Reopening

Education news, analysis, and opinion about efforts to reopen school buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic
In this file photo from September 2020, Kristen Giuliano, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Dodd Middle School in Cheshire, Conn., assists Jane Wood, 11, during a hybrid class session.
Kristen Giuliano, a 7th grade social studies teacher at Dodd Middle School in Cheshire, Conn., assists Jane Wood, 11, during a hybrid class session in September 2020.
Dave Zajac/Record-Journal via AP
IT Management From Our Research Center 'Is This Going to Piss People Off?' How to Make Tough Tech Decisions
The reopening of schools carries with it a host of technology decisions that could have an outsized impact on students' and teachers' lives.
Alyson Klein, July 20, 2021
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9 min read
Student attending class from a remote location.
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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.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 8, 2021
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4 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
School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Safe Reopening
In this Spotlight, review how your district can strategically apply its funding, and how to help students safely bounce back, plus more.

June 17, 2021
Student with backpack.
surasaki/iStock/Getty
School & District Management Data For the First Time in the Pandemic, a Majority of 4th Graders Learn in Person Full Time
The latest monthly federal data still show big racial and socioeconomic differences in who has access to full-time in-person instruction.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 10, 2021
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3 min read
Image of a teacher working with a student through a screen session.
Ridofranz/iStock/Getty
School & District Management From Our Research Center To Offer Remote Learning in the Fall or Not? Schools Are Split
An EdWeek Research Center survey shows that nearly 4 of every 10 educators say their schools will not offer any remote instruction options.
Holly Kurtz, June 10, 2021
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4 min read
Tanya Holyfield, a second grade teacher with Manchester Academic Charter School, teaches remote students from her classroom on March 4, 2021, in Pittsburgh.
Tanya Holyfield, a 2nd grade teacher at Manchester Academic Charter School in Pittsburgh, teaches remote students from her classroom in March.
Andrew Rus/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP
School & District Management Forbidding Remote Learning: Why Some Schools Won't Offer a Virtual Option This Fall
Some K-12 leaders say remote learning is inferior and needs to go. But some parents and health experts caution against such strict limits.
Catherine Gewertz, June 1, 2021
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8 min read
Lynette Faulkner, right, director at the Valencia Newcomer School, helps out new student Fernando Barron Escalante, 5, with his new iPad as he connects with classmates during remote learning on Sept. 2, 2020, in Phoenix.
Lynette Faulkner, right, director at the Valencia Newcomer School in Phoenix, Ariz., helps a new student connect with classmates for a remote lesson. Research on "newcomer schools" like this one can inform post-pandemic schooling practices now as students return to full-time learning, with many having experienced educational disruption, stress, and trauma not unlike that of many newly arrived immigrant students.
Ross D. Franklin/AP
Student Well-Being Helping Students Bounce Back From a Disrupted Year: Strategies for Schools
Research from disasters and programs for immigrant students offers clues on how schools can help students get back on track after COVID-19.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 24, 2021
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7 min read
Rycc Smith welcomes Montello Elementary School students as they board his bus outside the Lewiston, Maine school after the first day back in nearly a month on Jan. 21, 2021. The entire school district switched to all remote learning after an uptick in COVID-19 cases last month.
Bus driver Rycc Smith welcomes Montello Elementary School students as they board his bus in Lewiston, Maine, in January on their first day back to school after a month of remote learning.
Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal via AP
School & District Management Bus Driver Shortages Worsening for Many Districts as Schools Reopen
A perennial problem gets worse as districts across the country struggle to find enough drivers to get all their students back to school.
Dalia Faheid, May 19, 2021
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6 min read
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, talks during a news conference in front of the Richard R. Green High School of Teaching on Sept. 8, 2020.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, talks during a news conference in front of the Richard R. Green High School of Teaching on Sept. 8, 2020.
Mark Lennihan/AP
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.
Madeline Will, May 13, 2021
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4 min read
Jennifer Becker, right, Science Teacher at the Sinaloa Middle School, talks to one of her students in Novato, Calif. on March 2, 2021.
Jennifer Becker, right, a teacher at Sinaloa Middle School, wears a mask to stem the spread of coronavirus as she talks with a student earlier this year in Novato, Calif.
Haven Daily/AP
Student Well-Being What the Research Says Masks, Tracking, Desk Shields: How Much Do School Measures Reduce Families' COVID-19 Risk?
A new study pinpoints the most effective mitigation measures and suggests that the more of them schools use, the better.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 11, 2021
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5 min read
Dr. Rochelle Walensky speaks during an event in Wilmington, Del., to announce President-elect Joe Biden's health care team on Dec. 8, 2020.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, CDC director, speaks during an event in Wilmington, Del., to announce then-President-elect Joe Biden's health care team on Dec. 8, 2020.
Susan Walsh/AP
Federal Lawmakers Press CDC About Teachers' Union Influence on School Reopening Guidance
Republican senators asked CDC Director Rochelle Walensky about reports a teachers' union had input on guidance for schools on COVID-19.
Evie Blad, May 11, 2021
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3 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Classroom Technology Opinion Getting Ed Tech Wrong Would Be a Bitter Pandemic Legacy
Bad ed-tech habits that formed during the shutdown risk compromising instruction and even slowing the return to school next fall.
Rick Hess, May 10, 2021
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3 min read
Image shows empty desks in a classroom.
Chris Ryan/OJO Images
School & District Management Most Schools Offer at Least Some In-Person Classes, According to Feds' Latest Count
A majority of 4th and 8th graders had at least some in-person schooling by March, but inequities persisted.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 6, 2021
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3 min read
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