Korby Saunders

White House to Release $1.3 Billion in Frozen Funds for After-School Programs The money will allow federally funded after-school programs to open this school year, preserving a lifeline for working parents. But other federal dollars remain on hold.

The Trump administration said Friday that it would release $1.3 billion in frozen federal funding for after-school programs across the country, after facing growing bipartisan pressure.

As Trump closes LGBTQ+ hotline, here’s where you can still find help As of Thursday, July 17, a federal program that provides emergency crisis support to LGBTQ+ youth at risk of suicide will be shut down.

As Trump closes LGBTQ+ suicide prevention hotline, here’s where you can still find help

Such a good point on SCOTUS hypocrisy when it comes to Trump vs Biden:

They let a nationwide injunction kill Biden’s student loan relief when they had a chance to rule on it.

5 months into Trump’s presidency, suddenly nationwide injunctions are a grave threat to executive power and they must rule.

I found out tonight that Squad, which is my book about the town I grew up in bc I hated it, is assigned reading in AP English class in the town where I grew up and I am absolutely beside myself.

It's not a dream it even occurred to me to have.

BREAKING: A federal judge ruled all transgender and intersex people can obtain passports that align with their gender identity while the case against President Trump's executive order proceeds.

While this is good news, we will continue fighting until this executive order is blocked permanently.

Started our day with a short video about Maia & Alex Shibutani—Olympic skaters turned authors—sharing AANHPI stories in their second book, Incredible: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Changed the World.

Their message? Representation matters. And kids really felt that.

Tried something new for Harvey Milk Day:
Started with a short video from Untold History—Harvey Milk: Leading the Way.

We followed it with this question:
What does it mean to be brave for yourself—and for others?

Representation + real talk = powerful learning.
#upperel #teacherlife #HarveyMilkDay

For National Brother’s Day, we started our day with the Storyline Online video of My Brother Charlie, read by Holly Robinson Peete. Link to video in bio.

It’s honest, warm, and based on her own son’s experience with autism. My students connected deeply.

🎥 StandWithUs Celebrates Jewish American Heritage Month (Link to video in bio)

Led to a rich class discussion on:
How do the experiences of different communities help shape our shared American story?

Brought in Rolling Thunder by Kate Messner today to honor Memorial Day. The kids were captivated by the illustrations—and the silence that followed said it all.

We discussed:
How can we honor and remember those who have served?

Saw the “design your own action figure” trend on socials—tried it with my class today and WHOA.

Students created themselves as heroes, complete with unique powers, tools, and backstories. Link to coloring page in bio.

Tested out a soft start with the new Smurfs trailer (Rihanna as Smurfette!)—and it instantly lit up the room.

We asked:
What makes a voice (or a character) unforgettable?

Looking for a legendary way to close out the year?

Read The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors—a hilarious, high-energy read-aloud your students won’t forget.

Happy happy book birthday, @annbraden.bsky.social and INTO THE RAPIDS! This book is wonderful!

The paperback of Blood and Fury, the sequel to Chaos and Flame, is out today! 🥳🥳🥳

🎥 Did you know that Alicia Keys and her hip hop legend husband, Swizz Beats are art collectors!?! This video about their new exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art is the perfect way to celebrate World Art Day 4/14.
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🎤 Looking for a new way to get your kids excited about poetry? April is Poetry Month, and we’ve got the perfect lesson to make it hit different. Bring classic poetry analysis to life using hip-hop lyrics and help your students discover the power of words through a song they know and love:
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🎥Tap into History with a video soft start – It’s Morse Code Day 4/27! Did you know people once communicated through dots and dashes? Learn about the history of the telegraph and how Morse Code was essential in the Civicl War. Link to video in bio. 1/2

🎬 Turn Test Prep into Playtime? Yes, Please! Let’s get real: test prep doesn’t have to be boring—and we’ve got Bluey to prove it! We’re blending character, creativity, and comprehension in a fresh, fun way with this test prep lesson for theme! Link to full lesson in bio.
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I'm delighted to announce that I am kicking off the #MightyMarvelPictureBook line with my newest book #AlltheHulkFeels with @abramskids and @marvel books
PRE-ORDER: www.abramsbooks.com/product/all-...
www.amazon.com/gp/product/1...
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/all-the-hu...
www.indigo.ca/en-ca/all-th...

Educator Guide cover for Culturally Responsive Teaching Through Rom-Coms. A pink locker in the background has a banner at the top and themes and tropes written in white are all around showing: Identity, Meet-Cute, Enemies to Lovers, Lived Experiences, Star-Crossed, and Windows + Mirrors. Banner at the top notes the title of the guide and subtitle of: Eight Romances & Rom-Coms to engage your students hearts and minds. Book covers below banner are from top to bottom: KISS & TELL by Adib Khorram, ALL THE LOVE UNDER THE VAST SKY by Kip Wilson, GIVE ME A SIGN by Anna Sortino, HER GOOD SIDE by Rebekah Weatherspoon, PAYAL MEHTA'S ROMANCE REVENGE PLOT by Preeti Chhibber, THE DAVENPORTS by Krystal Marquis, LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB by Malinda Lo, and THE STARS AND BLACKNESS BETWEEN THEM by Junauda Petrus.

So excited to share this educator guide around Culturally Responsive Teaching with Rom-Coms written by @juliaerin80.bsky.social! These eight romances and rom coms will engage your students hearts and minds! #EduSky

Download the guide: penguinschoollibrary.com/RomComGuide

🖍️ Library Girl Reading Challenges: March 2025 Last year, just for fun, I started creating monthly "reading challenges" that: • focus on authentic reasons for reading (instead of having kids log page numbers, etc), and... • couple reading with col...

Just for fun, I create FREE monthly reading challenges/coloring sheets for readers of all ages b/c both #reading & #coloring help reduce stress.

You can download the March updates (for FREE) here!

Happy reading AND coloring, y’all!

#TLSky #TLSkyChat #Skybrarians #EduSky

A reminder for these times.

As a reading specialist, literacy, coach, and children’s author, I cannot agree with this more! Teachers in my school district embrace graphic novels, and I sing their praises to parents whenever I have the opportunity! I’m thankful that our new GA ELA standards support this, too!

In March, we celebrate Women's History Month.🎉

To celebrate this special month, I brought together 22 wonderful books to celebrate women today and throughout history. ❤️

Find each book linked to the @follettcontent.bsky.social Titlewave list.

buff.ly/42TEOms

#TLSky #EduSky #futurereadylibs

YouTube video by Kate Messner World Read Aloud Day with Kate Messner

Happy World Read Aloud Day! To celebrate, I'm sharing a sneak-preview read-aloud from TWO upcoming books. Feel free to share with your kiddos this week! (Run time 6.5 minutes) www.youtube.com/watch?v=awG4...

Thanks to @litworld.bsky.social for this amazing tradition! How will YOU be celebrating?

Malcolm X turns 100 on May 19, 2025. To commemorate his birthday, I am proud to announce the first major biography of Brother Malcolm for young readers in more than thirty years: MALCOLM LIVES!

us.macmillan.com/books/978037...

What Nobody Is Saying About the NAEP Reading Scores They're not just about phonics.

NAEP scores have everyone talking about the "science of reading," typically defined as "phonics." But it's a test of COMPREHENSION.

Phonics is important. But maybe there are problems with comprehension instruction??

More in my latest post:

nataliewexler.substack.com/p/what-nobod...

Okay, shameless plug. Here is my own blog post about what happens when 9th graders have access to instant AI feedback on their writing project. #EduSKyAI www.litandtech.com/2024/11/what...