School news

Chalkbeat

• Up to 60% of Tennessee third graders could be held back under the state’s tough new retention law. Preliminary test scores show an increase in reading proficiency. But under the 2021 law, third graders who don’t meet state benchmarks must retake the test or attend summer school before advancing to fourth grade.
• Michigan imposes a harsh penalty on poor families whose children miss too much school. Under a longstanding state law, low-income families can lose their cash assistance if their children are chronically absent. Advocates say the policy is counterproductive, and some state lawmakers want to repeal it.
• Newark school officials want to install 7,000 new high-tech security cameras equipped with artificial intelligence. Funded partly by federal COVID-relief money, the technology could potentially track students’ faces and detect vape pens. Critics say the system could violate student privacy and lead to over-policing.