Most years, we might have wished that education was more present in the news. This year, though, gave truth to the old saying, ‘be careful what you wish for.’ Here are the best and worst pieces of education news in 2021, listed in no order of importance. The obvious choice for worst piece of education news: the COVID-19 pandemic that sickened and killed countless numbers of our students and members of their families, along with…
As the omicron variant rapidly spreads, more colleges are adopting policies to discourage—or in some cases ban—students from being on campus in January. Generally, the colleges that are acting start up the first week in January. Institutions with later starts tend to be waiting to decide. DePaul, Harvard and Stanford University students won’t have in-person classes the first weeks of the semester, those universities announced; Pennsylvania State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and…
The number of school disruptions due to COVID-19, including school closures early ahead of the holiday break or announcing temporary returns to virtual learning next week, is on the rise – nearing the total number of disruptions recorded in late August, when schools were struggling to reopen against the backdrop of the delta variant. The increased interruptions, as reported by Burbio, which has been tracking school responses to the coronavirus, is due to both increasing…
The vaccination of children ages 5 to 11 against COVID-19 is well under way. California has become the first state to announce that it will add this vaccine to its list of the shots required for all school children, and a handful of districts in 14 states are making similar moves, starting with vaccine mandates for student-athletes to participate in sports. Because almost every child attends school, vaccine mandates have been uniquely effective against diseases like…
In the wake of the pandemic, which shined a spotlight on the essential nature of early childhood education and care, universal kindergarten is poised to become a reality in California. Championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and several lawmakers, the $2.7 billion universal kindergarten program will be gradually phased in over the next five years, until it includes all the state’s 4-year-olds by the 2025-26 school year. Currently, transitional kindergarten, or TK, serves about 100,000 children,…
When it looks like the U.S. has the answers to the pandemic, COVID-19 keeps changing the questions. Parents and teachers must now contend with the Delta variant as millions of students starting or preparing to go back to school. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says he is paying attention not just as a federal official but also as a father. “I want to make sure that when my children return to school, I’m sending…
Schools, as we know them, are changing. Shopping, as we know it, is changing. While both are obvious, one loss seems to breed opportunity while the other makes us hold on for dear life. Why? First, some context. Nestled between the perceived ‘old way’ (learning in person) and ‘new way’ (learning through computer) is Blended Learning. Blended Learning can be thought of as the bridge between eLearning and brick-and-mortar learning. It is a kind of…
Despite the popular Atlantic article that claims early COVID-19 data seems to show schools can safely reopen, many worrisome questions still remain. The article flatly denies that schools are superspreaders in spite of new reports from the CDC noting that 90% of Americans live in counties falling into the two highest risk categories for reopening schools. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics is showing a rapid rise in pediatric COVID-19 cases over the last six…
Many teachers, parents, and students are wondering how COVID-19 will change schools in 2021. In order to safely reopen school buildings, administrators have had to work closely with state and federal organizations like the CDC to find ways to protect everyone entering the school as much as possible. While many agree it is not yet safe to reopen schools, some may not have a choice but to open due to local laws, policy, and legislation.…
