Here’s what we’re reading this week:

 

U.S. school districts prepare for influx of Puerto Ricans

Hurricane Maria brought catastrophic destruction and loss of life to Puerto Rico, and now the island’s residents are looking to rebuild and restart. U.S. school districts are preparing for an influx of Puerto Rican students, and we hope that they all find safe and welcoming classrooms to learn, grow, and rebuild in.

While the rest of the world invests more in education, the U.S. spends less

While the rest of the world bets big on education, the U.S. is scaling back. And though the U.S. still spends more per student than most countries, it’s worth noting that even countries that spend far less than the U.S. often outshine our education system by investing their dollars differently.

Learning while homeless

The number of students forced to balance learning with the struggles of homelessness is on the rise, and many schools don’t have the resources to even identify homeless students, let alone offer them the support they need.

'De-colonizing the curriculum' critical to improving outcomes for students of color

Experts say that investing in culturally relevant course materials will go a long way toward engaging students of color. Research shows that students disengage as a defense mechanism against curriculum that doesn’t apply to their lives.

Writing to heal: NOLA program uses poetry, essays to help students confront trauma

Police brutality doesn’t just affect the victims and their families—communities also feel the trauma of violence. WriteBrained, a project based in New Orleans, is helping students process that trauma through creative writing and poetry.