Written for Teach for America | May 4, 2021
In what has been the hardest year in recent memory, Teach For America Colorado's teachers are showing up stronger than ever to support our state's most underserved students. We're telling their stories — see below for David's experience and take a look at Denver teacher Piper Mik's reflections on a year of remote learning.
When schools transitioned online last March, high school chemistry teacher David Conner (Colorado '20) was relieved on behalf of older educators and community members with a higher risk of serious outcomes if they contracted the virus. And while it hasn’t all been smooth sailing since, he’s welcomed the opportunity to learn and adapt.
As the COVID-19 virus spreads, the Trump administration’s immigration policies continue to fuel agitation and fear that push many immigrants in the US into the shadows and prevent them from seeking medical care.
This year, Sesame Street celebrates its 50-year anniversary of preparing children for success all over the world.
Evanston, Illinois is taking a bold step on the path toward rebuilding communities razed by one of the most destructive periods in our nation’s past. In a historic first, Evanston established a $10 million reparations fund for black residents, funded by recreational marijuana tax revenue.
The Food and Drug Administration has granted a second “breakthrough therapy” designation to the Usona Institute to research psilocybin, AKA magic mushrooms, as an alternative treatment for major depressive disorder (MDD).
Prisons in multiple states are phasing in tablets and e-books for inmates to use for media and communication. Though the devices aren’t explicitly intended to replace physical books, contracts between corrections departments and private prisons have coincided with attempts to ban book donations. Since 2018, prisons in at least four states (Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Washington) have tried to implement bans on book donations, only relenting after public outcry, according to Reason.
In 2017, luxury rental properties made up 79% of all apartment construction in the U.S., according to a real estate report compiled by Yardi Matrix. That trend worsened into 2018, which also saw the national rental average reach an all-time high of $1,408 a month.
But wages for most Americans have hardly grown enough to keep up with high-end rental rates in most cities, leaving low-income renters stuck with few affordable and adequate living options.
After more than a decade, the Snoqualmie Tribe of the Puget Sound area was successful in regaining ownership of its land surrounding Snoqualmie Falls in western Washington.