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In its first year, the Biden administration played it safe with public education, giving schools the funding they needed to cope with the pandemic and requiring little federal oversight. But in March 2022, the administration began responding to pressure to do something about the huge amount of student loan debt Americans are carrying. Maria Ferguson discusses the ensuing debate about whether cancelling student loan debt is the most fiscally responsible way to assist Americans in need.

For the last 40 years, business leaders, philanthropists, and a host of nonprofit advocacy groups have pushed for higher standards, academic rigor, standardized testing, and newer models of educating children. But, today, some of these reformers are feeling disillusioned and believe that the investments intended to transform education and provide equity and excellence for all students have fallen short. Maria Ferguson speaks to representatives of the movement to get their impressions of the current state of education reform.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused chaos in local schools, and education has been the subject of countless news stories about the crisis. And, as Maria Ferguson explains, the U.S. Department of Education has been unable to articulate a bold vision for schools as local leaders adapt to constantly changing circumstances. At the state level, on the other hand, Virginia’s new governor, Glenn Youngkin, appears to be making education as centerpiece of his policy agenda with a series of executive orders forbidding the teaching of divisive topics and ending mask mandates.

Education became a major issue in the 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election, when Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin clashed over how much say parents should have in their children’s education. Youngkin’s victory, fueled in part by parent outrage over school curricula, could lead other candidates to stoke fear and outrage over schools to score political points. Maria Ferguson discusses the power of schools to divide society and considers what lessons schools should take from the COVID-19 crisis.

As education leaders are making plans for how to use American Rescue Plan funds, Maria Ferguson considers what lessons they might learn from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in 2009. Like the tranches of funding being provided to schools as COVID relief, the ARRA funds were meant to help schools grapple with a national crisis, in that case the Great Recession. To receive funds, states had to commit to certain reforms that aligned with President Barack Obama’s education agenda. However, the funds were not enough to enable state, district, and school leaders to accomplish the desired goals, and the political heat generated by the Common Core State Standards didn’t help. Today’s funds come with more flexibility than in the ARRA era, but, once again, money may not be enough to accomplish what’s needed.

Maria Ferguson talks with Lindsay E. Jones, president and CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students with disabilities. So far, there has been little research into the effects of the pandemic, but previous research shows that being away from school has more of an effect on students with learning disabilities. They also discuss how states are planning to use the funds made available under the American Recovery Plan and the challenge of balancing the need for flexibility to distribute funds quickly with the need to ensure that students’ needs are being met.

Maria Ferguson talks with Lindsay E. Jones, president and CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities, about the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students with disabilities. So far, there has been little research into the effects of the pandemic, but previous research shows that being away from school has more of an effect on students with learning disabilities. They also discuss how states are planning to use the funds made available under the American Recovery Plan and the challenge of balancing the need for flexibility to distribute funds quickly with the need to ensure that students’ needs are being met.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Congress has allocated just under $190 billion to support K-12 education. As Maria Ferguson explains, these much-needed funds will require states and districts to make plans for how best to use them, and the planning process is complicated in districts that are already stretched and facing unpredictable circumstances. The plans that have been submitted so far vary in their level of detail, but common themes include the effects of the pandemic on student achievement and the mental health needs of both students and school staff.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Congress has allocated just under $190 billion to support K-12 education. As Maria Ferguson explains, these much-needed funds will require states and districts to make plans for how best to use them, and the planning process is complicated in districts that are already stretched and facing unpredictable circumstances. The plans that have been submitted so far vary in their level of detail, but common themes include the effects of the pandemic on student achievement and the mental health needs of both students and school staff.