Aliyya Swaby
ProPublica
Atlanta, GA, United States
Contact Aliyya
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Aliyya:
Why America Fails Adults Who Struggle to Read
The nation’s approach to adult education has so far neglected to connect the millions of people struggling to read with the programs set up to help them. → Read More
COVID-19 Hit This County Hard. A Weakened Health Department Still Can’t Get People Vaccinated.
Clayton County has the highest percentage of Black residents in Georgia and the lowest vaccination rate in the metro Atlanta area. Amid widespread community mistrust, a strained health department struggles to figure out what to do next. → Read More
Texas teachers, child care workers now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine
State health officials told providers about the change in eligibility the day after the Biden administration urged all states to prioritize teachers for vaccines. → Read More
Texas schools still tallying storm costs, and some won't reopen soon
School districts report flooded classrooms and gyms, and teachers have lost supplies and learning materials. The damage is further disrupting a school year already upended by the pandemic. → Read More
Texas Republicans want to keep transgender women out of women’s school sports teams
Lawmakers have filed legislation that would ban transgender girls and women who attend public K-12 schools, colleges and universities from playing on single-sex sports teams designated for girls and women. → Read More
Listen: She’s tutoring her siblings while learning remotely. How one Texas high school senior navigates the pandemic.
Spend a day with Isabel Suarez, an 18-year-old Pflugerville High School senior who's taking on the challenges of virtual school as well as tutoring her two younger siblings during the pandemic. → Read More
Alarming failure rates among Texas students fuel calls to get them back into classrooms
Most schools hoped this fall would see students make up academic ground lost last spring when the pandemic hit. Instead, districts are looking for ways to reverse plummeting grades and attendance among students learning at home. → Read More
Gov. Abbott says local health officials can shut schools only in limited circumstances
Abbott said local health authorities can't shut down in-person instruction before school has even started. He said an outbreak on campus once students have arrived could prompt a closure by health authorities. → Read More
Custodians, cafeteria workers and bus drivers also fear returning to Texas schools
Texas schools employ almost as many support staff members as they do teachers, often in hourly or part-time jobs with low pay. The state has offered limited guidance on how to protect them on the job. → Read More
Texas will allow schools to keep classrooms closed longer than previously ordered
Facing backlash from educators, parents and public health officials, the Texas Education Agency is giving schools more time before they must resume teaching students in person, and allowing districts hard hit by the coronavirus to seek waivers. → Read More
Texas will extend time that schools will be allowed to stay online-only, Gov. Greg Abbott says
Schools had previously been told that they would need to limit online-only instruction to the first three weeks of the school year, or they'd lose state funding. → Read More
Texas police using tear gas and rubber bullets on protesters incites more violence, experts say
Organizers and protesters say the use of force by police during protests in Texas cities highlights the underlying discord between law enforcement and residents that underpinned the protests in the first place. → Read More
Texas parents struggle to find child care, food as school closings keep kids at home
Lower-income households are being hit the hardest by school closings as parents try to hang on to jobs and care for their children. Districts are cobbling together ways to keep their educations on track. → Read More
Houston school district asks federal judge to put the brakes on likely state takeover
Houston ISD lawyers told a federal judge the education commissioner is exceeding his authority, and asked for a preliminary injunction stopping him from booting out the elected school board of the state's largest district. → Read More
State to take over Houston ISD by replacing school board and superintendent
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath informed Houston ISD of those plans in a letter Wednesday. He also sent letters saying the state would take over Shepherd and Snyder ISDs. → Read More
This school district has been at risk of state takeover for years. Some blame white flight.
In a 2003 lawsuit, Hearne Independent School District officials said the state's failure to stop white students from transferring to a nearby district contributed to their academic struggles. → Read More
Austin ISD sex ed battle could be preview of state-level debate
Austin ISD's contentious board meeting comes months before the State Board of Education revises its curriculum standards on sex education. → Read More
Hear how this Texas school district found itself at risk of returning to a segregated past
A new audio series, a collaboration between The Texas Tribune and 1A, explores why students of color in Longview ISD still don't have the same educational opportunities as white students. → Read More
Texas is paying more for full-day pre-K. But some school districts are delaying.
How are Texas school districts using state pre-K funding to expand educational options for 3- and 4-year-olds? It depends where you look. → Read More
Three Texas school districts face state penalties after getting failing grades. Look up your campus' A-F grade here.
Houston ISD, the state's largest school district, is among those that could have its school board taken over by the state, due to consecutive low ratings of one of its schools. → Read More