Support the fact-based journalism you rely on with a donation to Marketplace today. Give Now!

How do "school-hardening" tactics affect students, teachers and their communities?

Because gun control measures haven't gone far, schools are investing in security, says The 74's Mark Keierleber. Those measures come with significant costs.
A memorial in Uvalde, Texas, on June 3, 2022.
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Virtual school evolves, even as the pandemic wanes

Jun 7, 2022
What once was a necessity is now an expanding educational frontier.
Virtual learning used to be less dynamic, with students and teachers accessing materials at different times. The pandemic changed that.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

Who would benefit the most from student debt relief?

May 24, 2022
Student debt cancellation would be an essential move toward affordable higher education, says Felicia Wong, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute.
Activists hold festive signs calling on President Joe Biden to cancel student debt.
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We, The 45 Million

Inflation hits teachers hard

Apr 27, 2022
Their salaries, most negotiated for years at a time, haven't kept up with sharply rising prices.
Many educators are feeling squeezed by inflation, which is upping the cost of classroom supplies and other expenses.
Jon Cherry/Getty Images

School counselor on navigating post-high school plans: “There are so many ways to approach this"

Apr 21, 2022
When the counselors at Sheboygan South High School in Wisconsin realized about 50% of their graduates weren't going to college, they put renewed focus on supporting alternative pathways for students.
There’s been a marked drop in college enrollment during the pandemic
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Crypto for kids?

Apr 14, 2022
A conversation with Rebecca Jennings of Vox on the growing new industry that teaches children about cryptocurrency, NFTs and Web3.
Internet culture reporter Rebecca Jennings says a growing cohort of camps, startups and media aim to prepare children for the future of the internet. What lessons are the kids learning?
Chaloner Woods/Getty Images

Does college prestige really matter? Maybe.

Apr 14, 2022
Your alma mater's ranking "will mean something, in some places, sometimes," says The New York Times' Ron Lieber.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Is there a future in the "learning pod" education model?

Feb 23, 2022
Many of the families in a recent report said they preferred pods over traditional schooling.
Learning pods were an early-pandemic innovation, but as children return to school, some are examining if the pod model could still be a viable business option.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Some states are considering raising teachers' salaries. Is it enough to keep them on the job?

Feb 1, 2022
Approximately 30% of teachers leave within their first five years in the classroom.
Alabama's governor is proposing a 4% pay raise for school teachers. Other states may follow suit.
Kenny Holston/Getty Images

School nurses are stretched thin during the pandemic

Dec 23, 2021
School nurses are attending to COVID-19 protocols on top of their regular duties of keeping students physically and emotionally healthy.
On top of their daily duties dealing with sick children, school nurses are taking care of COVID-19 protocols like testing and contact tracing.
kali9 via Getty Images