Friday, March 1, 2019

ABCFT - Week in Review - March 1, 2019

ABCFT - Week in Review - March 1, 2019


In case you’ve missed previous Weeks in Review, you can find all of them here: ABCTeachernews To find previous editions, just click on “Blog Archive” which is the menu on the right and click on the specific week.

(ABC Federation of Teachers)

In Unity
ABC Federation of Teachers
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ABCFT Delegation Lobbies in Sacramento for Public Education

Teacher Leader and Teacher from Cerritos Elementary, Erika Cook shares her experience at CFT’s Lobby Day
Participating in Lobby Day was an extraordinary experience for me.  Speaking with my local legislators, watching the educational committee hearing for AB 126 on charter school transparency reform, and observing a live session in the Senate chamber from the balcony area opened my eyes to democracy in action.  These were experiences I had never thought I would be a part of and I am truly grateful for this first-hand learning opportunity.
As a young educator, I felt empowered to share my voice in support of raising the base, paid maternity leave, and charter school reform as means to enhance the working conditions of California educators and the students and families they serve.  The passion and commitment from all of the CFT Lobby day participants throughout the day energized me and I hope to be able to do this again in the future.


Academic Services Elementary ABCFT Liaison and Teacher from Carver Elementary, Connie Nam shares her experience at CFT’s Lobby Day


Having had the privilege of going to Lobby Day, I can say that I feel so fortunate to have the strength of the union, always looking out for the interest of our kids, our schools, and the professionals who work so hard to educate our future!  It was amazing to see how our collective priorities are being carried out at the legislative level where policy decisions impact of all for years to come. I know that our union will continuously work for full funding of our schools, and Lobby Day makes it even clearer how we are all stronger together and united.  Thanks CFT and ABCFT!
What an exhilarating day at CFT’s annual Lobby Day for our Teacher Leaders! It was a long day starting with a       7 am flight to Sacramento, a quick review of the CFT legislative talking points, and off to meet with the legislator’s and their staff. Thank you to our special student lobbyist, John Harding and these dedicated educators for advocating for the students and teachers of ABC.  Pictured left to right, John Harding, Erika Cook, Connie Nam, Sharon Zamora, Catherine Pascual, Susie Gomez, Ray Gaer, Marivel Aguirre, Kelley Forsythe, Stefani Palutzke, Tanya Golden, and Megan Harding.

MEET A MEMBER
The ABCFT YOUnion is made up of 1,100 great teachers and medical professionals and each one of us has a story to tell. Each week we will highlight a member of ABCFT.

Meet Hector Ruiz has been a teacher for 22 years in ABCUSD. While at ABC, he’s taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grades and is currently teaching 3rd grade at Stowers Elementary.

If you could give ”first year teacher you” advice what would it be?
Don't over-plan. I've found that when I usually plan through Wednesday on into Thursday morning, I generally have enough stuff to get me through the entire week. Of course, you there's a need to get through material, but it's also things never go off exactly as planned every day in an elementary classroom.
How did you get involved with the union?
When I arrived at Stowers back in 2012, the school didn't have a Union Rep at all. Things were so off that I actually wound up volunteering to be Union Rep as the principal at the time had sold the position to the staff as first-come first-served volunteer position, and not something that was actually elected by the affected site members. I'm a big believer that in union representation and advocacy, and I've tried my best to insist on both transparency and equity in how administrators at our school treat our staff. I truly hope that the position is seen as more significant now than it had been at the start of the decade.
Describe a day in the life of being a Rep at your site.
I've tried to encourage my colleagues to send me all manner of union-related questions, as well as periodically sending out small updates via email, sharing out additional information from site rep meetings that elaborate on issues that come out in our Talking Points. Finally,  whenever I can, I try to use opportunities via email, our staff meetings, and visits to my colleagues' classrooms to make the contract language as understandable as possible.
What is your favorite movie/show, song, or book?
My favorite film is "L.A. Confidential", my favorite band is U2 so please don't ask me to pick *just* one song, and my favorite book is "Little Scarlet" by Walter Mosley.
Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter...MySpace?
Twitter! But also IG. Find me @auricursine on both!
What do you do for fun?
I am big fan of Old School Los Angeles. I truly enjoy searching for programmatic architecture and classic kitsch. L.A.'s a great place to try to hunt it down because so much of it is still around, places like the Idle Hour, Highland Park Bowl, the Hollyhock House, and even the Donut Hole in La Puente. But I also am a Disneyland Annual Passholder, and my girlfriend and I really enjoy wine tasting in Temecula when it's time to pick up our wine club shipments.
Do you have a bucket list?
Since my Cal Bears won't be going back to the Rose Bowl any time soon, I guess my actual top 3 are (1) Visiting Oriole Park at Camden Yards for an Oriole game. (2)  Finally making it to Musso & Frank's in Hollywood and (3) Traveling it to Disneyland Paris so I can ride "Ratatouille: the Adventure".
If you could have a superpower what would it be?
I like to tell my 3rd graders that I'm so old, I grew up without a carseat or the benefit of a shoulder belt in my parent's cars so that must mean I'm already invincible, right? Yes, you are right, Hector! (TOO FUNNY Hector!)

Thank you Hector for sharing your story with the ABCFT community.

If you’d like to be featured in the Meet a Member Click this link here.

Members Only Student Debt Clinic
Tuesday, March 12th at Haskell Middle School  3:30-5:00 p.m.


Got Student Debt? Want to apply for Loan Forgiveness? Due to popular demand, ABCFT is holding a second student debt clinic.
You’ll learn how to qualify for Loan Forgiveness, how to make your payments manageable, and how we can work together to address the student debt crisis in California.  Register now – space is limited and we need to know how many copies to make of the handouts you will receive.:





Education Strike Watch

This week the strike in Oakland continues as teachers strike for classroom sizes, mental health and salaries. There were developments where the school district did move their position but the union has continued negotiating the settlement.

If you’d like to follow developments on the Oakland Strike visit the OEA website and
twitter pages you can find them here ------>  Oakland Teachers Association Strike News. #WeAreOEA  #United4OaklandKids

Oakland strike costing district $1m per day
The Oakland USD teacher strike, now into its fifth day, is costing the district around $1m in state funding each day, according to figures released yesterday by the district. Spokesman John Sasaki said that only 6% of the district’s 37,000 students have shown up to class during the strike to date, meaning a net loss of $4m - the drop in average daily attendance funding from the state minus what the district saves by not paying teachers.
Negotiations took place Tuesday at Assemblyman Rob Bonta’s office, according to an official from the Oakland Education Association union. A press release issued by the union at 10:34 p.m. said talks had ended for the night and would resume later today. The union staged a mid-day march in East Oakland yesterday to draw attention to the district’s plans to close up to 24 schools in predominantly black and Latino neighborhoods, ending at the Roots International Academy.

Oakland school board calls off meeting
The Oakland USD school board cancelled its meeting last night, citing concerns about trustee safety, with hundreds of picketing teachers gathered outside La Escuelita Elementary School, where it had been scheduled to take place. Chaz Garcia, vice president of the Oakland Education Association, dismissed concerns that anyone’s safety was at risk. “Do these look like threatening people?” she asked. “They’re dancing in the rain. People are out here exercising their right to be on strike and picket and if somebody chooses to cross the picket line that’s their decision, we would never physically harm anyone or touch them. I think they’re more concerned about their political safety and that’s fine.” District officials had planned to discuss a new proposal offering teachers an 8% raise and 2% bonus, up from the 7% increase and 1.5% bonus on the table a week ago. The cancellation of the meeting has also delayed a decision on whether to make nearly $22m in cuts to the 2019-20 budget, including eliminating central office staff, foster youth case managers, and restorative-justice program coordinators.


Negotiations Update
When do negotiations for salary raises start again?
Here is an overview by the California Federation of Teachers  of the 2019-20 California State budget Here is the link if you would like to look at this document.  This document is an analysis of the Governor’s preliminary State budget for 2019-2020. The proposal is part of a preliminary negotiations between the Governor and the CA Legislators about how they will prioritize spending. As of the beginning of March ABC is looking at 6 million dollars of additional monies but this doesn’t take into account ongoing increases in Health (1 million), Step and Column (750K), Declining enrollment (1-2 million), STRS increases (1% at 1 million). These are ballpark figures but as you can see we are suffering from what every other district is suffering with flat COLA (Cost of living) funding.  We hope to have more information closer to May when the State budget is revised and we have solid numbers that we can use for negotiations.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________




PRESIDENT’S REPORT - Ray Gaer
Each week I work with unit members in representations, contract resolutions, email/text/phone call questions, site concerns, site visits, presentations,  state/national representations and mediations. Here are some of the highlights of interest.

Okay, I was so sick of February that I said goodbye to it a week in advance and man did it make me pay for it this week. Sorry February, you were wonderful, but I don’t need you again till next year. This was an eventful week and some important conversations occurred that impact classrooms.

This week I continued to work with the representatives for Head Start (Sandy and Sandra!) as we continue to tag team, prioritize and strategize during the transition of Head Start from a 6.5 hour day to a full 8 hour day. This is a significant change for Head Start and comes with many new challenges as teachers are asked to have more instruction time, more duties, and the same amount of paperwork. This week one of the things we discussed was the lack of access of technology for Head Start teachers and we are pleased to hear that the district did hear our collective concern and will be providing much better support and equipment in this area.

Head Start is an entirely different animal then TK-12 because it is burdened with massive paperwork from both the Los Angeles County of Education and district required paperwork (minimal in comparison to LACOE). Essentially they have two bosses and it is very challenging for them to make both the district and LACOE happy all the time. Federal laws are very restrictive or give very specific guidelines of what both happens in the classroom and what a classroom looks like. The oversight is pretty incredible and these teachers are amazing how they juggle their time to meet the needs of their students, the families, and their supervisors. Thank you Head Start teachers!!!

On Wednesday, members of the ABCFT executive board along with CSEA, AFSCME and the Administrators gave our yearly input for the LCAP review.  In the two hour meeting, we collectively reviewed the programs that are funded by the LCAP and the data points that illustrated how effective ABC is targeting our various populations. Toward the end of the meeting ABCFT was asked to give input about what we see as important spending priorities for the coming year in reflection of the date we analyzed.  Our suggestions of what programs are vital and need additional support are in no particular order: class size reduction, mental health supports, teacher induction, visual and performing arts, technology support, and PBIS. Members of the ABCFT team were able to give specific examples that help to support our recommendation for additional support for these programs. With the other items/programs I did not list but are on the LCAP plan, we encouraged the district to maintain their current support for those areas of the LCAP.
Stowers teachers below
Over the last year and a half I’ve been collaborating and working with the mental health providers and social workers in ABC. We have had some vital discussions about mental health, how vital they are as student and teacher supports, and how ABCFT can help to stabilize these positions with added support. The reason you have seen an uptick in mental health focus at your schools is because of the LCAP which is part of the three year plan (2017-2020).  In 2019-20 ABC will be revising this plan to fit the changing needs of our district and classrooms. Your discussions with your principals about your site LCAP spending are crucial for the dialogue about LCAP district priorities. Next year ABCFT will have a survey of the membership about what teacher think are the LCAP priorities that we will advocate for in the next three year funding cycle.

It looks like rain is coming so  this is a good weekend to wrap yourself up in a blanket with a beverage so you can binge watch your favorite shows. Try to decompress, let off some steam, and do things that clear your mind. Thanks for all you do with a smile on your face. You are my heroes. Shout out to Kennedy Teachers!


In Unity,

Ray Gaer
President, ABCFT



CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

CFT supports striking Oakland teachers

Members of the Oakland Education Association are currently out on strike for reasons nearly identical to the historic UTLA strike last month. OEA members are fighting for a living wage, smaller class sizes, and more student supports. They are fighting for respect.
A shout out to the CFT members from throughout the Bay Area and the state who have shown incredible support for striking the teachers, including walking the picket line, adopting schools, and staging walk-ins. Every effort of support counts.
Ready to do your part? Here are three things you can do:2121 for oea
  1. Donate to the OEA Membership Assistance Fund. OEA has set up a fund to provide financial support to assist their most vulnerable members during the strike. OEA has set up a fund to provide financial support to assist their most vulnerable members during the strike. The CFT has already donated to the fund, and we ask that you consider doing the same.
  2. Donate to Bread for Ed: Bread for Ed is providing food for those students and teachers who need it during the strike. There are 37,000 students in the district, the vast majority of whom depend on free or reduced priced lunches.
  3. Walk the Picket Line or Adopt a School: If you live in or around Oakland, please consider walking the picket line during the strike at your closest neighborhood schools.
Thanks again to all for supporting our sisters and brothers in Oakland!

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS

AFT President Randi Weingarten on Federal Legislation to Reduce Class Sizes
  • WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement on the Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act, expected to be introduced today by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.):
“Class size matters. That is, of course, if you care about the success of our students. That’s why the demand for smaller class sizes was central to so many of the teacher walkouts this year. You simply can’t offer students the engagement that is instructionally necessary with 40 or 50 kids in your classroom.
“It’s common sense that when classrooms are overcrowded, it is harder for teachers to teach and students to learn, and the research shows this: Smaller class sizes are directly linked to higher rates of student success. Most private schools have small class sizes, but shouldn’t we make sure it’s not just the wealthy whose kids have that opportunity? Sen. Merkley’s bill is a means to help make that possible for every student in this country.
“This legislation helps incentivize reducing class sizes, particularly in low-income districts that need it most. It’s an investment in students, in teachers and in the future success of our nation’s public schools.”
Follow AFT President Randi Weingarten: http://twitter.com/rweingarten

----- NEWS STORY HIGHLIGHT-----

California to require more transparency from charter schools
California's 1,300 charter schools will soon face stricter transparency requirements under legislation pushed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The bill will require charter schools to follow the same laws governing open meetings, public records and conflicts of interest that apply to school districts. They include ensuring board meetings are open to the public, providing records to the public upon request and, to prevent personal gain, banning board members from voting on contracts in which they have a financial interest. The Charter School Development Center, another charter lobbying group, said the bill sets onerous restrictions. Eric Premack, the group's executive director called it a "rock in the charter school back pack." "I view this as another attempt by anti-charter folks to impose burdens on charter schools in the name of supporting something very positive, in this case transparency," he said.

----- NATIONAL NEWS -----

Report: white students get more K-12 funding than students of color
Overwhelmingly white school districts received $23 billion more than predominantly non-white school districts in state and local funding in 2016, despite serving roughly the same number of children, according to a report from New Jersey-based research and advocacy group EdBuild. The funding gap is largely the result of the reliance on property taxes as a primary source of funding for schools. Overall, the report found 21 states where white districts got more funding and 14 states where nonwhite districts got more. The other states did not have enough racial diversity to meaningfully analyze, the report said. The gap was most dramatic in Arizona, where white districts were given $7,613 more per student than nonwhite districts. A dozen other states had gaps between $2,000 and $4,000 per student. The study also shows less funding discrepancies among Southern states, because their taxing jurisdictions are larger and, therefore, more diverse than school districts in Northern states.

DeVos backs $5bn in tax credits for school choice
Betsy DeVos has pitched a $5bn federal tax credit that would fund scholarships to private schools and other educational programs. The Education Secretary will join Republican lawmakers in championing legislation that would allow states to opt into a program that provides individual and corporate donors dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributing to scholarship programs that help families pay private-school tuition and other educational expenses. The federal program mirrors those already operating in more than a dozen states, like Arizona and Florida. In an announcement Thursday, Ms. DeVos called it a “bold” proposal that gives “hundreds of thousands of students across the country the power to find the right fit for their education.” “The biggest winners will be America’s forgotten children, who will finally have choices previously available only for the rich, the pow erful and the well-connected,” she said. However, JoAnn Bartoletti, the executive director of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, called the proposal “particularly tone deaf” as school leaders across the country struggle to retain teachers who are fed up with low pay and declining work conditions. “Mobilizing behind a scheme to further starve public schools and nine in 10 American students of the resources they need is not only unresponsive but insulting, and it reflects this administration’s persistent disdain for public education,” she said.

 

School kids debate U.S. Senator on Green New Deal
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) is facing criticism over a video of her response to a group of San Francisco Bay Area children and teenagers asking her to support the Green New Deal, a plan to shift the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to renewable sources such as wind and solar power. The students are members of the Sunrise Movement, an activist group that encourages children to combat climate change. The students passionately urged the California Democrat to support the legislation. But Feinstein, a 27-year veteran of the Senate, argued that the legislation had no chance of passing the Republican-controlled chamber. “That resolution will not pass the Senate, and you can take that back to whoever sent you here and tell them,” Feinstein responded after the students insisted the legislation was badly needed. “I’ve been in the Senate for over a quarter of a century and I know what can pass and I know what can’t pass.” The senator reacted “with smugness and disrespect”, the Sunrise Movement tweeted on Friday, sharing a video clip of the meeting. “Her reaction is why young people desperately want new leadership in Congress.”

----- STATE NEWS -----

New law requires bus drivers to check for sleeping kids
From Friday, California school buses will have to be equipped with a special device to prevent children from being left behind. The law was introduced following the 2015 death of 19-year-old Paul Lee, who had been left on a bus for nine hours in 90-degree heat. It requires buttons to be installed in the back of every bus. After the driver pulls into the yard and shut off their bus, they are required to walk to the back of the bus and check for any remaining passengers. The button must be pushed after turning off the bus to ensure the driver walks the length of the vehicle, checking the seats. The horn then honks when the driver disarms the system.

State Superintendent joins in Oakland talks
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond met with representatives of Oakland USD and the Oakland Education Association yesterday, in an attempt to broker a deal that would see teachers end their strike and return to the classroom. Negotiations continued into Monday night, and will be resumed today. A state fiscal overseer has warned, however, that the 12% pay raise over three years that has been requested by the union is impossible unless Oakland cuts substantially more from its budget than planned. “I will stay or rescind any agreement that would put the district in financial distress; A 12 percent salary increase would do just that,” state fiscal oversight trustee Chris Learned said in a written statement. “What the district has on the table now is what the district can afford.” The district says it faces a looming budget shortfall that is forcing it to possibly cut $21.75mf rom a 2019-20 budget. Mr Learned has veto power over the district’s finances even though it emerged from state receivership imposed in 2003, because it still owes California $30m to avoid bankruptcy.

Schools could be banned from ‘willful defiance’ suspensions
Schools may no longer be able to suspend students for “willful defiance” if a new bill becomes law. Kids in grades 4-8 wouldn’t be suspended for disrupting school activities or willfully defying school authorities, including teachers and staff. As part of the new bill, superintendents or principals would be asked to provide alternatives to suspension or expulsion that are “age appropriate and designed to address and correct the pupil’s specific misbehavior.” The bill’s author, Senator Nancy Skinner (D-9th District), previously talked about the need for the bill, saying: “Under this highly subjective category, students are sent to an empty home, with no supervision, and denied valuable instructional time for anything from failing to turn in homework, not paying attention, or refusing to follow directions, taking off a coat or hat, or swearing in class.”


----- DISTRICTS -----
LA schools praised for improving breastfeeding accommodations
A report from the California Women’s Law Center shows that 95% of all school districts in Los Angeles County are doing much better at providing pregnant or postpartum staff and students with breastfeeding accommodations than they were four years ago. Four years ago, California passed a law clarifying that lactating students are entitled to specific protections, including private spaces to breastfeed their baby and that a bathroom or closet do not qualify as private lactation rooms. The report follows a traditional grading rubric: A, B, and C for passing while D and F for failing to meet the criteria. As of February this year, 61 school districts received As, eight scored Bs, eight districts have Cs, one has a D and three school districts have F grades.

LAUSD board votes to put education tax increase on June ballot
The Los Angeles USD board has voted unanimously to place a possible education tax before voters on a June 4th special election ballot, which according to district estimates could generate approximately $500m in annual revenue. The measure requires 67% voter approval to pass, and would levy 16 cents for every square foot of a property owner’s livable space. The district’s stated aims for this new revenue source are to attract quality teachers, reduce class sizes and provide counseling, nursing, library services among others.


Berkeley board discusses budget cuts
Berkeley USD has preliminarily approved cuts to the district's budget for next school year, as the district strives to reduce spending by $2m. Members moved to approve a freeze on hiring a new director of programs for its Educational Services Department and a change of funding source for two school counsellors. More contentious cuts recommended by the superintendent, including reductions in after-school transportation and an increase in transportation costs, remain to be decided upon. Final budgeting decisions will be made at the next board meeting March 13.

----- CLASSROOM -----

Social-emotional learning 'muddying' cognition theory
In consideration of social and emotional learning theory, Mike Rose, a research professor in the University of California at Los Angeles Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, cautions against measuring cognition only with scores on ability or achievement tests. "Let us take a hard look at our national obsession with tests and scores and grades, and let us think more generously about what kinds of people we want our schools to develop," he says.

SPORTS
Slow diversity progress in college sports, report says
A new report on college sports has underlined "slow, uneven progress" in improving racial and gender hiring practices. Richard Lapchick, director of the Institute for Diversity and Ethics and Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida, and lead report author, said college sports continues to struggle at increasing opportunities for women and minorities: “The biggest takeaway - and unfortunately has been for a number of years - is that white men are overwhelmingly in the key positions of college sport at the university and college level,” he added.

----- TECHNOLOGY -----

How education tech can help – and hinder – student learning
J-PAL North America has released a new publication summarizing 126 rigorous evaluations of different uses of education technology. The publication makes four key points on education technology. Firstly, it says that supplying computers and internet alone generally do not improve students’ academic outcomes from kindergarten to 12th grade, but do at least increase computer usage and improve computer proficiency. Secondly, computer-assisted learning programs designed to help students develop particular skills have shown enormous promise in improving learning outcomes, particularly in math. programs designed to help students develop particular skills have shown enormous promise in improving learning outcomes, particularly in math. Thirdly, technology-based nudges, such as text message reminders, tips, goal-setting tools, and encouragement can increase parental engagement in learning activities, such as reading with their elementary-aged children. Finally, relative to courses with some degree of face-to-face teaching, students taking online-only courses may experience negative learning outcomes.

----- HIGHER EDUCATION -----

Teacher colleges urged to provide greater support to black and hispanic students
Non-white teachers are struggling to get into the classroom, with education one of the least diverse of all college majors, according to a new report from the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE). White students make up 57% of all bachelor’s students in the U.S., but 68% of all those taking education majors; meanwhile African-Americans, who make up 14% of all bachelor’s students, make up 12% of all education majors, while the figures for Hispanic students are 15% and 13% respectively. Jacqueline E. King, a consultant to AACTE, said the analysis shows that teacher colleges will need to provide more supports if they want to diversify their student populations."Certain student populations are more likely to have certain needs than others," she said. "For example, 1 in 5 African-American undergraduate students is a single parent. The likelihood is that those students are going to have a greater need for child care than white or Hispanic students, who are less likely to be parents at all as undergraduates, and less likely to be single parents."

----- HEALTH & WELLBEING -----

Study highlights downsides to breakfast
New research published in JAMA Pediatrics has revealed that when kids in fourth through sixth grade were offered breakfast in the classroom at the start of the school day, the incidence of obesity more than doubled compared with kids who did not eat in the classroom. "We didn't find an effect on overall overweight and obesity, but we did find that the proportion of kids with obesity increased in schools with breakfast in the classroom," said study author Katherine Bauer.

Pollution: Bad for health, bad for environment, bad for schools
Two recent studies have identified a direct connection between different forms of pollution, and lower test scores and higher absence rates among exposed schoolchildren. The two studies both examine Florida in the 1990s and 2000s. One looked at whether being exposed to pollution from a major highway affects school performance. To do that, they compare students who switch to a school downwind from a highway to similar students moving to schools upwind (and thus less exposed to that pollution.) Downwind students performed slightly worse on state tests, were 4 percentage points more likely to have a behavioral infraction and half a percentage point more likely to be absent. The other study found that students living close to toxic chemical release sites were less likely to score highly in tests than those living further away. “The results are pretty damning,” said Claudia Persico, a professor at American University and one of the researchers behind both of the studies. “These papers suggest that pollution might play a much bigger role in inequality in outcomes between rich and poor kids and between black and white kids than we previously realized.”

----- INTERNATIONAL -----

Black history needs to be better taught
In the context of Black History Month, Melinda D. Anderson describes how much of what U.S. students learn about black people’s distinct American story is "hit-or-miss." Teaching an "accurate and thorough version" of history is essential to breaking down stereotypes and misconceptions, she says, and sharing this often "unspoken history" is about equipping the next generation of American citizens to apply the lessons of the past to create a better future. Separately, Destry Adams argues that the American public school system is failing to properly educate kids about the importance of African-American history.

----- OTHER -----

Millennials feel let down by financial education
The majority of millennials in the U.S. feel that they should have learned more about financial matters in high school and that the education system failed to prepare them for the real-world. A Nitro survey of 1,000 millennials who attended public high schools found that the respondents see algebra (25.2%), geometry (24.9%), and chemistry (24.8%) as subjects not too valuable for their lives and careers, but 75% said personal finance, stock market basics (68.5%) and filing taxes (57.7%) were key skills. Over half of respondents also listed subjects including stress management, income and careers, handling student debt, and personal banking as desirable.


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