Education

For the first time since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, all of New York City's public school students are expected to return to classes in person today.

It's Back-To-School Season In NYC. Here's How 3 Moms Are Handling It

5:14pm September 13, 2021

by Anya Kamenetz

School districts are once again making enormous changes at the last minute. New York City, the nation's largest district, is one of the few holdouts against offering a remote option.

A boy on his commute to school during COVID-19 times

The Unexpected Reason Arizona's Mask Mandate Ban May Be Unconstitutional

1:12pm September 13, 2021

by Ben Giles

Leaf through the most recent Arizona budget, and you'll find everything from a mask mandate ban to voting restrictions. A new lawsuit says those aren't budget items; they are political horse-trading.

NYC Public Schools, Mostly Remote During The Pandemic, Return To In-Class Learning

6:17am September 13, 2021

by Rosemary Misdary

New York City public school students are going back to school Monday, but parents and educators are bracing themselves as COVID-19 infections continue to rise among children.

Schools Are The New Pandemic Battleground In A Controversial Arizona Budget

5:06pm September 12, 2021

by Ben Giles

Leaf through the most recent Arizona budget and you'll find everything from a mask mandate ban to voting restrictions. A new lawsuit say those aren't budget items, they are political horse trading.

Peter Hemans spent the night at New Jersey's Hackensack Middle School, where he is the head custodian, to make sure emergency sump pumps were working properly.

This Custodian Stayed At His School All Night Pumping Water During Ida's Storms

2:05pm September 11, 2021

by Bill Chappell

The hurricane's remnants hit New Jersey just days before classes were to begin at Hackensack Middle School. Its custodian was determined to keep the students on track.

Harvard University President Lawrence Bacow said Thursday that the university will move to end its investments in fossil fuel companies, though stopped short of using the word "divest."

Education

Harvard University Will Stop Investing In Fossil Fuels After Years Of Public Pressure

8:43pm September 10, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

Harvard University says it will stop investing its $41.9 billion endowment in the fossil fuel industry, citing the threat of climate change. Activists have called on the university to do so for years.

Los Angeles Students Under 12 Will Need To Be Vaccinated Against COVID By January

7:14pm September 10, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Megan Reilly, interim superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District, about the decision to require all students 12 and older to be vaccinated against COVID.

President Biden tours Brookland Middle School in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Biden has encouraged school districts to promote vaccines to protect students as they return to school amid a coronavirus resurgence.

Biden Brushes Off The GOP Threats To Sue Over Vaccine Mandates

7:14pm September 10, 2021

by Brian Naylor

President Biden said he was saddened that some GOP governors are threatening to sue over the new mandates. To them, he said, "Have at it."

When children and teachers wear masks in class, studies show it limits the spread of the coronavirus.

Yes, Gov. DeSantis, Studies Do Show Masks Curb Covid-19 In Schools

5:18pm September 10, 2021

by Maria Godoy

Several studies over the past year and a half have arrived at the same conclusion: mask wearing significantly limits transmission of the coronavirus in schools.

A child reaches out to touch a flower adorning the Sept. 11 memorial on the name of a veteran killed in the 2001 terror attacks. For today's generation of kids, 9/11 is a history lesson.

How To Talk About 9/11 With A New Generation Of Kids

4:27pm September 10, 2021

by Cory Turner

Students today have no memory of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, so this year's anniversary poses unique challenges for educators and caregivers trying to explain what happened and why.