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Local governments in cities around the world will not be able to cope with climate change impacts until they enhance their capacity to adapt. Past efforts to build local capacity, however, have often been unsuccessful. Building municipal capacity to formulate and implement climate adaptation plans will, in our view, require a new approach. Special attention will need to be paid to (1) contingent financial arrangements; (2) widespread and continuous stakeholder engagement; and (3) a commitment to experimental problem-solving. Most important, to respond to the scientific and technical uncertainties surrounding climate risks, local governments will have to enhance their 'adaptive governance' capabilities. Key policy insights Building local capacity to adapt to climate change is likely to require moving beyond traditional forms of financial and technical assistance so that the uncertainties and complexities of climate change can be addressed. We suggest a new three-pronged approach to municipal capacity building. The first element of this new approach will require structuring financial investments in a more adaptable (i.e. contingent) fashion. The second will involve widespread and continuous stakeholder engagement, both for coalition building and for public learning. The third encourages an experimental approach to problem-solving so that communities can learn-by-doing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the counternarrative in the public discourse surrounding Teach For America (TFA), this paper represents the first digital ethnography in education policy. We conduct a qualitative analysis of Truth For America, an education policy podcast. We found four overarching themes that arose from conversations with respondents: (1) problematic practice, preparation, and pedagogy; (2) concerns linked to critiquing TFA and the organization's responses to that critique; (3) issues related to race and diversity; and (4) disconcerting funding practices and political power. We conclude by discussing the implications of how individual-level stakeholder experiences inform the public discourse about TFA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elementary school students in today's urban classrooms face many life circumstances at home and in their communities that contribute to stress and coping needs. These stressors are often brought into the classroom, which impact learning, behaviors, and overall academic performance. Mindfulness has been used in classroom settings, particularly with older children and adolescents to help with behavioral and academic outcomes in school. The purpose of this pilot study was to test a 10-week Mindfulness program that was integrated daily at the morning homeroom check-in with a classroom of 4th graders, and compared to a matched comparison classroom. Teachers provided pre-intervention and post-intervention data on student behavior and academic performance; students gave qualitative feedback about the program. While there were no significant differences on the Mindfulness measures, teachers reported significant differences in prosocial behaviors, emotional regulation, and academic performance within group and across comparison groups. Students also reported high satisfaction with the curriculum and gave examples of how they used Mindfulness for emotional regulation and in classroom. Findings support the use of Mindfulness in urban classroom settings as a feasible option for students to help with personal stress and coping, as well as emotional and behavior regulation in schools and at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]