Puerto Rico

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Puerto Rico
Lesliean Luna teaches her third grade class at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2022.
Lesliean Luna teaches her 3rd grade class at Laurel Ridge Elementary School in Fairfax, Va., earlier this month.
Elizabeth Frantz for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Q&A Answering a District's Call for Bilingual Teachers, a Mother and Daughter Leave Puerto Rico for Virginia
Lesliean Luna and Gabriela Muriente answer a school district's call for their language skills and teaching expertise.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 21, 2022
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5 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina during a trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico on July 28, 2022.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits the University of Puerto Rico at Carolina during a trip to San Juan on July 28.
Carlos Rivera Giusti/GDA via AP Images
Education Funding Puerto Rico Schools to Use New Aid for Teacher Raises, Hurricane and COVID Recovery
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona announced $215 million in federal funds before the start of the new school year.
Libby Stanford, August 2, 2022
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3 min read
Martin G. Brumbaugh School kindergarten teacher Nydsy Santiago teaches her students under a gazebo at a municipal athletic park in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 4, 2021.
Martin G. Brumbaugh School kindergarten teacher Nydsy Santiago teaches her students under a gazebo at a municipal athletic park in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico, on Feb. 4, 2021.
Carlos Giusti/AP
Federal Top Federal Adviser on Puerto Rico's Schools Declares: 'We Have to Build Trust'
Chris Soto heads an Education Department team providing technical assistance and support for the U.S. territory's public schools.
Andrew Ujifusa, November 23, 2021
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4 min read
Image shows an illustration of money providing relief against coronavirus.
DigitalVision Vectors/iStock/Getty
Federal California, Florida, and Other States Waiting on Green Light for Their COVID Relief Plans
The list of states with Ed. Dept. approval for their American Rescue Plan blueprints is growing steadily, but two big states aren't on it.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 14, 2021
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4 min read
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits the Emilio Delgado School in Corozal on June 30, 2021 during a visit to Puerto Rico.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits the Emilio Delgado School in Corozal on June 30, 2021 during a visit to Puerto Rico.
Teresa Canino Rivera/GDA via AP
Federal New Federal Team to Work on Puerto Rico School Improvement, Oversight
The Puerto Rico Education Sustainability Team will focus on creating better learning environments and improving financial management.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 15, 2021
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3 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a press briefing at the White House on March 17, 2021.
U.S. Secretary of Education Secretary Miguel Cardona speaks during a press briefing at the White House in March.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Federal Miguel Cardona: Puerto Rico's Teachers Are Doing Their Best to Reopen Classrooms
In his first visit as education secretary to the island where he has family ties, Cardona said he sees a drive to improve education there.
Andrew Ujifusa, June 29, 2021
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3 min read
In this Oct. 13, 2017 file photo, Education Secretary Julia Keleher gets a hug from a student at Ramon Marin Sola Elementary School, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico.
In this Oct. 13, 2017 photo, Education Secretary Julia Keleher hugs a student at Ramon Marín Sola Elementary School, in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The former education secretary pleaded guilty to two federal fraud conspiracy charges for crimes committed during her time as Puerto Rico’s top education official.
Carlos Giusti/AP
Law & Courts Puerto Rico’s Former Education Secretary Pleads Guilty to Fraud Conspiracy
Julia Keleher pleaded guilty to federal fraud conspiracy charges, striking a felony plea bargain and potentially avoiding maximum jail time.
Syra Ortiz-Blanes, The Miami Herald, June 9, 2021
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4 min read
Students arrive at the Ramon Marin Sola primary school for the first time in nearly a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic as some public schools reopen in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 10, 2021.
Students arrive at the Ramon Marin Sola primary school for the first time in nearly a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic as some public schools reopen in San Juan, Puerto Rico on March 10.
Danica Coto/AP
Education Funding Miguel Cardona Releases $912 Million for Puerto Rico's Schools, Easing Trump Restrictions
Puerto Rico has regained access to hundreds of millions of dollars for education to address the fallout of COVID-19 and other needs.
Andrew Ujifusa, March 23, 2021
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2 min read
Elba Aponte Santos
Elba Aponte Santos, the president of the Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (AMPR), an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, has been nominated to be Puerto Rico's next education secretary.
via Twitter
States Teachers' Union Leader Nominated to Be Puerto Rico's Education Secretary
The American Federation of Teachers describes Elba Aponte Santos as "a fierce defender of public education" in Puerto Rico.
Andrew Ujifusa, December 2, 2020
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1 min read
Education Pandemic Piles on Schools Still Reeling From Fires, Floods, and Storms
The pandemic is compounding problems for students and schools already imperiled by natural disasters in recent years, the Government Accountability Office says.
Andrew Ujifusa, October 14, 2020
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3 min read
Students walk through a dark hallway during a class change in January at Jaime Coira School in Ciales, Puerto Rico. Months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, the school still had no power and only one generator.
Students walk through a dark hallway during a class change in January at Jaime Coira School in Ciales, Puerto Rico. Months after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, the school still had no power and only one generator.
Swikar Patel/Education Week
Education FEMA Awards $2 Billion to Help Repair Puerto Rico's Schools
Puerto Rico's schools struggled with basic infrastructure needs long before Hurricane Maria, but the 2017 storm made the situation worse.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 18, 2020
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2 min read
Education Funding Education Department Restricts Puerto Rico's Access to COVID-19 School Aid
"The department cannot ignore the longstanding challenges that have been associated with Puerto Rico and PRDE's fiscal management of federal funds," a top Education Department official told Puerto Rican officials.
Andrew Ujifusa, July 17, 2020
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4 min read
Education U.S. Supreme Court Upholds Financial Oversight Board for Puerto Rico
In a decision with implications for the island's schools and retired teachers, the justices turned away a constitutional challenge to the way members of a federal oversight board were appointed.
Mark Walsh, June 1, 2020
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3 min read
Kindergartner Andres Vazquez works at a plastic table under a gazebo where his teacher gives a class at a municipal athletic park in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down school buildings throughout the island, some children in Puerto Rico like Andres had been left out of school for nearly a month after an earthquake forced school closures earlier this year.
Kindergartner Andres Vazquez works at a plastic table under a gazebo where his teacher gives a class at a municipal athletic park in Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down school buildings throughout the island, some children in Puerto Rico like Andres had been left out of school for nearly a month after an earthquake forced school closures earlier this year.
AP Photo/Carlos Giusti
Student Well-Being Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and COVID-19 Make a Dire Trio for Puerto Rico's Schools
The pandemic is just the latest massive disruption for the U.S. territory's educational system, and has left students and teachers wondering how much they've lost and what comes next.
Andrew Ujifusa, May 27, 2020
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11 min read
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