Preparing students for constructive, committed, informed engagement in our democracy is the most important moral imperative facing school administrators today.

“I’ve been a superintendent for 17 years in Vermont and it seemed like it was time to choose my personal life,” said Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union Superintendent Jeanne Collins. “While we’ve always had a 24/7 job, during COVID it really meant 24/7.”

School districts are sticking with more lenient grading techniques–not because of the pandemic, but often because of what it revealed about how students are penalized for hardships like a lack of support at home, work obligations or poor internet access.

There's an immediate need for policymakers to address high teacher turnover and the changing needs of schools, among other issues.