The American Public Education System Gets Back on Track
The US public education system, which was paralyzed by the coronavirus a year ago, is showing signs of recovery.
The vaccine is being prioritized for teachers and school personnel in every state, and the federal government has sent a $140 billion check to K-12 schools to assist with reopening costs.
Pharmaceutical corporations are accelerating vaccine trials for young children, with some expected to receive vaccinations as early as this fall.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its recommendation for social distance in schools, lowering it from six feet to three feet, which could affect the capacity of some large metropolitan school districts to reopen for in-person instruction.
The Biden administration is planning a national meeting on March 24 to discuss school reopenings and address the mental health crisis and academic, social, and emotional learning loss since schools closed in March. Even in the most difficult locations, such as the nation’s largest city school districts, things are starting to change.
Prekindergarten through second graders in Philadelphia started returning to class in person earlier this month, while Los Angeles schools started accepting their youngest pupils in mid-April.
