Blog

Too many of our students are dealing with mental health and social-emotional issues that impact their learning and future success. This is a significant challenge for public schools, communities, and families, and we know that a wide array of professionals are needed in public schools. But more than 14 million...

As public schools reopen this year—whether in person or virtually—students and parents can expect a significantly different educational experience from the abrupt closures in March. Virtual and online learning will continue to evolve, and because the Covid-19 pandemic may shutter more schools this winter, schools are learning and adapting to...

As the 2020 school year approaches, communities are continuing to make decisions about the nature of public school in the time of COVID-19. Many schools are beginning the year with a fully online approach, where students may not see the inside of the classroom until the fall or beyond. However...

What do parents, educators, and school leaders need to know about transmission of Covid-19 and how it might impact school reopenings this fall? Members of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) joined education organizations for a webinar to present what is known, suspected, and unknown about the Covid-19 pandemic...

An intermediate school unit (sometimes called Education Service Agencies) works with local school districts to coordinate and collaborate shared services to benefit students. These agencies present an opportunity for schools that need to share resources – such as professional development, apprenticeship programs, and mental health services. As school districts deal...

Jack Jennings is legendary in K-12 education policy. He spent more than 50 years in Washington—divided between serving as the head staffer on the House Education and Labor Committee and founder of the Center on Education Policy. As a young federal reporter at Education Week in the 1990s, Jack was...

The schools we know well--classrooms teeming with learning and discovery, lunch breaks, sports and extracurricular activities--now seem like the distant past. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the annual back-to-school season, school leaders have ventured into the uncharted territory of providing digital learning to all students and now must figure...

For many years, people have discussed doing school differently. Educators can see how the world has changed—and with it, the needs of our students. This is evident not only in so much of what we see on a daily basis in our classrooms, but also from numerous studies related to...

It’s an understatement to say that we’re living at a time of uncertainty. Public education is a large endeavor: While we have 50.8 million students in traditional public schools, we also have 14,000 school districts, many communities, and families who all have different needs. Yet all want to know, what...

The outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is a rapidly evolving public health situation. State and local PTAs must follow the direction and guidance of their respective health and education departments. In order to assist and support the most vulnerable children and families, PTAs should reach out to their local school districts...