Education

A student wears a mask while swinging around with her kindergarten class this month at Kenter Canyon School in Los Angeles.

Schools Are Dropping Mask Requirements, But A New CDC Study Suggests They Shouldn't

9:49pm May 21, 2021

by Cory Turner

Several governors have recently banned mask requirements in schools. But a new CDC study shows COVID-19 spreads less in schools where teachers and staff wear masks.

Kansas City School District Retires Offensive Native American Mascots

4:39pm May 21, 2021

by Jodi Fortino

A Kansas City area school district, named after a Native American tribe itself, is retiring some Native American mascots, deeming them derogatory or offensive.

The new law will allow Alabama public schools to offer yoga for students. Here, kids participate in a yoga class in Pennsylvania.

Alabama Will Now Allow Yoga In Its Public Schools (But Students Can't Say 'Namaste')

1:21pm May 21, 2021

by Bill Chappell

Alabama banned yoga back in 1993. The ban is now revoked — but English names must be used for all poses and exercises. And meditation is not allowed.

A Reporter Weighs In On UNC's Decision To Deny Nikole Hannah-Jones Tenure

6:37pm May 20, 2021

NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with Joe Killian, investigative reporter for NC Policy Watch, about the University of North Carolina's decision to not give Nikole Hannah-Jones tenure status.

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Education

WS/FCS Superintendent Shares Vision For Improving Equity, Accelerating Learning

3:52pm May 18, 2021

by Keri Brown

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools has been navigating a pandemic with a new superintendent. Tricia McManus has been at the helm since November.

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"Explaining what I do kinda sounds weird sometimes, because I don't have the typical student in my classroom. I don't have the typical day you might think of as school." — Daven Oglesby, special education teacher in Nashville, Tenn.

Education

COMIC: How A Teacher Tackled Pandemic Fears For His Students With Disabilities

1:21pm May 18, 2021

by LA Johnson

It's been a year since teachers were handed an unprecedented request: educate students in entirely new ways amid the backdrop of a pandemic. This week's story comes from a teacher in Nashville.

The Case For Universal Pre-K Just Got Stronger

12:01pm May 18, 2021

by Greg Rosalsky

A new study looks at the effects of government-funded preschool in Boston and finds big benefits for kids.

NPR Student Podcast Challenge winner Kriti Sarav poses for a portrait while on the top balcony of her family's home in Chicago.

Education

'Be Proud Of Where You Come From': An Indian-American Teen's Winning Podcast

4:50pm May 17, 2021

This year's high school winner in the NPR Student Podcast Challenge tackles the complexities of her Indian-American identity.

Eighth-graders Braeden Collett (left), Bo Porter, Brennan Williams and Dominique Jannat explored the "various things that get done behind the scenes" to make their campus run smoothly in their winning podcast "Whodunnit?"

Education

The Best Student Podcasts: An 8th-Grade Homage To A School's Unsung Heroes

1:20pm May 17, 2021

When these Kentucky students needed a subject for their podcast, they looked to the bright blue office around the corner, where their school's buildings and grounds team is based.

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Education

Colleges Prep Students With Intellectual, Developmental Disabilities For Jobs

6:29am May 17, 2021

by Stephanie Daniel

University of Northern Colorado graduated its first set of inclusive higher education students, who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. What that means for one family.