July 2021
News, updates and perspectives on the
future of education from Learn4Life
When Bullying Turns Physical,
There Can Be Lifelong Disabilities
Verbal bullying can be frightening, painful and traumatic – but when it turns physical, the harm can be devastating. Michaela M. was a target of bullies at her previous high school where she was shoved, cornered and threatened. Then one day in PE class, a student threw a basketball hard against her head, leaving her unconscious with whiplash and in the hospital. She lost all hearing in one ear, had occipital nerve damage with vision complications, and numbness on one side of her face and head. She has balance issues, constant and severe head pain and is still not able to drive.
Schools Need More Personalized Learning to Overcome Pandemic Learning Loss 
The COVID-19 pandemic has made it painfully clear that we need to change how we deliver education to keep students learning. We quickly learned that the traditional factory style education that has been the status quo for decades doesn’t work for every student.

Preventing and recovering dropouts, then helping them graduate with life skills and job training must be a priority. It’s not only the right thing to do, but it makes good economic sense for the community. 
Legislature’s ham-fisted approach to giving students independent study options
At first glance, California’s latest education funding bill is fair and equitable. The requirement for school districts to provide independent study programs that parents want for their children is a good one. But unsurprisingly, the legislature’s proposed implementation is clumsy at best.