Patrick Washington is the CEO and publisher of The Dallas Weekly. This story was originally published on Word In Black. By Patrick Washington The Texas-birthed holiday of Juneteenth is a very interesting holiday, to say the least. See, I, a native-born Texan, have two Yankee parents. As such, I’ve been able to hear both sides of the “idea” of Juneteenth, […]
Category: Word In Black
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: FDA talks vaccinations for younger students ahead of next school year
(By Drazen Zigic_Shutterstock) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO Though Pfizer-BioNTech received permission to lower the age threshold for their COVID-19 vaccine last month, pharmaceutical companies have yet to present an option for millions of school-aged children younger than 12. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 5.2 million pre-kindergarten students […]
Posted inBaltimore Community
#WordinBlack: Baltimore Digital Equity Coalition connects city households with Emergency BroadBand Benefit for discounted internet access
By Megan Sayles, AFRO Business Writer Report for America Corps Member Msayles@afro.com After Baltimore city schools were forced to shift to virtual learning as a result of the pandemic, it was clear the lack of internet access would be a recurring obstacle to education. Now, the federal government is stepping in to lessen the impact […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Thousands of students leave local public schools amidst the pandemic
By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO As the effects of the coronavirus pandemic continue to unfold, enrollment data is painting a clear picture of how the pandemic has impacted grade school classrooms statewide. In Maryland, thousands of students threw off enrollment projections for the 2020-2021 school year as fewer families chose to enroll their […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: First-year teachers brave the pandemic with purpose
The global pandemic challenged every aspect of life as we knew it. For first year teachers, their years of training could not have prepared them for the daunting task of navigating virtual learning. (Courtesy of unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The training Titia Dunn received when she entered the teaching profession at […]
Posted inWord In Black
#WordinBlack: Observations continue for teachers during pandemic
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that 3.2 million Americans were employed as educators in a public school district last year. In many states, teachers depend on evaluations to gain access to pay increases based on performance. (Photo by Element5 Digital on Unsplash) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The spring observation season […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: DCPS creates reopening plans under new CDC guidance
District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) created updated reopening plans under the CDC’s new guidance for K-12 schools. (Courtesy Photo) By Deborah Bailey Special to the AFRO This week, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Chancellor Lewis Ferebee responded to scores of angry parents who left a recent Town hall event with their questions unanswered. […]
Posted inNEWS
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative funds education reporting for Word in Black
New support goes toward shared data journalist, virtual events and more (March 31, 2021) — Word in Black, a news collaborative of Black publishers managed by Local Media Association, has received a second round of funding from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to support ongoing reporting of K-12 education, with a specific focus on the impact of COVID-19 on […]
Posted inCoronavirus
#WordinBlack: Coronavirus puts standardized assessments to the test
School districts looking to receive federal funding must administer standardized tests this year. The Biden administration has announced that officials can give shorter versions of statewide assessments, extend testing windows to accommodate social distancing and hybrid learning, or test students remotely. (Courtesy Photo) By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO The Biden Administration is not […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Sisters chronicle their close encounters with COVID
By Blake and Paige Evans “Some people believe that the size of your school makes a difference on whether or not you will be affected by COVID-19. From our experiences, it didn’t make a difference. We are sisters, we go to different schools and we were both in contact with someone who tested positive for […]
Posted in!Front Page
#WordinBlack: Baltimore teachers decry expansion of in-person learning with caravan protest
Teachers of Baltimore City Public Schools protest the expansion of in-person learning before the opportunity to be fully vaccinated, an upgrade to ventilation systems, and a “robust and proactive testing program.” There are also concerns about the data being used to make decisions about school openings and closures. By Alexis Taylor Special to the AFRO […]