Wealthy, white communities are seceding to form new school districts
And their secession is taking money from poorer schools, a new report from the nonprofit EdBuild finds.
Since 2000, 71 communities have attempted to secede from their school districts following this pattern; 47 have succeeded.
Thirty states "have processes codified in state law that allow for secession," according to EdBuild. Among those profiled in the report are Tennessee, Louisiana and Colorado — which brings us to ...
Colorado firearms training for teachers
At some schools in Colorado, teachers are undergoing firearms training. The training, offered by an Ohio-based pro-gun group known as Faculty Administrator Safety Training and Emergency Response (FASTER), allows "teachers, administrators, and other personnel to stop school violence rapidly" and "administer medical aid where necessary," the BBC reports.
FASTER was organized in the aftermath of the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting, in which 26 teachers and elementary students were killed. Colorado law allows firearms to be carried in public places provided they are in plain view.
Dallas schools aim for diversity
The Dallas school system, one of the most segregated in the country, is making great efforts to integrate, The New York Times reports.
The district plans to open more than 35 new schools in the next three years, with themes such as single-sex education, science, the arts and dual-language programs, in the hope of enticing more white and college-educated families. They are also taking the unusual step of reserving seats at some schools for non-poor students, even those who come from outside the district.
The district went from a majority white population before desegregation in 1960 to a 93 percent black and Hispanic student body today. Dallas is one of a few cities pushing for integration, as nationwide, public schools are more segregated than they were in 1970.
Stephens College creates first women's 'esports' team
Video games played as a spectator sport, known as esports, are on the rise, and Stephens College wants to be ahead of the curve. This fall the small, private, women's college in Columbia, Mo., will have its first all-women's collegiate varsity esports team in the nation.
"There isn't any reason that women shouldn't be competitive in esports, just as they're competitive at any other sport," the president of Stephens College, Dianne Lynch, told KOMU. The school will offer esports scholarships too.