As criticism of school suspension grows, some schools, like Davidson Middle School in San Rafael, Calif., have turned to techniques aimed at teaching students to right their wrongs. Photographer Sarah Rice talks about her impressions of the school’s peer court.
We talk with Jon Lowenstein about photographing this week’s front-page story on school closings on Chicago’s South Side. It’s a continuation of his long-term project, documenting his community for more than a decade. It asks important, evolving questions, like what does “South Side” even mean? Told with fewer filters, more raw but with an aesthetic that’s a personal collaboration between Mr. Lowenstein and his neighbors.
A new project is taking a deeper look at the factors contributing to the “teacher-diversity gap.” The organizers of Teach Tomorrow in Oakland, Calif., hope to encourage more adults from a variety of ethnicities and backgrounds to enter the profession—and stay in it. Ramin Rahimian photographed Cicely Day, a 3rd grade teacher at PLACE at Prescott School last week in Oakland. Ms. Day went through the program and became a teacher after studying fashion design and working in child care.
When Reginald Cureton, a Detroit middle schooler, was just a year old, a routine blood test revealed that he had more than four times the amount of lead in his blood required for a child to be identified as lead-poisoned. A new study draws attention to the large numbers of Detroit children who have been exposed to lead and establishes a link between blood-lead levels and lower academic performance.
Photographer John Tully spent a morning last week with students and teachers at the William H. Rowe School in Yarmouth, Maine. The school uses a social-emotional-learning approach known as Responsive Classroom. A new study adds to the growing body of research showing that this type of learning can positively influence academic, as well as behavioral, results.
Emile Wamsteker spent a recent afternoon photographing students in the Global Kids program. One of his best photos came when he thought the assignment was over. We’re glad he stayed late and didn’t pass up the opportunity.
A decade after introducing programs that allow high school students to study on college campuses, the Guilford County (N.C.) school district points to greater engagement and achievement among participants. Last school year, most of the early colleges had a 100 percent graduation rate.
Dan Habib spent 20 years as a photojournalist and photo editor before transitioning into filmmaking full-time. “I don’t make films that prescribe easy solutions because there are none. But I do think my films capture evidence-based practices in action in real schools, through the eyes and lives of educators, students, and families.”
Erin Brethauer has spent three summers documenting a camp for young people with autism. “I keep returning because I find the campers and counselors inspiring and because they teach me so much about autism, communication, and what it means to care for someone.”
A new scholarship program launched this summer by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth gives bright, low-income rural students the chance to take part in a challenging summer program at sites across the country. Rural Connections will give full scholarships to more than 120 rural students. Photographer Melanie Burford spent a day documenting the program at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., last month.
