Rebecca Redelmeier // Chalkbeat

‘Failing our kids’: Philadelphia’s struggle highlights how young learners nationwide miss out on legally mandated support services

When Kimberly Halevy’s son Joshua was three, she started hearing from his preschool that he was acting out. He rarely participated in circle time and had trouble playing with other kids.

Halevy’s friend had recently opened the preschool, and she liked that someone she knew took care of her son. But eventually, the preschool said it would only allow him back if he had a one-to-one aide to address his “disruptive” behavior, Halevy said.

At first, Halevy thought getting him that aide would be straightforward. But she now describes the effort to get her kid support through Philadelphia’s federally mandated, publicly funded early intervention system as exhausting.

Though state evaluators found Joshua should receive multiple forms of therapy each week, it took months for any services to begin, Halevy said. Then, once providers contacted her, she said it became a “guessing game” whether her son would receive the home-based occupational therapy and specialized instruction he qualified for every week.

“I kept being mad at myself for not pushing,” Halevy said. “But now I realize that it’s just the program.”

Across Philadelphia, young kids like Joshua are waiting months and sometimes years for early intervention services that they are legally entitled to, according to families, therapy providers, and advocates Chalkbeat spoke with.

Federal law states that a child must receive services as soon as possible after an evaluation team completes their Individualized Education Program, or IEP. Pennsylvania has interpreted that to mean 14 days. But one provider said the list she can access of children waiting for speech therapy — one of several early intervention services — is sometimes more than 2,000 families long.

Early intervention providers are under strain nationwide, with not enough funding or staffing to meet the need. But in Philadelphia — home to 16% of the state’s early intervention population — one player is largely responsible for the system: a 170-year-old nonprofit called Elwyn that the state pays to manage the publicly funded program.

As Philly’s early intervention system struggles to meet the needs of all kids, some providers and advocates say neither Elwyn nor the state officials who oversee the program are doing enough to ensure kids get services on time.

In response to Chalkbeat’s questions, Elwyn President and CEO Charles McLister said Elwyn does not comment on specific cases, but the organization works quickly to assess children and provide them with services. “For the vast majority of cases, services are provided within the defined window,” said McLister.

But McLister acknowledged that there can be delays due to family communication, transportation, scheduling, provider availability, and severe staffing shortages across the sector.

Erin James, press secretary at the Pennsylvania Department of Education, said in a statement that the department stays in close contact with Elwyn throughout the year “to remind them of their legal obligations.”

James did not respond to questions about service delays for Philadelphia families. However, she noted that early intervention programs often lack sufficient resources. “Current funding levels for EI [early intervention] services are not sufficient because the population of students who qualify for EI services has been increasing for years,” James said.

Carly Sitrin // Chalkbeat

In Philadelphia, the program’s delays are a key reason many of the city’s most vulnerable kids fall behind before they even start kindergarten, advocates say. Data from early intervention program reports the state publishes shows Philly children in early intervention programs lag behind their peers elsewhere in key growth areas, like developing social-emotional skills.

“The whole idea of having to wait more than the required time is really putting kids at a disadvantage,” said Inella Ray, director of parent advocacy and engagement at the advocacy organization Children First. “Because when kids don’t have the support that they need, in today’s current education or environment, they get pushed out.”

Parents face delays accessing early intervention services

Early intervention is part of the landmark Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which dictates that all children with disabilities must have access to a free and appropriate public education. Though each state creates and manages its own program, all kids through age five who are identified as having a developmental delay or disability are eligible.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Education oversees local early intervention programs for preschool-age kids. In almost every county, families get connected with services through an intermediary unit, a kind of regional education service agency.

But in Philadelphia, things work differently. The state pays Elwyn a combination of state and federal dollars to administer the city’s preschool early intervention program, along with a much smaller program in Chester. Last fiscal year, its contract was worth around $90 million. Elwyn is in charge of assessing children, developing their IEPs, and subcontracting with a network of providers for services they qualify for.

When Halevy’s kids’ preschool said her son needed an aide, the preschool owner gave Halevy advice: Phone Elwyn. So she did, and she was relieved when the organization told her they could fit Joshua in to begin his evaluation later that week.

That was July 2024. She hoped Joshua would have services in time to be back at preschool by the following September. But soon, Halevy said she began hitting roadblocks.

In August, she said she didn’t hear much from Elwyn. Like other early intervention programs statewide, Elwyn often takes a two-week service break at the end of summer — one of many scheduled break periods during the year.

But then, when she did hear back that September, she learned Elwyn wouldn’t consider providing a one-to-one aide without observing Joshua in his educational environment. But the preschool said he couldn’t return to class unless he had someone there to specifically support him.

At the end of September, when evaluators wrote Joshua’s initial IEP, they documented that they discussed adding an aide to assist Joshua at preschool. But they wrote that because they could not observe Joshua in his educational environment, they did not have enough information to support that recommendation. “[T]he family is in a difficult position,” the team wrote on the IEP, which Chalkbeat has reviewed.

Joshua’s IEP states that he should receive occupational therapy and specialized instruction each week. The law requires services to begin within 14 days. But more than a month after, Joshua still wasn’t receiving services, Halevy said.

At the time, Halevy was stretched thin. She was also working to get services for her two-year-old daughter, who struggled with speech, through the separate early intervention program that serves children up to age three, run by the city.

For Halevy, sorting out her daughter’s services in the birth-to-three program was simple. Service providers quickly began contacting her, and therapists started showing up for sessions. But for her son, nothing.

“One day, I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, what’s going on with Josh?’ and I start calling every number I had at Elwyn,” said Halevy.

It wasn’t until two more months later, in November, that he finally began to receive occupational therapy, she said recently after reviewing text messages. In December, she said his special instruction began.

Early intervention IEPs not always followed

Elwyn’s Philadelphia program is the largest in the state, serving around 11,000 preschool-age children, according to the most recent data from the 2023-24 school year. The organization first won its contract for early intervention services in Philadelphia in 1998.

But its outcomes for kids are behind the rest of Pennsylvania.

The state requires early intervention programs to report data on how kids progress in certain areas, like social-emotional learning and acquiring new skills. State program reports show that for the last five years of data, children in Elwyn’s Philadelphia program have been less likely to progress in all three growth categories compared with the state average.

Margie Wakelin, a senior attorney at the Pennsylvania-based Education Law Center, said her team has assisted more than 80 Philadelphia families in the last year whose kids’ education was disrupted at least in part because they couldn’t access appropriate services from Elwyn. The vast majority of those children, she said, were Black and Brown kids affected by poverty.

Some families hire attorneys to help them access the services they’re entitled to, or get pro bono representation from organizations like the Education Law Center. Many who win their cases get compensatory education, often in the form of money the family can use to pay for services after the case is over.

But that doesn’t make up for lost time, as children quickly age out of early intervention. Research shows that children’s brains develop more rapidly between birth to five than at any other time of their life. Many families, Wakelin said, have also had their children suspended from preschool or made to only attend partial days because of their disabilities.

“It’s such a critical period for kids to have access to high-quality education,” said Wakelin. A system that identifies children as needing services but doesn’t follow through, she added, is “really failing our kids.”’

McLister, Elwyn’s CEO, said the organization has learned that, in some cases, children are suspended from their preschool programs because of learning or behavioral needs. “Elwyn is not part of this decision-making and often learns about it after the fact,” he said. He added that the organization is developing tools “that will help us understand the frequency in which this happens” and is creating additional resource materials for families.

State reports show that Elwyn’s program is successful in some areas, like evaluating 97% of kids within 60 days, the state-required timeline. But that’s just the first step in what advocates say often becomes a month-long process to get services.

Though the law is clear that kids should receive services within 14 days of their IEP being written, the state does not publish information on how long kids wait for services after an evaluation, or how many service interruptions they’ll experience when providers are no longer available.

When it comes to Elwyn’s performance, CEO McLister said that students’ growth data does not account for the unique challenges of providing services in Philadelphia. The children Elwyn serves have higher needs than the state average, he said, with higher incidences of developmental delays and a greater prevalence of multiple other challenges, such as limited English proficiency, economic disadvantages, and other social risk factors.

“For younger children, these factors produce more modest gains,” said McLister.

McLister emphasized that Elwyn has been successful in evaluating the vast majority of children on time, and said the most common reason an evaluation falls outside the 60-day window is a parent cancelling an initial evaluation appointment and needing it to be rescheduled.

He said delays in getting kids’ services are often the result of scheduling challenges and staffing shortages — 95% of service issues related to speech and language services, he said, are due to a lack of staff. He said other delays occur when families move or change their child’s preschool enrollment, and when providers return kids to the “needs list,” meaning they stop service for that child, which happens “for a variety of reasons.”

For Joshua, getting a consistent special instructor, a position meant to support Joshua’s learning, has been impossible, Halevy said. Her text history, which she reviewed recently, documents the challenges: The first special instructor who contacted her never visited and stopped responding to texts, she said. The next person was more helpful and saw Joshua a few times, but then abruptly quit. Now, after more than a month of no special instruction, a new provider comes mostly regularly, Halevy said.

Access to occupational therapy has been slightly better, Halevy said. For the first several months of service, Joshua’s occupational therapist showed up inconsistently and seemed rushed, Halevy said. Now, after working out a schedule, she consistently comes around once a week.

Early childhood intervention needs more funding, some say

These and other challenges aren’t unique to Philadelphia families. But preschool operators and early intervention providers say there are particular and longstanding problems in Philly.

Two years ago, Sharon Neilson, former director of the Woodland Academy Child Development Center in West Philadelphia, was part of a group pushing to bring attention to problems in the city’s early intervention program. Council members held a hearing about parents’ challenges accessing services, and Neilson and other providers met with Elwyn.

At the time, Neilson said, she was hopeful that things would improve. But since then, she said, “we’ve actually seen it get worse.”

Neilson, who now works as support staff at Woodland Academy, said of the 22 children enrolled at the preschool, about four currently receive services from Elwyn, and three more are going through the process of getting evaluated.

The preschool helps families navigate the process, in part because submitting required paperwork and scheduling evaluations can create additional barriers, she said. But even with additional help, in her experience it still usually takes months for kids to be evaluated and services to begin, she said.

“I think that’s the saddest thing for me,” Neilson said. “The families are very frustrated because they don’t know what to do — they just know that they need help for their child, but it’s just very hard to navigate.”

Officials say a lack of resources is largely to blame. Over the past decade, the number of preschool-age children in Pennsylvania receiving early intervention services has grown by a third, and funding hasn’t kept up.

Pennsylvania Department of Education spokesperson Erin James said that is why Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed increasing funding for preschool early intervention by $14.5 million in the state budget. However, months past the budget deadline, lawmakers remain at an impasse over the budget and early education providers are further strained.

One provider who contracts with Elwyn said concerning inequities exist in Elwyn’s program. (Chalkbeat is not naming the provider due to her fears of retaliation from Elwyn.) It’s an accepted norm, the provider said, that kids in nicer neighborhoods get picked up for service much faster than those in poorer neighborhoods.

“There’s an access and equity issue across the board,” said the provider. “And that’s exacerbated by the shortage of providers.”

Asked about those access and equity concerns, McLister said that to address some related challenges, this year Elwyn is implementing more targeted training for staff and plans to develop a family resource center. He said the organization has also employed internal speech language pathologists to assign to high-priority cases.

When families reach out to Elwyn, McLister said staff provide them with documentation and verbal explanations of how the process works to ensure families understand their rights, next steps, and how to give consent for evaluations.

The organization also periodically notifies providers of historically underserved ZIP codes to encourage providers to serve kids equitably across the city, and includes provisions in its contracts meant to “promote fairness and accountability.” McLister said Elwyn places subcontractors on corrective action plans if the organization “detects patterns of non-acceptance that disproportionately impacts underserved areas.”

As for Halevy, she says her family has gotten relatively lucky. They were able to get Joshua started on an evaluation quickly. And she’s been able to get new therapists when others stop showing up.

But her family’s biggest piece of luck, she said, is that her husband recently got a new job with better health insurance. She plans to use that to get some of the services her kids need. That means she no longer will completely rely on Elwyn.

She just wishes she could erase the months of waiting and worrying about why Joshua’s services took so long to start.

“Basically, what happened is we fell through the cracks,” she said.

This story was produced by Chalkbeat and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

LightField Studios // Shutterstock

Anti-hustle culture 2026: Gen Z’s rebellion against burnout

Advancing your career used to mean working long hours, communicating formally, and following strict hierarchies. Baby boomers and Gen Xers placed a high value on loyalty, job stability, and climbing the corporate ladder. They followed clear and traditional career paths, prioritized titles, and often stayed with one company for many years. Overworking, sacrificing personal time, and pushing through burnout were just part of the hustle. The same has been true for many millennials.

Gen Z is changing the paradigm. By 2030, Gen Z will account for 30% of the workforce, and this new wave of workers is replacing the hustle culture with work-life balance, mental health, and flexibility.

Only 36% of Gen Z feel “very engaged” at work (13 points behind the rest of the U.S. workforce), and 91% have faced at least one mental health challenge or burnout. They now expect employers to step up and support them.

Upwork, an online marketplace for hiring skilled freelancers, explains anti-hustle culture and how Gen Z is reshaping the modern work ethic by rebelling against constant grind, avoiding burnout, and prioritizing their well-being.

What is the anti-hustle culture, and where did it come from?

The anti-hustle culture is a mindset that opposes the idea that success requires nonstop busyness and sacrifice, which can lead to burnout. This mindset promotes a more balanced approach to work by prioritizing mental health, self-care, wellness, work-life balance, and overall employee well-being over the constant hustle.

The anti-hustle culture didn’t come out of nowhere. For decades, older generations believed in doing whatever it took to move up, including staying loyal to one company (the antithesis of today’s side-hustle culture), working overtime, and putting career first. Now, younger workers, especially Gen Z, are challenging that model and redefining what success looks like.

Gen Z is looking for work that feels meaningful, offers flexibility, and supports their values and well-being. They’re working to live, not living to work, and for them, work-life balance often ranks as high as pay.

Social media trends

Recent trends like “Bare Minimum Monday” and “Lazy Girl Jobs” across podcasts and social media platforms like TikTok have helped fuel the anti-hustle culture.

Bare Minimum Monday encourages workers to start the week slowly by focusing only on essential tasks. The idea is to ease into Monday, reduce anxiety, and avoid burnout.

Lazy Girl Jobs, a term popularized by TikToker Gabrielle Judge, promotes low-stress, well-paying roles that offer flexibility, better work-life balance, and more job satisfaction, without glorifying constant productivity.

Generational shifts

Generational views on work have shifted over time. Baby boomers saw work as a core part of their identity, prioritizing performance, loyalty, and rigid structures. Gen X held similar values but sought more balance between work and life. Millennials, shaped by the digital age, valued flexibility and leaned toward purpose-driven, goal-oriented careers.

Today, Gen Z is entering the workforce with different values, behaviors, and expectations. They prefer digital communication, prioritize equality and diversity, and care deeply about a company’s ethical impact. Gen Z is also more likely to “quiet quit” if their needs aren’t met, or to do only the bare minimum for their role while staying “under the radar.” And when dissatisfaction grows, they’re not afraid to quit without notice or ghost clients.

Upwork

‍
Why Gen Z rejects “rise and grind”

Gen Z is turning away from hustle culture for several reasons. They’ve entered the workforce during a time of major disruption, seen the impact of burnout firsthand, and are reevaluating what success should look like. Instead of glorifying nonstop work, they are prioritizing mental health, balance, and meaningful experiences that shape how they approach their careers today.

Mental health needs

Gen Z places emotional well-being above professional achievement. When work becomes overwhelming, they’re more likely to step back and reset rather than push through at the expense of their health. According to Mental Health America, 71% of Gen Z workers in the U.S. report the lowest workplace health scores, a clear signal that mental health is a top priority.

Disillusionment with overwork

Gen Z has seen the fallout of hustle culture firsthand. They’ve watched older generations work long hours, suffer burnout, and still face layoffs or limited job security. These experiences have shown that hard work doesn’t always lead to stability or fulfillment, prompting Gen Z to take a more relaxed, intentional approach to work.

Different perceptions of success

Success isn’t just about money for Gen Z. It also means finding meaning and balance. In a recent Deloitte survey, 25% of Gen Z respondents chose their jobs based on work-life balance, while only 19% prioritized salary. For Gen Z, personal fulfillment now ranks nearly as high as financial gain.

Remote work realities

The remote-work strategies forced by the COVID-19 pandemic proved that productivity doesn’t require being in the office. Gen Z entered the workforce during this shift and quickly embraced the efficiency, flexibility, and reduced stress that remote work offers. They’re now less willing to accept rigid schedules and unnecessary office time.

How Gen Z’s work philosophy improves quality, not just comfort

Gen Z isn’t rejecting hard work but rather redefining it on their own terms, setting clear boundaries and choosing roles that promote their well-being. They’re focused on sustainable, high-quality performance that fits in their personal life, not nonstop hustle. This shift is about working smarter, and they’re doing it in a number of ways.

Prioritizing sustainability over burnout

Gen Z is moving away from the hustle mentality that often leads to burnout. Instead of chasing short-term wins through overwork, they focus on maintaining steady, sustainable performance. This approach reduces fatigue and helps them consistently deliver high-quality results within healthy boundaries.

Working smarter through technology

Rather than overworking, Gen Z uses technology to streamline tasks and boost efficiency. Automation tools, digital collaboration platforms, and AI integration help them achieve better outcomes with less wasted time, proving that productivity doesn’t have to come from overextension.

Purpose-driven performance

For Gen Z, meaningful work drives motivation. They perform best in roles that align with their values and allow them to make a real impact. In fact, 89% say a sense of purpose is key to job satisfaction.

Emphasis on transparency and feedback

Gen Z values regular, honest feedback over traditional performance reviews. They prefer ongoing check-ins that allow them to adjust quickly, stay aligned with expectations, and continuously improve their work, resulting in higher quality and fewer missteps.

Upwork

How businesses can collaborate effectively with anti-hustle freelancers

Working with Gen Z freelancers means partnering with talent that values flexibility, mental health, and meaningful work, and that mindset often leads to better creativity, stronger communication, and higher-quality results. These professionals prioritize efficiency over burnout and bring fresh perspectives that can elevate your projects.

Tip 1: Focus on mental health and well-being

Gen Z freelancers place a high priority on mental and physical health. Foster a healthy working relationship by:

• Setting realistic deadlines and clear workloads. Avoid last-minute assignments or vague project scopes. For example, instead of saying “ASAP,” agree on specific due dates and outline exactly what deliverables are expected.
• Encouraging open communication about availability and stress levels. Ask freelancers to share their preferred working hours or if they’re managing multiple projects. Check in periodically by asking, “Is this pace working for you?” or “Do you have the bandwidth for an additional task?”
• Expressing appreciation for their contributions. Acknowledge good work with quick messages like “Great job on this,” or “Thanks for the quick turnaround, much appreciated.” Positive feedback goes a long way in motivating freelancers and building trust.

Tip 2: Set clear scopes and boundaries

Anti-hustle freelancers thrive with structure. Avoid confusion and unnecessary stress by:

• Clearly defining project deliverables, timelines, and expectations. Specify what’s needed, when it’s due, and what success looks like. For example, say “a 1,000-word blog post on X topic by Thursday at 3 p.m.,” rather than “a draft sometime next week.”
• Breaking down projects into milestones. Dividing large projects into smaller, trackable tasks helps freelancers stay organized and focused. This approach also allows for regular check-ins and feedback without overwhelming them.
• Agreeing on working hours and response times. Ask freelancers for their preferred work hours and clarify yours. Note time zones as well. For example, “Let me know your usual availability, I’m online weekdays 10-6 EST and try to respond within a day.”
• Respecting off-hours and avoiding unnecessary pings. Don’t send messages late at night or over the weekend unless it’s an emergency or pre-agreed upon. If you do message outside their hours, mention when a reply is needed and that no rush is expected.
• Sticking to the agreed scope. Don’t add extra tasks without discussing timeline or rate adjustments. Scope creep can lead to stress and frustration. If something changes, ask: “Are you available for an additional task this week? I’m happy to adjust the milestone accordingly.”

Tip 3: Use real-time feedback and communication

Gen Z values ongoing feedback, not just end-of-project evaluations. Improve collaboration by:

• Giving quick and actionable feedback. Respond to progress updates with clear, specific input. For example, if you were working with a freelance copywriter, say “Let’s tighten the intro to grab attention faster” rather than “This needs work.”
• Using real-time communication tools. Platforms like Slack, Google Chat, or Microsoft Teams help streamline conversations. Creating a shared feedback loop. Set regular check-in points to review progress and address issues early. A simple mid-project review or weekly sync can help prevent misalignment.
• Keeping everything in one place. Use shared tools like Google Docs, Notion, or Trello to organize briefs, timelines, and revisions. This minimizes back-and-forth and helps freelancers stay focused.

Tip 4: Emphasize collaboration, not control

Micromanagement undermines trust and limits creativity. Collaborate better with anti-hustle freelancers by:

• Aligning on shared goals. Instead of detailing how every step should be done, explain what success looks like. For example, if you’re collaborating with a freelance writer, say “I’d like this article to help beginners understand X topic in under five minutes” rather than providing a rigid outline.
• Involving freelancers in key decisions. Ask for their input on timelines or format. For instance, “Does this delivery date work for you?” or “Would you prefer a Google Doc or Notion setup for tracking edits?”
• Using tools to guide, not control. Manage tasks with platforms like Asana, Monday.com, or Jira to stay updated without micromanaging. Set deadlines and priorities, then let the freelancer handle execution in their own workflow.

Tip 5: Prioritize results, not hours worked

Gen Z doesn’t equate long hours with high performance. Keep them motivated by:

• Measuring success by quality and impact. Focus on deliverables, deadlines, and KPIs rather than hours logged. For example, assess a blog post on clarity, SEO performance, and delivery date, instead of the hours it took to write.
• Setting clear, outcome-based milestones. Break projects into measurable stages, such as “submit draft one by Friday” or “revise visuals based on feedback by next Tuesday.” This keeps expectations transparent and progress easy to track.
• Allowing flexible work styles. Let freelancers choose how and when they work, as long as the final output meets agreed standards. Whether they work in the morning or late at night shouldn’t matter if the results are strong.

Upwork

Anti-hustle doesn’t mean anti-ambition

Gen Z is redefining traditional workplace values by prioritizing work-life balance and mental health instead of nonstop hustling. This shift is not about laziness. These workers are capable, motivated, and able to reach their goals while protecting their well-being and avoiding burnout.

Building successful businesses and increasing productivity among Gen Z starts with respecting their mental health, supporting healthy boundaries, and encouraging open communication and continuous feedback.

FAQ

Why is Gen Z rejecting the traditional hustle culture?

Gen Z is rejecting the hustle culture due to rising mental health awareness, economic instability, and a belief that work shouldn’t come at the cost of well-being. They’ve seen that overworking doesn’t guarantee success or security and prefer flexible, purpose-driven work that fits into their lives.

How do anti-hustle principles affect productivity?

Anti-hustle principles improve productivity by prioritizing mental health, work-life balance, flexibility, and autonomy. When workers feel supported and mentally well, they’re more focused, engaged, and motivated. Clear boundaries help prevent burnout and frustration, leading to steady, high-quality performance over time.

Is anti-hustle the same as quiet quitting?

No. Anti-hustle is a conscious choice to prioritize mental health, balance, and meaningful work; it’s about working smarter, not less. Quiet quitting, on the other hand, is when someone does only the bare minimum because they feel disengaged or undervalued in their role. Anti-hustle aims to improve work quality, not avoid it.

‍Upwork is not affiliated with and does not sponsor or endorse any of the tools or services discussed in this article. These tools and services are provided only as potential options, and each reader and company should take the time needed to adequately analyze and determine the tools or services that would best fit their specific needs and situation.

‍Any individuals mentioned are referenced based on publicly available information at the time of writing. Upwork does not endorse or maintain an ongoing affiliation with them.

This story was produced by Upwork and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

The 74 // Getty images

Schools that are good at teaching math are also good in reading — and vice versa

Many people prefer restaurants that specialize and perfect a certain type of cuisine — they don’t want their barbecue restaurant to offer sushi, and see extensive menus as a worrisome sign of mediocrity.

On the other hand, they may not want a hotel that excels in only one area — they want every hotel they stay at to have clean sheets and towels, hot water and a quiet environment.

What about schools? Are they more like restaurants or hotels? At the high school level, they might be more like restaurants in that they can offer a variety of experiences that allow students to start to develop specialties. But elementary schools should probably be more like hotels and provide consistently strong services — and outcomes — for all kids.

When it comes to the basics of reading and math, how much within-school specialization is there at the elementary levels? That is, are there schools and districts that do a great job of teaching kids to read but maybe aren’t so good at teaching math?

To find out, The 74 looked back at projects that last year identified districts that did an exceptional job of teaching kids to read by third grade and be proficient in math by eighth grade. Among those positive outliers, 140 districts appeared on both of the lists. That is, these districts were producing outstanding results across subjects and grade levels.

In contrast, 14 districts were identified that were exceptional in one subject but significantly underperformed expectations in the other. Among those, 12 of the 14 were strong in math but weak in reading.

To look at school-level results,2025 test scores in the state of Mississippi were used as, a good test to see whether they specialized or were consistently strong, since the state has some of the best schools in the country.

First, reading scores were examined to see if they correlated with performance in math and science. A correlation of 1.0 would mean the two trends were moving in perfect lockstep, while a correlation of 0.0 would suggest that the two variables were not associated with each other at all. As seen in the table below, there were very strong correlations across academic subject areas. For example, the correlation across school-level reading and math scores was 0.87, which suggests a very strong relationship.

The 74

These results suggest that schools with high test scores in one content area are very likely to also have high test scores in another subject. (And the opposite.) But that doesn’t necessarily reflect how much the school contributes to a student’s scores. It could just be that the school happens to enroll higher- or lower-performing kids.

In Mississippi, the state measures growth using a model called a value table. Essentially, the state created eight performance levels, and schools receive points if they help students advance to higher tiers from one year to the next.

Do schools with high student growth rates tend to see improvement across multiple subject areas? The answer in Mississippi is yes. In the graph below, each dot represents a school that is graphed according to its reading and math growth rates. The closer the dot is to the diagonal line, the closer the relationship between the school’s growth rates in reading and in math.

The 74

Note: Data via the Mississippi Department of Education’s 2025 school accountability results for elementary and middle schools.

Although there are a few outliers on both sides, a “good school” tends to be good across subject areas. That is, there are no schools at either the bottom right or top left corners of the graph, where they would be if they were extremely strong in one subject but not the other. For example, among the 50 Mississippi elementary and middle schools that made the greatest gains in reading last year, none of them were below the statewide average in math growth.

The opposite was also true: Among the 50 schools with the lowest reading score gains, only two reached the statewide average in math.

Florida operates a similar accountability system to Mississippi. Similar correlations were found across subject areas.

Both Mississippi and Florida showed strong relationships between a school’s proficiency and student growth scores. However, that could be a function of the specific way those states have chosen to measure student growth, and it’s not always the case that a school with high proficiency scores will also have high growth. In fact, because proficiency rates are highly correlated with socioeconomic status, some researchers prefer growth measures that attempt to truly isolate a school’s impact on student learning.

While questions about how best to measure school performance can be thorny and technical, it does seem to be the case that schools that are strong in one subject tend to be strong in others as well. In an increasingly specialized world, it’s fortunately rare to find a school that’s doing a great job in one subject area and letting kids down in the other.

This story was produced by The 74 and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

sabthai // Shutterstock

Side hustles and skills: How today’s college students are redefining success beyond the classroom

Between their classes, jobs, side hustles, hobbies, and other on-campus or extracurricular activities, today’s college students face unprecedented demands on their time and energy — a pressure that only grows during finals season. Yet despite managing these multiple commitments, this generation continues to battle negative perceptions about their work ethic and potential.

Quizlet, the global learning platform serving millions of students, recently conducted the “Modern Student Experience” survey to examine how Gen Z college students balance their various responsibilities and what drives their decisions about time and priorities. The research surveyed 2,000 U.S. respondents between ages 18 and 28, with half currently enrolled in college and half having graduated within the past five years.

The findings of the report reveal a generation that defies common stereotypes, showing high levels of ambition, strategic thinking about their futures, and a willingness to make significant sacrifices for professional success. Rather than the unfocused, social media-obsessed demographic often portrayed in popular culture, the data highlight a generation who prioritizes skill-building, professional development and meaningful career preparation.

Quizlet

Students Are Stretched Thinner Than Ever

The survey reveals that modern college students are managing unprecedented levels of responsibility across multiple areas of their lives. More than half of Gen Z college students maintain a job or side hustle alongside their studies (55%). Among students participating in on-campus organizations — including honors societies, sports teams, Greek life and other groups — 58% are involved in two or more organizations.

Beyond formal commitments, Gen Z students actively pursue skill development in areas their coursework may not address. Nearly half (45%) focus on learning practical life skills such as cooking, budgeting and time management, while 44% work to develop social and interpersonal skills including leadership, teamwork and communication.

These multiple commitments create a generation that has learned to manage complex schedules, prioritize competing demands, and develop time management skills that may serve them well in future career environments.

Quizlet

Side Hustles Offer More Value Than Some Classes

Rather than viewing these responsibilities as distractions from education, students appear to see them as complementary to their academic goals. In fact, the survey data reveals a striking disconnect between traditional academic structures and what students perceive as most valuable for their career preparation. Nearly three-quarters of Gen Z college students involved in campus organizations (71%) believe the experiences and skills gained through these activities better prepare them for their professional career than their coursework.

This finding suggests students are making strategic calculations about where to invest their time and energy. While maintaining academic performance remains important, they’re recognizing that hands-on experiences, leadership opportunities and practical skill development may provide more tangible career benefits than some classroom learning.

The emphasis on nonacademic experiences aligns with Gen Z’s vision for the future of work, which prioritizes work-life balance and meaningful professional development. When asked about changes they hope to make in the workforce, 20% of respondents identified better work-life balance as their top priority, followed by higher pay or pay transparency (15%) and increased opportunities for career growth (13%).

This perspective on work-life balance represents a significant shift from previous generations’ approaches to career building. Instead of simply accepting traditional models of professional advancement that may require sacrificing personal time and well-being, Gen Z appears committed to creating sustainable career paths that align with their values and lifestyle goals.

Their preference for experiential learning and practical skill development also reflects an understanding that the modern workplace rewards adaptability, collaboration and real-world problem-solving abilities—qualities that may be better developed through internships, leadership roles and project-based work than through traditional lecture-based courses.

Quizlet

Students Are More Ambitious Than Older Generations Assume

Contrary to stereotypes about Gen Z’s priorities and work ethic, the survey reveals a generation with strong professional ambitions and strategic decision-making abilities. Two-thirds of Gen Z students (64%) would prioritize a professional opportunity over a social activity when faced with competing demands, demonstrating their commitment to career advancement even when it requires personal sacrifices.

Perhaps most surprisingly, despite social media ranking as the top hobby among Gen Z college students, more than one-third (35%) would give up social media entirely for guaranteed future success. This finding directly challenges assumptions about this generation’s relationship with technology and social platforms, suggesting they view these tools as optional rather than essential to their identity or well-being.

These choices reflect a level of strategic thinking and long-term planning that contradicts common narratives about Gen Z being impulsive, instant-gratification-focused, or unable to delay rewards for future benefits. Instead, the data shows students are willing to make significant lifestyle changes and social sacrifices to achieve their professional goals.

The willingness to prioritize professional development over social activities also suggests this generation may approach networking and relationship-building differently than their predecessors. Rather than viewing social connections as separate from professional advancement, they may be more likely to seek opportunities that combine social engagement with career development, such as professional organizations, industry events or skill-building workshops.

This ambitious mindset, combined with their experience managing multiple responsibilities and their focus on practical skill development, positions Gen Z as a generation that may bring valuable perspectives and capabilities to the workforce—if employers can recognize and leverage these strengths rather than focusing on generational stereotypes.

Methodology

Quizlet partnered with global research and communications firm Allison Worldwide, whose Performance+ Intelligence team surveyed 2,000 U.S. respondents between the ages of 18 and 28. Half of the respondents (1,000 individuals) are students currently enrolled in college, and half (1,000 individuals) have graduated from college within the last five years and are now working full time. The survey was fielded using Forsta and the panel was sourced from RepData. Fielding took place in August and September 2025.

This story was produced by Quizlet and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Felix Mizioznikov // Shutterstock

Gen Z earnings premium: Cities where young workers are excelling

While some members of Gen Z may still be working entry-level jobs while attending high school or college, much of this cohort has now entered the workforce in earnest. As the least experienced generation on the schedule, Gen Z is generally paid less than their older counterparts, with this holding true in 93% of cities. But in a handful of locations, Gen Z offers skills and expertise — and sometimes youth itself — that help these workers pull ahead against the odds and earn more than older generations.

With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 354 of the largest U.S. cities based on the percentage difference between the local median income for people aged 15 to 24 compared to the rest of the local population.

Key Findings

• Gen Z earns a 70% premium in Hollywood, Florida. The median Gen Z household earned $121,317 in Hollywood in 2024, compared to $71,067 for all households — a 70.7% difference. Clearwater, Florida, has the second-highest advantage for Gen Z households with a 58.7% disparity. Young households earned $105,280 compared to a $66,357 median across all households.
• In all, Gen Z out-earns other generations in 7% of cities. While it’s rare for young up-and-comers to outperform older households for income, some economic dynamics make it possible. Studywide, Gen Z had a positive earnings premium in 24 out of 354 cities, with roughly half in Florida or California. Others include Federal Way, Washington; Lynn, Massachusetts; Kent, Washington; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Newport News, Virginia; Jackson, Michigan; and Brownsville, Texas, among others.
• The median Gen Z income in this city is over $160,000. Gen Z earns the most in Sunnyvale, California, where the median income for that age group is $162,486. However, this is 10.2% lower than the median income across all households in this high-earning city ($181,022). This negative earnings premium puts Sunnyvale at the 37th best overall for Gen Z’s earnings.
• The median Gen Z income is less than $50,000 in more than half of cities. For most young people, income tends to be lower than across all households. People aged 15 to 24 are generally at the bottom of the earnings totem poll. In fact, the median Gen Z income is lower than the 2024 U.S. median household income in 91% of cities surveyed.

SmartAsset

24 Cities Where Gen Z Makes More Than the Median Household

Out of 354 cities, Gen Z earns more than their older counterparts in just a handful of places.

1. Hollywood, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 70.71%
• Median Gen Z income: $121,317
• Median household income: $71,067

2. Clearwater, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 58.66%
• Median Gen Z income: $105,280
• Median household income: $66,357

3. Rio Rancho, New Mexico

• Gen Z earnings premium: 43.24%
• Median Gen Z income: $140,907
• Median household income: $98,374

4. Moreno Valley, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 37.26%
• Median Gen Z income: $127,262
• Median household income: $92,716

5. Federal Way, Washington

• Gen Z earnings premium: 34.92%
• Median Gen Z income: $120,105
• Median household income: $89,022

6. Lynn, Massachusetts

• Gen Z earnings premium: 23.14%
• Median Gen Z income: $90,314
• Median household income: $73,340

7. Lehigh Acres, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 19.29%
• Median Gen Z income: $84,460
• Median household income: $70,800

8. Inglewood, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 16.88%
• Median Gen Z income: $81,069
• Median household income: $69,362

9. Tracy, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 16.08%
• Median Gen Z income: $140,202
• Median household income: $120,776

10. Deltona, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 15.15%
• Median Gen Z income: $88,026
• Median household income: $76,446

11. Palm Coast, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 13.06%
• Median Gen Z income: $92,801
• Median household income: $82,083

12. Visalia, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 9.87%
• Median Gen Z income: $93,146
• Median household income: $84,781

13. Hesperia, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 9.71%
• Median Gen Z income: $79,056
• Median household income: $72,059

14. Kent, Washington

• Gen Z earnings premium: 6.99%
• Median Gen Z income: $98,967
• Median household income: $92,497

15. Fort Wayne, Indiana

• Gen Z earnings premium: 6.86%
• Median Gen Z income: $65,648
• Median household income: $61,436

16. Hialeah, Florida

• Gen Z earnings premium: 6.26%
• Median Gen Z income: $60,727
• Median household income: $57,151

17. Newport News, Virginia

• Gen Z earnings premium: 6.25%
• Median Gen Z income: $73,234
• Median household income: $68,927

18. New Bedford, Massachusetts

• Gen Z earnings premium: 4.96%
• Median Gen Z income: $60,077
• Median household income: $57,240

19. Waterbury, Connecticut

• Gen Z earnings premium: 4.62%
• Median Gen Z income: $50,092
• Median household income: $47,881

20. Corona, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 3.36%
• Median Gen Z income: $106,984
• Median household income: $103,507

21. Antioch, California

• Gen Z earnings premium: 3.13%
• Median Gen Z income: $101,070
• Median household income: $97,998

22. Jackson, Mississippi

• Gen Z earnings premium: 2.75%
• Median Gen Z income: $45,739
• Median household income: $44,516

23. Brownsville, Texas

• Gen Z earnings premium: 0.7%
• Median Gen Z income: $59,908
• Median household income: $59,491

24. Lafayette, Louisiana

• Gen Z earnings premium: 0.2%
• Median Gen Z income: $59,564
• Median household income: $59,445

Data and Methodology

Data comes from the U.S. Census Bureau 1-Year American Community Survey for 2024. The median household income for households where the main householder is aged 15 to 24 is compared to the median household income across all local households to determine the Gen Z earnings premium. Data for 354 U.S. cities with a population over 100,000 was available.

This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.

Celia Ong // Shutterstock

Keep getting texts about job offers? Don’t fall for this common scam

Scammers love to prey on hope, and with a 4.3 percent unemployment rate in the U.S. as of August 2025, they’ve got a lot of hopeful job seekers to pounce on. No matter the economic environment, though, job offer scams are a perennial favorite of sketchy grifters — the latest model just so happens to come in the form of a fake job text message, and it can seem rather convincing, too.

Got a text out of the blue about a potential job at your dream company? If it’s an opportunity that sounds too good to be true, that’s because it probably is. Spokeo explains how to know for sure.

Key Takeaways:

• Text-based job offer scams are on the rise.
• The latest job offer scams pose as recruiters or dream companies offering cushy jobs.
• They’re actually phishing scams out to get your valuable private information.

Job Text Scams: How They Work

The latest string of job offer scams has gotten so prevalent that the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning to help keep job hunters from getting their hearts broken and their bank accounts drained. The most recent popular iteration of the scam is a fake job text message from a phony “recruiter” or a dream job-worthy company. Here’s how it works:

1. Victims get an unsolicited text, seemingly out of the blue.
2. Said text claims to be from a job recruiting service, such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter, or from a popular company with dream job vibes (think Netflix or Apple) and often describes a cushy-sounding gig with a nice pay rate.
3. The job description will be vague and suspiciously easy to fulfill. Slate describes a common example seeking “remote product testers” who only need to work for an hour or two a day to earn up to $400 daily by “reviewing new products or services online.” NPR, meanwhile, came across one that offered pay just for listening to songs on Spotify. Both are bogus.
4. Once you apply, the scammers will let you know you’ve been “hired” (spoiler: everyone gets the “hired”), at which point they will ask for all sorts of sensitive private information (bank info, social security number, etc.).
5. Alternatively, the link is just a phishing link, aimed at gathering your private information or installing malware onto your device.

What Do They Want?

Crooks aren’t sending out fake job text messages for fun. By and large, job offer scams are designed to obtain your valuable private information as a form of phishing. If you get lured in and respond to a job text scam, the scammer will most likely attempt to move you on to an “application” phase. Typically, this happens via a professional-looking online form, email, or an external chat app, like iMessage or WhatsApp. In order to “apply,” you’ll be prompted to provide sensitive, private information, which the grifter can then use to commit identity theft, most likely in an attempt to access your finances.

In some versions of job offer scams, the scammer will even offer to give you a portion of your future paycheck upfront, but to do so, they’ll need your bank account information. Of course, in the end, you’ll be the one paying them, against your will. In either case, your best bet is to avoid responding, period — block and report job text scams on sight.

How to Know If a Job is a Scam

When it comes to fake job text messages, the usual giveaways still apply. Things like typos, fishy-looking links or email domains (look for slight misspellings of real company or brand names, like “Inedeed” dot com instead of “Indeed” dot com), or “act now!” pressure tactics should make you give a very stern side-eye.

But on a level more specific to these text-based job offer scams from “recruiters,” keep your eyes peeled for these potential red flags:

• The job description sounds a little too easy, a little too well paid, or a little too good to be true.
• It’s a job you didn’t apply for or appears to be from a recruiter you haven’t used.
• The text is sent as part of a group chat, with multiple people gassing up the apparent company or job offer.
• The text directs you to external platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage, or WeChat.
• The texter has a non-U.S. country code. For instance, +91 is a message from India, while +63 is from the Philippines — both countries known for having high scam text activity.
• If an email address is given, the domain is a personal or free service, like “@gmail.com” or “@yahoo.com” instead of an official company domain.
• The recruiter is one you’ve never heard of, and a Google search for said “recruiter” comes up dry or produces accounts of previous scams.
• The sender asks for any sort of private information before you have an interview.
• You’re immediately “hired” without any form of a legitimate interviewing process.

Frequently Asked Questions About Job Scam Texts

Just like a real job interview, the much phonier world of job text scams elicits a lot of questions, and reasonably so. Here are some of the most common queries people search for when it comes to job offer scams.

Is it legal for your employer to text you?

Yes, though some states have proposed “right-to-disconnect” laws that could limit employer texts outside of business hours. However, the keyword here is “employer,” not random recruiters or job offers out of the ether.

Is it normal for jobs to text you?

While recruiting sites that you actually signed up for may send automated texts if you opted in to them, most legit employers do not send job offers via text — especially some of the bigger and shinier companies that job text scams like to name drop.

How do you report fake job offers?

When you block the number (and you should block the number), make sure to mark it as spam to help improve automatic spam detection for others across the board. You can also forward the text to 7726 (“SPAM”) or file a report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

This story was produced by Spokeo and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.