Back to School
Education news, analysis, and opinion about the start of the school year
EdWeek's Back-to-School Reading List
Explore some of our most popular and powerful stories, selected by our editors as back-to-school must reads. Update date: July 25, 2025
School & District Management
4 Ways to Keep Staff and Students Safe From the Delta Variant
Just as schools reopen, a super-contagious COVID-19 variant is infecting people nationwide at alarming rates. Here's what schools can do.
School & District Management
Fighting the Delta Variant: School Reopening Just Got a Lot More Complicated
With COVID-19 cases surging and mitigation measures waning, a perfect storm is taking shape that could undercut the safe reopening of schools.
Teaching
Opinion
Q&A Collections: Best Ways to Begin the School Year
Ten years' worth of posts full of advice from teachers about how to start a new school year!
School & District Management
Are Schools Ready to Reopen Full-Time This Fall? Federal Data Show Spotty Progress
By May, schools had moved more students back to class in person, but racial gaps remained and many teachers weren't yet vaccinated.
Student Well-Being & Movement
What the Research Says
How Does the Delta Variant Figure Into Schools' Opening Plans?
Much-more virulent strains of the coronavirus will drive the spread of COVID-19 this school year. Here's how leaders should prepare.
English Learners
English-Learners May Need More Support This Fall. But That Doesn't Mean They're Behind
English-language learners lost some opportunities—and gained others—during their months learning at home.
Mathematics
Algebra 1 Is a Turning Point. Here’s How to Help Incoming Students
Targeted support is especially urgent in Algebra 1, experts say; the class is a gatekeeper to higher level mathematics.
Teaching
Understanding Learning ‘Acceleration’: Going Slow to Go Fast
Acceleration is sold as the way to fill academic holes left by less-than-ideal learning conditions last school year. But there are caveats.
Tackling Learning Gaps This Fall: Advice for Teachers
This series of case studies examines what the slippery concept of “acceleration” really means for students in three key areas: 1st grade literacy and numeracy, Algebra 1, and English-language acquisition.
School & District Management
National Teachers' Union President: Schools Must Reopen 5 Days a Week This Fall
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten wants five days a week of in-person school next fall.
Planning for a Pivotal School Year
A 4-part series with ideas to plan for: summer learning, student and staff well-being, fall instruction, and the future of remote schooling.
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As educators and leaders consider how SEL fits into their reopening and back-to-school plans, it must go beyond an SEL curriculum. SEL is part of who we are as educators and students, as well as
States
How to Talk About Next School Year Presents a Big Test for Education Leaders
State K-12 officials must clearly communicate plans for safety, academics, and mental health, while mixing urgency with nuance.
Teaching Profession
Schools Need Extra Supplies Since Kids Can't Share. Per Usual, Teachers Are Paying
While schools are making bulk purchases of hand sanitizer and face masks, it's less clear if district money will cover all of the other new expenses teachers will encounter this year.