New Year, New Education Stories to Watch

Student absenteeism, budgetary struggles, and sharp drops in college enrollment are likely to be some of the big stories on the K-12 and higher education beats as the pandemic continues in 2021. Daarel Burnette II, an editor at Education Week, and Sara Hebel, the co-founder of the nonprofit higher education news site Open Campus, share story ideas and tips for innovative coverage. Why should education reporters focus on how K-12 schools keep tabs on students, especially as pandemic-driven remote learning continues to be the norm for many schools? What are the looming challenges for local districts on the fiscal front, and the potential impact of new federal stimulus aid? How has COVID-19 upended college admissions and raised concerns about equity for already underrepresented student groups? And why should reporters pay special attention to community colleges and regional public universities, which are at particular risk amid the downturn in overall enrollment?