Kelly Yang

1 month ago | slj.com | Sofi Zeman |Kelly Yang |Kathy Ishizuka

We missed you and we want you here.” That statement can have a dramatic impact, says Darrell Sampson. As executive director of student services for Arlington (VA) Public Schools (APS), Sampson oversees social services for roughly 28,000 students. He says that Arlington favors compassion in its long-haul effort to recover chronically absent students. Kids need to feel seen and supported by their local education systems, Sampson says. It’s what keeps them coming back.

1 month ago | slj.com | Mythili Sampathkumar |Kelly Yang |Kathy Ishizuka |Kara Yorio

From Left: A Summer Adventure booklet brings smiles at the St. Louis (MO) Public Library; Kids frolic in cool foam at an event with local company Bubble Maniacs at the Aguila (AZ) Branch Library;At the New York Public Library’s Summer Writing Contest ice cream party, kids wrote, created zines, and got to see their work in print. Photo by: Courtesy of St. Louis (MO) Public Library; Courtesy of Maricopa County (AZ) Library; Jonathan Blanc/The New York Public Library.

1 month ago | slj.com | Kelly Yang |Kathy Ishizuka |Kara Yorio

Illustration and SLJ March Cover by James Steinberg Librarians met the herculean challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic with compassion and innovation. They were particularly suited to respond to the unprecedented event of the global pandemic. With their communities in crisis, school and public librarians joined the network of first responders and essential workers, providing needed information and services.

1 month ago | slj.com | Kara Yorio |Kelly Yang |Kathy Ishizuka |Rosemary Kiladitis

Image credit info: Montage by SLJ. Source art: Getty Images Test scores are down. There are rising mental health concerns, and absenteeism persists. Teachers are reporting increased behavioral issues and a lack of age-appropriate social skills. As the American education system continues to work toward recovery from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts say it’s vital to properly frame what happened and understand the multifaceted reasons behind the continued struggles.

1 month ago | slj.com | Kathy Ishizuka |Kelly Yang |Kara Yorio |Rosemary Kiladitis

She was a bit shaky at first but persevered through nerves and emotion to tell her story. “My name is Mary Ishizuka and I am here to speak on behalf of my brother and four sisters—and in memory of our parents, Kuichiro and Hiro Nishi.”Leaning into a microphone centered on a witness table, my mother proceeded with her testimony, delivered before the federal Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC), at the State Building in downtown Los Angeles.