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The Great Divide
Race, class, and opportunity in our schools.

Middle schools in Norway banned smartphones. The benefits were dramatic, a study shows.

The long-running debate over whether to ban smartphones in schools has intensified in recent months. This week, social media was abuzz about a study from Norway earlier this year that showed bans can have real impacts.

Columbia protester who said ‘Zionists don’t deserve to live’ was fiery student representative on Boston School Committee
Khymani James is a Boston Latin Academy graduate and former Boston School Committee student representative. While James was a high school student in Boston, he was outspoken in public spaces and didn’t shy away from confrontation.

Former Miss Hall’s School teacher investigated after four former students allege sexual assault
Berkshire District Attorney Timothy Shugrue’s office said it is investigating allegations against Matthew S. Rutledge, a history teacher at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield who resigned last month.

Within 14 hours, a team of Andover high schoolers tackled the housing crisis — with math

A Phillips Academy math team was named a finalist in an international competition for its models suggesting solutions to housing shortages and homelessness.

Who got into Boston’s exam schools this fall? BPS offers an initial glimpse at the data.

The data did not include a demographic breakdown by race, ethnicity, or income status — that is expected to be released in the coming weeks as part of a more comprehensive data analysis.

Judge changes ruling following Braintree eighth-grader’s anxiety attack, trip to hospital

Fourteen-year-old Samantha Frechon had enrolled, per the judge's earlier order, at a regular public school for the first time since she was eight.

About The Great Divide

The Great Divide is a reporting effort dedicated to investigating race, class, and inequality in Boston-area schools. It is jointly funded by the Globe and the Barr Foundation, a Boston-based foundation that has prioritized student success in high school and beyond. The Globe maintains editorial control and independence over the project.

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April 24: For Braintree student who hadn’t been to school all year, her first day back was grueling.April 17: This Braintree teen hasn’t been to school a single day this year. Is a broken special education system to blame?April 11: BPS renames school for civil rights education activist Ruth BatsonClick here to see past issues

Education Headlines

‘This work takes time’: BPS delays proposals for future closures and new buildings

The School Committee was due to vote by the end of April on proposals for new investments, mergers, and closures, according to a district plan.

Student stabbed during fight at TechBoston Academy in Dorchester

The school was placed in “safe mode” for about 20 minutes following the altercation, and the alleged assailant was taken into custody by Boston police, officials said.

Anxiety can impede student learning. Share your experience with the Globe.

Federal data show more than 1 in 5 teens in recent years reported dealing with symptoms of anxiety, and studies have found rates of anxiety symptoms in children doubled over the pandemic.

NH EDUCATION

Top N.H. education official spreads abortion claim without evidence

In an op-ed, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut suggested a teacher had been accused of lying to help hide a student’s abortion — but he hasn’t responded to questions about whether the accusation was credible

THE GREAT DIVIDE

For Braintree student who hadn’t been to school all year, her first day back was grueling. Her second was worse.

What transpired on that first day back was overshadowed by the events of the second — a gut-wrenching sequence that would involve Braintree police and end with the 14-year-old being transported to the hospital.

RI EDUCATION

Families sue over impending closure of small, unique Providence high school

The class-action suit claims the district is violating the rights of Spanish-speaking students by ceasing operations at 360 High School at the end of this school year.

Here are the top Massachusetts high schools, according to US News & World Report

The annual rankings evaluated more than 17,600 public high schools on factors such as college readiness, college curriculum, and results on state assessments.

Could helicopter parenting and a decline in ‘free play’ be causing the youth mental health crisis?

Boston College professor Peter Gray says screen time and social media aren’t the problem.