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Articles by Maya Pottiger
Should Black Parents Trust Schools to Teach Their Kids How to Read?
Discover the importance of Black parents trusting schools to teach kids to read and how it can empower and break barriers for Black children. Between summer camp, family vacations, and partaking in some well-deserved rest and relaxation, reading is often not at the top of students’ list of summer priorities. But it should be. Though reading achievements have improved in nearly every grade level since Spring 2021, they still aren’t quite reaching pre-pandemic levels.
Reporter’s notebook: Exiting the education beat
Not many people are fortunate enough to be with a company at its humble beginnings and watch it grow. But I have been. I started as Word In Black’s education data reporter on March 17, 2021. It was my 26th birthday. I was the first — and only — staff member. The commitment was just 20 hours per week. We didn’t even have a website. Now, nearly three years later, my role is full-time and I am part of a team of 10 covering topics from health to finance to climate justice.
Is Book Banning Here to Stay?
There is already a 20% increase in attempted book bans compared to the same period in 2022. Book bans aren’t going anywhere. In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts nationwide to censor library materials and services, according to a new report from ALA.
Teaching Black Teens the Signs of Dating Violence
Officially, about 1 in 3 teens in the United States experiences teen dating violence. But those are only the reported numbers. This story is part of “Love Don’t Live Here” Word In Black’s series about how domestic violence impacts our community and what we can do about it. Trigger Warning: These stories contain mention of domestic violence and abuse. Back in the 1990s, everyone was jealous of their classmate who had a phone in their room — doubly so if it was a private line.
Teen Dating Violence: Alarming Rates and Hidden Dangers Revealed
Officially, about 1 in 3 teens in the United States experiences teen dating violence. But those are only the reported numbers. This story is part of “Love Don’t Live Here” Word In Black’s series about how domestic violence impacts our community and what we can do about it. Trigger Warning: These stories contain mention of domestic violence and abuse. Back in the 1990s, everyone was jealous of their classmate who had a phone in their room — doubly so if it was a private line.
Should You Delay Your Child Starting Kindergarten?
When the 2023-2024 school year began across the country, not all kindergarten-aged children started their academic careers. This is due to academic redshirting. Redshirting is a common practice in college sports, where an athlete is part of the team but sits out of gameplay, padding out their four years of eligibility. But what does it mean for kindergarteners?
Schools Aren’t Prepared to Handle Racist Bullying
Despite making up only 15% of the public school population, Black students were 35% of those who reported being bullied because of their race. Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
Schools aren’t prepared to handle racist bullying
Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August. data Despite making up only 15% of the public school population, Black students were 35% of those who reported being bullied because of their race, according to a 2018 report by the U.S. Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data Collection.
8 types of household filters you may be forgetting to clean
Nobody wants more items to check off the to-clean list. But chances are there are some things you’re missing: appliance filters. From your refrigerator to your air purifier, filters throughout your home are sucking up particles so you don’t ingest them. And if those filters aren’t maintained, not only will your environment suffer, so will the appliance.
Black students bullied more than other races, according to U.S. Department of Education report
Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
Black students disproportionately affected by race-based bullying
Word in Black is a collaboration of 10 of the nation’s leading Black publishers that frames the narrative and fosters solutions for racial inequities in America. Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
Reporter's Notebook: Exiting the Education Beat
Not many people are fortunate enough to be with a company at its humble beginnings and watch it grow. But I have been. I started as Word In Black’s education data reporter on March 17, 2021. It was my 26th birthday. I was the first — and only — staff member. The commitment was just 20 hours per week. We didn’t even have a website. Now, nearly three years later, my role is full-time and I am part of a team of 10 covering topics from health to finance to climate justice.
8 types of household filters you may be forgetting to clean
Nobody wants more items to check off the to-clean list. But chances are there are some things you’re missing: appliance filters. From your refrigerator to your air purifier, filters throughout your home are sucking up particles so you don’t ingest them. And if those filters aren’t maintained, not only will your environment suffer, so will the appliance.
Schools Aren’t Prepared to Handle Racist Bullying
Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
Schools Aren’t Prepared To Handle Racist Bullying
This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country. by Maya Pottiger Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
EPA Promised to Address Environmental Racism. Then States Pushed Back.
This story was produced as part of a collaboration with the Center for Public Integrity, a newsroom that investigates inequality. By Yvette Cabrera, Jamie Smith Hopkins, and Grey Moran FLINT, Mich. — Civil rights law offers a tool for communities of color trying to stop unequal exposure to pollution. Over and over, people here have tried to make it work.
Residents of a Rural Arkansas County Grapple With Endemic Gun Violence
By Renuka Rayasam ELAINE, Ark. — On a recent September afternoon, Courtney Porter counted his losses: his mom from old age, his wife from diabetes complications, two of his brothers. While one died of an aneurysm, the shooting death last year of his younger brother, Patro, hit the hardest. “It tore me up, real bad,” said Porter, 50, from the Stop N Shop, a defunct gas station that is now a convenience shop. “I’ll never get over it.” Patro, who was 46 when he died, was a barber.
Schools Aren’t Prepared to Handle Racist Bullying
Breana Calloway stood in front of the Illinois State Senate in March to testify in favor of the Racism Free Schools Act. It passed the Senate unanimously, passed through the House, and was signed into law in August.
8 types of household filters you may be forgetting to clean
Nobody wants more items to check off the to-clean list. But chances are there are some things you’re missing: appliance filters. From your refrigerator to your air purifier, filters throughout your home are sucking up particles so you don’t ingest them. And if those filters aren’t maintained, not only will your environment suffer, so will the appliance.
Teaching Black Teens the Signs of Dating Violence
Back in the 1990s, everyone was jealous of their classmate who had a phone in their room — doubly so if it was a private line. Otherwise, your parents could pick up in another room and listen in to your conversations, or at least know who you were talking to and when. But with the dominance of cell phones, teens can live entire lives their parents don’t know about. And that makes it harder to see, let alone identify, teen dating violence. It also means that teen dating violence has changed.
Teaching Black Teens the Signs of Dating Violence
Back in the 1990s, everyone was jealous of their classmate who had a phone in their room — doubly so if it was a private line. Otherwise, your parents could pick up in another room and listen in to your conversations, or at least know who you were talking to and when. But with the dominance of cell phones, teens can live entire lives their parents don’t know about. And that makes it harder to see, let alone identify, teen dating violence. It also means that teen dating violence has changed.
Schools Still Aren’t Teaching Culturally Responsive Books
By White authors are represented in school curricula nearly seven times more than Black authors, according to a new report from the Education Trust. Of the 300 books in the sample, 77% featured at least one white author or illustrator. The report, released in September, analyzed representation in widely used grade school books.
Mothers of Color Can’t See if Providers Have a History of Mistreatment. Why Not?
By Sarah Kwon When Selam Solomon Caldwell and her husband learned she was pregnant last year, the stakes for finding the right OB-GYN felt high. Caldwell, a Black woman, had heard stories from family and friends of maternity care providers who ignored their requests or pressured them into cesarean sections without clear medical justification. As a relative newcomer to Los Angeles, the recruiter, now 31, knew few Black people who could recommend doctors who had treated them with respect.
Schools Still Aren’t Teaching Culturally Responsive Books
This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country. by Maya Pottiger White authors are represented in school curricula nearly seven times more than Black authors, according to a new report from the Education Trust. Of the 300 books in the sample, 77% featured at least one white author or illustrator.
Schools Still Aren’t Teaching Culturally Responsive Books
This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country. by Maya Pottiger White authors are represented in school curricula nearly seven times more than Black authors, according to a new report from the Education Trust. Of the 300 books in the sample, 77% featured at least one white author or illustrator.
Choosing to Love and Protect Black LGBTQ+ Students
Education is the cornerstone of democracy, and right now, it’s under attack. In September, the Center for Democracy and Technology released a new report exposing public schools in the U.S. for filtering and blocking LGBTQ+ and race-related content at higher rates than other texts. From limiting lessons on Black history to banning books with LGBTQ+ characters, it comes as no surprise that LGBTQ+ and Black students are feeling less safe at school.
Is book banning here to stay?
By Contributing Writer Book bans aren’t going anywhere. In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts nationwide to censor library materials and services, according to a new report from ALA. This translates to challenges against 1,915 different titles — a 20% increase from the same period in 2022, which already set a record for the number of book challenges since ALA started keeping count more than 20 years ago.
Is book banning here to stay?
By Contributing Writer Book bans aren’t going anywhere. In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts nationwide to censor library materials and services, according to a new report from ALA. This translates to challenges against 1,915 different titles — a 20% increase from the same period in 2022, which already set a record for the number of book challenges since ALA started keeping count more than 20 years ago.
Schools Still Aren’t Teaching Culturally Responsive Books
White authors are represented in school curricula nearly seven times more than Black authors, according to a new report from the Education Trust. Of the 300 books in the sample, 77% featured at least one white author or illustrator. The report, released in September, analyzed representation in widely used grade school books.
We Need to Talk About Preschool Suspensions
“You have to promise me that you’re going to make sure he doesn’t get kicked out of school.” This was the first thing a parent told Tara Kirton, who was working at the time as a one-on-one traveling teacher for special education preschool students. Preschool suspensions have been studied since the late ‘90s, and rates have been relatively unchanged since then, according to a 2022 paper.
Barriers blocking Black students from advanced classes
Texas Black and Latino students in advanced courses miss out compared to their white peers. Oct 6, 2023 - 22:30 1 Amir Cannon struggled taking International Baccalaureate classes, a rigorous option similar to the College Board’s Advanced Placement program, in their junior and senior year of high school. The program, Cannon explained, treats students like a “monolithic body” with a “blanketed curriculum” instead of navigating different learning styles and helping to support everyone.
New Tools Empower Black Communities On the Frontlines of Climate Change
It’s no exaggeration to say that nearly all of LaPlace, Louisiana flooded when Hurricane Ida hit the small town just upriver from New Orleans as a category 4 storm two years ago. Almost 60 percent of the 7,000 homes in the greater Saint John the Baptist Parish that are covered by the National Flood Insurance Program had to file a claim after the storm, which also left millions in southeastern Louisiana without power for upward of two weeks.
Should You Delay Your Child Starting Kindergarten?
Delaying the start of kindergarten has proven short-term benefits. But is it harmful in the long run? As the 2023-2024 school year starts across the country, not all kindergarten-aged children will be starting their academic careers. This is due to academic redshirting. Redshirting is a common practice in college sports, where an athlete is part of the team but sits out of gameplay, padding out their four years of eligibility. But what does it mean for kindergarteners?
Florida Isn’t the Only State Banning Books
by Aziah Siid and Maya Pottiger What student doesn’t want to see — or read — characters that remind them of themselves, their loved ones, and their own experiences? But this concept is fueling a raging war on the written word across the United States. Conservative-led school boards and parent groups are successfully stripping literature centered on race and the LGBTQ+ community from classrooms. These book bans follow state legislative moves to limit teaching on such topics.
Electing the First Black Speaker of the House Depends on You
The significance of each congressional seat has been brought into sharp focus after an unprecedented vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3 saw California Republican Kevin McCarthy removed from the top leadership post as Speaker of the House. Against this backdrop, the possibility of the Democrats gaining control of the House introduces the prospect of a historic shift: If we take action on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, we will have, almost certainly, the first Black Speaker of the House in United States history.
Black Voter Turnout Matters More Than Ever
The significance of each congressional seat has been brought into sharp focus after an unprecedented vote on Tuesday, Oct. 3 saw California Republican Kevin McCarthy removed from the top leadership post as Speaker of the House. Against this backdrop, the possibility of the Democrats gaining control of the House introduces the prospect of a historic shift: If we take action on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, we will have, almost certainly, the first Black Speaker of the House in United States history.
Is Book Banning Here To Stay?
by Maya Pottiger In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts nationwide to censor library materials and services, according to a new report from ALA. This translates to challenges against 1,915 different titles — a 20% increase from the same period in 2022, which already set a record for the number of book challenges since ALA started keeping count more than 20 years ago. If anything, book bans are evolving.
Florida Isn’t the Only State Banning Books
What student doesn’t want to see — or read — characters that remind them of themselves, their loved ones, and their own experiences? But this concept is fueling a raging war on the written word across the United States. Conservative-led school boards and parent groups are successfully stripping literature centered on race and the LGBTQ+ community from classrooms. RELATED: Is Book Banning Here to Stay? These book bans follow state legislative moves to limit teaching on such topics.
Florida Isn’t the Only State Banning Books
What student doesn’t want to see — or read — characters that remind them of themselves, their loved ones, and their own experiences? But this concept is fueling a raging war on the written word across the United States. Conservative-led school boards and parent groups are successfully stripping literature centered on race and the LGBTQ+ community from classrooms. RELATED: Is Book Banning Here to Stay? These book bans follow state legislative moves to limit teaching on such topics.
Is Book Banning Here to Stay?
Book bans aren’t going anywhere. In the first eight months of 2023, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom reported 695 attempts nationwide to censor library materials and services, according to a new report from ALA. This translates to challenges against 1,915 different titles — a 20% increase from the same period in 2022, which already set a record for the number of book challenges since ALA started keeping count more than 20 years ago.
We need to talk about preschool suspensions
“You have to promise me that you’re going to make sure he doesn’t get kicked out of school.” This was the first thing a parent told Tara Kirton, who was working at the time as a one-on-one traveling teacher for special education preschool students. Preschool suspensions have been studied since the late ‘90s, and rates have been relatively unchanged since then, according to a 2022 paper.
Should Black Parents Worry About a 4-Day School Week?
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, educators, and parents have been playing catch up. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report showed devastating declines in math and reading achievement levels. On top of that, schools nationwide continue to struggle with chronic absenteeism and staffing shortages.
We Need to Talk About Preschool Suspensions
This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country. by Maya Pottiger “You have to promise me that you’re going to make sure he doesn’t get kicked out of school.” This was the first thing a parent told Tara Kirton, who was working at the time as a one-on-one traveling teacher for special education preschool students.
Are 4-day school weeks in our immediate future?
By Contributing Writer As schools returned to in-person instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul Thompson thought things would go one of two ways. Thompson, an associate professor of economics at Oregon State University, thought schools would push back on learning in remote environments or shortening the school year, having experienced the challenges they caused.
Are 4-day school weeks in our immediate future?
By Contributing Writer As schools returned to in-person instruction following the COVID-19 pandemic, Paul Thompson thought things would go one of two ways. Thompson, an associate professor of economics at Oregon State University, thought schools would push back on learning in remote environments or shortening the school year, having experienced the challenges they caused.
We Need to Talk About Preschool Suspensions
“You have to promise me that you’re going to make sure he doesn’t get kicked out of school.” This was the first thing a parent told Tara Kirton, who was working at the time as a one-on-one traveling teacher for special education preschool students. Preschool suspensions have been studied since the late ‘90s, and rates have been relatively unchanged since then, according to a 2022 paper.
Should Black Parents Worry About a 4-Day School Week?
By Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, educators, and parents have been playing catch up. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report showed devastating declines in math and reading achievement levels. On top of that, schools nationwide continue to struggle with chronic absenteeism and staffing shortages.
Should Black Parents Worry About A 4-Day School Week?
This article is one of a series of articles produced by Word in Black through support provided by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Word In Black is a collaborative of 10 Black-owned media outlets across the country. by Maya Pottiger Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, educators, and parents have been playing catch up. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report showed devastating declines in math and reading achievement levels.
Should Black Parents Worry About a 4-Day School Week?
Coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers, educators, and parents have been playing catch up. The recent National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report showed devastating declines in math and reading achievement levels. On top of that, schools nationwide continue to struggle with chronic absenteeism and staffing shortages.
Should You Delay Your Child Starting Kindergarten?
Categories: commentary, By Maya Pottiger As the 2023-2024 school year starts across the country, not all kindergarten-aged children will be starting their academic careers. This is due to academic redshirting. Redshirting is a common practice in college sports, where an athlete is part of the team but sits out of gameplay, padding out their four years of eligibility. But what does it mean for kindergarteners?
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