Kalyn Belsha
@kalynbelsha.bsky.social
1.7K followers 500 following 31 posts
Soon: Education editor @wbez.org. Former national education reporter @chalkbeat.org & Spencer Fellow @columbiajournalism.bsky.social. Hablo español. Tips? Reach me on Signal: kalynbelsha.14.
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Reposted by Kalyn Belsha
michaelelsenroo.bsky.social
For 6 months, I’ve followed ELLIS, a Bronx HS for newcomers, to understand what it means to educate immigrant students in Trump’s second term.

Proud to share the 1st of 2 stories about ELLIS, Bridget, an undocumented teen, & the fight to keep her education alive.

www.chalkbeat.org/newyork/2025...
‘They’ve given her a lot of hope’: A NYC school fights to educate an undocumented teen under Trump
For Bridget and Marta, ELLIS Prep often felt like the only public institution with its arms open in a city and country that seemed not to want them.
www.chalkbeat.org
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
NEW: The Trump administration is putting $14M toward training teachers in history & civics to coincide w/ the 250th anniversary of the Declaration's signing. Many see an opportunity to help teachers & students — but the $ is coming from canceled Biden-era grants www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/28/t...
Trump is taking history and civics in a new direction — with a Biden program’s money
The Trump administration is spending $14 million on teacher training in connection with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The money was pulled from a Biden-era g...
www.chalkbeat.org
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
W/ a Supreme Court ruling likely to encourage more opt-outs at school for religious reasons, my teammate Norah has a fascinating look at debates playing out in Texas, where some schools are adopting Bible-infused curriculum & state law already allows opt-outs www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/17/t...
Conservatives backed parent opt-outs. Texas’ Bible-infused lessons could flip the script.
A recent Supreme Court ruling supports parents’ religious right to opt their child out of LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum. That decision could add momentum to some parents’ concerns about a Texas reading ...
www.chalkbeat.org
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
UPDATED: A new Trump administration rule will deny undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start programs. The change represents one of the most direct & far-reaching attempts to target immigrant children & could have ripple effects on K-12 schools www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/10/n...
Head Start will no longer enroll undocumented children, Trump administration says
A rule change treats the federally funded preschool program like a welfare program and bars undocumented children from enrolling. Head Start providers condemned the departure from longstanding practic...
www.chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Kalyn Belsha
chjreportinghealth.bsky.social
Our next session is 'Children's Funding Under Fire on Every Front,' featuring @brucelesley.bsky.social of @firstfocus.bsky.social and @kalynbelsha.bsky.social of @chalkbeat.org

#USCNationalFellows #fundingcuts #childhealth
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
NEW: How a story about a prince & knight who fall in love fueled a debate about parental rights, opt outs, & inclusive school curriculum. The Supreme Court will hear arguments Tues in a case that could give religious parents more control over their kids' education www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/18/s...
How a story about battling a dragon led to a Supreme Court case on parent rights and LGBTQ books
When devout Muslim parents heard their son would be reading a story in school about a knight and a prince who fall in love, they asked to opt him out. The resulting Supreme Court case could impact how...
www.chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Kalyn Belsha
michaelelsenroo.bsky.social
The Trump administration is attempting to take away all of Maine's federal education funding because it refused to comply with demands like these ⬇️

www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/11/t...
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
NEW: Today the Trump admin said it's taking Maine to court over its policy allowing trans girls to compete on girls' sports teams & will seek to take Maine's K-12 federal ed funding. We took a deeper look at how this case could affect trans kids & schools nationwide www.chalkbeat.org/2025/04/12/t...
Why Trump’s fight with Maine could upend Title IX and school funding
After a trans athlete in Maine won a state title, the Trump administration launched investigations and moved to withhold the state’s K-12 funding. Will the president’s strategy pressure others to comp...
www.chalkbeat.org
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
NEW: With what appears to be just 1 person left from the Office of English Language Acquisition at the Ed Dept, advocates worry some $890M in federal $ for English learners won't be spent properly & the quality of teacher training will suffer. Here's what we know: www.chalkbeat.org/2025/03/21/t...
Upheaval at Education Department office sparks concern about services for English learners
The Trump Education Department says changes to the Office for English Language Acquisition will not affect funding or federal programs for students. But experts and others worry that the quality of th...
www.chalkbeat.org
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
If you were affected by the Department of Education layoffs or want to share information with us, we're listening. I'm on Signal @kalynbelsha.14 or you can email me [email protected]
kalynbelsha.bsky.social
NEW: Among the education research projects abruptly terminated by DOGE was a program helping 1,100 teens & young adults w/ disabilities plan for life after high school. "It’s just heartbreaking," one parent told me. "I feel like this wasn’t well thought out." www.chalkbeat.org/2025/02/26/t...
A teen with autism and his mom were getting help planning for college. Then came DOGE.
A federally funded research program helped students with disabilities prepare for life after high school. DOGE’s sweeping Education Department cuts brought this and dozens of other studies to an abrup...
www.chalkbeat.org
Reposted by Kalyn Belsha