Not Just for College: A Guide to K-12 Scholarships

The start of a new school year can bring a mix of emotions for parents and children - from excitement and anticipation to anxiety and fear of the unknown. It's also a time when parents have to buy school supplies, clothes, uniforms, smart devices, and more. This article, however, will focus on the transition from being away from school to resuming the structured routine that is the essence of a public school education.

With some preparation, navigating this transition smoothly and setting your child up for success in their new grade is possible. Here's how to tackle the 'back to school' season, regardless of your child's grade level or family's circumstances.

With fears and potential adaptations still ahead for parents and children, return to school is always a time when parents and teachers revisit what is important for children and how to best support their positive development. Marilyn Price-Mitchell

PK-Kindergarten

Building a Routine

For many children, starting pre-K or kindergarten is their first taste of a structured daily routine. Establishing and practicing routines - like a consistent bedtime and a morning routine that includes getting dressed, brushing teeth, and eating breakfast - can help your child adjust more easily to the school day. Creating a visual schedule or using alarms and reminders can be valuable in maintaining consistency for families with single parents or busy schedules.

Reading Readiness

Strengthening pre-literacy skills can set the foundation for academic success. Simple activities like reading to your child daily, practicing

Let's talk about school tests. Remember those pop quizzes, final exams, and everything in between? Today, I'd like to introduce you to a type of assessment you may need to learn about - interim assessments. In an ever-evolving education landscape, these play a crucial role.

Understanding Interim Assessments

Interim assessments are like temperature checks for learning. They happen a few times throughout the school year, helping teachers gauge where students are in their learning process. Unlike the pop quizzes (formative assessments) that check daily learning or the end-of-year exams (summative assessments) that measure what a student has learned, interim assessments sit snugly in between. These can be benchmarks to compare student learning against standards, diagnostics to pinpoint specific gaps, or progress monitoring tests to see how well a student is advancing in their learning journey.

The Importance of Interim Assessments

Think of your child's learning journey as a road trip. You wouldn't want to drive across the country without a GPS or roadmap, right? Interim assessments are like GPS, providing regular updates on where the students are and helping teachers navigate the teaching process more effectively. They allow teachers to adapt their instruction to meet your child's needs. As a parent, they give you a more nuanced understanding of your child's progress beyond the report cards and parent-teacher meetings.

This video shows the approach to planning interim assessment tests that the Connecticut Department of Education takes.

Our children were born in the early 70s. There was no Internet. Indeed, there were no smartphones, computers, or tablets. Instead, our kids had a mother who read to them when they were a few weeks old. She also taught them how to read. We had books everywhere. As a result, our children became voracious readers. They read fiction and non-fiction. It's no wonder both daughters earned degrees in American Language and Literature. That's why we must take the current controversy over book banning seriously.

The freedom to read is a fundamental right that forms the cornerstone of a robust democratic society. However, banning books in public K-12 schools has periodically surfaced throughout history, bringing this freedom under scrutiny. The American Library Association (ALA) records numerous instances of censorship challenges, highlighting the pervasive nature of this issue.

This video from PBS News reports on the top 10 books people have tried to ban.

Historical Examples

The negative impact of banning books in education becomes apparent when examining historical cases. A notable example includes Ray Bradbury's dystopian novel "Fahrenhei 451," ironically a commentary on the dangers of censorship itself, which frequently landed on the ALA's list of challenged books due to its "offensive language" and "unsuited to age group" complaints.

Similarly, Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird," lauded for its penetrating exploration of racial inequality, has been frequently challenged or removed due to its

Segregation in K-12 education has been a persistent issue throughout American history, with its roots tracing back to the Colonial Era. This essay examines the origins of segregation in K-12 education during that time and explores the differential treatment experienced by Native American, African American, and white students. By delving into the historical context and citing relevant sources, we can better understand how educational disparities based on race and ethnicity were established and perpetuated.

The Post-Revolutionary War Era marked a critical period in American history when the foundations of segregation in K-12 education were solidified. This essay delves into the historical context of this era and explores the consolidation of racial disparities in education. By examining the policies, attitudes, and events that shaped educational segregation, we can gain insights into the enduring consequences of this era.

The transition from Colonial to State Control

The Emergence of State Control over Education

With the end of the Revolutionary War, control over education shifted from colonial and religious institutions to state governments. This transition facilitated the consolidation of power in shaping educational policies.

Early State Laws and Segregated Education

Many states enacted laws during this era that explicitly segregated education based on race. For example, Massachusetts passed a law in 1789 requiring the establishment of racially separate schools, perpetuating educational disparities.

Expanding Racial Disparities in Education

Limited Educational Opportunities for African-American Students

African-American students faced severe limitations in accessing formal education. Many southern states enacted laws that explicitly prohibited the