All Education
First LookAs classroom numbers dwindle, US public schools face tough choicesAs more families opt for homeschool and private schools, public school systems are feeling the pinch as enrollment drops. Corresponding budget cuts are forcing schools to cut jobs, close schools, and merge classrooms.
First LookFor some US families, homeschooling is here to stayThe onset of the pandemic precipitated a record rise in homeschooling across the United States. Even as schools have re-opened, some families have opted to stick with at-home education, finding that more tailored lessons help their children learn better.聽
How Oakland closed the digital divide for nearly all its studentsRecent success in closing the digital divide in Oakland, California,聽schools suggests what a partnership approach can achieve.聽
First LookNew Mexico has an ambitious free-college program. Will it last?New Mexico is expanding its free college program, 鈥淥pportunity Scholarship,鈥� by removing restrictions requiring students to be recent high school graduates and full-time students. The new program will also allow them to use grants for personal expenses.聽
Cover StoryWhy a conservative Florida county raised taxes to help childrenIn the same election where Escambia County overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, voters also raised taxes to create聽the Escambia Children鈥檚 Trust.
Brain gain: Universities worldwide step up to help Ukrainian scholarsCulture makes a country, but so do scholarly contributions. Organizations around the world are helping Ukrainians stay engaged in research and learning.
First LookBiden administration to extend freeze on student loan paymentsThe Biden administration is planning to extend the pause on federal loan payments to Aug. 31 as the current May 1 expiration date looms. The decision will affect more than 43 million Americans who need to repay a combined $1.6 trillion in student loans.
First LookSacramento, Minneapolis teachers walk out as school strikes returnTeachers and school employees in Sacramento, California, walked off their jobs Wednesday, clashing with the district over staffing shortages, funding, and low pay 鈥� cancelling classes in 76 schools. A similar teacher strike in Minneapolis has entered its third week.
From lawsuits to giveaway drives, a push against book bansBanning books can have unintended consequences. In the United States, one result has been a redoubled effort to ensure those books are freely available.
First LookAfter two years, nonprofits eager for return of student volunteersMost U.S. schools eliminated or shortened mandatory community service to protect students during the pandemic. Now they are working to bring volunteers back. When teens help others, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 when they鈥檙e at their best,鈥� says one educator.
Last of its kind: Vermont town weighs future of one-room schoolhouseCommunity and identity: Citizens in Elmore, Vermont, consider the value of preserving the state鈥檚 last one-room schoolhouse.聽
Students need help catching up. Tennessee tries tutoring.How should schools mitigate the pandemic鈥檚 effect on learning? In Tennessee, a statewide tutoring program is seeing positive results.
Right to transfer: Why it鈥檚 a game changer for college athletesForget the fiefdom of the all-powerful coach. In football and beyond, college sports programs face a culture change as players win new rights.
Rising book bans: Grounds for moral panic?Books聽in schools and libraries increasingly have targets on their spines. The more partisan the battle has become, the more it聽manifests as a power struggle, rather than an effort to best serve children.
FocusOpting out: A wider range of parents drives home-school surgeThe pandemic has prompted more families to turn to home schooling. For some parents, the decision is driven by culture as much as by academics.
First Look'Cyber snow days': Data hacks send US schools scramblingAcross the United States, hackers have homed in on a new target: schools. Cyberattacks have been occurring with greater frequency and severity 鈥� affecting everything from fire alarms to personal data 鈥� forcing some schools to close for days.
Cover StoryTeaching race in schools: Have these moms found a way forward?Amid the turmoil of fraught school board meetings, a group of moms hopes to foster genuine conversation on race, even when everyone doesn鈥檛 agree.
What happens to US education if there鈥檚 no one to teach?School systems are seeking interim solutions to staffing shortages, but also need to face longer-term challenges with recruiting and retaining teachers.
First LookStudents to swap pencils for laptops as SAT exam moves onlineOn Tuesday, administrators announced that the SAT exam is moving online, which will parallel a shift to digital testing already underway in schools. The format change will begin abroad next year and in the United States in 2024.聽
First LookSupreme Court to hear challenge to race-based college admissionsThe U.S. Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld race-conscious admissions since the 1970s. Now, it takes up聽a challenge to two lawsuits alleging Harvard University and the University of North Carolina聽intentionally discriminated against Asian American applicants.聽
