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Pandemic
The 74 Interview
74 interview
The 74 Interview

Q&A: Education Reporter Anya Kamenetz on COVID Failures & Students’ Stolen Year

In one of the first chronicles of K-12 education during the pandemic, the veteran journalist empathizes with parents who feel ‘betrayed’ by schools

Kevin Mahnken
Author: Kevin Mahnken
Pandemic Policy
CDC
Pandemic

‘Treat This As You Would Any Illness’: Schools Across U.S. Downgrade COVID Rules

Doing away with masking & testing rules, many districts are telling students to stay home if they’re sick, but otherwise to come to class.

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Academic Recovery
Academic Recovery

New Data: Was 2022’s Summer Learning ‘Explosion’ Enough To Reverse COVID Losses?

Schools devoted billions to July academics and enrichment. Exclusive data show 9 in 10 districts offered programs — and 8 in 10 offered them for free

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Vaccinations
pandemic

Could Polio Outbreak Put Kids at Risk? State Vaccination & Exemption Rates Vary

Laura Fay
Author: Laura Fay
Higher Education
higher education
Pandemic

Teens Have Changed Their Higher Ed Plans — Survey Shows They May Never Go Back

Kristof & Ritter: COVID-19 forced HS students to re-evaluate their learning plans. If colleges want enrollment to recover, they must adapt

John Kristof & Colyn Ritter

Spotlight

Academic Recovery
Academic Recovery

New Data: Was 2022’s Summer Learning ‘Explosion’ Enough To Reverse COVID Losses?

Schools devoted billions to July academics and enrichment. Exclusive data show 9 in 10 districts offered programs — and 8 in 10 offered them for free

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small

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COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: School Closures and Learning Loss Connected Worldwide, New Report Shows

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
podcast

A New Way to Innovate at Schools: Embrace a Child-Like Mind, Test Boundaries

Diane Tavenner & Michael B. Horn
Following the COVID Money

This Rural Illinois District Curbed Learning Loss With Help From a Burmese Church

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Pandemic to Blame for Increase in Toddler Speech Delays

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
COVID-19

COVID School Data: Mental Health Worse, Staffing Tight, Enrollment Frozen

Kevin Mahnken
Author: Kevin Mahnken
Louisiana

Louisiana House Advances Bill to Prohibit COVID Vaccine Requirement for Schools

Piper Hutchinson, Louisiana Illuminator
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Parents Don’t Know How Far Behind Kids Have Fallen in School

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
food security

A Pandemic Experiment in Universal Free School Meals Gains Traction in the U.S.

Adam Goldstein, Source New Mexico
Cleveland

Cleveland Schools Pick Indianapolis Academic Chief Warren Morgan as New CEO

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell

Explore Our News Series

Weaving a Stronger Society

4Fams

Pandemic

Weaving a Stronger Society

Celebrating educators who use community to help students succeed in class... and life

4Fams

Education news and views for families

Pandemic

Rolling coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing effects on education
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commentary

The Pandemic’s Virtual Learning is Now a Permanent Fixture of America’s Schools

Conor P. Williams
Author: Conor P. Williams
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Data Show How Pandemic Hit Student Attendance, Grades, Advancement

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
Following the COVID Money

In Search of Equity, Divided Ga. District Taps COVID Funds for Reading Overhaul

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
congress

Union Head Pushes Back on GOP Claims of ‘Undue Influence’ on School Closures

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Federal Relief Funds

District Attorney Launches Broad Criminal Probe into Stockton School Spending

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Analysis

The Terrible Truth: Current Solutions to COVID Learning Loss Are Doomed to Fail

Margaret Raymond
Author: Margaret Raymond
The 74 Interview

Exclusive 74 Interview: Bill Gates Calls U.S. Education a ‘Challenged Space’

Kevin Mahnken
Author: Kevin Mahnken
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Ad Campaign Tells Parents Kids Have Fallen Behind in School

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
COVID Slide

COVID Learning Loss: Missouri Scores Show Dramatic Drop in Student Performance

Joshua Parrish
Kansas

KS Lawmakers Plan to Use COVID Funds to Expand Vouchers to Public School Kids

Rachel Mipro, Kansas Reflector
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: State Lawmakers Spend Federal Cash on Mental Health

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E12: It’s Time We Talked Money

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
COVID Slide

Less Classroom Time For Students? New Washington Bill Would Trim 4 Hours a Week

Joshua Parrish
mental health

Awash in Federal Money, State Lawmakers Tackle Worsening Youth Mental Health

Christine Vestal, The Pew Trusts
K-12 Funding

As Testing Approaches, Tenn. Reconsiders Holding Back Third Graders

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
Union Report

As Schools Close for 3-Day Walkout, Could L.A. Strike Accelerate Learning Loss?

Mike Antonucci
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Learning Recovery: Many Students Still Lag Behind, But Parents Aren’t Aware

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
Following the COVID Money

50 Extra School Days: This District Uplifts English Learners With COVID Aid

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Virginia

Gov. Youngkin Announces New Slate of Efforts to Address Learning Loss in Virginia

Nathaniel Klein, Virginia Mercury
COVID Slide

Iowa Schools Cutting Budgets, Bracing for 2024 Financial Pain as COVID Aid Ends

Joshua Parrish
Analysis

High-Quality Teaching and Materials in Every Class are Key to Students’ Recovery

Laura Slover & Mike Cohen
design-based education

Q&A: Why Virtual Learning Will Thrive Long After the Pandemic

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
COVID Policy Briefing

‘The Other Long COVID’ Affecting Kids: Missed Opportunities

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
South by Southwest Education

South by Southwest Education: 23 Panels & Sessions Worth Seeing in 2023

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Analysis

The Stakes Are Only Getting Higher for Pandemic School Aid Spending

Marguerite Roza
Author: Marguerite Roza
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E10: Education Reflections from Trips to Sierra Leone, Liberia and India

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
Pandemic

Exclusive: Despite K-2 Reading Gains, Results Flat for 3rd Grade ‘COVID Kids’

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
COVID Slide

COVID’s Missing Kids: How Connecticut Is Successfully Reengaging Absent Students

Joshua Parrish
Florida

Feds Award Near $10 Million to Fund Mental Health Services in FL Schools

Danielle J. Brown, Florida Phoenix
COVID Policy Briefing

Learning Woes: Half of America’s Students Started This School Year Behind

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
Following the COVID Money

Stockton, CA: What Happens When a Dysfunctional District Gets $241 Million

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E9: Shake-Up in the Assessment Market

Diane Tavenner & Michael B. Horn
learning environments

Zen Dens and Peace Rooms: How Schools are Giving Kids Space to Reflect, Regulate

Brian Rinker, Youth Today
Analysis

Indy Summer Program Proves Acceleration, Not Remediation, Is Key for Students

Brandon Brown
Author: Brandon Brown
mental health

What One NYC Educator’s Grief Reveals About Teachers’ Mental Health Struggles

Marianna McMurdock
Author: Marianna McMurdock
COVID Policy Briefing

The Final 97 Days of the COVID Emergency: What Changes on May 12

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
New Jersey

New Jersey Lawmaker Wants to Create a State ‘Learning Loss Czar’

Sophie Nieto-Munoz, New Jersey Monitor
school choice

Homeschooling 2.0: Less Religious and Conservative, More Focused on Quality

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
The Big Picture

Global Learning Loss: Top 4 Takeaways from Latest International COVID Research

Kevin Mahnken
Author: Kevin Mahnken
The New Normal

Principal Forced to Double as Teacher Alarmed How Pandemic Is Affecting Students

Meghan Gallagher
Author: Meghan Gallagher
The New Normal

One Florida Principal’s Solution to Teacher Shortages? Recruiting His Students

Joshua Bay
Author: Joshua Bay
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E8: Why Failure — and Pivoting from It — Is Hard in Education

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
education politics

In 2022 Midterms, Career Ed Emerged as Rare Source of Bipartisan Agreement

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
commentary

What Schools Should Do About COVID’s Chronic Impact on Special Ed Students

Bob Cunningham
Author: Bob Cunningham
learning loss

Cardona’s Tutoring Charge, 1 Year Later: Some Progress, but Obstacles Remain

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Few Students Use Online Tutoring Programs

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E7: Beneath the AI Hype

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
The Big Picture

Irked by Skyrocketing Costs, Fewer Americans See K-12 as Route to Higher Ed

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Opinion

‘DARPA for Education’ Is a Good Start. Now, Congress Must Do More

Dan Correa
Author: Dan Correa
Los Angeles

LA Parents, Advocates Blast Uneven Recovery Plan for Students With Disabilities

Will Callan
Analysis

3 Ways for Schools to Make Sure They Get What They Pay for in Learning Recovery

Amanda Neitzel & Jen Krajewski
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: New Data Reveals Rapid Rise of XBB.1.5 Variant

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
learning loss

99 Days After Hurricane, Hundreds of Florida Students Still Without Classrooms

Jo Napolitano
Author: Jo Napolitano
learning loss

Quarantines, Not School Closures, Led to Devastating Losses in Math and Reading

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
Analysis

Bracing for a Tidal Wave of Unnecessary Special Education Referrals

Lauren Morando Rhim, Candace Cortiella, Lindsay Kubatzky & Laurie VanderPloeg
snow days

Is Remote Learning Burying Snow Days? It Depends on Where You Live

Nathan M. Sorber, The Conversation
Kentucky

Kentucky Drops in Education Rankings; Report Shows Young Readers Struggling

Kentucky Lantern Staff, Kentucky Lantern
New Jersey

New Jersey Test Scores Plunged as Students Struggled With COVID Disruptions

Dana DiFilippo, New Jersey Monitor
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: More Parents Opposed to School Vaccine Mandates

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
best of 2022

Best of 2022: The Year’s Top Stories About Education & America’s Schools

Steve Snyder
Author: Steve Snyder
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E6: How Do You Staff Innovation?

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
Analysis

How 14 States Are Making Sure Teachers Have High-Quality Materials Students Need

Jocelyn Pickford
Author: Jocelyn Pickford
lausd

Taking Care of Her ‘Babies’: How One LAUSD Principal Provides Pandemic Recovery to Vulnerable Kids

Nicholas Dinh
child poverty

Will Congress Care Enough to Restore the Expanded Child Tax Credit?

Keri Rodrigues
Author: Keri Rodrigues
special education

‘You Don’t Get That Time Back’: Parents Seek Special Ed Services Lost to COVID

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
districts

‘Late-in-the-Game’ COVID Relief Fund Guidance Leaves Some Scratching Their Heads

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
Big Picture

14 Charts This Year That Helped Explain COVID’s Impact on America’s Schools

Kevin Mahnken
Author: Kevin Mahnken
Analysis

Learning Loss Is Worse than NAEP Showed. Middle School Math Must Be the Priority

David Wakelyn
Author: David Wakelyn
learning loss

'Miles Ahead': St. Paul Tracks Recovery Spending, Adjusts Programs on the Fly

Beth Hawkins
Author: Beth Hawkins
The 74 Interview

Former Dallas Supe Hinojosa Speaks Out on COVID Fights & His Political Future

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
influenza

More Schools Have Closed in Kentucky This Year Than Rest of U.S. Combined. Why?

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
audience survey

Audience Survey: What’s Your School’s New Normal?

Marianna McMurdock
Author: Marianna McMurdock
school safety

‘Not Where We’d Like To Be:’ Idaho’s School Safety Assessments Slowed During Pandemic

Kevin Richert, IdahoEdNews.org
COVID Policy Briefing

Teen Brains Changed During COVID, Scans Show

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
learning loss

Is Your CA District Ready to Fix Learning Loss? New Database Has Some Answers

Arun K. Ramanathan
Author: Arun K. Ramanathan
The Big Picture

Schools Face ‘Urgency Gap’ on Pandemic Recovery: 5 Takeaways from New Study

Greg Toppo
Author: Greg Toppo
Opinion

Quiet, Consistency, Deep Breaths, Nature: Ways to Create Calming Classrooms

Lo Patrick
Author: Lo Patrick
Pandemic

Cleveland Sticks With Recovery Plans After Worst-in-Nation NAEP Drop

Patrick O’Donnell
Author: Patrick O’Donnell
Opinion

A ‘Fiercely Compassionate’ Approach to Student Mental Health

Dr. Danielle Budash Newkam
Author: Dr. Danielle Budash Newkam
enrollment

Pandemic-Related School Closures Fueled Enrollment Exodus, Report Finds

Linda Jacobson
Author: Linda Jacobson
caregiver loss

Historic Rise in Child Bereavement as COVID, Drugs and Guns Claim Parents’ Lives

Asher Lehrer-Small
Author: Asher Lehrer-Small
Analysis

Federal Funds & Philanthropy Can Help Get Chronically Absent Kids Back in School

Phyllis W. Jordan
Author: Phyllis W. Jordan
Pandemic

Why Schools’ Going Back to ‘Normal’ Won’t Work for Students of Color

Adriana Villavicencio, University of California, Irvine
podcast

LISTEN — Class Disrupted S4 E4: What Should Schools Try and Test?

Michael B. Horn & Diane Tavenner
Opinion

$10 Million For 31 Groups Working to Make Tutoring More Available & Affordable

Kevin Huffman
Author: Kevin Huffman
A Nation Divided

How Educational Inequities Are Further Tearing Apart the Country

Conor P. Williams & Shantel Meek
Analysis

3 Misconceptions About Pandemic-Related Learning Loss

Sarah Cashdollar, Mariana Barragan Torres & Meg Bates
COVID Policy Briefing

COVID Brief: Teachers’ and Teens’ Mental Health Took a Hit During COVID

John Bailey
Author: John Bailey
Opinion

Science of Reading Gives Kids the Best Chance to Close the Literacy Gap

John B. King & Jacquelyn Davis
learning loss

‘The Bottom Has Dropped Out’: Study Confirms Fears of Growing Learning Gaps

Beth Hawkins
Author: Beth Hawkins
Analysis

To Improve the Nation’s Schools, First Close the Honesty Gap

Rianna Saslow
Author: Rianna Saslow
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