For the hundreds of schools, thousands of students and millions of fans left dismayed by the cancellation last year of the NCAA men’s Division I basketball tournament, the return of March Madness is cause for much celebration and, of course, much caution. The Big Dance comes at a time when vaccinations are leading the nation...

This essay is adapted from posts that originally appeared on the New York School Talk blog.  Every adult in a school building gets a union. In New York City, most are members of the United Federation of Teachers, and together they are incredibly powerful and effective. They negotiate all the rules. They can influence hiring and firing...

How are school district budgets faring this year? That depends. Many districts are struggling financially. They have spent large sums of money dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic — buying technology, purchasing cleaning supplies, hiring more substitute teachers and attempting to address student learning loss and disengagement. This story, of districts in distress, is an easy...

An Arkansas school district has one teacher leading instruction for several classes while others support children in small groups. A suburban Cleveland elementary school teamed up teachers and restructured its school day to expand staff planning time. A St. Louis charter school is making sure every educator also serves as an education navigator or coach...

There is a lot of talk about student loan debt forgiveness right now, but this is actually less about canceling debt and more about investing in workers and the economy while developing sustainable solutions to underlying, systemic problems. Education is a fundamental driver of economic development because it is all about investing in people, and...

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, many educators learned very quickly that online learning takes work. In the spring, teachers and administrators had to take on the near-impossible task of moving all their classes and interactions online with no warning. Fall brought its own uncertainties, as districts around the country struggled to reconcile the need to...

Even pre-pandemic, teachers were creative when choosing instructional materials to use with students. When presented with a recommended or even required curriculum, RAND research has found, teachers exercised great autonomy in modifying teaching materials and finding additional resources to supplement them. So, what do teachers want when it comes to instructional materials, particularly now? Knowing...

It can be difficult to see the bright spots in this challenging year, but for those of us who work to engage college students in civic life, it has been heartening to see the explosion of activism and informed dialogue around the elections, public health and racial justice. Amid pandemic lockdowns and social distancing, these...

Despite his clear election win, President Joe Biden has faced staunch rejection by many state and federal Republican policymakers. If he cannot find opportunities to build political capital with Republicans quickly, his administration, the planned COVID-19 response and American democracy are in jeopardy. If Biden hopes to rebuild bridges and end the political polarization that...

This essay originally appeared on the FutureEd blog. Former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos touted the Trump administration’s controversial Title IX rule that increased protections for students accused of sexual harassment as one of her most significant accomplishments. In a farewell letter to Congress, she urged legislators to uphold the rule. While the Biden administration...