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Dear reader,  

The question of who decides what textbooks are assigned to students has become increasingly divisive, but a new law passed in the state of Idaho makes it mandatory for parents to have a say. That, in turn, is reshaping what is or isn’t in the curriculum and determining how subjects like climate change and social movements are discussed in the state, Hechinger contributor Laura Pappano reports from Twin Falls.   

Also this week, we dive back into the largely poor and rural state of Mississippi, where we spent years reporting on lagging test scores, and where there’s been much publicity over a so-called education “miracle.” Hechinger intern Alivia Welch takes us inside the story of two nine-year-old students from Jackson who did not pass the state’s reading test the first time and benefited from a little help from the Mississippi Children’s Museum.  

We also profile four would-be teachers who graduated into the pandemic to see if they stuck with the profession and learn how the education system can adapt to hold onto its younger teachers. And we take a closer look at the latest research on another fraught topic in education, social and emotional learning.  

As always, we want to hear from our readers. Please remind others to sign up for our free newsletters and consider becoming a member. 

Liz Willen, Editor

Who picks school curriculum? Idaho law hands more power to parents 
New law expanding input from non-educators forces good but tough conversations in some districts, but sets up gridlock in others 

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For many Mississippi students, summer meant one last chance to be promoted to fourth grade 
Last school year, nearly a quarter of the state’s third graders did not pass an important reading test on their first try. What will get more children over the bar? 

These would-be teachers graduated into the pandemic. Will they stick with teaching? 
We tracked down nearly 90 members of the University of Maryland College of Education’s 2020 class. Their experiences suggest the field isn’t doing enough to adapt to a new, more difficult era for educators 

PROOF POINTS: A research update on social-emotional learning in schools 
Schools spend millions on programs despite little hard evidence to show what works 

OPINION: Lessons from Mississippi: Is there really a miracle here we can all learn from? 
A closer look at what happened to reading scores in a state where students have long lagged behind 

The Supreme Court affirmative action decision left a head-scratching exemption for military academies. Here’s why it matters 
Like many colleges, military academies told the Court that affirmative action mattered to them, yet only they were exempted from the SCOTUS ruling 

Millions of kids are missing weeks of school as attendance tanks across the US 
More than a quarter of students missed at least 10 percent of the 2021-22 school year. Before the pandemic, only 15 percent of students missed that much school 

OPINION: Tackling research projects can help students get into top colleges and universities 
Research opportunities are a great way to demonstrate intellectual passion and potential, but high costs leave some behind 

Infants and toddlers in high quality child care seem to reap the benefits longer, research says 
New study finds long-term enrollment in high-quality child care can make the positive effects last