Bella Garcia says her high school called her tribal regalia a "distraction." So she fought back — and changed California law. Now, Native graduates across the state can walk the stage in eagle feathers, ribbon skirts and beaded caps. No permission slips required. faultlinenews.org/she-fought-t...

She Fought to Wear Tribal Regalia—and Changed California Law

Bella Garcia feared she would be barred from commencement for her eagle feathers, beaded cap and ribbon skirt. Now, graduates statewide can wear their cultural adornments — no permission slips require...

faultlinenews.org

Congratulations to @19thnews.org's @nadrakn.bsky.social for receiving Los Angeles Press Club's Southern California Journalism Award for telling the story of Angélica Reyes' - an immigrant teacher facing the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

She's devoted her life to teaching your kids — in a country that now wants to deport her

15,000 immigrant educators rely on temporary permission to live and work in the U.S. But they fear for their futures under Trump.

19thnews.org

Science-fiction writer Octavia E. Butler was born #OTD in 1947. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, she became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship (1995). #booksky #litsky #scifi #SpeculativeFiction

Forty-five miles from downtown Los Angeles, a Black rodeo pioneer spends her days teaching students to barrel race on a 3-acre ranch. The first Black woman to compete at a professional rodeo finals says even a small piece of land can preserve a culture. #Juneteenth faultlinenews.org/the-black-co...

DeBoraha Townson: A Black Cowgirl's Legacy

She made rodeo history three decades ago. Now, from her California ranch, DeBoraha Townson is passing down a legacy of land, horses and resilience — even as she competes with two torn shoulders.

faultlinenews.org

This week marks the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign—an economic justice movement. The Fault Line interviewed Californians who met MLK during his visits to the state. One joined the Poor People's March. This is living history. faultlinenews.org/they-met-mar...

Why Martin Luther King Kept Coming to California

They expected an icon. They found a master organizer — and pool shark — who listened more than he lectured during his repeated trips to the state.

faultlinenews.org

“I always have them guess,” DeMaria said of states with high rates of censorship. “They say, Texas, yep, Florida, yep, and then they guess a bunch of states. And I’m like, ‘No, it’s usually Pennsylvania.’ And that’s shocking to them.”

Book bans and culture wars came for libraries. They’re still standing strong.

During National Library Week, librarians throughout the country fight for books, jobs and truth.

19thnews.org

After 20 years of being undocumented, Daniela Silva Alvarez finally got a green card. But it did not feel real at first. The Lynwood teacher hesitated to fly to Mexico because she feared she would be detained -- a reality for some people with permanent legal status. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY3-...

Interview with immigrant teacher Daniela Silva Alvarez

YouTube video by The Fault Line

youtube.com

🎙️The Trump administration is ending student loan forgiveness programs and at the same time offering student loan forgiveness to ICE recruits. We hear from education reporter @nadrakn.bsky.social of @19thnews.org about impending changes. Listen here: www.wortfm.org/shrinking-op...

Shrinking Options for Student Loan Forgiveness - WORT-FM 89.9

Douglas Haynes is in conversation with education reporter Nadra Nittle about the broken student loan system in the US

wortfm.org

As legal battles continue to unfold, the outcome may ultimately hinge not just on the courts but on how much the public is willing to accept religion’s role in public education. @nadrakn.bsky.social reports.

The push to include religion in classrooms could shape how schools treat gender and identity

Prayer mandates and Ten Commandments laws are part of an effort experts worry will marginalize students based on gender, sexual orientation and race.

19thnews.org

“I broke down three times today,” Modica, 41, said. “I have a disease that will inevitably make me completely disabled, and I can’t afford the treatment because I’m hemorrhaging money to a 20-year-old debt.” @nadrakn.bsky.social's latest for @19thnews.org.

‘The cruelty is just the point’: A broken student loan system has women at the center

Confusion, litigation and the threat of wage garnishment under Trump have left millions of teachers, nurses and other public service workers with few options and little hope.

19thnews.org

With immigration enforcement keeping kids from class, educators are going beyond the curriculum — driving students to school, delivering groceries and even paying rent to support vulnerable families. https://bit.ly/4aRukq9

The people standing between students and ICE? Teachers.

With immigration enforcement keeping kids from class, educators are going beyond the curriculum — driving students to school, delivering groceries and even paying rent to support vulnerable families.

19thnews.org

Students asking for help deserve justice!! Thanks @nadrakn.bsky.social for raising awaresness on this issue and spotlighting our latest research. 🙏

Nadra Nittle@nadrakn.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Trump's Education Department dismissed 9 out of 10 student discrimination complaints last year. Why? 19thnews.org/2026/02/stud...

Across the country, teachers earn less than professionals w/ similar levels of education. In the Bay—home of revolutionary tech & their high salaries—the pay disparity hits teachers esp hard. @nadrakn.bsky.social reporting on my hometown & connecting it to a nat'l trend: 19thnews.org/2026/02/san-...

San Francisco teachers are on strike, highlighting a pay crisis in a city of tech bros

In a region made wealthy by innovation, the woman-dominated teacher workforce says its wages can’t keep pace, shutting down schools for 50,000 students.

19thnews.org

Trump's Education Department dismissed 9 out of 10 student discrimination complaints last year. Why? 19thnews.org/2026/02/stud...

90% of student discrimination and harassment complaints were dismissed last year. Here's why.

Students with disabilities and survivors of sexual misconduct can’t rely on the Department of Education — the target of budget cuts and staff reductions — to intervene for them, new reports find.

19thnews.org

Climate-fueled disasters like the LA wildfires and Hurricane Helene decimate infrastructure, that includes child care. So one woman did something about it. Silke Knebel started a crisis line to connect families with FREE child care, so parents can focus on recovery. 19thnews.org/2026/01/free...

She offers free child care after disasters. It’s a lifeline as families rebuild their lives.

When storms and fires disrupt caregiving for months, this volunteer-run network deploys to support parents navigating work, trauma and recovery.

19thnews.org

Families, teachers and faith leaders in Minneapolis braved frigid temperatures on Friday to rally against a campaign of enforcement that has left students afraid to go to school.

Protesters are outraged over ICE’s latest targets: school-aged children

Families, teachers and faith leaders in Minneapolis braved frigid temperatures on Friday to rally against a campaign of enforcement that has left students afraid to go to school.

19thnews.org

When the Eaton Fire destroyed Pasadena Rosebud Academy, its executive director focused on keeping her students engaged and her community intact, even without a campus. A year later, enrollment actually increased. 19thnews.org/2026/01/eato... (via @19thnews.org by @nadrakn.bsky.social)

She lost her school to a wildfire. What she saved was more important.

When the Eaton Fire destroyed Pasadena Rosebud Academy, its executive director focused on keeping her students engaged and her community intact, even without a campus.

19thnews.org

On Tuesday, 5-year-old Liam Ramos was detained in the driveway of his home, still wearing his Spider-Man backpack. @nadrakn.bsky.social reports for @19thnews.org.

Protesters are outraged over ICE’s latest targets: school-aged children

Families, teachers and faith leaders in Minneapolis braved frigid temperatures on Friday to rally against a campaign of enforcement that has left students afraid to go to school.

19thnews.org

She lost her school and home to a wildfire. What Executive Director Shawn Brown saved was her community. Pasadena Rosebud Academy's story is a masterclass in resilience and leadership. #EatonFire #Altadena 19thnews.org/2026/01/eato...

She lost her school to a wildfire. What she saved was more important.

When the Eaton Fire destroyed Pasadena Rosebud Academy, its executive director focused on keeping her students engaged and her community intact, even without a campus.

19thnews.org

Delroy Lindo has finally received his first ever Oscar nomination for his performance in ‘SINNERS’ See the full nominees list: bit.ly/OscarNoms26

After the Eaton Fire, 14-year-old Avery Colvert noticed something missing from disaster recovery: attention to teen girls. Her viral Instagram post sparked Altadena Girls — now a nonprofit that’s distributed over a million items and opened a permanent community space. 19thnews.org/2026/01/alta...

An eighth-grader’s plea after the Eaton Fire redefined disaster recovery for girls

Avery Colvert's viral ask on social media last year led to a million donations, a nonprofit and a community hub to help teens plan for the futures beyond the shadow of the wildfire.

19thnews.org

The reorganization marks one of the most significant overhauls to the department since its establishment during former President Jimmy Carter’s administration in 1979. @nadrakn.bsky.social reports for @19thnews.org.

‘Selling off the Department of Education for parts’: The agency’s major overhaul faces fierce backlash

The Trump administration’s restructuring plan will create “more confusion, more mistakes and more barriers” for students and families in need of support, advocates say.

19thnews.org

Thank you for the shout out and an AMAZING article @nadrakn.bsky.social 🥰

19thnews@19thnews.org · 9mo ago

SIECUS’s 2025 State Report Cards illustrate how fragmented sex education is across states, with some requiring no sex ed at all and others mandating that sex ed be comprehensive, medically accurate and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

SIECUS’s 2025 State Report Cards illustrate how fragmented sex education is across states, with some requiring no sex ed at all and others mandating that sex ed be comprehensive, medically accurate and inclusive of LGBTQ+ people.

The sex ed you get depends on your ZIP code — and your state’s politics

In some states, students learn about consent and healthy relationships. In others, they get "Baby Olivia" and abstinence-only instruction.

19thnews.org

I was laid off from Teen Vogue today along with multiple other staffers, and today is my last day. certainly more to come from me when the dust has settled more, but to my knowledge, after today, there will be no politics staffers at Teen Vogue.

In July, Nory & her mother were deported together. Now, Nory is orphaned alone. My investigation for @19thnews.org reveals how Estela Ramos Baten's death at 45 followed her rapid deportation to Guatemala -- without her meds, her family says. 19thnews.org/2025/10/nory...

Nory and her mother were deported together. Then she was orphaned.

Estela’s death at 45 followed her rapid deportation, leaving her teenage daughter to navigate a new life in Guatemala on her own — afraid of the same gang violence her mother originally fled.

19thnews.org

Women who lack permanent legal status, like Estela Ramos Baten are now casualties. Her death leaves her teenage daughter, Nory, due to start her senior year in high school before deportation, orphaned in a country she hasn’t lived in since early childhood.

Nory and her mother were deported together. Then she was orphaned.

Estela’s death at 45 followed her rapid deportation, leaving her teenage daughter to navigate a new life in Guatemala on her own — afraid of the same gang violence her mother originally fled.

19thnews.org

Ryan Walters' decision to miss a meeting this week, following the cancellation of an August session, has drawn attention to the multiple controversies he’s entangled in and reignited calls for his impeachment.

TV nudity scandal, impeachment calls, a meeting no-show: Troubles pile up for Oklahoma's schools chief

On top of a TV nudity scandal and impeachment calls, Ryan Walters' absence at a board meeting is the latest reason lawmakers from both parties are upset with him.

19thnews.org

I saw a lot of headlines about Florida getting rid of all its vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. So @nadrakn.bsky.social and I wanted to add a little context and clarity about what that means and what might happen next. Our latest for @19thnews.org: 19thnews.org/2025/09/flor...

Florida officials say they want to eliminate school vaccine mandates. It won’t be that simple.

Many of the reversals will require action from lawmakers. Public health experts and educators warn that dropped mandates could worsen disease outbreaks and add to a teacher shortage

19thnews.org

Via @nadrakn.bsky.social and @19thnews.org: While covering the cost of classroom supplies is a challenge educators face annually, the burden on them has grown as the price of many learning materials has jumped by 20 percent in roughly five years.

Teachers are spending more and more on school supplies. Here's why. | Alabama Reflector

While covering the cost of classroom supplies is a challenge educators face annually, the price of many learning materials has jumped by 20 percent in roughly five years.

alabamareflector.com