EDUCATION

Recent legislation signed by Gov. Ned Lamont mandated that school districts include Native American studies in kindergarten through 12th grade social studies courses, starting in the fall of 2023.

Merriam Webster senior editor Emily Brewster said the searches for "gaslighting" were driven by general interest and by specific events during 2022.

The 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate Alyssa Gaines visited Holyoke, Massachusetts, this week for a reading of her work with students close to her own age, some who had dropped out of high school and are now working toward graduation.

High school students interested in coding will get a chance through District Arts and Education, a New Haven-based nonprofit that provides immersive tech education.

A judge in Connecticut on Thursday ordered conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to pay $500 million to relatives of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims, on top of a previous award of almost $1 billion. Commentator Jenny Hubbard lost her 6-year-old daughter Catherine in the tragedy. Hubbard says those parents who sued Jones have her unwavering support — but she chose not to join them in the lawsuit.

At least eight religious groups in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, from different faiths wrote more than 1,200 thank-you notes to public school employees thanking them for their work with students since the start of the pandemic.

The Connecticut State Board of Education voted Wednesday to order an investigation into the Killingly school district for its refusal to open a school-based mental health center at its high school.

Governors have considerable sway over the state's public schools. Whether Massachusetts residents elect Geoff Diehl or Maura Healey next week, the new governor will be hearing from school leaders whose districts are run by the state and want a return to local control.

Over 100 Harvard students plan to travel to Washington this weekend, both to bear witness to the landmark case and to defend the school's race-conscious admissions policies at a very vulnerable moment.

Massachusetts Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said due to the pandemic students have "lost ground," and will need time to recover.