Teacher shortages abruptly close schools
Schools around the United States are canceling in-person instruction with very little notice due to staffing issues, including teacher shortages and staff fatigue, exacerbated by the pandemic.
Amazon workers get second chance to unionize
Amazon warehouse workers in Bessemer, Alabama, will have another chance to unionize after the National Labor Relations Board authorized a revote after its review found the online shopping giant had improperly interfered in the first election.
Bloomberg backs charter school expansion
Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, is financing efforts to expand charter schools around the country with $750 million from his $70 billion fortune.
Student loan forgiveness rules temporarily relaxed
The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program will temporarily become easier to access for teachers and other public servants, the Biden administration announced on Oct. 6. The federal Education Department estimates that more than 550,000 borrowers, in total, will move closer to forgiveness.
California to mandate COVID-19 vaxes for students
California will become the first state in the U.S. to require public and private school students receiving in-person instruction to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Oct. 1, once the FDA gives full approval for COVID vaccines for school-age children.
$5.8B in student debt being erased for the disabled
More than 323,000 borrowers with significant or permanent disabilities will be relieved of a total of about $5.8 billion in student debt beginning in September, the U.S. Education Department announced.
Civil rights probes over school masks
Five states with Republican governors that banned school districts from requiring masks are facing civil rights investigations opened Aug. 30 by the federal Education Department.
COVID-19 pandemic widens student learning gaps
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress and widened learning gaps for students in grades 3-8 in math and reading during the 2020-2021 school year, according to national data released July 28 by the testing group NWEA.
Florida becomes 8th state to ban trans girls from school sports
Florida became the eighth state in the nation to ban transgender girls from participating in girls' sports in school when the state's Republican governor signed a bill into law at the start of LGBTQ Pride Month.
Right to unionize will be on Illinois ballot
Voters in Illinois will determine in 2022 whether collective bargaining is a constitutional right.