Remote/Virtual Learning

Education news, analysis, opinion, and lessons learned about schooling happening outside of schools including all-virtual schools and students learning from home during periods of school closures.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Teacher Tracy Byrd's computer sits open for virtual learning students who are too fearful to come to school.
A computer sits open Jan. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis for students learning virtually because they are too fearful to come to school. Districts nationwide weigh emergency virtual learning as immigration enforcement fuels fear and absenteeism.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
School & District Management ‘Band-Aid Virtual Learning’: How Some Schools Respond When ICE Comes to Town
Experts say leaders must weigh multiple factors before offering virtual learning amid ICE fears.
Ileana Najarro & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 27, 2026
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6 min read
People cross a snow covered street in the aftermath of a winter storm in Philadelphia, Monday, Jan. 26, 2026.
Pedestrians cross the street in the aftermath of a winter storm in Philadelphia on Jan. 26. Online learning has allowed some school systems to move away from canceling school because of severe weather.
Matt Rourke/AP
School & District Management How Remote Learning Has Changed the Traditional Snow Day
States and districts took very different approaches in weighing whether to move to online instruction.
Jennifer Vilcarino, January 26, 2026
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4 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps student Avi Veeramachaneni, 14, with his final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Tracy Byrd helps students with essays on Jan. 22 at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. As immigration raids and protests have played out across the city, he and fellow educators have sought to create a stable environment for students.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
Teaching In Their Own Words ‘Normal Looks Different’: Teaching Through Fear in Minneapolis
Tracy Byrd, a 9th grade English teacher, shares what teaching entails as federal agents patrol his city.
Ileana Najarro, January 22, 2026
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8 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Teachers on When Their Administrators Get It Wrong
At times, administrators make decisions without considering the consequences.
Larry Ferlazzo, October 3, 2025
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6 min read
Supporters of charter schools rally outside of the Supreme Court on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Washington.
Supporters of religious charter schools rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on April 30 as the justices weighed Oklahoma's approval of such a charter. On May 22, the court tied 4-4, leaving in place an Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling that said such religious charters were unconstitutional.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Law & Courts Religious Charter School Blocked After Supreme Court Deadlock
The U.S. Supreme Court's 4-4 split over a religious charter school affirms a lower court ruling against the school but sets no precedent.
Mark Walsh, May 22, 2025
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6 min read
Photograph of the back of a teenage boy sitting at a computer and writing math equations in a notebook with a calculator near by.
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Artificial Intelligence Why This School System Is Integrating AI Literacy With Algebra 1
A new course offered by the Florida Virtual School aims to build students' understanding of math and AI concepts.
Lauraine Langreo, April 16, 2025
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3 min read
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Online education has grown from a niche concept into a cornerstone of higher education, and Post University recognized its potential well before it became mainstream.
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Rosie Henson, from left, Charlotte Hall and Jaya Demni play around in the snow near Schifferstadt Museum in Frederick, Md.,on Monday, Jan. 6. 2025.
Rosie Henson, from left, Charlotte Hall and Jaya Demni play around in the snow near Schifferstadt Museum in Frederick, Md.,on Jan. 6. 2025.
Ric Dugan/The Frederick News-Post via AP
School & District Management Are Snow Days Making a Comeback?
While some school districts use remote learning days when wintry weather strikes, others are reverting to—or sticking with—snow days.
Elizabeth Heubeck, January 9, 2025
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4 min read
Student learning at home.
iStock/Getty
Artificial Intelligence This School Will Have Artificial Intelligence Teach Kids (With Some Human Help)
Teachers will take on the role of guides and mentors rather than content experts.
Brooke Schultz, January 6, 2025
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5 min read
Mon., November 04, 2024, 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET
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Reading & Literacy Webinar Literacy Success: How Districts Are Closing Reading Gaps Fast
67% of 4th graders read below grade level. Learn how high-dosage virtual tutoring is closing the reading gap in schools across the country.
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Illustration of artificial intelligence bot in a computer screen teaching math.
iStock/Getty
Artificial Intelligence Q&A What Happens When an AI Assistant Helps the Tutor, Instead of the Student
A randomized controlled trial from Stanford University examines the efficacy of an AI-powered tutoring assistant.
Lauraine Langreo, October 31, 2024
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4 min read
A passerby checks the water depth of a flooded road, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. Torrential rain from Hurricane Helene left many area streets flooded. In addition, traffic lights are inoperable due to no power, with downed power lines and trees.
A passerby checks the water depth of a flooded road, Sept. 28, 2024, in Morganton, N.C. Torrential rain from Hurricane Helene left area streets flooded, and strong winds downed power lines and trees. Schools have become hubs to support their communities as recovery begins.
Kathy Kmonicek/AP
School & District Management Educators Rush to Get Food and Shelter to Their Students After Hurricane Helene
Districts slammed by an unprecedented natural disaster have become shelter zones for their communities.
Olina Banerji & Brooke Schultz, September 30, 2024
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7 min read
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distant learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020.
Fourth-grader Sammiayah Thompson, left, and her brother third-grader Nehemiah Thompson work outside in their yard on laptops provided by their school system for distance learning, in Hartford, Conn., on June 5, 2020. Some districts kept virtual programs as an option after schools reopened, but many of those are now considering cuts to them as budgets tighten.
Jessica Hill/AP
School & District Management Districts’ Virtual Programs Are on the Chopping Block as ESSER Ends
Although usually small in enrollment, virtual programs have been an important option for some students.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, June 25, 2024
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6 min read
NXTLVL virtual classroom with individual student video headshots
Photo provided by NXTLVL
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Classroom Technology Problem-Solving Olympiad Puts Power Skills to the Test
The inaugural NXTLVL Problem-Solving Olympiad brought students together online for a day of spirited competition, pushing them to their true potential. Middle school problem-solvers from four continents, including three of the top ten virtual schools ranked by World Schools, navigated complex challenges in teams. These challenges tested timeless Power Skills like creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, and resilience.
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