Aaricka Washington

At 17, Kaelin Banks is already a veteran of public comment. The rising senior at UCLA Community School remembers how nervous she was the first time she spoke at a Los Angeles Unified School District board meeting.

This story was co-published with AfroLA , nonprofit solutions journalism for Los Angeles told through the lens of the Black community.

Educators are trying to strike a balance between embracing new, potentially biased AI tools and preserving the integrity of learning.

A recent MIT study finds essays written with assistance from artificial intelligence lacks creativity and brain engagement.

BE NOLA is reclaiming the city’s Black teaching legacy by investing in educators and centering the city's rich cultural history.

Stevona Elem-Rogers (L) and Adrinda Kelly (R) are co-leaders of Black Education for New Orleans, or BE NOLA. The nonprofit helps nurture and develop Black educators in her home city with a curriculum that focuses on leadership, management, and cultural competency. Credit: Illustration by LCL. Photos via BE NOLA

Since Hurricane Katrina the story of K-12 education in New Orleans has gone something like this: nothing good

Investing in Black teachers and schools Altered dynamics A community-rooted solution Training the next generation

In New Orleans, Black teachers once made up most of the workforce. Yet their numbers have sharply declined as the school system was rebuilt with reform in mind. Founded in 2017, BE NOLA works to reverse that trend, noting that Black students thrive with Black educators.

Desmond Carter is on a mission to save the lives of Black men.