Class Disrupted listened to kids about big issues facing education
As the fourth and final installment of Class Disrupted rolls out, I’ve been reflecting on how each part has taken on a deeper meaning this year.
As First Amendment reporter Angele Latham and I cross-examined rising book bans in Tennessee, we watched the national conversation shift while President Donald Trump took office and began pressuring K-12 schools and colleges to adopt his policies.
As I spoke to more than a dozen kids ages 8-18 for the second part on the effects of gun violence and school shootings, the horror of the Antioch High School shooting rocked Nashville. It marked the second school shooting in our community in less than two years.
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And when I began to piece together the third installment on the yearslong debate over school vouchers and school choice, the Tennessee statehouse erupted with protests over free access to public education for undocumented students. As lawmakers advanced a bill to let schools collect immigration information and either charge tuition or ban undocumented children from attending, the scope of my project shifted. While the bill failed, a core question it raised remained: Who is public education for?
Now, as part 4 hones in on the effects of disasters on schools and children, one of the communities I’ve included faced yet another catastrophe. Waverly, Tennessee, is still navigating the fallout of the 2021 flood that killed 20 and destroyed schools, buildings and homes. That same community was immersed in grief again when a blast leveled a building at an explosives plant and killed 16 in a neighboring town.
The through line of my project this year has been to listen to as many children as possible, especially on topics often dominated by adults. Part 4 is no exception. I examine the stories of children and families who endured floods, tornadoes and the fallout of Hurricane Helene. I also heard from educators and advocates about what it takes to recover — and how to safeguard the most vulnerable among us in the years to come.
Ready to dive in? Find all four installments of Class Disrupted here.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Class Disrupted listened to kids about big issues facing education
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