A few days ago, the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) concluded its annual conference in Anaheim, California, and the theme was “Leading Critical Conversations: Human Rights are Global Rights”. Since then, the conference has been the center of discussion on Social Work Twitter due to the unaddressed sexual harassment allegations reported to senior CSWE […]

View Full Article - When Reporters of Sexual Harassment Are Silenced By Advocacy Institutions the Harm is Far Worst

Survivors of Sex Trafficking: It’s Not as Simple as ‘Get a Job’ What happens to individuals in underserved communities who have survived sex trafficking and exploitation? According to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, a great number of these individuals have been coerced, forced, or engaged in ‘The Life’ due to poverty and other conditions […]

View Full Article - Human Trafficking Case Manager and Research Analyst Focus Group

Social workers aren’t always associated with public education. Their roles in social service delivery, legal arenas, and advocacy are often more readily recognized. However, social workers provide vital support within our education system and contribute meaningfully to helping countless children progress through primary and secondary education in the United States every year. The Social Worker’s […]

View Full Article - The Positive Impact Social Work Can Have on Public Education

Over the past few decades, there has been increasing recognition of the widespread and profound impact of trauma on individuals and communities. The results of an international mental health survey suggest that traumatic events have affected over 70 percent of the population which can lead to prolonged physical and psychological harm. These findings have transformed […]

View Full Article - How Social Workers Can Practice Trauma-Informed Care

Project-based learning (PBL) may not be the first thing that teachers consider when planning for remote or hybrid lessons. However, with a little creativity and an organized approach, project-based learning can engage students in a way that may be lacking during typical virtual instruction. So what is it, exactly? PBL, simply put, is an approach […]

View Full Article - Project-Based Learning for the Virtual Classroom

By Mary King and Lisa Dodson In November 2020, voters in Multnomah County, home to the city of Portland, resoundingly approved the creation of a new, universal preschool program—a program that could serve as a model for desperately needed preschool and childcare investments for the entire country. All three- and four-year-olds in Multnomah county will be able […]

View Full Article - New Preschool Program in Oregon is a Model for the Nation—But Challenges Remain

Diversity is big business in the academy. Foundations such as Ford, Carnegie, and Robert Wood Johnson support academic efforts to diversify the professoriate; and colleges and universities across the country are investing significant resources in diversity efforts. Furthermore, the academy has begun hiring chief diversity officers, following corporate sector trends — 60% of Fortune 500 companies […]

View Full Article - Why Political Science Can and Should Lead Diversity Efforts in Higher Education

Though virtual learning is seemingly becoming less commonplace across the country, it’s still certainly around and likely will be for some time. And we all know that virtual learning has its challenges. Especially when it comes to differentiating in the virtual classroom. For students with special education accommodations, teachers will need to get creative in […]

View Full Article - Zoom Differentiation and Accommodations

In recent years, the idea of tuition-free colleges and universities in the United States has made its way into mainstream political debates. In many ways, this idea makes good economic sense. Federal subsidies that help state governments eliminate undergraduate tuition and fees at public universities shift tax burdens to the federal government. This, in turn, […]

View Full Article - Why State Spending on Higher Education May Not Improve the Economy in Many States

The University at Albany has been awarded nearly $1 million for the creation of a five-year, comprehensive program aimed at preventing HIV infections and substance use disorders among students. The Achieving College Completion through Engaged Support Services program (Project ACCESS) will provide timely and responsive HIV prevention services to students, particularly those from the LGBTQ+ […]

View Full Article - UAlbany Receives $1M for Program to Prevent HIV and Substance Abuse

The number of students who enroll in college and take on debt without receiving a college degree is striking. Of all students enrolled in America’s public four-year universities, less than 60 percent will graduate with a degree within six years. Even fewer enrollees graduate from two-year colleges, where only about 30 percent earn a credential […]

View Full Article - Why Performance-Based Funding Fails to Improve College Graduation Rates – and How States Can Do Better

Calls to increase the number of teachers of color, specifically African American teachers, have intensified over the past decade. Educators and their organizations, school administrators, and policymakers increasingly agree that a lack of diversity among teachers hurts U.S. students. But this is not the first time this problem has been highlighted, so we must learn […]

View Full Article - Why America Needs More African American Teachers – and How to Recruit and Retain Them

Debates about the value and meaning of public education are not just about report cards and standardized test scores. The hope is that public education will equip youth with what they need to reach their full potential and flourish as the next generation of citizens. To achieve this goal, most people realize that public schools […]

View Full Article - How Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Schools Prepares Young People to Thrive in a Multiracial Society

As COVID-19 took its toll on the U.S. in 2020, the numbers began to show that not everyone was equally affected by the virus. Data from the CDC and National Center for Health Statistics showed Black and Latinx populations were almost three times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than white populations, and it was two […]

View Full Article - The Push for Healthy Communities

As discussed in parts one and two, social emotional learning (SEL) skills have become an even greater focus now that students are limited in their opportunities to socialize, collaborate, and communicate with peers in person at school. By the time students reach middle school, the basic foundational skills for social-emotional intelligence are in place. Preteens […]

View Full Article - Social Emotional Learning Skills by Grade Level: Part III

As discussed in part one, social emotional learning (SEL) skills have become an even greater focus now that students are limited in their opportunities to socialize, collaborate, and communicate with peers in person at school. We all know that academics are just one facet of education; the SEL skills that students learn and develop when in school are […]

View Full Article - Social Emotional Skills by Grade Level, Part II

Social and emotional (SEL) skills involve more than just the concepts surrounding educational buzzwords like growth mindset, grit, and self-advocacy. SEL skills are being emphasized at an even greater extent now that students are limited in their opportunities to socialize, collaborate, and communicate with peers in person. Distance learning and virtual schooling created various obstacles […]

View Full Article - Social Emotional Learning Skills by Grade Level, Part I

Distance learning has been hard on everyone, but even more so for families dealing with the challenges associated with executive dysfunction. In part one, we discussed the basic background of executive functioning skills, the effects of having executive dysfunction, and the way in which educators can implement strategies even during hybrid or distance learning. Now […]

View Full Article - Executive Functioning and Distance Learning: Part II

Many of us don’t actually remember learning how to read. We may remember sitting on our kindergarten carpet squares, picking out new picture books at the school book fair, or feeling the excitement of turning the final page of a book read independently for the first time. Those fond memories are certainly associated with the […]

View Full Article - Essential Building Blocks for Reading Comprehension

I taught special education in a sub-separate classroom for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I’ve also worked as a paraprofessional in inclusion classrooms with students with learning disabilities, health disabilities, and mental health disabilities. I’ve planned lessons and units and activities. While I’m far from the most experienced teacher in the world (and far […]

View Full Article - On the Inherent Ableism in Thinking You’re a Good Teacher