The state of the American district: Refocusing our state and local agendas on teaching, learning, and engagement
Surveys of a national panel of superintendents revealed that many districts are expanding nonacademic services, navigating an immediate staffing crunch and longer-range fiscal uncertainty when federal recovery funds expire, and expanding virtual schools.
What schools can learn from learning pods about supporting effective teacher-student relationships
When schools closed down last spring, some parents and educators responded by forming “pandemic pods,” or small groups of students who came together outside of school to learn during the pandemic. These experiments from last year provide some important examples of how families and educators can affirm students’ identities, instill a sense of belonging, and […]
Pandemic learning pod instructors loved teaching, but don’t want to be traditional classroom teachers
Samantha* had been a veteran educator for fourteen years, first as a classroom teacher and then a principal, when the pandemic shut down schools. Last year, when she learned about the then-growing learning pod movement, she thought starting one would help solve several immediate problems. “[My daughter] needs social interaction,” she said in an interview. […]
It’s time for a new K–12 reform agenda
For the second year in a row, many school districts are not ready to switch kids to remote learning if in-person school is interrupted. While most large districts offer full-time remote learning, parents had to choose at the beginning of the year and cannot easily switch in or out. Now, many districts are forced to send hundreds or even thousands of COVID-exposed kids […]
Leaders should learn from families of color who shaped education during the pandemic
COVID-19 has been deeply traumatic and disruptive for students and families. But the pandemic also created opportunities for families and community organizations to design their own solutions to educational challenges that existed long before it. As school systems move into the 2021–22 school year, they should learn from experiments led by Black and Latinx families […]
Surging enrollment in virtual schools during the pandemic spurs new questions for policymakers
During the 2020–21 school year, a large share of students opted to enroll in established, full-time virtual schools. Our analysis of federal enrollment data suggests parents, perhaps dissatisfied with remote schooling or concerned about the safety of in-person learning, sought new alternatives to traditional school districts during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined data from the […]
Closing the void at the core of public education
As schools reopen, it is less clear than ever what public education is for. States and districts resist testing students to see what they know now, and many won’t judge schools on whether anyone learns. National assessments are on hold, and traditional elements of the curriculum—and even grading—are under assault as supporting white supremacy. Yes, […]
Has the number of homeschoolers doubled? Or are the lines blurring?
One Saturday morning a few years ago, I was walking through an outdoor market in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., where I lived at the time, when something piqued my professional curiosity. A group of homeschool students were showing off art projects. I was trying to get a better feel for the various homeschool cooperatives that […]
Notes from our database: The latest on 2021-22’s rocky return to school
The scramble to reopen schools, keep students safe, and keep them learning hasn’t abated.
Families delivered innovative solutions to pandemic-fueled education disruptions. Policymakers should support them to do so again
After an optimistic summer, Delta’s rise and an escalating public health situation has crushed many people’s hope for a quiet, even “normal” school year. Families worried about the risks presented by COVID-19 are increasingly stuck between a rock and a hard place: accept the risks that come with in-person instruction—often with inadequate mitigation measures—or face […]
