Jackson’s historic appointment and likely confirmation are occurring alongside what some Supreme Court historians consider a major inflection point for the high court…
usnews.com/news/the-repor… A moment in which the justices are poised to decide a number of cases that could dismantle systems put in place to ensure that boys and girls of color born in the wake of the civil rights movement, like Jackson, could grow up to be Supreme Court justices.
usnews.com/news/the-repor…

Let’s have a both/and conversation and not retreat to comfy zero-sum arguments. As a parent of a 3.5yo (and vaxxed 5yo), I will be immensely grateful for this EUA approval for our littlest kids (assuming FDA finds it safe, efficacious, etc).
usnews.com/news/health-ne… Even though the chances of my healthy kids having a severe infection is very low, a vaccine would virtually eliminate the fear of becoming one of the few unlucky families that end up in the hospital and it would mostly ensure we don’t infect anyone who may be immunocompromised.

The federal government hasn't made significant investments in school facilities since the Great Depression – despite schools representing the second-largest infrastructure costs behind highways. So why was Biden's $100B proposal for K-12 facilities nixed?
usnews.com/news/education… Advocates are perplexed and say the funding is intimately tied to Biden's agenda – not just as part of a transformational investment in infrastructure, but also central to his focus on equity, climate change and increasing access to early ed. usnews.com/news/education…

Going to drop these here because this narrative isn't going anywhere...

What is critical race theory: usnews.com/news/national-… Dozens of Republican-backed bills banning the teaching of divisive topics on race and inequality are piling up in Congress and in statehouses: usnews.com/news/education…

Biden, speaking at a middle school in DC: “I’m so disappointed that particularly some Republican governors have been so cavalier with the health of these kids, so cavalier with the health of their communities. We are playing for real here. This isn't a game.” “One of the lessons I hope our students can unlearn is that politics doesn't have to be this way," he says, taking a long pause. "Politics doesn't have to be this way."

The vast majority of parents from all racial backgrounds planned to send their children back to school for in-person learning this school year, despite the nationwide spike in COVID-19 cases due to the new, highly contagious coronavirus variant. usnews.com/news/education… The proportion of parents who planned to send their children to school in person this fall rose from 84% in May to 89% in July, as the delta variant drove up cases –highlighting how strongly the majority of parents feel about sending their children to school in person.

Cardona was careful to walk a fine line between relaying the administration's urgency that every school find a way to reopen for in-person learning – quickly – and underscoring that schools must stick to the risk-mitigation strategies outlined by the CDC. usnews.com/news/education… In his first national press call with reporters, Cardona took questions about whether he’s considering excusing states from the federal annual testing mandate (he’s not), and the CDC’s 6ft v 3ft social distancing recommendation (stick w 6ft for now, he says).

Days before Trump's inauguration, Obama’s outgoing cabinet secretaries sat beside the incoming cabinet secretaries for a joint cabinet meeting that had become an important tradition to ensure a smooth transition of power from one administration to the next usnews.com/news/education… The lengthy meeting was designed as a role-playing exercise. They were given a series of potential national crises, and the soon-to-be former secretaries huddled with their replacements and outlined what protocols were in place to tackle it. usnews.com/news/education…

On March 5, 2020, the Northshore School District became the first in the U.S. to shutter as the coronavirus overtook the well-heeled suburban communities just 25 minutes outside Seattle. usnews.com/news/education… An outbreak at a senior home, which would ultimately be linked to 37 deaths, had already shuttered schools in the 24,000-student district for cleaning, the central office was fielding reports of potential new exposures and 20% of kids had stopped coming in usnews.com/news/education…

Taps 🎤... Are you looking for an ace reporter who happens to specialize in education during this moment of unparalleled upheaval in the U.S. public education system? Run, don’t walk ⏬🔽⬇️

https://twitter.com/rklein90/status/1369343540887707650

Just scrolling through @rklein90 bylines to highlight a few of my recent faves and was reminded of what an incredible year of reporting she’s produced. Check it out! huffpost.com/author/rebecca…

A very personal thread about this story and why I increasingly believe addressing the rot caused by QAnon will be one of the Biden administration’s most important and most difficult tasks. nytimes.com/2021/01/17/tec… There are thousands of meme queens across the country. Let me introduce you to another one – my former best friend.

The apology from Lankford is important because it puts front and center a major point that’s sometimes lost in stories about Trump’s claims of election fraud and the subsequent storming of the Capitol by his most ardent supporters. usnews.com/news/politics/… And that’s that Trump is not simply claiming the election was stolen; he’s claiming it was stolen because of fraud in majority Black counties in a handful of swing states.

usnews.com/news/politics/…

Today marks the 62nd anniversary of The Little Rock Nine, and parents, educators and community leaders there say the state's new plan for its schools would catapult Little Rock back into an era of school segregation. usnews.com/news/education… "This is our 1957 in 2019, and people will look back and judge this moment the same way we judge people's actions in 1957. Don't repeat 1957. Don't be the person sneering in the photographs."

Good morning. Big day for folks who follow education politics and policy. We have DeVos testifying before the House Ed Labor Cmte regarding the administration's ed priorities, which is sure to be a bit contentious. AND Sens. Alexander and Murray will hold another #HEA hearing. You can watch DeVos here: