Aug 12, 2020, 3:05 PM
(From The Hechinger Report) In one Mississippi district, many more Black families than white are keeping their children home. About 52% of the students who will stay at home for at least the first two months of the school year are Black, even though Black children account for only a third of the district’s enrollment. That finding tallies with recent data from the Understanding America Study, which found that almost 70% of Black households with school-aged children said they support or strongly support keeping all instruction online, compared to only 32% of white parents. The trend could become national, as communities of color continue to be hit harder by the disease due to existing social inequalities, according to education journalist Bracey Harris.
More from The Hechinger Report
(From Inside Higher Ed) On August 7, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit upheld a lower court ruling to allow transgender students to use bathrooms that align with their gender identity. In the 2-1 decision, the federal appeals court concluded that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law prohibiting sex discrimination at federally funded institutions, also protects transgender students from discrimination based on their identity.
The ruling comes weeks after the United States Supreme Court's historic June 15 decision about LGBTQ workers' rights. It could impact how schools in the 11th Circuit, which encompasses Alabama, Florida and Georgia, implement bathroom policies and could subject schools within the states to Title IX lawsuits related to discrimination against transgender students more broadly.
(From CNN) A new study from Duke University provides new insight into the effectiveness of various types of masks. The study analyzed more than a dozen different facial coverings ranging from hospital-grade N95 respirators to bandanas. Of the 14 masks and other coverings tested, the study found that some easily accessible cotton cloth masks are about as effective as standard surgical masks, while popular alternatives such as neck gaiters made of thin, stretchy material may be worse than not wearing a mask at all. Other types of face coverings that may fall into that category are bandanas and knitted masks, as well as N95 mask with an exhalation valve. “It’s not the case that any mask is better than nothing,” said Duke’s Martin Fischer. “There are some masks that actually hurt rather than do good.”
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