[{"children":[{"_key":"07c68beff3c00","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There’s been a long debate over the concept of tenure, which is a form of job security afforded to some professors that makes it more difficult to fire them."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"95c69037a9cd","markDefs":[]},{"style":"normal","_key":"5052bd64428e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Taking a broad look at the concept, it makes sense to protect professors from losing their jobs — particularly those who teach controversial subjects that ","_key":"477117af95190","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"could result in ideological backlash","_key":"477117af95191"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from administrators.","_key":"477117af95192"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"5d65f9709baf0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But when you start to "},{"text":"parse","_key":"7776f9660167","_type":"span","marks":["1112d9116c5b"]},{"marks":[],"text":" the topic a bit further, it’s easy to see why not everyone agrees that it’s such a great idea.","_key":"ac0d2b14b28e","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2f0968285e07","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://medium.com/bits-and-behavior/faculty-are-godzillas-c74e8b7ce9fb","_key":"1112d9116c5b"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"32edfda273bb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Focusing on the cons","_key":"ebcc14b4d1500","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ad66412212ed","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Especially from the perspective of a tenured professor, there are plenty of pros to the system. But let’s take a look at where the concept begins to attract criticism.","_key":"8babbd7b15d00"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Not everyone receives it, which leads to concerns about ","_key":"8528deead5f60"},{"text":"favoritism or bias","_key":"8528deead5f61","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"8528deead5f62"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"75edd8e91867","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It can be difficult to remove professors even if they’ve been ","_key":"22e3cbb067c90"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"accused of wrongdoing","_key":"22e3cbb067c91"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"22e3cbb067c92"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1ed42d903b90","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4be93e8234a7","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some staff focus so intently on tenure that they ","_key":"deb0053554980"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"lose sight of other responsibilities","_key":"deb0053554981"},{"text":".","_key":"deb0053554982","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"5231f02f6113","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Professor Amy J. Ko took a much deeper dive into the issue in a recent blog post and paid particular attention to the ways that some tenured professors seem to abuse their privilege and power (whether intentionally or not).","_key":"f83999acf6fd0"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"295f28b1d282","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Creating Godzillas","_key":"2f66ce066e8e0"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Once staff members reach elevated status — particularly upon receiving tenure, as Ko did in 2020 — they naturally wield a great deal of influence. So much power, in fact, that ","_key":"8981c587ca9c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"they might not even realize","_key":"8981c587ca9c1"},{"text":" the weight that their words and actions carry.","_key":"8981c587ca9c2","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c5a135acbd3a"},{"style":"normal","_key":"29fde6346f8f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“It was only once I had formal kinds of power — chairing a conference, overseeing an academic program, that I started to see just how invisible my power had been to me,” the professor wrote.","_key":"75a78d72f6470","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"5489958f69910","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Comparing this power to that of Godzilla, Ko (with the help of those around her) identified the “"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"trail of damage","_key":"5489958f69911"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” that she left behind her. Now, she’s working to help others understand that with great power comes great responsibility.","_key":"5489958f69912"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f0c43399d549","markDefs":[]}],"slug":"/story/2023/08/is-tenure-a-good-or-bad-thing-for-professors-or-is-it-both","id":"G8xbksBn","_createdAt":"2023-08-13T22:31:35Z"},{"id":"zQdlxHDw","_updatedAt":"2023-08-10T22:31:37Z","image":{"attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"_rev":"feK73B60925EhXUCHKDrcr","mimeType":"image/jpeg","size":1202631,"_updatedAt":"2023-08-10T22:30:46Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","sha1hash":"81ebb630cd33a8c2a54677f5901f27ac102e37b4","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/81ebb630cd33a8c2a54677f5901f27ac102e37b4-4278x2515.jpg","_id":"image-81ebb630cd33a8c2a54677f5901f27ac102e37b4-4278x2515-jpg","originalFilename":"sstk-14033327b.jpg","extension":"jpg","description":"A laptop screen is seen with the OpenAI ChatGPT website active in this photo illustration on 02 August, 2023 in Warsaw, Poland.","assetId":"81ebb630cd33a8c2a54677f5901f27ac102e37b4","_createdAt":"2023-08-10T22:30:46Z","metadata":{"_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"background":"#724507","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.13},"lightMuted":{"background":"#b3b398","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.16},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.44,"background":"#f4b910","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.13,"background":"#724507"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":3.25,"background":"#2c455e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"muted":{"population":3.78,"background":"#548095","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#f9d980","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"height":2515,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":4278,"aspectRatio":1.7009940357852882},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MKBMD7RjM{f6xZ}PR.JDk9Rl$zofI;s,R+"},"uploadId":"es1QwRkAGmjhL9IURbLpkEqPhtA0vOtk","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/81ebb630cd33a8c2a54677f5901f27ac102e37b4-4278x2515.jpg","creditLine":"Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto/Shutterstock"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.7568493150684933,"x":0.529109589041096,"y":0.5466733565144338,"height":0.9066532869711323,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"},"_type":"image"},"_createdAt":"2023-08-10T22:29:07Z","_rev":"ghWMPMfw61YhJv1Zw5qsBd","summary":"Teachers and professors alike are taking a new approach to test time. ","publishDate":"2023-08-11","category":"education","visibility":"true","_id":"4532c903-ff72-46e8-a8cb-6bdf6acd7d4d","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"title":"How Educators Are Scrambling To Crack Down On AI Plagiarism ","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"278272276667","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"From early elementary education all the way to graduate college programs, educators are trying to deal with an increasingly insidious form of cheating.","_key":"abe3f65851eb0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"35117ce3bc10","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://apnews.com/article/chatgpt-cheating-ai-college-1b654b44de2d0dfa4e50bf0186137fc1","_key":"0fc7530fdf92"}],"children":[{"_key":"a7f0610760500","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With the rise of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools,"},{"text":" it is all too easy","_key":"a7f0610760501","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for any student to create a seemingly well-researched paper on any subject imaginable. That leaves teachers and professors in the unenviable ","_key":"a7f0610760502"},{"_type":"span","marks":["0fc7530fdf92"],"text":"position","_key":"a7f0610760503"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of trying to sort out this big mess.","_key":"a7f0610760504"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"AI detectors are far from perfect","_key":"d0566f056f450"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"464e117fbfc5"},{"style":"normal","_key":"a0267332a428","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While there are some programs available that attempt to determine whether a particular passage was written by a human or AI, it’s not an exact science. Sometimes AI gets past the detector … and sometimes a human’s hard work gets inaccurately labeled as that of a chatbot.","_key":"c7d87ab77a0b0"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_key":"41d97aab29390","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One leading program, Turnitin, is “"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"incredibly inaccurate","_key":"41d97aab29391"},{"_key":"41d97aab29392","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” according to Temple University associate vice provost Stephanie Laggine Fiore, who found that it was pretty good at confirming what had been written by humans but couldn’t reliable weed out “hybrid” assignments heavily aided by AI."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"29c9c6b325a1","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"And that’s just one of the unreliable options currently on the market.","_key":"456dca6a1c220","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"880d616de3e8"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"An old approach to a new problem","_key":"0decbd2186350"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"93049698b710","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As it stands, innocent students are getting wrongfully accused of using AI plagiarism while guilty parties are getting off scot-free. That’s why a growing number of educators are opting for a decidedly low-tech approach to testing their students’ knowledge.","_key":"3e7f5cbc9ea30"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d35ff73f8059"},{"style":"normal","_key":"fb7448acf9df","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"After heavily relying on digital platforms to conduct tests and collect assignments, teachers and professors are increasingly ","_key":"56864793f3e00","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"shifting toward paper exams","_key":"56864793f3e01","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" in order to ensure that AI isn’t providing all the answers.","_key":"56864793f3e02","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"87d84a5cac37","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some educational experts are deeply concerned, whereas others believe this is just a temporary impact of the latest technology. After all, students have always been able to find a way to cheat — and diligent teachers have always developed methods for catching them in the act.","_key":"0b247ca115570"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}],"_type":"story","slug":"/story/2023/08/how-educators-are-scrambling-to-crack-down-on-ai-plagiarism"},{"_updatedAt":"2023-07-02T20:18:44Z","_type":"story","publishDate":"2023-07-03","body":[{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.reuters.com/legal/what-supreme-courts-ruling-affirmative-action-means-colleges-2023-06-29/","_key":"c84b7e06d434","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_key":"89ec510db98f0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One of the hot-button "},{"marks":["c84b7e06d434"],"text":"rulings","_key":"89ec510db98f1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to come from the nation’s highest court over the past week was in response to affirmative action policies in place at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina.","_key":"89ec510db98f2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f948f9451b9f"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0395b9c0635b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"The court’s conservative majority determined that by using an applicant’s race as a deciding factor in admissions, the schools had ","_key":"9a1844f9e3fd0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"violated the Constitution’s equal protection clause","_key":"9a1844f9e3fd1"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"9a1844f9e3fd2","_type":"span"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"6e1a4b1bba2f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The decision sparks debate","_key":"2dacc10bf0f40"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"94de9a163dc8","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/4078043-slight-majority-of-americans-agree-with-supreme-court-decision-to-upend-affirmative-action/","_key":"e6a95d016122"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Many Americans believe that a strictly merit-based admissions policy is best for every student, regardless of his or her skin color. In fact, one post-ruling ","_key":"c783a483b4d70"},{"_type":"span","marks":["e6a95d016122"],"text":"survey","_key":"c783a483b4d71"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" determined that ","_key":"c783a483b4d72"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a majority of respondents agreed","_key":"c783a483b4d73"},{"marks":[],"text":" with the majority opinion.","_key":"c783a483b4d74","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"841636202a92","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3d353c3fcd130","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Then there are those on the other side of the issue who believe certain minority groups should receive special consideration in order to achieve greater diversity on college campuses."}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"ff16bcad00940","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While Thursday’s ruling was monumental, it wasn’t the first time the Supreme Court has tackled this issue."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4482c44d7e10"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"In 1978, a majority determined that schools ","_key":"ccfc4018e5f30","_type":"span"},{"text":"could not reserve a set number of enrollment spots","_key":"ccfc4018e5f31","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" for minority applicants in order to make up for prior discrimination.","_key":"ccfc4018e5f32"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"919a2484b08a","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c48ef8cbda97","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In 2003, the court prohibited the University of Michigan’s policy of ","_key":"9441dc926ba30"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"giving minority applicants points","_key":"9441dc926ba31","_type":"span"},{"_key":"9441dc926ba32","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that increased the likelihood of admission."}],"level":1},{"style":"normal","_key":"cab350ceb76d","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In 2016, the court (prior to coalescing its current conservative majority) provided schools with ","_key":"68e22e2c194f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"increased leverage to consider race","_key":"68e22e2c194f1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the admissions process.","_key":"68e22e2c194f2"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"How things are going to change","_key":"7a84c917fc6d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"13b3df4ad52f"},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.scotusblog.com/2023/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-affirmative-action-programs-in-college-admissions/","_key":"4892cddf4b3c"}],"children":[{"text":"While the latest ruling makes it more difficult to use race as a deciding factor, it ","_key":"448f30909b810","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"448f30909b811","_type":"span","marks":["4892cddf4b3c"],"text":"allows"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" colleges to weigh “an applicant’s ","_key":"448f30909b812"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"discussion of how race affected his or her life","_key":"448f30909b813","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”","_key":"448f30909b814"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"362e62e0987c"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Nevertheless, it’s likely that minority applicants will see a difference in their overall admission rates — particularly among universities with especially selective standards, which research shows use affirmative action more often than other colleges.","_key":"5bfbf4216a2c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"73bb0dcb9c9e"}],"slug":"/story/2023/07/breaking-down-the-supreme-courts-affirmative-action-decision","visibility":"true","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"uploadId":"s9j12sugK8JUrnnpSLDEZUG2HrkIlCaO","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","creditLine":"Xinhua/Shutterstock","_id":"image-165b60f73093fb4d2c0f50110b09958a946b76c9-4860x3240-jpg","description":"Participants march and chant slogans at a rally protesting the Supreme Court's ruling against affirmative action on Harvard University Campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the United States, on July 1, 2023. The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that race-conscious admissions policies used by colleges and universities are unconstitutional, in a pair of cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.\n The Supreme Court stated that the admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC), two of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the country, violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution.","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/165b60f73093fb4d2c0f50110b09958a946b76c9-4860x3240.jpg","extension":"jpg","metadata":{"palette":{"muted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#64acae","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"background":"#f8d6c0","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.91},"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0.08,"background":"#81391d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#dcceba","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.28},"vibrant":{"population":0.02,"background":"#c55b24","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"dominant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":7.28,"background":"#dcceba","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"population":2.33,"background":"#42592a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":3240,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":4860},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VKG8.b~p55xURM9IRmxbRjROv{$QsER,o$Mvn|W-Nto~","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"165b60f73093fb4d2c0f50110b09958a946b76c9","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/165b60f73093fb4d2c0f50110b09958a946b76c9-4860x3240.jpg","size":3420027,"assetId":"165b60f73093fb4d2c0f50110b09958a946b76c9","_rev":"nQSc9mrVBuUqQ1ywVxXFHH","_createdAt":"2023-07-02T20:18:12Z","_updatedAt":"2023-07-02T20:18:12Z","originalFilename":"sstk-13994426c.jpg"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9554794520547943,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":0.9588629725616027}},"_createdAt":"2023-07-02T20:18:44Z","summary":"It was a split ruling that has raised serious concerns among many Americans.","category":"education","title":"Breaking Down The Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision","_rev":"ylRba5f7mGZUfUaKuex1cg","_id":"53390d15-1d66-43f0-aaf6-da0973e6ce87","id":"vHYxGwEM","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"}},{"summary":"Students continue to struggle more than three years after COVID-19 hit.","publishDate":"2023-06-22","visibility":"true","title":"Post-Pandemic Reading, Math Scores Hit Lowest Point In Decades","_updatedAt":"2023-06-21T20:24:14Z","_createdAt":"2023-06-21T20:17:38Z","_rev":"8rN1c27JhIt5DGxj8eDPp9","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"7262e969-b6e2-463e-bd4e-2a019bb250ed","id":"4YsXo7Od","slug":"/story/2023/06/postpandemic-reading-math-scores-hit-lowest-point-in-decades","category":"education","_type":"story","body":[{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s been more than three years since COVID-19 resulted in","_key":"9be0adfded860"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" widespread school closures","_key":"9be0adfded861"},{"_key":"9be0adfded862","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and a "},{"text":"sharp spike in absences","_key":"9be0adfded863","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":" due to the global health crisis. But we’re just now starting to get a full ","_key":"9be0adfded864","_type":"span"},{"_key":"9be0adfded865","_type":"span","marks":["c4598a7d6fee"],"text":"picture"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of the toll that these disruptions have had on learning.","_key":"9be0adfded866"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e49cdb9aa203","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/math-scores-plunge-13-year-olds-pandemic-setbacks-100263778","_key":"c4598a7d6fee"}]},{"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"From 10 to 13","_key":"55903dbd81a50","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bb26e3d96348","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Today’s 13-year-old students were 10 when the pandemic uprooted everything they had come to expect about going to school. And in the years since then, things have yet to entirely return to normal.","_key":"f3ba3dc1faba0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"afb89562f553"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ebc68d749e67","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to a report released this week, these young teens have been ","_key":"7f6aef703ac10"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"particularly hard hit","_key":"7f6aef703ac11","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by COVID-related learning loss. It provided a bleak overview of the competency these kids currently have in critical subjects.","_key":"7f6aef703ac12"}],"_type":"block"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4feff4a94a79","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Math scores ","_key":"df420bfc43b50"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"fell by 9 points","_key":"df420bfc43b51"},{"_key":"df420bfc43b52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" on average between 2020 and 2023."}]},{"children":[{"text":"Average reading scores ","_key":"ac21912610c50","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"dropped by 4 points","_key":"ac21912610c51"},{"_key":"ac21912610c52","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" during the same period."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5f5b064f3122","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Math was at its ","_key":"e1a07b4129b80","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"lowest level since 1990","_key":"e1a07b4129b81"},{"text":" and reading hit ","_key":"e1a07b4129b82","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"e1a07b4129b83","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"a near 20-year low"},{"_key":"e1a07b4129b84","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"."}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"18d683f63214"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"What experts are saying","_key":"b72117d730a00","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2450bba88dba"},{"_key":"7caa95cd4321","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although both math and reading scores had been increasing prior to the pandemic, the troubling trend over the past three years clearly requires some intervention.","_key":"44c459640c2d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"fbb9ae9e383a","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"be181a8d3fb40","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"National Center for Economic Statistics Commissioner Peggy G. Carr said that industry leaders hoped to see “green shoots of academic recovery” after in-person education resumed. That has not been the case, however, and she acknowledged that “"},{"text":"worrisome signs about student achievement","_key":"be181a8d3fb41","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” need to be addressed.","_key":"be181a8d3fb42"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c45530bd7c56","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Focusing on the positive news might be helpful in the long run. For example, students who miss the least amount of school tended to perform better on tests. That might sound like a no-brainer, but with absences increasing in recent years it emphasizes the importance of attendance.","_key":"8d9f827d37230","_type":"span"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bf47dd5934e8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"c6abda8d91450","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Carr said: “The strongest advice I have is that "},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"we need to keep at it","_key":"c6abda8d91451"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":". It is a long road ahead of us.”","_key":"c6abda8d91452"}]}],"image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8791666666666667},"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"sha1hash":"ea135658662588e0bd15859067dd339a4f20ffbd","source":{"name":"School Ugh GIF by Originals","id":"l378BCL1p8O1gnH6U","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/originals-stick-around-professor-t-urtle-l378BCL1p8O1gnH6U"},"originalFilename":"41649998-87fb-41b8-92e0-4c04f715712e.gif","extension":"gif","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.7777777777777777,"height":270},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MWI;*LNG~pD*D*^+ofofIVIURkoeM|W;of","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"population":22.62,"background":"#d4ccbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#633f32","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":18.5},"muted":{"title":"#fff","population":3.42,"background":"#9e7e6f","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.11,"background":"#eedbcb","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#5f2725","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightMuted":{"background":"#d4ccbc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":22.62},"vibrant":{"background":"#b9514e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01}},"hasAlpha":true},"uploadId":"YzLIuBbrXvJVUV4E2u0ufbDFDAqesf3W","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/gif","size":4140591,"_updatedAt":"2023-06-21T20:19:32Z","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/ea135658662588e0bd15859067dd339a4f20ffbd-480x270.gif","assetId":"ea135658662588e0bd15859067dd339a4f20ffbd","_rev":"WNro5tUhmbeRNgKKF0KyEj","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/ea135658662588e0bd15859067dd339a4f20ffbd-480x270.gif","_createdAt":"2023-06-21T20:19:32Z","_id":"image-ea135658662588e0bd15859067dd339a4f20ffbd-480x270-gif"},"crop":{"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0}}},{"visibility":"true","id":"T4GIsYgc","_id":"7533181b-f909-43a6-9000-440fab3171a1","_createdAt":"2023-05-23T23:41:07Z","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"extension":"gif","_rev":"Fz5BGshR8lcsz6Mo4Pr8J3","mimeType":"image/gif","size":4060929,"sha1hash":"871e9f483441bf357cc593d92f51f94eaff7acf7","assetId":"871e9f483441bf357cc593d92f51f94eaff7acf7","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/871e9f483441bf357cc593d92f51f94eaff7acf7-480x260.gif","_id":"image-871e9f483441bf357cc593d92f51f94eaff7acf7-480x260-gif","_updatedAt":"2023-05-24T00:56:36Z","originalFilename":"593e1bfc-2d5f-4115-96b1-c4739c9ce589.gif","metadata":{"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"MIE_~v?H0Lxtoe00D*?GM|fk~V%2ayt6Rj","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":1.83,"background":"#ccb8a3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#ccb494","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"dominant":{"population":9.47,"background":"#463832","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#463832","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":9.47},"muted":{"background":"#a46464","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightVibrant":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":8.93,"background":"#d7c1a9","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.27,"background":"#210b0a","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAALABQDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAGAAAAwEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIBgf/xAAiEAABAwMEAwEAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAURBhIhURMxQWH/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBP/EABkRAAIDAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMRUf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A5XaLHJkOoQlgHeOMfKdu2jrpBhB+TBdDOeVAZwKqiPbILSQWojCD2EAUveG0G3SQUJI8auCPyo3bxFahhGstLId2t7ikDHqitBqiKwxdClpsJSUBRA7NFOgtP//Z","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.8461538461538463,"height":260}},"uploadId":"pdtJMf6z4XVKC7Iq8sL6cMJrsxbWj663","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","source":{"name":"Last Day Summer Break GIF by MOODMAN","id":"iEpSWGGS0iqLvNhsv5","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/summer-break-schools-out-for-iEpSWGGS0iqLvNhsv5"},"url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/871e9f483441bf357cc593d92f51f94eaff7acf7-480x260.gif","_createdAt":"2023-05-24T00:56:36Z"}},"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_updatedAt":"2023-05-24T00:56:39Z","category":"education","_rev":"BjRT3sd6mP0VJfcVa9t7Iw","_type":"story","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c0b24ed80bee","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Over the past several years, there’s been an increased push for a four-day workweek. Some studies show that productivity remained steady or even improved when employees received three days off each week.","_key":"980dc5879d440","_type":"span","marks":[]}]},{"_key":"46c8cfb62796","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.worklife.news/culture/four-day-school-week/","_key":"6f4c701a6abe"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But can the same be said for students? ","_key":"12fdfdcb1bc10"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Hundreds of school districts","_key":"12fdfdcb1bc11"},{"marks":[],"text":" across the U.S. have started to shift toward the four-day model — but the ","_key":"12fdfdcb1bc12","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["6f4c701a6abe"],"text":"results","_key":"12fdfdcb1bc13"},{"text":" have been mixed.","_key":"12fdfdcb1bc14","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"74482ae8bf26","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"b984275168bc0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Blame the pandemic"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"68241a35f6c2","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Although about 650 districts had eliminated one day of education during the week as of 2019, COVID-19 shutdowns seemed to accelerate the trend. Combined with the need for many schools to cut costs, there are currently ","_key":"fe108a0ea9ee0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"about 200 additional districts","_key":"fe108a0ea9ee1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" with four-day weeks now compared to prior to the pandemic.","_key":"fe108a0ea9ee2"}]},{"_key":"1ccb7319d5eb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Thousands of individual schools are included in this trend and many more are expected to make the change in the near future. While some of these districts are in rural or suburban areas, it’s ","_key":"fcdc199de84b0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"starting to catch on in big cities","_key":"fcdc199de84b1","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" like Denver, Phoenix, and San Antonio.","_key":"fcdc199de84b2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Scheduling problems","_key":"778eafe93bbf0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f05b432ceba9"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"On paper, there are some intriguing arguments in favor of giving students a three-day weekend. But for parents who have already established their schedule around a five-day school week, such a change comes with ","_key":"3cc087b34cb00","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"lots of anxiety and not enough answers","_key":"3cc087b34cb01"},{"marks":[],"text":".","_key":"3cc087b34cb02","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"5c937b0de78b","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Furthermore, researcher Andrea Phillips said it might not work out in the long run for school districts either — especially if the four-day week model continues to gain popularity in the business sector.","_key":"db6bfbca079a0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9316ea264c1f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“One of the advantages of the four-day school week is that you can take that extra time that you’re not in school","_key":"82b441e3a3310"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" to go to doctor’s appointments or other things","_key":"82b441e3a3311"},{"marks":[],"text":",” she explained. “If businesses, primarily medical, moved to a four-day week themselves, kids are going to have to start missing school again to go to the doctor.”","_key":"82b441e3a3312","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"fdfe94cdb0d1"}],"publishDate":"2023-05-24","title":"Can A Four-Day Week Work In America’s Public School System?","slug":"/story/2023/05/can-a-fourday-week-work-in-americas-public-school-system","summary":"The notion is gaining traction in districts across the United States."},{"summary":"A growing number of abandoned buildings are receiving a new life.","visibility":"true","body":[{"_key":"ce77c4e86769","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"You might have heard about efforts in many cities to repurpose vacant office and retail spaces into affordable housing, but that’s not the only type of abandoned real estate that is being put to new use.","_key":"d65cd02db6f20","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In many areas across the United States that were once industrial powerhouses, there are factories that have ","_key":"d94d805b08c30"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"not been used in many years","_key":"d94d805b08c31"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and are currently ","_key":"d94d805b08c32"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"in varying stages of disrepair","_key":"d94d805b08c33"},{"marks":[],"text":". Now, innovative local leaders are beginning to ","_key":"d94d805b08c34","_type":"span"},{"_key":"d94d805b08c35","_type":"span","marks":["66bae2ae8004"],"text":"rebuild"},{"text":" these distinctive structures with an eye toward education.","_key":"d94d805b08c36","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b26e943dce16","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/09/business/adaptive-reuse-schools-real-estate.html","_key":"66bae2ae8004"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ba5ae8f34acf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Purdue Polytechnic High School","_key":"3ff09901c7ff0"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One Indianapolis example set the bar for similar projects across the country. The same brick factory that once produced washing machines, batteries, and radios is now tasked with ","_key":"248c2e6509b20"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"creating something even more important","_key":"248c2e6509b21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":": a generation of students with the knowledge necessary to tackle the future.","_key":"248c2e6509b22"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c2352fda039b","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Two floors of the structure, which had not been used for about three decades, received a new purpose as the Purdue Polytechnic High School as part of a major renovation that started in 2020.","_key":"04aebf83297f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"567c7cc50e9a","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The charter school is only one of the building’s tenants, but ","_key":"4fa154618b940"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it boasts a roster of about 600 students","_key":"4fa154618b941"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and was made possible in part by tax credits offered for renovating the historic structure.","_key":"4fa154618b942"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dc97a36224cf"},{"style":"normal","_key":"31bdb4cbc379","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"2c0ccabb5d3c0","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Thinking outside of the big box store"}],"_type":"block"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While factories offer intriguing options for districts in need of new educational facilities, there are many other types of structures that have received similar renovations in recent years.","_key":"e44ed65877e00"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c80afbfa7bc9","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"a9f92a074dc8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A few of the ","_key":"d6ac6dbee6dd0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"more inventive examples","_key":"d6ac6dbee6dd1","_type":"span"},{"_key":"d6ac6dbee6dd2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" include:"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7a9a5ae27468","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Churches","_key":"b8eecc71bb480"}],"level":1},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"92bafb9a357c","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Department stores","_key":"8b1953bc2c240"}],"level":1},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"eeb75133195a","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A laser tag arena","_key":"70fe8d3daf390"}]},{"_key":"a5091341ba9f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In most cases, ","_key":"311a22cd1ec80"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"the resulting facility is some type of charter school","_key":"311a22cd1ec81"},{"_key":"311a22cd1ec82","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" — and they are generally located in underserved urban areas."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"955580590fe9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Charter schools tend to have more freedom about how they operate, which opens up opportunities to transform existing spaces into state-of-the-art classrooms.","_key":"f3a0e14256f50"}]}],"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_id":"907a29c3-393c-41e6-9a6b-d34dd935e386","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images","asset":{"sha1hash":"fbd52547b8f2df093b506c92a111e349203b9a66","size":506886,"extension":"jpg","description":"WIXOM, MI - SEPTEMBER 10: A very small portion of the abandoned Ford Wixom Assembly Plant is shown September 10, 2009 in Wixom, Michigan. Ford Motor Company is joining forces with two green energy companies, Xtreme Power of Austin, Texas and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa, California, to redevelop the plant into an energy park. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)","_id":"image-fbd52547b8f2df093b506c92a111e349203b9a66-3000x2000-jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/fbd52547b8f2df093b506c92a111e349203b9a66-3000x2000.jpg","creditLine":"WIXOM, MI - SEPTEMBER 10: A very small portion of the abandoned Ford Wixom Assembly Plant is shown September 10, 2009 in Wixom, Michigan. Ford Motor Company is joining forces with two green energy companies, Xtreme Power of Austin, Texas and Clairvoyant Energy of Santa, California, to redevelop the plant into an energy park. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)","_rev":"szW3r2j6ijnEIMkpXaaoXG","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","mimeType":"image/jpeg","originalFilename":"getty-90575836.jpg","metadata":{"blurHash":"VGK1?@00tS_4%N0q$~IUS7R-OvxrogtRRj%hMxkCofay","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":6.19,"background":"#b0bcd1"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":1.99,"background":"#40444c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01,"background":"#4a6894"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.02,"background":"#a4bef4"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#223d62","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0},"lightMuted":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":6.19,"background":"#b0bcd1"},"vibrant":{"background":"#80a3d3","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":1.58}},"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":3000,"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":2000},"isOpaque":true},"uploadId":"4qZC8tL2v8eKS1xbBhA5mml3ZlKeYw5z","_createdAt":"2023-05-09T23:11:08Z","_updatedAt":"2023-05-09T23:11:08Z","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/fbd52547b8f2df093b506c92a111e349203b9a66-3000x2000.jpg","assetId":"fbd52547b8f2df093b506c92a111e349203b9a66"},"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"width":0.8493150684931505,"x":0.5753424657534247,"y":0.5,"height":0.8457361471060101,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot"}},"_rev":"BGlZXwaB004QP9XoWdIGAi","_createdAt":"2023-05-09T23:11:53Z","id":"KPxwL37Q","_type":"story","category":"education","_updatedAt":"2023-05-09T23:11:53Z","slug":"/story/2023/05/the-tricky-business-of-transforming-factories-into-schools","title":"The Tricky Business Of Transforming Factories Into Schools","publishDate":"2023-05-10"},{"_createdAt":"2023-05-03T00:27:33Z","slug":"/story/2023/05/buyer-beware-deceptive-pricing-is-everywhere-even-college","_type":"story","title":"Buyer Beware: Deceptive Pricing Is Everywhere … Even College","_rev":"o1Y7BUrMcHK7lLTrywBHXl","id":"f3rv0cEx","author":{"_type":"reference","_ref":"phCNL32Gn"},"publishDate":"2023-05-03","_updatedAt":"2023-05-03T01:56:05Z","image":{"hotspot":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.9359999999999999},"_type":"image","attribution":"NowThis/Giphy","asset":{"_id":"image-f7dbf58d1989476ae7ee42468c0a7fa338e53f9d-500x282-gif","uploadId":"8syTyYuNYuB89nlznWBEEQn8OUWMNgbG","_rev":"o1Y7BUrMcHK7lLTryvfNJC","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/f7dbf58d1989476ae7ee42468c0a7fa338e53f9d-500x282.gif","metadata":{"palette":{"lightMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.1,"background":"#9a98ac","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"vibrant":{"background":"#a0b458","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.22},"dominant":{"population":7.65,"background":"#365350","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#365350","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":7.65},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.48,"background":"#a17764","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightVibrant":{"population":4.48,"background":"#cfb17b","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"darkVibrant":{"population":0.06,"background":"#22604c","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"}},"hasAlpha":true,"lqip":"data:image/png;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":500,"aspectRatio":1.7730496453900708,"height":282},"isOpaque":false,"blurHash":"M8C?M-?acFMdrD}uNHNZIokAJ$V@s;xuxa","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata"},"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/f7dbf58d1989476ae7ee42468c0a7fa338e53f9d-500x282.gif","_createdAt":"2023-05-03T00:26:46Z","originalFilename":"ad254d67-bbe2-456b-a14c-8813fd93955d.gif","sha1hash":"f7dbf58d1989476ae7ee42468c0a7fa338e53f9d","source":{"name":"maya rudolph news GIF by NowThis ","id":"3oEdv0xwjjirPveIuI","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/nowthisnews-news-nowthis-student-loans-3oEdv0xwjjirPveIuI"},"size":1237887,"assetId":"f7dbf58d1989476ae7ee42468c0a7fa338e53f9d","extension":"gif","mimeType":"image/gif","_updatedAt":"2023-05-03T00:26:46Z"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"category":"education","visibility":"true","_id":"c77e8e9d-f350-4c9c-9a83-8720a1a8a942","body":[{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s hardly surprising anymore to see Company A claim its product or service is more affordable than a similar option from Company B — only for Company B to come out with its claim that Company A is charging more.","_key":"162f1fe2378f0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"0ee3ff8d7b19"},{"_key":"1055ab82b063","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Of course, ","_key":"84e9a85461270","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"both might technically be correct","_key":"84e9a85461271","_type":"span"},{"_key":"84e9a85461272","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" if they’re cherry-picking data to suit their agenda. But savvy shoppers know that they need to read the fine print to figure out where they’ll actually get the most for their money."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1372ffb89e0b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Education is no exception","_key":"dfe5a8759b620"}]},{"_key":"39381d8ebb51","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/29/your-money/colleges-cost-comparisons.html","_key":"124ee8d2115a"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"With millions of Americans drowning in college loan debt, it’s clear that many students aren’t exactly bargain-shopping before entering their freshman year. Nevertheless, college recruiters and administrators do their best to ","_key":"8ae4c41761360"},{"_type":"span","marks":["124ee8d2115a"],"text":"convince","_key":"8ae4c41761361"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" prospective enrollees that their institution offers the biggest educational bang for the buck.","_key":"8ae4c41761362"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In many cases, students receive ","_key":"854ccaedb98a0"},{"text":"a quoted cost for tuition and other costs","_key":"854ccaedb98a1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" alongside estimates from competing schools. And (big surprise) the rival schools are almost always more expensive … at least on paper.","_key":"854ccaedb98a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"309f07c11612"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"There are no guarantees","_key":"dbb4d5838f550"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c243d0dd7c99","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Just because someone shows you a competitive price doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll actually pay. There are many factors that impact the cost of college tuition and much of the time they aren’t reflected in the calculations that recruiters use to arrive at their total.","_key":"7b280bd879380"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"605800c6404f"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0736d345003a0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Some things to remember include:"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ddd20413a54b"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"f26ca27bb1fb","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Financial aid and scholarships ","_key":"6ee945a0d15f0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"can vary widely","_key":"6ee945a0d15f1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from one institution to another.","_key":"6ee945a0d15f2"}]},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9f6c01c6726e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"You probably won’t know ","_key":"718cdf7017700"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"all of the data","_key":"718cdf7017701","_type":"span"},{"_key":"718cdf7017702","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that goes into creating the estimate."}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"a18e76dad4d6","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"There ","_key":"8bf7cd898beb0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"aren’t really any laws","_key":"8bf7cd898beb1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" preventing colleges from fudging the numbers.","_key":"8bf7cd898beb2"}],"level":1,"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"cd55c1e25df5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"There are some safeguards in place, such as a 2011 requirement that all colleges provide access to something called a “net price calculator.”","_key":"22049e2781fe0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But there are still some big blind spots that allow schools to legally comply without providing the transparency that would actually benefit new students.","_key":"fc194ad38d230"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7041305d8fce"}],"summary":"There's not as much regulation as you might think."},{"visibility":"true","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2023-04-19T00:52:58Z","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"summary":"These late '90s devices were good for much more than making a graph.","image":{"_type":"image","asset":{"originalFilename":"AdobeStock_15564111.jpeg","mimeType":"image/jpeg","assetId":"85e817da59963f5cf562b1f4e5a2c08d2165a1fc","_updatedAt":"2023-04-19T00:50:20Z","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","_id":"image-85e817da59963f5cf562b1f4e5a2c08d2165a1fc-3000x2000-jpg","metadata":{"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":3000,"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":2000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VPP?t200%Mx]?c_3%2IAIUkC_NbvIU-pnh%2xu%gozIU","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#633620","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"lightMuted":{"foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.97,"background":"#c8a699","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"vibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.58,"background":"#d8a289"},"dominant":{"population":2.51,"background":"#5a4745","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#5a4745","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.51},"muted":{"population":1.66,"background":"#af7f6e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":0.97,"background":"#f6bdab"}}},"uploadId":"r8lNk2wgNDYYYOAIP8MZfvt8Rv3camzR","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/85e817da59963f5cf562b1f4e5a2c08d2165a1fc-3000x2000.jpg","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/85e817da59963f5cf562b1f4e5a2c08d2165a1fc-3000x2000.jpg","size":831868,"_createdAt":"2023-04-19T00:50:20Z","extension":"jpg","_rev":"duW0n2mm19PBYbmMa2QBHn","sha1hash":"85e817da59963f5cf562b1f4e5a2c08d2165a1fc"}},"_createdAt":"2023-04-18T19:34:30Z","category":"education","publishDate":"2023-04-19","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"b1f3d0e483cf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Dating back at least to the original Nintendo Gameboy, kids of all ages have marveled at the thought of having access to games in the palm of their hands. Now that smartphones are so ubiquitous, it’s hard to even imagine a time before we could simply download an app and start playing.","_key":"18081c629d8b0"}]},{"markDefs":[{"href":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_lw4wV3mGo","_key":"60fb7693b510","_type":"link"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But not that long ago, ","_key":"9d848a97a8f80"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"students essentially became amateur computer programmers","_key":"9d848a97a8f81","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to hack their graphing calculators … and the ","_key":"9d848a97a8f82"},{"text":"results","_key":"9d848a97a8f83","_type":"span","marks":["60fb7693b510"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" were pretty spectacular.","_key":"9d848a97a8f84"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"06dc8e817913"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e75c8137894e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"How it all started","_key":"076d801305f40"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"e8942da583ea","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In the late 20th century, advanced math classes began requiring students to use sophisticated (for the time) and expensive graphing calculators to perform a range of functions.","_key":"09ac19d650360"}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"941ee4becb73","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you were in one of those classes, you might not be able to recall what was on your final exam. But if you had a hacked calculator,","_key":"cf25bbab9fbb0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" you probably have vivid memories","_key":"cf25bbab9fbb1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of playing your favorite game on it.","_key":"cf25bbab9fbb2"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"The “program” button held seemingly limitless possibilities to those who were able to understand how it worked (or had a friend who did). Some of these programs could be written in pretty simple code, which naturally resulted in low-definition, basic games.","_key":"3ca6bfa07daf0","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9c3b0128ffac"},{"style":"normal","_key":"d7810f10e20c","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Particularly adept hackers, on the other hand, figured out how to download full Gameboy games and other impressive content.","_key":"8ec088c4095e0"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"4d26cbfc10b9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"There were some issues","_key":"4a6ee4e3dee90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"At the time, students who had modified graphing calculators might have felt like royalty. In retrospect, however, it’s easy to recognize the clear deficiencies these games had in comparison to today’s hand-held electronics.","_key":"d2e2254e87830"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3b7e19105fe4","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c86a0fa5e96b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In many cases, the programs were frustratingly slow to respond, which meant an otherwise quick game took forever to complete. Even worse, ","_key":"c70ce6f2e7430"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"many of them crashed unexpectedly","_key":"c70ce6f2e7431"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".","_key":"c70ce6f2e7432"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"3d449ea6f6eb0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Without any other viable alternatives at the time, however, the services of young hackers were in high demand. And many of those industrious kids went on to become successful programmers."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"bf70c0a8dc90"}],"slug":"/story/2023/04/a-brief-history-of-hacking-calculators-to-goof-off-in-class","id":"dSIPmCBU","title":"A Brief History Of Hacking Calculators To Goof Off In Class","_rev":"duW0n2mm19PBYbmMa2TlER","_id":"c9927250-38f2-4796-b030-5bd861e8fce1"},{"_rev":"Z2VJU1EXSsX3IBt1sRvbaO","visibility":"true","_updatedAt":"2023-04-16T20:30:19Z","publishDate":"2023-04-17","title":"How Science Might Help The Next Generation Become Better Readers","image":{"hotspot":{"y":0.5,"height":1,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8972602739726027,"x":0.5513698630136987},"_type":"image","attribution":"Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images","asset":{"metadata":{"hasAlpha":false,"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"aspectRatio":1.5,"height":2000,"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":3000},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VQJaJ@00?wD%?a%#IANdM_xtyDNGrX-pIoxGocnis:t7","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":0.13,"background":"#86cbec"},"darkVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":4.47,"background":"#72270d"},"lightMuted":{"population":4.49,"background":"#c1aeb4","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"background":"#d35623","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.69},"dominant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":4.49,"background":"#c1aeb4"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#584738","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":2.39},"muted":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.03,"background":"#a55a76","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"}}},"mimeType":"image/jpeg","sha1hash":"727ab969e3f341ad26adeb49e52251933696964c","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/727ab969e3f341ad26adeb49e52251933696964c-3000x2000.jpg","size":842055,"originalFilename":"getty-82913913.jpg","description":"BERLIN - SEPTEMBER 18: A fourth-grade student reads a book with her teacher in the elementary school at the John F. Kennedy Schule dual-language public school on September 18, 2008 in Berlin, Germany. The German government will host a summit on education in Germany scheduled for mid-October in Dresden. Germany has consistantly fallen behind in recent years in comparison to other European countries in the Pisa education surveys, and Education Minister Annette Schavan is pushing for an 8 percent increase in the national educaiton budget for 2009. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/727ab969e3f341ad26adeb49e52251933696964c-3000x2000.jpg","_createdAt":"2023-04-16T20:29:31Z","_id":"image-727ab969e3f341ad26adeb49e52251933696964c-3000x2000-jpg","_updatedAt":"2023-04-16T20:29:31Z","uploadId":"gBG4VOwd3faH7qxwxtxeUB440scjrpIy","_rev":"Wkx3SDb0MT0mk54VErj4uO","creditLine":"BERLIN - SEPTEMBER 18: A fourth-grade student reads a book with her teacher in the elementary school at the John F. Kennedy Schule dual-language public school on September 18, 2008 in Berlin, Germany. The German government will host a summit on education in Germany scheduled for mid-October in Dresden. Germany has consistantly fallen behind in recent years in comparison to other European countries in the Pisa education surveys, and Education Minister Annette Schavan is pushing for an 8 percent increase in the national educaiton budget for 2009. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)","extension":"jpg","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","assetId":"727ab969e3f341ad26adeb49e52251933696964c"},"crop":{"right":0,"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop"}},"body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e869c3014fe8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When you think of science as part of a grade-school curriculum, you might instinctively picture a beaker-filled lab where kids engage in a variety of experiments.","_key":"b1acf38ebe200"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"1f02b1626304","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/science-of-reading-literacy-parents.html","_key":"4d8636992c58"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But science is ","_key":"0135b0453c6d0"},{"text":"a major part","_key":"0135b0453c6d1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_key":"0135b0453c6d2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" of just about every subject taught in schools around the world — and many folks are "},{"_key":"0135b0453c6d3","_type":"span","marks":["4d8636992c58"],"text":"demanding"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that it be a bigger focus when teaching kids how to read.","_key":"0135b0453c6d4"}],"_type":"block"},{"_key":"5d3df0ee76d8","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Addressing a serious need","_key":"0135b0453c6d5"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"In communities across the United States, students are struggling to maintain grade-level competence in reading. While learning loss caused by COVID-19 school shutdowns is clearly a factor, this trend predates the pandemic.","_key":"b0525b8811300"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"494ad965e548","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"8806dae66d54","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Now, elected officials and education advocates alike are calling for an entirely new approach.","_key":"7f980d242eff0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"By taking into account the so-called “","_key":"b999eef8407a0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"text":"science of reading","_key":"b999eef8407a1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":",” proponents say students of all types — regardless of factors like learning disabilities or socioeconomic status — can benefit.","_key":"b999eef8407a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e05d8564c60d"},{"_key":"1548e4bdd681","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Nearly half of all states have taken action to reform their educational system in just the past two years as it becomes increasingly clear that a change is needed to help the roughly 1 in 3 kids who are unable to read at a basic level.","_key":"5fc1c98063c70","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"text":"Agreeing on a solution","_key":"238eb8c5f4120","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c2a98ccdaba7","markDefs":[]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While activists from across the ideological spectrum understand that there’s a problem, not everyone is on the same page regarding what steps need to be taken to address it.","_key":"cf96700177e90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"67b09f1fbfca","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"One of the most popular options is a strategy called “","_key":"675b16cf6a770"},{"_key":"675b16cf6a771","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"balanced literacy"},{"marks":[],"text":".” Instead of emphasizing phonics, it seeks to build a love of stories that gives students a desire to become better readers.","_key":"675b16cf6a772","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7edbe650793f"},{"_key":"221c1e70c9cf","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So who’s against it? Some teachers believe redefining how reading is taught would result in confusion and only set students back even further.","_key":"17d65b22d5080"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e22507d07db9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"0acae44145aa0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"While cognitive scientist Mark Seidenberg is optimistic that the science of reading will emerge successful, he cautioned: “Nobody has won until we’ve actually seen we’ve improved literacy outcomes.”"}]}],"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_createdAt":"2023-04-16T20:30:19Z","category":"education","id":"H1PVixk0","slug":"/story/2023/04/how-science-might-help-the-next-generation-become-better-readers","summary":"Some educators say traditional methods just aren't cutting it.","_id":"e0200ce1-e5eb-44cc-a015-255fd60e10bc","_type":"story"}]