Puerto Rico
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Puerto Rico
Education
Average Puerto Rican Student Missed 78 Days of School After Maria, Study Finds
The study from the Youth Development Institute of Puerto Rico also found that many special education students have not received the services they're entitled to in the wake of Hurricane Maria.
School Choice & Charters
Video: Puerto Rico, The Forgotten School System
Correspondent Kavitha Cardoza visited some of the island's hardest-hit schools. In this video, she explains the long-standing problems in Puerto Rico's school system and the controversial changes that are coming.
Federal
Top Democrat Asks GOP for Hearing in Congress on Puerto Rico's Schools
There has been a tremendous amount of upheaval for education on the island since Hurricane Maria, including hundreds of school closures and a significant drop in enrollment.
States
Video
Puerto Rico, The Forgotten School System
In the year since Hurricane Maria, Education Week has been following the story of Puerto Rico’s devastation and the island’s slow rebuilding as seen through the eyes of educators and students. The school system was until recently the third-largest in the U.S. and just this year closed more than 250 schools. But that’s only part of the story. To understand the current context, it’s important to understand Puerto Rico’s history. Correspondent Kavitha Cardoza visited some of the hardest-hit schools and shares what she learned.
School & District Management
What's the Path Forward for Puerto Rico's Schools? (Video)
Puerto Rico's school system was struggling long before Hurricane Maria struck a year ago. But the disaster exacerbated deep problems. Now, the system is in the midst of dramatic change.
States
Video
Puerto Rico’s Educational System Is at a Crossroads a Year After Hurricane Maria
A year ago this week, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. And the implications for what had been the nation’s third largest school system are profound. Thousands of children moved to the U.S. mainland, almost 300 schools were permanently closed, and countless computers and textbooks were destroyed. This natural disaster exacerbated deep academic and fiscal problems in what was already a struggling school system. Now Puerto Rico schools are at a crossroads. The island’s schools’ chief says reallocating resources and opening charter schools will help bring about much needed reform, while teachers’ unions say transferring teachers and closing schools is further traumatizing residents of the island. Education Week Correspondent Kavitha Cardoza visited some of the island’s hardest hit areas and has this report on PBS NewsHour.
School & District Management
How Puerto Rico's Educators See Their Schools a Year After Hurricane Maria
Teachers and administrators are still grappling with lingering storm damage, the impact of school closures, and how best to address the trauma left by last September's devastation.
School Climate & Safety
'We Have to Go Forward': Puerto Rico's Students Head Back to School
A year after Hurricane Maria disrupted the island and its schools, students in one small community share their thoughts as they move into a pivotal new year.
States
Video
As Puerto Rico’s Schools Continue Recovery, Controversy Ramps Up
Nearly a year after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico’s schools still basic repairs as the 2018-19 school year gets underway. But a policy overhaul championed by Secretary of Education Julia Keleher, focused on school choice and new labor and academic policies, is sharply dividing opinion.
Education
Puerto Rico's High Court Clears Way for Vouchers, Charter Schools
The teachers' union in Puerto Rico argued that the new school choice programs supported by Puerto Rico's education department violate the U.S. territory's Constitution.
School Choice & Charters
Setback for Vouchers, Charter Schools in Puerto Rican Court's Ruling
A judge's ruling in Puerto Rico limits the scope of who can operate new schools similar to charters, in a decision that would limit the ability of operators from the U.S. mainland to open the independent schools on the island.
Education
Betsy DeVos OKs Puerto Rico's 'Student-Centered' Funding Plan
Puerto Rico is the first district to take advantage of the Every Student Succeeds Act's weighted student-funding pilot.
Education
This Is What Hundreds of School Closures in Puerto Rico Looks Like
The U.S. territory's education department has decided to close 263 schools before the 2018-19 school year. Our new map shows you the location, name, and other key information for each.
States
Interactive
See the Effects of Puerto Rico’s Plan to Close Schools
Learn about the consequences of the 263 schools Puerto Rico plans to close before the 2018-19 school year begins, as well as the 270 schools set to enroll displaced students.