Lee V. Gaines
Chalkbeat Indiana
Urbana, IL, United States
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Past articles by Lee:
Bill to ban ‘bad’ books, strip protections from teachers, librarians passes Indiana Senate
Under the bill, a school teacher or librarian charged with with disseminating material that is harmful to minors would not be able to argue that the material had educational value as a defense. → Read More
Anti-CRT, pro-parental rights candidates win seats on Hamilton County school boards
Here’s who won school board elections at Hamilton Southeastern, Carmel Clay, Noblesville, and Westfield Washington schools, according to unofficial election results. → Read More
Conservative politics drive fight for control of Indiana’s school boards
Conservative candidates across Indiana are campaigning on so-called parental rights platforms that focus on mask mandates, critical race theory, and LGBTQ identities. → Read More
Why Indiana schools compete with McDonald’s for staff to teach students in special ed.
A competitive labor market and the pandemic have made it difficult for school administrators to attract teaching aides, who play a crucial role in schools. → Read More
Indiana’s teacher shortage has some schools scrambling
Matt Shockley needs two math teachers and has zero applicants. Shockley is principal of Avon High School, located 14 miles west of downtown Indianapolis. Avon students return to school at the end of this month. If Shockley can’t fill those positions, class sizes could increase, or students might be left with a long-term substitute who may not be qualified to teach the subject. “This is the most… → Read More
Parents can be silenced in special education settlements. A proposed bill would change that.
Advocates say there’s a power imbalance between districts and families in disputes over special education. From WFYI. → Read More
Why police at some Indiana schools may lack training to be on campus
Indiana doesn’t require school resource officers to be trained in adolescent brain development, working with students with special needs, or de-escalation techniques → Read More
Lack Of Access, Long Waitlists: Education In Illinois Prisons
When Ralph Gray transferred from one prison in Illinois to another, he didn’t know the move would mean sacrificing access to an education. Gray guessed he → Read More
The Reason Why Hundreds Of Books Were Removed From An Illinois Prison Library
Lance Pittman arrived at the Danville Correctional Center on Jan. 10 with multiple boxes of books, and bound printouts of articles and book chapters. → Read More
IDOC Director On Book Removal: Lack Of Policy, Oversight At State Prisons
The new director of the Illinois Department of Corrections said during a legislative hearing in Chicago on Monday that the agency plans to revise its → Read More
Lawmakers To Question Officials About Removing Hundreds of Books From A Prison Library
Illinois lawmakers plan to ask state prison officials why more than 200 books were removed from a college in prison program’s library at the Danville → Read More
An Illinois Law Aims To Help Homeless Students — Is It Enough?
Last summer, Chantil was forced to leave the townhome she shared with her two daughters and her mother in Des Plaines. (We’re withholding Chantil’s last → Read More
Why Illinois Won’t ‘Ban The Box’ On College Applications
Four years ago, Chris Miner decided to apply to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Then 40-years-old, Miner was encouraged to apply by a → Read More
How California Is Leading the Way on Marijuana Criminal Justice Reform
Across the country, minor pot infractions disproportionately affect people of color. Newly enacted legislation in the Golden State is working to ease those penalties. → Read More
The Growing Concerns Poetry Collective ask all races to fight racism
Mykele Deville, McKenzie Chinn, and Jeffrey Michael Austin—aka the Growing Concerns Poetry Collective—tell stories for black folks that aim to reach everyone. → Read More
Can shooting hoops keep gang members from shooting each other?
When Englewood gang members convene for a week in August to compete in the Battle of the Blocks basketball tournament, residents report a marked drop in violence in the neighborhood. Why aren’t there more programs like it? → Read More
Should we stop using the word ‘marijuana’?
The term was popularized by the racist progenitor of the country’s war on drugs. → Read More
Most Democratic gubernatorial candidates favor some form of legal weed in Illinois
But incumbent Republican governor Bruce Rauner seems to be skeptical of legalization. → Read More
Jamila Woods’s video for ‘Holy’ embodies black self-care
With her video for "Holy," soul singer Jamila Woods demonstrates how to show love for your community as well as for yourself. → Read More
Pot smokers toke up in public to make a political statement
About 80 people gathered around the Logan Square monument on 4/20, the unofficial "National Weed Day," for a celebration that doubled as a campaign event. → Read More