Anya Kamenetz

In November, a scientific paper estimated millions of years of life could be lost due to prolonged school closures in the U.S. The paper has since been corrected and critiqued.

About a third of U.S. students haven't had a single day in a classroom since March 2020. Coming back now — with the virus still spreading and teachers pushing back — hasn't been easy.

Biden has made reopening most K-12 schools a major priority for his first 100 days and he's signed a flurry of executive orders indicating a much stronger role in federal leadership to do that safely.

The new measures would increase testing and access to personal protective equipment for schools, and create a centralized, national database of school coronavirus cases.

Here's a primer from our Life Kit parenting team.

The federal government has yet to approve plans in most states for giving out money that was authorized in October.

Designated as frontline essential workers, some educators see a path out of "the lion's den."

Many young people across the country are finding this moment extremely scary. Parents, caregivers and teachers can help them cope.

Federal guidelines say school personnel and child care workers should receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the same time as front-line workers. NPR talks with educators about their opinion of the vaccine.

In the pandemic-centered debate over school reopenings, teachers unions have been standing up with strike threats, legal actions and protests. Critics say this action has nothing to do with education.

Most schooling has been offered online this semester. Teachers are working hard to improve that experience, but many students are still left behind.

For-profit virtual charter schools have been dogged by complaints of low student performance, fraud and waste. Still, many are seeing a pandemic-induced enrollment surge.

Mayor Bill de Blasio had said he would close schools at a testing positivity rate of 3%, and stuck to his position. Not everyone is happy.

New York City is once again closing schools for in-person learning, beginning Thursday. The announcement comes as coronavirus case numbers in the city — and around the country — continue to rise.

The president-elect called for immediate action to help borrowers who are "having to make choices between paying their student loan and paying the rent."

Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that schools in New York City could close as early as Monday. There's a debate over whether schools should be closed while restaurants and bars remain open.

Amid a new wave of coronavirus restrictions, France, the U.K. and Germany are keeping schools open. The U.S. has taken a different approach.

As the new president sets his priorities, will having an educator as first lady help schools and colleges get what they hope for?

With many Americans focused on the election, NPR's Life Kit team offers tips to parents and caregivers on how to talk about the election — and civics more broadly — with children.

A new report finds the return to education has been much slower in the world's poorer countries.