Education

Illinois Is The First State To Have High Schools Teach News Literacy

6:07am August 12, 2021

by Peter Medlin

Illinois will require news literacy courses at every high school. The hope is that the classes will provide the next generation with tools to maneuver the internet's misinformation minefield.

California Is The 1st State To Require Vaccination For All School Staff

6:07am August 12, 2021

by Julia McEvoy

The state will now require all teachers and school staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or get weekly tests. The governor says the move helps to reassure parents.

Kids Are Heading Back To School Amid Delta. Here Are Some Tips To Keep Them Safe

7:53pm August 11, 2021

by Pien Huang

As kids return to school amidst the delta variant surge, parents can look out for certain symptoms and follow some recommended steps to keep children and their classrooms as safe as possible.

Education

WS/FC Schools Considers Updates To Student Dress Code

4:32pm August 11, 2021

by Keri Brown

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is considering making changes to its student dress code. The goal is to make the policy more gender-neutral.

West Virginia Wesleyan College says that about 90% of faculty and staff and "a large percentage of students" have already been vaccinated.

Being Unvaccinated For COVID Will Cost Students At A Small College An Extra $750

12:54pm August 11, 2021

by Scott Neuman

West Virginia Wesleyan College won't require students to be vaccinated against COVID-19 — at least not yet. But the small Christian liberal arts school says it will charge students who aren't.

Austin Mayor Backs Schools Plan To Require Masks, Despite Governor's Ban On Mandates

10:47am August 11, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to Mayor Steve Adler of Austin, Texas, about Gov. Greg Abbott's mask mandate ban and plans for the Austin school district's plans to require masks.

Austin School District Defies Texas Governor's Ban On Mask Mandates

10:18am August 11, 2021

NPR's Noel King talks to Dr. Desmar Walkes, medical director and health authority for Austin, about Gov. Greg Abbott's mask mandate ban.

A health care worker prepares a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine last week at West Philadelphia High School in Philadelphia. Dr. Anthony Fauci says he backs mandatory vaccines for teachers, citing a "critical situation" in the country.

Fauci Says Teachers Should Be Required To Be Vaccinated

1:17pm August 10, 2021

by Bill Chappell

"We are in a major surge now as we're going into the fall, into the school season. This is very serious business," Fauci said. He urges states and localities to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for teachers.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state board of education may "narrowly tailor any financial consequences" for those who violate the law. It adds that the governor, who has opposed all face covering mandates since the start of the pandemic, is intent on protect

Florida's Governor Says School Leaders May Have Salary Withheld If They Require Masks

10:56pm August 09, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Gov. Ron DeSantis ratcheted up a confrontation with school superintendents on Monday, saying anyone who defies his ban on mask mandates might lose a paycheck. Teachers and staff wouldn't be punished.

The Way Teachers Cover Race And Privilege Could Have Big Consequences In Tennessee

5:00pm August 09, 2021

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with Beth Brown, the president of the Tennessee Education Association, about the new state guidelines which limit how teachers can address race, sex and privilege in class.