GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Friday strongly pushed back against the notion that it’s not safe to open schools this fall with some form of in-person learning, saying most communities in […]
Elementary and Secondary Education
Posted inEducation
Under any in-person school plan, buses are a problem
AS SCHOOL DISTRICTS FINALIZE their reopening plans for the start of the school year, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that schools will need to find more buses at some point, even when […]
Posted inThe Download
Under any in-person school plan, buses are a problem
As school districts finalize their reopening plans for the start of the school year, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that schools will need to find more buses at some point, even […]
Posted inEducation
Ed Commissioner Jeff Riley pushes in-person learning
MASSACHUSETTS EDUCATION Commissioner Jeffrey Riley is strongly urging local schools to open in person this fall, pushing back against state teachers’ unions who are calling for the school year to […]
Posted inOpinion
This is the wrong time to cut arts education
IN TIMES of great financial strain and uncertainty, arts education is often the first thing cut from the school curriculum. Indeed, several school districts across the Commonwealth have already laid […]
Posted inEducation
Lawsuits seek records on info-sharing with feds
STUDENT ADVOCACY GROUPS filed lawsuits on Thursday against the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Police Department seeking records that would shed light on how the two city agencies share […]
Posted inOpinion
COVID throwing MCAS for a loop
In a recent column, Liam Kerr was so focused on excoriating the Massachusetts Teachers Association leadership that he failed to recognize that MCAS is in deep trouble. Logistically, it’s hard […]
Posted inEducation
DeVos’s U-turn on local control of schools
IF THERE’S ONE thing her most fervent admirers and legion of detractors could probably agree on it is that Betsy DeVos is the picture of a doctrinaire conservative. The polarizing […]
Posted inThe Download
DeVos’s U-turn on local control of schools
If there’s one thing her most fervent admirers and legion of detractors could probably agree on it is that Betsy DeVos is the picture of a doctrinaire conservative. The polarizing […]
Posted inEducation
Trump threatens funding cuts if schools don’t reopen
IT SEEMED LIKE there were at least the beginnings of a path forward. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its initial coronavirus guidelines for how schools could reopen […]
Posted inThe Download
Trump threatens funding cuts if schools don’t reopen
It seemed like there were at least the beginnings of a path forward. The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released its initial coronavirus guidelines for how schools could […]
Posted inEducation
Who should pay for the masks?
IT’S NO SECRET that school budgets are strained more drastically than ever as classrooms prepare to reopen in the fall. Backup masks for kids who don’t have them, hand sanitizer, and […]
Posted inThe Download
Who should pay for the masks?
It’s no secret that school budgets are strained more drastically than ever as classrooms prepare to reopen in the fall. Backup masks for kids who don’t have them, hand sanitizer, […]
Posted inEducation
State: Students low risk for COVID-19
IN CRAFTING A BACK-TO-SCHOOL PLAN for the fall, the Baker administration is relying on nascent medical research suggesting children under 20 are less likely to both contract COVID-19 and transmit […]
Posted inNews Analysis
Parents divided over the coming school year
PARENTS ACROSS MASSACHUSETTS are sharply divided along racial lines on how they want the next school year to unfold and whether schools have the ability to operate safely, according to […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s not forget about afterschool programs
“I MISS MY FRIENDS.” “Sometimes my teacher doesn’t see me when I raise my hand.” “Coronavirus makes me sad.” “When this is over, I hope I can go with Mom […]
Posted inOpinion
Police aren’t needed in schools
IN THE AFTERMATH of George Floyd’s killing, Minneapolis has canceled its contract with city police to patrol its schools. Portland and Denver have acted similarly. As we engage in conversations […]
Posted inEducation
Guidance calls for much smaller class sizes in schools
STATE OFFICIALS are signaling that student-teacher ratios across the state may be far lower when schools reopen in the fall to deal with the coronavirus. In a preliminary guidance, the […]
Posted inThe Download
Petition seeks changes in child-care standards
When it comes to caring for children, what is safe and what is realistic may be two different things. That conflict is growing as daycares consider whether and how to […]
Posted inEducation
Class warfare: School status for the fall unclear
K-12 SCHOOL BOARD battles and faculty infighting in higher ed can often be as fierce as any street brawl. It’s only fitting, then, that education seems to be the issue that […]
Posted inThe Download
Class warfare: School status for the fall unclear
K-12 school board battles and faculty infighting in higher ed can often be as fierce as any street brawl. It’s only fitting, then, that education seems to be the issue […]
Posted inOpinion
This summer will be key time in education
COVID-19 HAS LIFTED the veil on the disparities in health and education based on race, income, and geography. The underlying conditions that preceded the pandemic are now front page news. […]
Posted inOpinion
Dealing with the COVID-19 summer slide
LIKE THE REST OF THE NATION, the Commonwealth is in the midst of a public health crisis that is not only affecting our way of life in unprecedented ways, it […]
Posted inEducation
Baker closes schools for the rest of the year
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Tuesday ordered all schools to remain closed for the rest of the school year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Baker called the decision the “right thing […]