Where Monday is the new Sunday: More school districts move to 4 days a week

Aug 12, 2022
Many districts make the switch to attract teachers and save money. Though some extend the school day, classroom time often contracts.
Some school districts don't have classes on Mondays. Others skip Fridays and provide child care for a fee.
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It really is who you know: Social mobility and schools

Aug 8, 2022
New research finds that low-income children who grow up in communities with lots of cross-class relationships are more likely to rise out of poverty.
The recipient school districts are now considering how to use their donations, whether on improvements like a new gym or investments like college scholarship funds.
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Monitoring software on students' school laptops raises privacy concerns

Aug 3, 2022
A new survey finds that the vast majority of American schools are using activity monitoring software to track students. The intent is to keep students safe, but it's more common to be used for disciplinary reasons.
Schools' use of  monitoring software to keep track of students has been increasing.
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As more teachers leave the profession, substitutes become even more essential

Aug 2, 2022
Pandemic-era needs for substitute teachers are changing how schools fill the job – and who they hire to fill it.
The concept of the substitute teacher has been altered because of the pandemic-fueled teacher shortage.
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Alyssa Gaines was wrong about planning for the future

Jul 26, 2022
National Youth Poet Laureate Alyssa Gaines reflects on how you don't always need a plan.
Alyssa Gaines, 2022 National Youth Poet Laureate speaks onstage during The Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in Partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies on September 21, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Bloomberg Philanthropies)

As the school year approaches, districts scramble to hire teachers

Jul 22, 2022
In many districts, the kids are due back in August, and lots of school leaders are still trying to figure out who’s going to be in front of them.
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With a new school year in view, many districts struggle to find enough teachers

Jul 14, 2022
Some districts are offering more pay and housing stipends. Others are cutting back, putting a bigger load on remaining teachers.
Some school districts are offering hiring bonuses to fill a shortage of educators. Others are simply making do with fewer teachers.
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For public good, not for profit.

School lunches aren't free to everyone anymore. Some advocates think they should be.

Jun 30, 2022
There are a lot of benefits to making school lunch and other social benefits more universal. But, yes, it's expensive to do.
Despite the popularity of universal free lunches during the pandemic, lawmakers allowed the program to expire.
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Summer school is increasingly important for students, but where are the teachers?

Jun 20, 2022
With many teachers exhausted by the demands of the pandemic, it's harder for school districts to recruit them for summer work.
Summer school programs can be helpful for students whose education was disrupted by COVID. But finding educators willing to work this summer is easier said than done.
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Schools' creditworthiness could be challenged by new costs, report says

Jun 16, 2022
Teachers demanding higher pay is one example of new costs. That could make it harder for schools to borrow money, a new report says.
For large investments, schools can turn to the debt markets to raise money. But they're also facing rising costs, which could hurt their ability to borrow.
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