ELL News Headlines

Students all over Arizona are suspended for not showing up to class, whether it’s because they arrive late, leave campus midday or fail to make it at all, an investigation by The Hechinger Report and the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting has found. And, the data shows, Black, Latino and Native American students are frequently overrepresented among those blocked from class for missing class — what some argue is evidence of a potential civil rights violation.

On Nov. 8, Californians overwhelmingly passed Proposition 28, which will bring a windfall of arts education funding to California schools. Advocates say the investment is long overdue, as arts education has declined in most districts — particularly those in low-income areas — for decades. While the state requires arts education in grades one to six and a year of arts education in high school, it’s up to districts to decide how to fund and implement it. The result has been an inconsistent patchwork of arts programs that leave many children with little exposure to music, dance, art and other creative forms of expression. 

At first glance, the 60 trees that border Tehipite Middle School in Fresno may not look like much. Only a few years old, they are still short and thin, some supported by wooden poles on each side. But their potential is large, especially for the health of students and staff.

In response to book banning attempts that are disproportionately impacting diverse books and authors, We Need Diverse Books is launching "Books Save Lives," a new initiative to fight back against censorship and support students and authors.

Many immigrant dairy farm workers often live in inadequate housing. Because they work year-round, their accommodations are not subject to rules governing other migrant worker housing.

Virginia’s agriculture business has an economic impact of $70 billion annually, making it the state’s largest private industry. More than 300,000 people are employed by farms in Virginia, many of whom are immigrant farmworkers — those who come legally with worker visas and others who live in the shadows. 

Half of the people whose first language is Kodiak Alutiiq have died over the last few years. The Alaska Native Sun'aq Tribe estimates fewer than 20 remain, but that is not stopping new speakers from learning the endangered language and passing along a distinct culture and worldview to the next generations.

In a valley renowned for its world-class ski resorts and unrivaled outdoor recreation, with 14,000-foot peaks that pierce the horizon, five-star hotels, designer storefronts and multimillion-dollar mountainside mansions, there is a fleet of short, white buses stamped with geometric shapes. Parked in the lots of schools, churches and community centers, the buses are inconspicuous. Most passersby would overlook them, distracted by the natural beauty of their backdrop. But inside, day after day, small wonders are unfolding.

Sabaa Tahir's All My Rage won the 2022 National Book Award for Young People's Literature. To my fellow finalists and nominees, it has been the honor of a lifetime to read and hear your words," she said. "I am the first Muslim and Pakistani American woman to win this award in this category, so I must honor my Muslim sisters in too many places to count who are fighting for their lives, their autonomy, their bodies, and their right to live and tell their own stories without fear."