Minnesota District Removing Classic Books Over Racial Slurs

Duluth Public Schools in Minnesota are removing To Kill a Mockingbird and Huckleberry Finn from their required reading list because the books contain racial slurs.

Although the two books are recognized as classics in American literature, Duluth education officials said the use of racial slurs in both books has made many students uncomfortable. While the books will still be available in Duluth schools as an option for students to read individually, they won’t be required reading in the upcoming school year.

Teachers Spend $650 of Own Money on Students per Year

This may not come as a surprise to most secondary school principals, but it’s worth noting. A survey conducted by the Colorado Education Association found that teachers in the state spent, on average, $656 of their own money on their students and classrooms each year. The survey results were released as state lawmakers were again considering how much money to spend on schools.

NJ District Receives $2.2 Million for Student Devices

A school district’s ability to receive funding for electronic devices is a hot topic these days (see cover story).

The New Jersey Schools Development Authority has agreed to provide $2.2 million worth of electronic devices for students who attend a new middle school in the district.

Development Authority Executive Director Charles McKenna said the state will determine what type of electronic devices to purchase for students depending on the technology in use three years from now when the school opens.

Rural Students Less Likely to Attend College

High school graduates from rural areas are less likely to head off to college, according to an article in The Hechinger Report.

This trend, the articles states, “has gotten lost in the impassioned debate over who gets to go to college, which often focuses on racial and ethnic minorities and students from low-income families.” The article also says that the reasons behind this trend “are as myriad as they are consequential.”