Kalyn Belsha
@kalynbelsha.bsky.social
Education editor @wbez.org. Former national education reporter @chalkbeat.org & Spencer Fellow @columbiajournalism.bsky.social. Hablo español. Tips? Email: kbelsha@chicagopublicmedia.org or reach out on Signal: kalynbelsha.14
The Sun-Times and WBEZ have published about 20 stories and audio pieces this week about the Rev. Jesse Jackson, showing how his civil rights work intersected with film, education, Chicago mayors and much more. So, here's an ICYMI thread with some highlights. 🧵
When immigration agents swept through Chicago, many feared school attendance would plummet. Overall attendance rates are similar to last fall, but there were big unusual drops after intense periods of enforcement, @sskedreporter.bsky.social & @amyqin.bsky.social report www.wbez.org/education/20...
As immigration agents swept Chicago this fall, communities stepped in to get kids to school safely
A WBEZ analysis finds student attendance briefly plummeted following intense moments of immigration enforcement, but overall rates are comparable to last year. Some credit “magic school buses” and oth...
wbez.org
NEW: CPS says the ASPIRA charter network is on the brink of financial collapse & ASPIRA's CEO says the schools can't make payroll next week w/o a cash infusion -- by @dmihalopoulos.bsky.social & @sskedreporter.bsky.social www.wbez.org/education/20...
CPS blasts longtime charter operator for alleged financial ‘negligence’
The CEO of ASPIRA says the charter school network won’t make payroll next week. It’s the latest charter operator to face financial challenges.
wbez.org
School leaders from New York City and Denver are finalists for CPS top job chicago.suntimes.com/education/20...
School leaders from New York City and Denver are finalists for CPS top job
The finalists, whose names were shared by sources close to the search, are scheduled to be interviewed next week.
chicago.suntimes.com
NEW from @sskedreporter.bsky.social & @mannycam.bsky.social: 93 people applied to be next CPS CEO & school board has narrowed it down to 2 finalists. Interim CEO/supe Macquline King didn't make the cut & we won't find out names yet -- Board signed NDAs www.wbez.org/education/20...
CPS CEO search narrowed to 2 candidates and interim CEO Macquline King not 1 of them, sources say
The board chose the finalists in a closed session last week. Those candidates will be put through a series of interviews on Monday with a community panel and Mayor Brandon Johnson.
wbez.org
ICYMI: @mannycam.bsky.social spoke with students in the heavily Latino Morton HS district about gaps in support amid ramped up immigration enforcement. Some skipped homecoming in protest. “If we don’t advocate for ourselves, no one else will,” one teen said. www.wbez.org/immigration/...
Cicero, Berwyn students demand more school district support as immigration enforcement escalates
They are sitting out this week's homecoming events and protesting after they say their concerns have been dismissed. The leader of the heavily Latino Morton High School District says it is there to su...
wbez.org
After a HS junior was deported to Guatemala, LAUSD let her enroll in its virtual academy as a temporarily relocated student & a teacher helped her get better WiFi & care packages. Would love to see other examples of how US schools are supporting their deported kids www.nytimes.com/2025/10/17/u...
Nory Doesn’t Go to School Here Anymore
nytimes.com
“We can’t guard for every situation.” @mannycam.bsky.social reports how the ICE detention of a landscaper working on the grounds of a CPS school is raising Qs about how much the district can protect students & families while on school property, outside the building www.wbez.org/education/20...
Immigration enforcement reaches CPS doorstep, renewing questions about student, community safety
CPS confirms a landscaper detained this week was on district property. It appears to be the first time a CPS vendor or employee was picked up during the federal immigration enforcement campaign.
wbez.org
For 6 months, I’ve followed ELLIS, a Bronx HS for newcomers, to understand what it means to educate immigrant students in Trump’s second term. Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive. www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
‘They’ve given her a lot of hope’: A NYC school fights to educate an undocumented teen under Trump
For Bridget and Marta, ELLIS Prep often felt like the only public institution with its arms open in a city and country that seemed not to want them.
chalkbeat.org
NEW: The Trump administration is putting $14M toward training teachers in history & civics to coincide w/ the 250th anniversary of the Declaration's signing. Many see an opportunity to help teachers & students — but the $ is coming from canceled Biden-era grants www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/28/t...
Trump is taking history and civics in a new direction — with a Biden program’s money
The Trump administration is spending $14 million on teacher training in connection with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The money was pulled from a Biden-era g...
chalkbeat.org
W/ a Supreme Court ruling likely to encourage more opt-outs at school for religious reasons, my teammate Norah has a fascinating look at debates playing out in Texas, where some schools are adopting Bible-infused curriculum & state law already allows opt-outs www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/17/t...
Conservatives backed parent opt-outs. Texas’ Bible-infused lessons could flip the script.
A recent Supreme Court ruling supports parents’ religious right to opt their child out of LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum. That decision could add momentum to some parents’ concerns about a Texas reading ...
chalkbeat.org
UPDATED: A new Trump administration rule will deny undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start programs. The change represents one of the most direct & far-reaching attempts to target immigrant children & could have ripple effects on K-12 schools www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/10/n...
Head Start will no longer enroll undocumented children, Trump administration says
A rule change treats the federally funded preschool program like a welfare program and bars undocumented children from enrolling. Head Start providers condemned the departure from longstanding practic...
chalkbeat.org
NEW: How Trump's "big, beautiful" bill will affect children & schools. House just passed the bill (with all Dem's and 2 Republicans voting no) & Trump is set to sign: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/03/h...
How Trump’s bill will disrupt students’ relationship with the social safety net
The legislation backed by Trump and passed by Republicans in Congress could significantly restrict how much help schools get from Medicaid, and how many children receive free school meals. It also inc...
chalkbeat.org
Our next session is 'Children's Funding Under Fire on Every Front,' featuring @brucelesley.bsky.social of @firstfocus.bsky.social and @kalynbelsha.bsky.social of @chalkbeat.org #USCNationalFellows #fundingcuts #childhealth
The National Science Foundation is a major funder of education research. @kalynbelsha.bsky.social looks at how funding cuts have grounded middle-schoolers' drones and broken trust with communities. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/06/10/t...
‘We just went to zero.’ National Science Foundation cuts hit STEM education research hard.
Researchers and educators worry the sweeping cuts to education research at the National Science Foundation will limit opportunities for girls and students of color to pursue STEM careers.
chalkbeat.org
NEW: Schools are likely to lose mental health staff & colleges may shut down training programs after the Trump admin stopped funding many grants meant to help schools after the Uvalde tragedy. Colorado, Oklahoma, Wisconsin & Teachers College (helping NYC) all lost $ www.chalkbeat.org/2025/05/02/t...
Congress wanted schools to hire more mental health staff. The Trump administration took an ax to that bipartisan plan.
The Trump administration told many school districts, states, and colleges that they would no longer receive grant funding to hire or train mental health staff for schools. Proponents of the program wo...
chalkbeat.org
Want to know more about how all the changes happening at the U.S. Department of Education could affect you & your school? Please join me & this great panel tomorrow to talk about what this moment means for equity, access & public education: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: Unpacking the Department of Education's Fate: Education at a Crossroads. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.
As conversations around the future of the U.S. Department of Education intensify, join us for a critical conversation exploring what's at stake for students, educators, and communities. This timely we...
us06web.zoom.us
NEW: How a story about a prince & knight who fall in love fueled a debate about parental rights, opt outs, & inclusive school curriculum. The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tues in a case that could give religious parents more control over their kids' education www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/s...
How a story about battling a dragon led to a Supreme Court case on parent rights and LGBTQ books
When devout Muslim parents heard their son would be reading a story in school about a knight and a prince who fall in love, they asked to opt him out. The resulting Supreme Court case could impact how...
chalkbeat.org
The Trump administration is attempting to take away all of Maine's federal education funding because it refused to comply with demands like these ⬇️ www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/11/t...
NEW: Today the Trump admin said it's taking Maine to court over its policy allowing trans girls to compete on girls' sports teams & will seek to take Maine's K-12 federal ed funding. We took a deeper look at how this case could affect trans kids & schools nationwide www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/12/t...
Why Trump’s fight with Maine could upend Title IX and school funding
After a trans athlete in Maine won a state title, the Trump administration launched investigations and moved to withhold the state’s K-12 funding. Will the president’s strategy pressure others to comp...
chalkbeat.org
NEW: With what appears to be just 1 person left from the Office of English Language Acquisition at the Ed Dept, advocates worry some $890M in federal $ for English learners won't be spent properly & the quality of teacher training will suffer. Here's what we know: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/21/t...
Upheaval at Education Department office sparks concern about services for English learners
The Trump Education Department says changes to the Office for English Language Acquisition will not affect funding or federal programs for students. But experts and others worry that the quality of th...
chalkbeat.org
NEW: This morning Trump said he wanted to move services for students with disabilities out of the Education Department and to Health and Human Services. Many experts say he can't do that without an act of Congress. Here's what we know — w/ @ericameltzer.bsky.social www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/22/t...
Trump change for kids with disabilities violates law, critics say
President Trump said he would move oversight of services for students with disabilities to Health and Human Services. Advocates worry the agency doesn’t have the staff or expertise to handle the chang...
chalkbeat.org
NEW: Trump has finally signed the long-awaited executive order asking Linda McMahon to take steps to close the Education Department. Here's what we know so far — via @ericameltzer.bsky.social @andrewujifusa.bsky.social & me www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/20/t...
Trump signs executive order aiming to close Education Department, citing low test scores
President Donald Trump said closing the Education Department would help students and save money. Legally, only Congress can close the department. But the Trump administration recently cut the Educatio...
chalkbeat.org
A former Education Department staffer said the entire Office for Civil Rights teams in Philly, Chicago, SF, Cleveland, Boston and NY were let go. That represents half of regional civil rights offices. Via @kalynbelsha.bsky.social and @ericameltzer.bsky.social www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/11/e...
Linda McMahon didn’t need a Trump executive order to make big Education Department layoffs
The layoffs, combined with recent staff buyouts, mean that the number of Education Department staff has dropped by nearly 50% in the last two weeks. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to cl...
chalkbeat.org
NEW: The Department of Education announced it was laying off 1,300+ staffers today, 1/3 of the agency. Combined with retirements & buy-outs nearly half the Department is vanishing. The entire staff of six OCR regional offices was cut. — w/ @ericameltzer.bsky.social www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/11/e...
Linda McMahon didn’t need a Trump executive order to make big Education Department layoffs
The layoffs, combined with recent staff buyouts, mean that the number of Education Department staff has dropped by nearly 50% in the last two weeks. President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to cl...
chalkbeat.org
Whenever it ultimately arrives ... here's what we know so far about a likely executive order to try to close the U.S. Department of Education. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/06/t...
What we know about Trump’s executive order seeking to close the Education Department
Officially abolishing the agency requires an act of Congress. But a directive from the president could still play havoc with schools and federal programs.
chalkbeat.org
Linda McMahon has been confirmed as Education Secretary. www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/03/l...
Will Linda McMahon be ‘an adult in the room’ at the Education Department?
Now confirmed as education secretary, McMahon has promised not to make drastic cuts to education funding. But DOGE and President Donald Trump’s stated intention to gut the department could give the fo...
chalkbeat.org
Educators sue to block enforcement of anti-diversity civil rights guidance https://www.chalkbeat.org/2025/02/26/lawsuit-seeks-injunction-against-anti-dei-dear-colleague-letter/
Teachers union, education group sue to block anti-DEI civil rights guidance
A Dear Colleague letter threatened the federal funding of schools with a wide range of DEI practices.
chalkbeat.org
NEW: Among the education research projects abruptly terminated by DOGE was a program helping 1,100 teens & young adults w/ disabilities plan for life after high school. "It’s just heartbreaking," one parent told me. "I feel like this wasn’t well thought out." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/02/26/t...
A teen with autism and his mom were getting help planning for college. Then came DOGE.
A federally funded research program helped students with disabilities prepare for life after high school. DOGE’s sweeping Education Department cuts brought this and dozens of other studies to an abrup...
chalkbeat.org
Department of Education news breaking tonight: The agency’s civil rights arm has opened just 20 investigations in the past three weeks. By comparison, about 250 civil rights investigations were opened during the same period last year. www.propublica.org/article/depa...
“We’ve Been Essentially Muzzled”: Department of Education Halts Thousands of Civil Rights Investigations Under Trump
Since Inauguration Day, the Office for Civil Rights has only opened about 20 investigations focused on Trump’s priorities, placing more than 10,000 student complaints related to disability access and ...
propublica.org