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Fat shaming may be among the last socially acceptable A new story in the Hechinger Report examines children who face weight stigma at school regarding forms of discrimination and destructive charge about their well-being and academic performance.

“Do you want a cake?” A fifth-grade student recalled one of her classmates repeatedly asking her if she was “fat.” Teachers routinely fail to confront students who embarrass their classmates, playing their part in anti-obesity bias.

The 15 million U.S. children who are considered obese are more likely than other children to have poor academic performance; This is a fact called the obesity achievement gap. New research now suggests bias among teachers may be part of the problem.

“Teachers often perceive children with obesity as emotional, unmotivated, less competent and maladjusted,” journalist Kavitha Cardoza wrote. “This can lead to teachers giving these students fewer opportunities to participate in class, leading to less positive feedback and lower grades.”

Schools across the country have policies that prohibit bullying based on race, gender and religion. Very few mention body weight.

Read Cardoza’s latest story (also published in Teen Vogue) here.

In the news

I can’t stop reading about the election. I won’t stop reading about the election: Survivors of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead are now old enough to vote. Six describe how the shooting continues to impact their lives and the presidential election. | Washington Post

• These are the states where young voters have the most potential to influence presidential election outcomes. | APARTMENT
• Donald Trump has promised mass deportation if elected. It could tear apart millions of families and leave schools picking up the pieces. | chalk stroke
• School shooting survivor David Hogg’s multimillion-dollar bid to elect young progressives. | 74

Nearly two-thirds of teachers are using tools designed to catch students using AI to cheat on homework, but a survey of leading services has found error rates can “skyrocket” and “have devastating consequences for students who are incorrectly marked”. ” | Bloomberg

• Case alert: The parents are suing in federal court, arguing their son was unfairly punished for using artificial intelligence to conduct research and write a history paper at his Massachusetts High School. At the time of the incident, there was no policy regarding acceptable uses of AI in the region. | 74

School security provider faces new scrutiny: Evolv, a publicly traded security company that sells “weapons detection” metal detectors to schools, warned shareholders last week not to rely on its latest financial statements because of an independent investigation examining its sales practices. | Associated Press

• For more than a year, industry insiders have been scrutinizing Evolv’s sales pitch claims and its detectors’ high rate of false alarms. Last year, the Federal Trade Commission launched an investigation into the company’s marketing practices following allegations that Evolv exaggerated the capabilities of its technology. | 74
• A year after Prince William County Public Schools in Virginia struck a $10.7 million deal to install Evolv scanners, educators reported a decline in gun confiscations. School security officers found zero firearms, three knives, two box cutters and a “pneumatic” paintball or airsoft gun. One school board member said the results offered “a pretty good ROI (return on investment) on these Evolv scanners.” | WTOP

What teachers need to know about the rise of AI-generated deepfakes, including computer-generated nude images created by students to harass their peers without their consent. | Education Week

Spy and school administration: Atlanta’s Cobb County school district hired a private security company, allegedly run by anonymous former U.S. intelligence agents, to analyze students’ social media accounts and identify potential online threats. The public learned that the unnamed company was paid an undisclosed amount during a presentation by a man “identified only as Rob” at a school board meeting. | Atlanta News First

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear oral arguments Dec. 4 in a case challenging Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors that could have implications for transgender youth nationally. | Them

Day in the life: A Minnesota-based journalist walked the halls with a school resource officer. Here’s what they learned about school-based policing. | Minnesota Stars Tribune

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