Education

Oregon School Board Faces Backlash After Banning Black Lives Matter And Pride Flags

4:34pm August 24, 2021

by Katia Riddle

A school board outside Portland, Ore., has banned from campus what it calls "political symbols." Now longer allowed are Black Lives Matter signs and Pride flags. And the board is getting pushback.

Principal Malik Lewis, second from left, is pictured at West Brooklyn Community High School in New York City in October 2020. All New York City public school teachers and other staffers will have to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, officials said M

New York City, The Country's Largest School System, Mandates Teacher Vaccinations

8:43pm August 23, 2021

by The Associated Press

About 148,000 school employees, and contractors who work in schools, will have to have at least a first dose by Sept. 27. At least 63% of all school employees already have been vaccinated.

James Loewen "could clearly illustrate a problem of injustice, often historical but tied to the present, and motivate the reader or listener to want to take action to solve that problem," one of his peers writes.

James Loewen, Author Of 'Lies My Teacher Told Me,' Dies At 79

6:04pm August 23, 2021

by Ashish Valentine

The sociologist and anti-racist activist died on Thursday. His work focused on dispelling myths about racial progress in American history and using education as a tool to further racial justice.

Miguel Cardona, U.S. secretary of education, speaking at a White House press briefing.

Schools Blocking Mask Mandates Could Face Civil Rights Probes, Official Says

2:55pm August 23, 2021

by Deepa Shivaram

The Department of Education is preparing its Office of Civil Rights to investigate in instances where bans on mask mandates create an unsafe environment for students.

Education

History Professors Consider How The Afghanistan War Will Be Remembered

5:13pm August 22, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin discusses what the war in Afghanistan will mean in U.S. history with historian Kathleen Belew, retired U.S. Navy commander Ted Johnson and military judge Col. Gary Solis.

Arizona Teacher Says Lack Of Mask Mandate Leaves Teachers And Students On Edge

5:23pm August 21, 2021

Diane Lundahl, a Spanish teacher in Arizona, describes what the first few weeks of school have been like under a "mask optional" policy.

'The Debt Trap' Author On The Generational Setbacks From Student Loans

5:23pm August 21, 2021

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Wall Street Journal reporter Josh Mitchell about his new book, The Debt Trap: How Student Loans Became a National Catastrophe.

Students Are Going Back To School Without Clarity On COVID-19 Protections

9:58am August 21, 2021

by Sequoia Carrillo

As the delta variant surges, some states are mandating masks in schools, some leave it up to districts, and in states that ban mask wearing in schools, a few districts are ignoring that rule.

Students say they triple-checked the 2020-2021 timeline and got an ok on the spread before it was published in the Bigelow High School year book.

High School Is Accused Of Censorship As Officials Rip Out Yearbook Pages On The News

8:54pm August 20, 2021

by Vanessa Romo

Administrators tore out a two-page timeline depicting recent events, including the police killing of George Floyd, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Jan. 6 insurrection. They cited "community backlash."

Students and staff exit Hollywood High School after the first day of school in Los Angeles.

A California School District Mandates Vaccines For Eligible Students

7:05pm August 20, 2021

by Sneha Dey

Local teachers' unions were in strong support of a vaccine mandate for students, a district spokesman told NPR.