Anyone who cares about kids must rejoice over their being back in school with their peers. But that should not blind us to the harsh truths we have learned about our public education system, how badly it responded to the pandemic and how, as always, it served those with loud voices and political power and...

For all the ways that schools and educators have changed since the pandemic, this may be the longest lasting: Teachers have a greater understanding of, and appreciation for, education technology. Allison Shelley for EDUimagesBefore COVID-19 shuttered the schools, it was not uncommon to hear teachers say they just don’t do technology. In Alexandria City Public...

During my years as a teacher and school administrator, I remember wishing several times that I could have seen a problem coming while I still had time to change course. My job now is to help schools do just that by soliciting regular feedback and gaining insight into what’s on the minds of parents and...

Even before the pandemic, it was common for teachers to grapple with the challenge of teaching students varying in mastery of academic skills, with as many as seven grade levels represented in one room. The pandemic has only widened that gap, particularly in math, with the most disadvantaged students experiencing the most difficulties. A recent...

The pandemic has been devastating for students and families on so many levels. It also produced insights that constitute urgent news for schools, both as they contend with the next wave of coronavirus and in the longer-term future. Today, a quarter of elementary school students in the U.S. use the Zearn platform and they have...

Speaking and listening account for the overwhelming majority of how we receive information in our daily communications. Yet, average listeners may understand and recall as little as 10 percent of what they hear, as people are often distracted, preoccupied, or forgetful. As vital as listening is in our education, jobs, families and virtually every aspect...

The KIPP charter school network’s announcement of another scholarship program designed to launch their alumni into successful careers — and avoid the underemployment problems of years past — represents the latest mile marker along a steep learning curve. The nation’s largest group of K-12 charter schools said last week that the Ruth and Norman Rales...

Authentic connections among educators, students, parents and their community are critical for the success of a school. These connections are essential in pursuing equity, addressing opportunity gaps and supporting Black and brown students. Unfortunately, between the underrepresentation of Black teachers and school leaders and the utter failure of teacher training programs to adequately prepare educators...

As children make their way back into physical classrooms after an unprecedented year of virtual education, parents and educators must ask a crucial question: What can be done to help returning students cope with feelings of anxiety, depression and powerlessness? One avenue for encouraging children’s personal wellness is a return to arts education, whose far-ranging...

It felt like this fall would — at long last — be different. Last March according to the National Center for Education Statistics, just short of 40 percent of U.S. students were still learning entirely remotely. Roughly the same percentage were back attending full-time in-person learning (another 23 percent of students were enrolled in hybrid learning)....