In Oklahoma City Schools, COVID cases exploded after just three days of school. Elsewhere, teachers faced a high-stakes vaccine mandate and schools shut down.
Hopes for a return to normal in-person instruction are being dashed throughout the south as the delta variant forces dozens of districts to shift back online or close altogether.
Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona wrote to the governors and state education chiefs of Florida and Texas, saying their moves against masks will threaten in-person instruction.
Trying to reopen amidst the delta surge, Chicago Public Schools is the latest major system to require employees to get vaccinated or face weekly COVID testing.
The U.S. Education Department's Office for Civil Rights will gather and publish key information about student educational access and school climate factors, such as use of discipline and student experiences of harassment and assault.
Just as newspapers lost subscribers, some public schools have been losing students, and like papers, some responded to losses in revenue and enrollment by laying off teachers, narrowing the curriculum, and eliminating programs.
Teachers and students may be required to get COVID vaccines to keep schools open throughout the pandemic, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona says.
Half a dozen Florida districts are requiring masks despite Gov. Ron DeSantis' threat to withhold funding if parents aren't given a choice over students' wearing masks.
