Today, the CDC unanimously recommended the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for 5-11 year-olds, joining the FDA. Vaccinations are expected as early as this week. (NPR, USA Today, CNBC, CNN, NY Times, Chalkbeat NY)   School board races are becoming politicized opportunities that dictate contentious issues such as critical race theory and masks. (Associated Press, USA Today,…

The FDA panel recommends emergency authorization of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine for 5-11 year olds. (FDA, Chalkbeat, The 74 Million, NBC, NPR, CNN, ABC)   Health experts and medical groups declare children’s mental health to be a national emergency and emphasize the need for financial support to solve this. (NPR, EdWeek, American Academy of Pediatrics,…

The Democrats’ social spending bill – which is still being negotiated and President Biden aims to pass by October 30 – sees public education funding grow to $98.4B, a $24.9B increase and includes an increase of $16.1B for Title 1. However, Free community college looks like it is off the table, at least for now,…

The United States Department of Education is making progress on fixing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that was preventing borrowers’ payments from counting towards the program. Until now, there was a lack of clarity as to whose responsibility this was to fix. (US Department of Education, NPR, CNN, CNBC)    Tennessee Governor Bill Lee…

California is the first and only state to mandate Covid-19 vaccination for all students 12 and older, indicating what we might see more of in the future. This will go into effect once the FDA approves the shots, and is a big step beyond districts requiring vaccines for certain student groups such as athletes. (LA…

  The US is contending with a nationwide staffing shortage in education such as teachers, bus drivers, and nurses. Immediate impacts include the MA National Guard being called to serve as bus drivers and schools being forced into virtual learning for lack of teachers.  (New York Times, Associated Press, EdWeek 1, NY Times, The 74…