Education

The wait to gain entry to adult English-language classes can be long. Once you're in, balancing class with family and job obligations can be a challenge. But many immigrants are determined. Ana Perez says she tries to never miss a class: "A day of studying is sacred for me."

A Florida school district reached an agreement with the NAACP and law enforcement to reassess tough "zero tolerance" guidelines. Non-violent misdemeanors — like alcohol and marijuana possession — will be dealt with by schools instead of police.

Howard University has seen its share of troubles lately. Faculty recently expressed their frustration with the school's Board of Trustees with a "no-confidence" vote, weeks after the university's president announced a surprise early retirement and Moody's downgraded the school's credit rating. But school administrators remain confident in the school's future.

The question this time is not whether race can be a factor in college admissions, but rather whether state voters can ban affirmative action altogether by referendum. In 2006, Michigan voters did just that with a ballot initiative amending the state's constitution.

Amid skyrocketing real estate and rental prices, low-income families are fighting to stay put in order to access world-class public schools. One group of families battling the closure of Palo Alto's last mobile home park is getting help from a local PTA that values diversity.

October is National Bully Prevention month. Schools across the state are hosting special programs to bring awareness about the issue. Last week, students and staff at Sedgefield Elementary in Greensboro received a special visit from Harlem Globetrotter Anthony “Ant” Atkinson.

Since 1980, the percentage of women at the U.S. Military Academy has stayed largely the same, leading some to conclude that the school has set an artificial cap on the number of female cadets it accepts. Now, West Point has been told it must raise those numbers to meet the demand for more female leaders.

Pitbull is just one of a growing number of celebrities who've lent their names and opened their wallets to the charter school movement. His Sports Leadership And Management Academy opened in Miami this fall.

The online magazine Ozy covers people, places and trends on the horizon. Co-founder Carlos Watson joins All Things Considered regularly to tell us about the site's latest discoveries. This week, he talks about a losing mixed martial arts fighter who won't stop and a rising star in the country rap scene.