Parents, teachers challenge school reopening decisions

Districts face mounting White House pressure to return to face-to-face learning, but there is pushback in certain areas against even partial reopenings.

By Naaz Modan • July 13, 2020

California district creates remote learning team to alleviate pressure on teachers

The team of six to eight educators will produce online lessons for all subjects and grade levels in a video studio being opened by the district.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 13, 2020

Watchdog report challenges Trump administration school safety recommendations

A report from the Government Accountability Office finds most school-targeted shootings take place in higher-income, low-minority areas.

By Naaz Modan • July 13, 2020

Will schools mandate COVID-19 vaccine or face liability?

Nearly all states offer nonmedical exemptions to vaccination mandates, and those will likely stay in place even if districts require coronavirus inoculation. 

By Naaz Modan • July 10, 2020

Study: More than half of students lost 39% of year's learning over summer

An examination of 200 million test scores for 18 million students in grades 1-6 over five summers also highlights the role of socioeconomic factors.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 10, 2020

Trump threatens to withhold funds if schools don't reopen

Congress and state leaders counter that the president lacks the legal authority to withhold funding for federal education programs or force a reopening.

By Roger Riddell • July 9, 2020

Will coronavirus prevention have positive long-term impact on classroom design?

Students will be greeted by a variety of safety measures when they return to buildings — some of which can later be repurposed for more flexible spaces.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 9, 2020

Amid coronavirus, educators learn to differentiate, add choice with tech

A variety of online tools helped educators expand their approaches to lessons during shutdowns — and they plan to keep them in their toolkits.

By Lauren Barack • July 8, 2020

Structure in curriculum builds lifelong skills

Experts say young learners in particular benefit from having routines built into learning, but the benefits of unstructured learning must also be balanced.

By Lauren Barack • July 8, 2020

Coronavirus puts information literacy in curriculum spotlight

Social media and smart phones have exponentially expanded access to and spread of information, making it more crucial that students learn to vet sources.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 8, 2020

Contradicting health guidance, White House pressures schools to reopen

National school leaders say the administration is ignoring thoughts on reopening and lacks details on how districts could cover extra expenses.

By Naaz Modan • July 8, 2020

Pitting mental health against safety, national leaders point to SEL in school reopening debate

Schools' ability to provide mental health support is taking center stage as some say it's not immediately feasible, while others say there's a middle ground. 

By Naaz Modan • July 8, 2020

Free, open digital resource in U.S. history improves access, promotes viewpoint diversity

No matter where students physically meet, today's history and civics classroom is tomorrow's America. 

By David Bobb, Ph.D., President of the Bill of Rights Institute • July 8, 2020

Survey: Students relatively positive on distance learning, but obstacles remain

A YouthTruth survey of 20,000 students finds Black and Latinx students report more obstacles to learning, and female and nonbinary students experience more mental health struggles.

By Roger Riddell • July 7, 2020

Students may need extra social-emotional support when they return to the classroom

Experts say a variety of factors could create anxiety in classrooms, and the transition back may be particularly jarring for students with special needs.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 7, 2020

Shrinking budgets complicate challenges amid influx of new ed tech

The mass adoption of distance learning technology, coupled with the pandemic's budgetary consequences, necessitates prioritization.

By Roger Riddell • July 6, 2020

'Notable' June job gains don't include public education employment

An increase of 70,000 local public education jobs was partially offset by 25,000 job losses in state government education. Private ed gained 93,000 jobs.

By Naaz Modan • July 6, 2020

Report identifies 7 strategies for impactful assessments

The paper from the Center on Reinventing Public Education shows ill-designed assessments with no clear purpose can do more damage than good.

By Naaz Modan • July 2, 2020

History texts under scrutiny amid growing bias awareness

Critics argue uncomfortable details are often overlooked to fit history into linear narratives and state standards created by legislators introduce political bias.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 2, 2020

To find the best starting point when teaching formal communication, think informally

Using concepts students know from their lives can result in learning that feels more relevant and approachable, writes a high school educator.

By Lauren Barack • July 1, 2020

How educators, librarians are connecting students with books to prevent COVID-19 summer literacy slide

Students who continue reading over summer can gain a year or two over peers who don't, and physical books let them take reading outside, experts say.

By Shawna De La Rosa • July 1, 2020

Will climbing coronavirus cases derail school reopenings?

In a Senate committee hearing, lawmakers and health experts said while reopening schools is important, increasing COVID cases are cause for concern.

By Naaz Modan • July 1, 2020

Despite Espinoza decision's 'seismic shock' to public schools, context may vary by state

Tuesday’s Supreme Court ruling allows states to enact choice programs that include religious options, but it may not fully clear the path for them due to the specifics of state constitutions.

By Linda Jacobson • June 30, 2020

Scaling back on standardized assessments makes way for creative instruction

Coronavirus closures demand creativity in subjects like science, tasking students with using household items to complete projects and experiments.

By Shawna De La Rosa • June 30, 2020

Supreme Court: Public money can be used for religious education

Writing for the majority in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, Chief Justice John Roberts said no "historic and substantial" tradition supports disqualifying religious schools from government aid.

By Linda Jacobson • June 30, 2020