Education

Education

'Best schools' rankings are meaningless — and harmful, critic says

5:07pm October 16, 2021

U.S. News & World Report published its first-ever list of the "Best" K-8 schools in America. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with writer James Fallows about the possible consequences of such rankings.

Education

Student lawsuit claims Liberty University's culture fostered sexual violence

11:02am October 16, 2021

by Sarah McCammon

In a lawsuit, more than a dozen women say Liberty University put them at risk in part because of its code of conduct emphasizing sexual purity. Their lawyer says more women are coming forward.

From left to right: Teachers Mark Sujak, Sarah Lorraine, Jeremy Robinson and Sophia Faridi pose with students and podcast finalists Julian Fausto and Eric Guadarrama for portraits in front of Morton East High School, in Cicero, Ill.

Don't judge these teens by their tattoos

6:49am October 16, 2021

by Sequoia Carrillo

Two Chicago-area high school podcasters say they've dreamed about tattoos since they were little. And they argue that people who have them shouldn't be judged by what's on the outside.

The Carroll Independent School District in Southlake, Texas, is in the spotlight after an administrator reportedly instructed teachers to provide students with "opposing" views of the Holocaust when the subject of recent statewide legislation came up.

Education

In one Texas district, teachers were told to give 'opposing' views of the Holocaust

7:03pm October 15, 2021

by Sharon Pruitt-Young

An administrator with the Southlake School District reportedly made the statement during a meeting when a new state law came up. It says multiple perspectives should be presented on certain topics.

Former Michigan player opens up about the sexual abuse behind his sit-in protest

4:37pm October 15, 2021

Former NFL player Jon Vaughn talks with NPR's Ailsa Chang from his sit-in protest outside the University of Michigan president's home after sex abuse allegations emerged about a school doctor.

Music classes are back in school this year, finally indoors and off Zoom

6:38pm October 13, 2021

by Craig LeMoult

For many students, band and choir classes were a far cry from normal last year — students practiced outside or over Zoom. With students back in school this fall, music classes look almost normal.

The learning gaps are real: A high school junior returns to class

5:14pm October 13, 2021

by Obse Abebe

Schools are mostly back to in-person instruction to the delight of some and the dismay of others. The concern of safety in the classroom is exacerbated by anxiety and struggles of focusing at home.

Health & Safety

COVID-19 cases are down among Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools students and staff

3:09pm October 13, 2021

by April Laissle

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools reported on Monday the lowest weekly total of COVID-19 cases among students and staff since the school year began.

In federal lawsuits, parents in Wisconsin are blaming school districts for coronavirus infections, saying they should not have ended mask requirements during a pandemic. Here, a student in Michigan is seen arriving at school in late August.

A Wisconsin brewery is helping parents sue school districts that don't require masks

7:43pm October 12, 2021

by Bill Chappell

A school board "threw students into a COVID-19 'snake pit' " when it axed mask requirements and other measures, a federal lawsuit says. A Minocqua, Wis., brewery is helping fund parents' legal fight.

Covid testing in schools as a bridge to getting back in the classroom.

Kids are losing school days to quarantines. Here's a way to keep them in classrooms

4:22pm October 12, 2021

by Anya Kamenetz

Test-to-stay policies could help keep students in in-person school. But amid a national shortage, rapid tests can be hard to come by, and the practice isn't common.