Coronavirus

Education news, analysis, and opinion about COVID-19 and its impact on schools and communities

Charts

Illustration of Covid-19 impacting 3 years of school
9 Charts That Show the Lasting Effects of COVID on Schools
Key data on some of the move consequential changes, five years later.
View Charts
Students sit socially distanced in their classroom at c Academy in Lakeview on March 1, 2021.
Students sit socially distanced in their class earlier this month at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy in Chicago's Lakeview community.
Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
School & District Management CDC to Reconsider 6-Foot Student Spacing Guidelines in Response to New Studies
Growing U.S. and international evidence suggests schools could use 3-foot rather than 6-foot spacing in classrooms without risking COVID-19 outbreaks.
Mark Lieberman & Sarah D. Sparks, March 16, 2021
•
4 min read
Beachgoers take advantage of the sun, sand, and surf as they spend time on Clearwater Beach on March 2, 2021, in Clearwater, Fla., a popular spring break destination, west of Tampa.
Beachgoers spend time on Florida's Clearwater Beach, a popular spring break destination, earlier this month.
Chris O'Meara/AP
School & District Management Avoiding Another COVID-19 Wave: How Schools Are Handling Spring Break Travel
Experts say it’s too early for people to let their guards down this spring break, regardless of their vaccination status.
Madeline Will, March 12, 2021
•
10 min read
Governor Greg Abbott delivers an announcement Lubbock, Texas, earlier this month. Abbott lifted Texas's mask mandate, but has allowed school districts in the state to modify their own mask policies as they see fit.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott delivers an announcement in Montelongo's Mexican Restaurant on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, in Lubbock, Texas. Abbott lifted Texas's mask mandate, but has allowed school districts in the state to modify their own mask policies as they see fit.
Justin Rex for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal via TNS
School & District Management Texas School Districts Face Safety Dilemma After Governor Lifts Mask Order
Gov. Greg Abbott has instructed districts to modify their mask policies as they see fit, in a decision that has rankled some school leaders.
Kaley Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 10, 2021
•
7 min read
Israel, 5, front, wears a face shield over his mask in a kindergarten classroom, where students are seated at a social distance and a student is tuning in via Zoom on the first day of school at Hillel Academy in Tampa on Wednesday, August 12, 2020. The school's faculty planned a ''Wizard of Oz'' themed welcome to ease students into the new precautions in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Students had their temperatures checked and were asked to wear masks and apply hand sanitizer before entering the school.
Israel, 5, front, wears a face shield over his mask in a kindergarten classroom on the first day of school at Hillel Academy in Tampa.
Ivy Ceballo/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Wire
Leadership A Note to Readers: Reflecting on a Year of Uncertainty and Grief
School buildings began closing one year ago this week. This is not an anniversary to celebrate, so how should we think about it?
Scott Montgomery, March 6, 2021
•
3 min read
School & District Management One District's COVID-19 Journey: A Year of Upheaval and Unexpected Insights
The Everett, Wash., school district was among the first in the nation shuttered by the pandemic. Educators and parents share and reflect.
Denisa R. Superville, March 5, 2021
•
9 min read
Katie Ramirez, left, watches as her mother, Claudia Campos, swabs the mouth of her sister, Hailey, for a COVID-19 test at a testing site in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2020.
Katie Ramirez, left, watches as her mother, Claudia Campos, swabs the mouth of her sister, Hailey, for a COVID-19 test at a testing site in Los Angeles.
Jae C. Hong/AP
School & District Management The Key to School-Based COVID-19 Testing: Cooperation of Parents and Communities
As schools launch broad testing to track cases of COVID-19, the success of their efforts relies on addressing the concerns of all concerned.
Evie Blad, March 5, 2021
•
7 min read
Elementary 1 teacher Melissa Vozar sits outside of Suder Elementary in Chicago to teach a virtual class on Jan. 11, 2021. The Chicago Teachers Union said that its members voted to defy an order to return to the classroom before they are vaccinated against the coronavirus, setting up a showdown with district officials who have said such a move would amount to an illegal strike.
Elementary 1 teacher Melissa Vozar sits outside of Suder Elementary in Chicago to teach a virtual class on Jan. 11, 2021. The Chicago Teachers Union said that its members voted to defy an order to return to the classroom before they are vaccinated against the coronavirus, setting up a showdown with district officials who have said such a move would amount to an illegal strike.
Anthony Vazquez/Chicago Sun-Times via AP
School & District Management Interactive A Year of COVID-19: What It Looked Like for Schools
This timeline offers a look at how a full year of living and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded.
Education Week Staff, March 4, 2021
•
13 min read
Assistant Principal Janette Van Gelderen, left, welcomes students at Newhall Elementary in Santa Clarita, Calif on Feb. 25, 2021. California's public schools could get $6.6 billion from the state Legislature if they return to in-person instruction by the end of March, according to a new agreement announced Monday, March 1, 2021, between Gov. Gavin Newsom and the state's legislative leaders.
Assistant Principal Janette Van Gelderen, left, welcomes students at Newhall Elementary in Santa Clarita, Calif., last month. California's public schools could get $6.6 billion from the state if they return to in-person instruction by the end of March.
Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
School & District Management From Our Research Center Most Principals, District Leaders Predict Their Schools Will Be Fully In-Person This Fall
EdWeek Research Center surveys track the growing trend to get more students back in school buildings as soon as possible.
Holly Kurtz, March 4, 2021
•
5 min read
030321 Vaccine Breaking AP BS
The Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine is held by a pharmacist at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut on March.
Jessica Hill
States Vaccine Access Speeds Up for Teachers After Biden's Declaration
The vaccine landscape for teachers shifted dramatically after President Joe Biden directed states to prioritize the K-12 workforce.
Madeline Will, March 3, 2021
•
7 min read
A nurse prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine in London.
A nurse prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine. Teachers of color in the U.S. are being vaccinated at lower rates that their peers.
Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP-File
Equity & Diversity Why Are Black Teachers Being Vaccinated at Lower Rates Than Their White Peers?
The discrepancies are about more than vaccine hesitancy, says one union leader.
Madeline Will, March 3, 2021
•
6 min read
John Battle High School teacher Jennifer Daniel receives her COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 11, 2021. Teachers received their first vaccine during an all-day event at the Virginia Highlands Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va.
John Battle High School teacher Jennifer Daniel receives her COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 11, 2021. Teachers received their first vaccine during an all-day event at the Virginia Highlands Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va.
David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP
Federal Biden Announces Goal to Get Educators the COVID-19 Vaccine This Month
President Joe Biden pushes states to get educators at least one dose by the end of March to help schools resume in-person learning.
Andrew Ujifusa, March 2, 2021
•
4 min read
Amanda Pease cleans a desk in a classroom during a media tour at Dorothy Eisenberg Elementary School, Thursday, Feb. 25, 2021, in Las Vegas. On Monday, Pre-K to third graders will be starting a two-days-per-week "hybrid" in-person schedule in the Clark County School District. Other grades will be phased in before April 6.
Amanda Pease cleans a desk in a classroom at Dorothy Eisenberg Elementary School in Las Vegas last month in preparation for the school's partial return to in-person learning.
John Locher/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What the Research Says How Much COVID-19 Cleaning in Schools Is Too Much?
The pandemic has spurred constant cleaning and disinfecting in schools, but some research raises questions about how much is needed.
Sarah D. Sparks, March 2, 2021
•
3 min read
Vaccine vials and a syringe on a flat surface
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty<br/>
Families & the Community Opinion Vaccinating Teachers Is Just One Part of the Reopening Puzzle
Winning parents' trust back is every bit as important in bringing every student back into the classroom.
Ruth R. Faden, Matthew A. Crane, Annette Anderson & Megan Collins , March 1, 2021
•
5 min read
Vaccine recipients meet with shot givers at the Anchorage School District headquarters. The Anchorage School District headquarters hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, on February 3, 2021.
Vaccine recipients meet with shot givers at the Anchorage School District headquarters. The Anchorage School District headquarters hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Anchorage, Alaska, on February 3, 2021.
Marc Lester/for Education Week
Families & the Community Photos PHOTOS: Schools as COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
A look at how and where school districts are using their facilities to host Covid-19 vaccination clinics.
Education Week Photo Staff, February 26, 2021
•
1 min read
Load More ▼