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Communities hit hardest by the pandemic, already struggling, could face a dropout cliff

Communities hit hardest by the pandemic, already struggling, could face a dropout cliff

At West Philadelphia High School, administrators and teachers have tried to cushion the pandemic’s impact and keep students engaged in school

The Hechinger Report covers education from birth through college with authority, independence and depth. Get our stories in your inbox.

Decoding the price of college: Complexity of figuring out costs holds students back

Decoding the price of college: Complexity of figuring out costs holds students back

PROOF POINTS: New evidence of high school grade inflation

PROOF POINTS: New evidence of high school grade inflation

HIDDEN DEBT TRAP

There’s a whole world of student debt that no one is talking about. Millions of students owe billions of dollars directly to their colleges and universities, and without the safeguards of federal student loans, these debts can be especially damaging.

Trucking companies train you on the job. Just don’t try to quit.

Trucking companies train you on the job. Just don’t try to quit.

Many truckers say ‘indentured servitude’ seems part of entry to the profession

Overdue tuition and fees — as little as $41 — derail hundreds of thousands of California college students

The end of ‘dark days’ for SUNY students in debt

Why does New York state sue its college students?

In Massachusetts, public colleges send debt collectors after nearly 12,000 students

Inside a college counseling center struggling with the student mental health crisis

The University of Iowa doubled the size of its counseling staff between 2016 and 2019, but it’s not nearly keeping up with demand

A poster welcomes students back to the University of Iowa, following a closure for the pandemic. Credit: Mike Rundle for The Hechinger Report

Kelly Clougher, one of the University of Iowa’s interim co-directors of counseling, in her office. Credit: Mike Rundle for The Hechinger Report

Heidi Schmitt, staff therapist at the University of Iowa, leads a weekly mindfulness workshop on campus. Credit: Mike Rundle for The Hechinger Report

Latest news

OPINION: Why education’s culture wars are only about some parents’ rights

OPINION: Here’s a solution for attracting more Black, Latino and Indigenous talent to STEM — Start early

Population booms overwhelm schools in the West: ‘Someone’s gonna get left behind’

As businesses hunt for educated workers, states are loosening the purse strings for higher ed again

MORE LATEST NEWS

Climate change vs schools

The COP26 summit has been called the ‘last, best hope’ to limit global warming. Here’s how the crisis is already affecting America’s schoolchildren

Climate change is sabotaging education for America’s students – and it’s only going to get worse

Are we ready? How we are teaching – and not teaching – kids about climate change

READ OUR CLIMATE CHANGE SERIES

Child care in shambles

The coronavirus pandemic has strained the already fragile child care industry. Without government support, it’s likely to topple.

After mass closures, too little support, post-pandemic child care options will be scarce

The racist and sexist roots of child care in America explain why the system is in shambles

It’s ‘unconscionable’: We depend on child care workers to provide high-quality care to our children. But many of those workers can’t afford food and rent

Inequality is the biggest story in education. We investigate disparities and solutions that might close the gaps. We’re a nonprofit and provide this in-depth independent journalism to you for free…

But we need your support.

The College Enrollment Crash

People are dropping out, stopping out or never enrolling, and the impact will be felt well beyond college campuses

Another million adults ‘have stepped off the path to the middle class’

Another million adults ‘have stepped off the path to the middle class’

The dire consequences of fewer people going to college — for them and for society

Colleges face reckoning as plummeting birthrate worsens enrollment declines

How a decline in community college students is a big problem for the economy

OPINION: We face another lost generation if we don’t do something about college enrollment

PROOF POINTS: Many young adults choose work over college, report shows

As enrollment falls and colleges close, a surprising number of new ones are opening

EARLY CHILDHOOD

Kids’ access to recess varies greatly

Kids’ access to recess varies greatly

Is recess a right or a privilege?

More employers offering child care benefits to lower-wage workers

More Early Childhood

Elementary to High School

OPINION: Earth Day is over, but there’s a lot more schools can do to address climate change

PROOF POINTS: Lessons from transfer schools

More Elementary to High School

Higher education

Many certificate programs don’t pay off, but colleges want to keep offering them anyway

Many certificate programs don’t pay off, but colleges want to keep offering them anyway

Veterans are tangled in red tape trying to get their student loans cancelled as promised

Momentum builds behind a way to lower the cost of college: A degree in three years

More Higher Education

Federal help needed for crumbling school buildings

Kids are back in school buildings with stagnant air, leaking roofs and cracked foundations, among other problems. Congress could change that any minute. Will they?

America’s schools are crumbling. Fixing them could save lives (and the planet)

America’s schools are crumbling. Fixing them could save lives (and the planet)

Rundown schools forced more students to go remote

Rundown schools forced more students to go remote

Climate change threatens America’s ragged school infrastructure

Climate change threatens America’s ragged school infrastructure

Federal money is the only hope for school districts that can’t raise local funds for facilities

Federal money is the only hope for school districts that can’t raise local funds for facilities

VOICES: Students, teachers, principals and experts weigh in

OPINION: Career planning in middle school prepares students for better workforce choices

OPINION: Career planning in middle school prepares students for better workforce choices

OPINION: It may be time to rethink the emphasis on taking calculus in high school

OPINION: Too many Black and Latino students are ‘academically alone’ in advanced classes

OPINION: There’s an effective way to guide our students through mental health problems

OPINION: There’s an effective way to guide our students through mental health problems

STUDENT VOICE: There’s something missing from my Advanced Placement classes, and that needs to change

OPINION: A call to service: Our schools need you to step up

OPINION: There’s a hidden, but important lesson from the findings in the Tennessee pre-K study

OPINION: Why we need a socially responsible approach to ‘social reading’

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