Education
Threats to local school officials have nearly tripled, research finds : NPR
When the school board in Florida’s Broward County defied Gov. Ron DeSantis’ ban on school mask mandates during the pandemic, some parents sent vitriolic emails and made veiled threats.
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When Sarah Leonardi filed to run for Florida’s Broward County School Board in 2019, she had no idea what she was getting into.
Leonardi won and took office in late 2020 in the middle of the pandemic. It was tumultuous. Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to withhold school funding after the board defied his masking ban. Angry over mask mandates, some parents sent vitriolic emails and made veiled threats.
But as COVID rates began to ebb, new flashpoints emerged. In the fall of 2021, Leonardi chaperoned an elementary school field trip to a local bar and grill that happened to be gay-owned. Some conservative media ran with the story. New threats poured in.
“Some of them were like ‘You can’t outrun my Glock 9mm gun’ [and] ‘Take a dirt nap,’ ” Leonardi recalled in an interview with NPR. “One was like, ‘Sell that b**** as a sex slave to ISIS,’ which was oddly specific.”
Leonardi says she still receives threats when conservative media occasionally republishes the school field trip story.
“I’ll get an email or a phone call about it, just telling me what a horrific person I am,” she says.
Harassment and threats up 170%
Leonardi’s experience captures how threats against local school officials across the U.S. have shifted and grown, according to researchers at Princeton University. They conducted what they say is the largest and most comprehensive study of its kind in the country. Princeton’s Bridging Divides Initiative interviewed Leonardi along with 38 other school board officials. They also surveyed more than 820 school board officials with a group called CivicPulse. Using open-source material, investigators documented threats and harassment against school officials from November 2022 through April 2023, and the same period two years later. They found such incidents rose by 170%.
Bridging Divides says some of the local cases corresponded with national attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives as well as on LGBTQ+ policies. Roudabeh Kishi, the project’s chief research officer, says the targets held a variety of political views.
“This isn’t really like a partisan issue,” she says. “We’re seeing really similar reports of experiences (on) all sides of the political spectrum.”
In addition to Leonardi, NPR interviewed six other current or former school board officials who said they had been targets of harassment or threats. They said the anger and distrust that developed during the pandemic helped fuel and shape future disputes over cultural issues.
“The pandemic started this conversation about what are individual freedoms,” says Alexandria Ayala, a former school board member in Florida’s Palm Beach County. “What can a government tell me to do or not do?”
A second “Civil War” in Gettysburg
Al Moyer, who’s now in his ninth year on the Gettysburg Area School Board in Pennsylvania, says battles over masking frayed relationships in the district. Then, in 2023, some people in the community became uncomfortable with a tennis coach who was transitioning to female and had used the girls locker room.
Moyer said one resident called a Republican board member who opposed renewing the coach’s contract a “Nazi” to her face. He says his wife lost friends over the controversy.
“Those two situations really caused a kind of second Civil War battle in Gettysburg,” Moyer says. “It was pretty ugly.”
School board members have to navigate fights over genuine issues, but increasingly they have to grapple with fake ones as well. Russell Devorsky, who recently retired after 14 years on a school board in suburban Waco, Texas, says false stories on social media sow confusion and fuel harassment. “I am consistently and constantly harangued with individuals saying, ‘Well, kids are dressing up like cats, and they have litter boxes in bathrooms,’ ” says Devorsky. “Even though there’s never been a school district that had that situation, people believe it.”
“Like pushing a wet rope up a hill”
Even ordinary issues — such as the construction of a new band hall — can be targets of misinformation, Devorksy says. He says there were false claims on social media that the hall wouldn’t be ready on time and that students wouldn’t have instruments. Trying to set people straight who consider comments on Facebook community pages authoritative is exhausting, Devorsky says. “It’s kind of like pushing a wet rope up a hill,” he says.
The Princeton researchers worry that harassment could drive some school board members to leave public service — which they are monitoring — or avoid engaging on controversial topics. But Sarah Leonardi, the one who took the students to the gay-owned restaurant, says she isn’t quitting because she feels like she’s still making a difference.
“Ultimately, I decided to move forward and run again,” Leonardi says. “That is just a sacrifice — or a vulnerability — I’m willing to accept for now.”
Key points:
Digital learning resources are transforming classrooms, and educators are always on the lookout for tools that go beyond the standard platforms. There are numerous lesser-known digital platforms that offer unique, high-quality learning experiences tailored to students’ and teachers’ needs.
Here are ten standout resources that can enhance instruction, boost engagement, and support deeper learning.
Subject areas: All subjects
Best for: Interactive learning content creation
CurrikiStudio is a free, open-source platform that allows teachers to design interactive learning experiences without needing coding skills. Educators can create multimedia lessons, games, and assessments tailored to their curriculum. It’s ideal for flipped classrooms, project-based learning, or blended learning environments.
2. InqITS (Inquiry Intelligent Tutoring System)
Subject areas: Science
Best for: Developing scientific inquiry skills
InqITS offers virtual science labs where students can conduct experiments, analyze results, and receive real-time feedback. The platform uses AI to assess student performance and provide just-in-time support, making it a great tool for teaching scientific practices and critical thinking aligned with NGSS.
3. Parlay
Subject areas: ELA, Social Studies, Science
Best for: Structured online and in-class discussions
Parlay enables educators to facilitate student discussions in a more inclusive and data-informed way. With written and live discussion formats, students can express their ideas while teachers track participation, collaboration, and the quality of responses. It’s an excellent tool for fostering critical thinking, debate, and reflective dialogue.
Subject areas: Geography, History, Global Studies
Best for: Geospatial learning and global awareness
Geoguessr EDU is an educational version of the popular game that drops players into a random location via Google Street View. Students use context clues to determine where they are, building skills in geography, culture, and critical observation. The EDU version allows teachers to control content and track student progress.
Subject areas: Science
Best for: Middle school science with an inquiry-based approach
Mosa Mack offers animated science mysteries that prompt students to explore real-world problems through investigation and collaboration. With built-in differentiation, hands-on labs, and assessments, it’s a rich resource for schools seeking engaging science content that supports NGSS-aligned inquiry and critical thinking.
6. Listenwise
Subject areas: ELA, Social Studies, Science
Best for: Listening comprehension and current events
Listenwise curates high-quality audio stories from public radio and other reputable sources, paired with interactive transcripts and comprehension questions. It helps students build listening skills while learning about current events, science topics, and historical moments. It’s especially helpful for English learners and auditory learners.
Subject areas: Media Literacy, Social Studies
Best for: Analyzing propaganda and media messages
Created by media literacy expert Renee Hobbs, Mind Over Media teaches students to critically analyze modern propaganda in advertising, news, social media, and political content. Through guided analysis and opportunities to submit their own examples, students build essential digital citizenship and media literacy skills.
8. Brilliant
Subject areas: Math, Science, Computer Science
Best for: Problem-solving and conceptual learning
Brilliant.org offers interactive lessons and puzzles that teach students how to think logically and apply concepts rather than simply memorize formulas. With content tailored for advanced middle schoolers and high school students, it’s ideal for enrichment, gifted learners, or students seeking challenge and depth in STEM topics.
Each of these digital learning tools brings something unique to the table–whether it’s fostering deeper discussion, building scientific inquiry skills, or promoting digital literacy.
As schools look to personalize learning and prepare students for a complex, fast-evolving world, these lesser-known platforms provide meaningful ways to deepen engagement and understanding across subjects.
By incorporating these tools into your classroom, you not only diversify your digital toolkit but also give students access to a wider range of learning modalities and real-world applications. Whether you’re looking for curriculum support, project-based tools, or enrichment resources, there’s a good chance one of these platforms can help meet your goals.
Introduce yourself in three words or phrases.
I am an educator, an innovator, and a scholar.
What do you like most about your job?
Oh gosh, I love my job. I think what I really enjoy is the expanse, the scope, the landscape, it’s huge. I love that we are not just solving problems, we are actually defining them.
Best work trip/Worst work trip?
The best work trip? I have had so many good ones. This (APAIE 2025, Delhi, and overall India tour) has been a great work trip.
But I also had a fantastic trip to London with my foundation president. We went together and ran a workshop on “friend-raising”, instead of just fundraising, the idea is to build genuine relationships. UK universities were trying to learn it, and since US universities are a bit ahead in that area, we worked with them. That was really fun.
I also went to South Korea on a work trip. I love South Koreans, and I love the country, but they made me work so hard. The person who planned the trip, god bless her, packed the schedule so tight that I did not get even one hour of sightseeing.
It was a 14–15 hour flight to Seoul, and the trip ended up being the kind of hard work that South Koreans put in every single day.
If you could learn a language instantly, which would you pick and why?
Definitely Mandarin and Spanish. I was foolish enough to promise a class at the University of Puerto Rico that, “next time I visit, I promise I will give you the lecture in Spanish”, so it ain’t happening. But I do take pride in speaking multiple languages, I would say I am fluent in at least five. I even started learning Mandarin with Rosetta Stone (language learning software). I didn’t get too far, but I absolutely love how the language sounds.
What makes you get up in the morning?
I think what drives me is a genuine passion for the work. There’s just so much to be done.
As the chief academic officer at Rutgers, my role is about having a deep, self-aware understanding of the institution, in ways that few others might. While everyone else is focused on their specific responsibilities, I am constantly looking at the institution as a whole.
How do we stay true to our mission? How do we improve? How do we gain recognition? And how do we move the needle on our academic standing?
These are broad, complex challenges, but that’s what makes the work so meaningful.
Champion/cheerleader which we should all follow and why?
There are so many influential people now, and they each teach you something different. I have learned a lot from Kailash Satyarthi, Nobel Peace Prize winner, especially his approach to life.
For instance, I was really impressed by Jennifer Doudna after reading her biography, The Code Breaker, which is written by Walter Isaacson.
I am actually very intrigued by Isaacson himself, someone who writes about others so insightfully. He’s also written about Steve Jobs. The way he pieces together these stories is fascinating.
In The Code Breaker, what struck me was how science and research are portrayed as incredibly competitive fields. And yet, the breakthroughs often come in these magical, nonlinear moments, when the right people come together with the right tools, and suddenly, something clicks.
That idea of serendipity, of miraculous intersections, it really resonated with me. No one creates miracles alone; you need a village.
The book also shows how intensely competitive some of these research groups can be.
But more than anything, what stood out was the brilliance, the hard work, and the value of good observers, people who can see the bigger picture. I think we need more of those champions.
Best international ed conference and why
I think this is a very cool conference (APAIE 2025). I was walking around the booths, and was at a roundtable with several presidents and vice-chancellors. It’s really exciting because this is not what higher education looked like 20 or 30 years ago.
What you see here today is different countries like Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the UK coming together. It’s like the whole world is showing up and saying, “Come be a part of us”.
Worst conference food/beverage experience
I was at a meeting at the World Biomaterials Congress, I think it was in Chengdu, China.
We went out to eat, and let’s just say where we ate you’re pretty much eating reasonably raw food. That was pretty challenging.
I mean I love Chinese food, I love Sichuan food, but that was challenging.
Book or podcast recommendation for others in the sector?
Definitely The Code Breaker by Isaacson, I would recommend that to people. I think it’s a pretty interesting book. If you are looking for something educationally oriented, then there’s Building Research Universities in India by Pankaj Jalote.
I’m very impressed with how he’s drawn on the research in terms of how things have changed over the last hundred years, how India’s research landscape has changed.
I am listening to a whole bunch of podcasts. Dementia Matters, a podcast about Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia, is something I am really liking.
Key points:
Common Sense Media has released its first AI Toolkit for School Districts, which gives districts of all sizes a structured, action-oriented guide for implementing AI safely, responsibly, and effectively.
Common Sense Media research shows that 7 in 10 teens have used AI. As kids and teens increasingly use the technology for schoolwork, teachers and school district leaders have made it clear that they need practical, easy-to-use tools that support thoughtful AI planning, decision-making, and implementation.
Common Sense Media developed the AI Toolkit, which is available to educators free of charge, in direct response to district needs.
“As more and more kids use AI for everything from math homework to essays, they’re often doing so without clear expectations, safeguards, or support from educators,” said Yvette Renteria, Chief Program Officer of Common Sense Media.
“Our research shows that schools are struggling to keep up with the rise of AI–6 in 10 kids say their schools either lack clear AI rules or are unsure what those rules are. But schools shouldn’t have to navigate the AI paradigm shift on their own. Our AI Toolkit for School Districts will make sure every district has the guidance it needs to implement AI in a way that works best for its schools.”
The toolkit emphasizes practical tools, including templates, implementation guides, and customizable resources to support districts at various stages of AI exploration and adoption. These resources are designed to be flexible to ensure that each district can develop AI strategies that align with their unique missions, visions, and priorities.
In addition, the toolkit stresses the importance of a community-driven approach, recognizing that AI exploration and decision-making require input from all of the stakeholders in a school community.
By encouraging districts to give teachers, students, parents, and more a seat at the table, Common Sense Media’s new resources ensure that schools’ AI plans meet the needs of families and educators alike.
This press release originally appeared online.
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