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As classrooms across the United States become more diverse, schools are working to hire more teachers of color, particularly black teachers. Some have actually done a reasonable job of bringing more African American educators in the door. Yet the vast majority of teachers remain white women, in part because many black teachers leave just a few years into the job. Federal data suggests that in 2012-13, nearly 22 percent of black public-school teachers moved schools or left the profession...

Many caregivers of older adults express satisfaction with their labors of love. But they often face challenges, especially when caring for people with chronic diseases such as dementia, diabetes, or heart failure. The day-to-day tasks may seem endless: arranging doctor’s appointments and transportation, moving the person safely around, ensuring proper nutrition, and much more. Difficult situations, such as hospitalization and making decisions about long-term care, also arise. The National...

Crumbs and stripes of jam are left behind on plates, sitting on a polka-dot tablecloth. Clusters of people lounge and chat on sofas and armchairs sprayed with floral patterns or stripes. The space “probably looks a lot like your grandma’s house,” says Maff Potts. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment.” It’s cozy and unpretentious; it invites plopping down and staying put for a while. Last spring, in cooperation with the local city council , Potts launched the space he calls the Living Room in...

Back in the 1980s, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was gripped in an economic crisis as it suffered the effects of de-industrialization: Its unemployment rate was triple that of Detroit’s today. “We basically died,” Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said on a recent press call. But, in a much- celebrated comeback story , the city came back to life. “In 30 years Pittsburgh changed its economy. It built out an entire new city of eds and meds, technology, finance and energy. Now we’re seeing a new...

"When I'm with my Mom I miss my Dad. When I'm with my Dad I miss my Mom. I'm always missing someone." Katie, my cousin said those words when she was not yet in first grade. It was heartbreaking and sad. When my daughter's Dad and I divorced, my daughter wasn't as emotional, at first. When we told her that her Dad and I were separating, and assured her, "It's not your fault," she said words I'll never forget. "Why would it be my fault?" She thought that was ridiculous and silly. That was a...

On Oct. 30, some local churches began a series called Hope > Despair. CrossWay Church, Hockinson Community Church, Landmark Church, Starting Grounds Church and Cherry Grove are coming together with a common goal in mind: ending teen isolation and suicide. To do so, the series will help attendees better understand Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). ACEs is a 20-year-old study that shows, depending on if one’s ACEs score is high or not, if one is more likely to have negative outcomes in...

The white casket is low enough for most of Jamyla Bolden’s elementary school classmates to gaze directly into the face of their friend, her eyes closed, her lashes long. A childish angel adorns the interior satin lid just above the fine profile of Jamyla’s face and gazes down wide-eyed on the children. A message beneath it reads, “You shall fly with new wings.” The children have come to the wake at Wade Funeral Home on an August evening to say goodbye to Jamyla, a fellow fourth-grader at...

Los Angeles County’s newly chosen chief probation officer and her new second in command, who will both take over in January, are entering LA’s troubled probation department at a pivotal moment. For the top position, LA’s Board of Supervisors selected former Assistant LA County Sheriff Terri McDonald who until recently was in charge of LA’s massive jail system. She had been brought in to put in place reform recommendations following a series of public scandals. To head the juvenile side of...

Intermountain (the founding organization of ChildWise Institute that started the movement, Elevate Montana ) was honored to be a source for a TIME cover story this week: "Anxiety, Depression and the Modern Adolescent." From the article: "Daniel Champer, the director of school-based services for Intermountain in Helena, Mont., says the one word he'd use to describe the kids in his state is overexposed. Montana's kids may be in a big, sparsely populated state, but they are not isolated...

It was a big week in Chicago. The Cubs finally broke through and won the World Series, and all of the intractable problems with child welfare were fixed. Okay, only one of those happened. But the city did play host to the sixth forum held by the Wicked Problems Institute (WP), which featured leaders who are laying the seeds of child welfare reform with more and better data. A project of the University North Carolina School of Social Work (UNC) and the Children’s Home Society of America...

A new survey has found that 1 in 5 California adults cohabitating with children were physically abused in their youth. One in 10 report having been sexually abused as children. Accurate data is essential to interventions in cycles of abuse. It’s difficult to get solid numbers on child abuse, since so much goes unreported, and child welfare advocates will sometimes file neglect reports to remove children from dangerous situations with allegations that are easier to prove . The data was...

Marysville, 814 kids. Mukilteo, 665. Everett, 625. Edmonds, 545. Lake Stevens, 294. Snohomish, 257. Stanwood-Camano, 174. Granite Falls, 167. Monroe, 165. Arlington, 137. Sultan, 87. And Washington? In all, 44,655 public school students statewide were given out-of-school short- or long-term suspensions or expulsions in 2015. That’s according to discipline-rate statistics on the state’s Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction website. Just numbers? No. They are lives. They are futures...