Masks
Education news, analysis, and opinion about research and policy on students and staff wearing face masks in school to combat the spread of the coronavirus
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Teaching Profession
From Our Research Center
Flu and COVID-19 Are Surging. Here鈥檚 How Educators Feel About Masking Now
Respiratory illnesses are on the rise. Only 3 percent of educators say they regularly wear a mask at school.
Student Well-Being
With a New COVID Variant Rising, Some Schools Revert to Former Safety Measures
COVID-19 precautions like testing and masking are back on the table for districts trying to head off a surge in absences.
Policy & Politics
Opinion
How the Pandemic Changed Coverage of K-12
Popular topics over the past three years were nowhere to be seen before then.
Student Well-Being
What's In, What's Out for Student and Educator Wellness
What 2023 will have in store when it comes to taking care of the physical and social and emotional needs of students and educators.
School & District Management
As Illnesses Increase, Some Districts Turn Back to Masking
It鈥檚 a proactive move intended to keep kids healthy and in school, leaders say. But it's also likely to be controversial.
Teaching Profession
From Our Research Center
'Over It': Most Educators Say They Won't Mask This Fall
But teachers are more likely than administrators to keep masking, EdWeek Research Center survey data show.
Student Well-Being
As Students Head Back to School, COVID Protocols Wane
Many districts have dropped one of the most visible and contentious responses to the virus: mandatory universal masking.
School & District Management
Some Districts Return to Mask Mandates as COVID Cases Spike
Mask requirements remain the exception nationally and still sensitive in places that have reimposed them.
School & District Management
From Our Research Center
What Will Schools Do If Another COVID Wave Hits? We Asked Educators
Fifty percent say their schools would reimpose the mask requirements previously in place.
School & District Management
School Mask Mandates and the New COVID Variant: What to Watch
As a contagious COVID-19 variant causes climbing case rates in some areas, most schools have yet to re-adopt mask requirements.
Student Well-Being
A New Imperative for Schools: Protecting Vulnerable Kids as Masks Disappear
Relying only on virtual learning or voluntary masking for kids at greater risk of illness from COVID-19 is legally and medically risky.
Student Well-Being
Opinion
School Masking Mandates Are Ending. What Have We Learned?
Researcher Nat Malkus talks about his new database that makes it possible to analyze masking requirements of more than 8,000 districts.
Student Well-Being
What the Research Says
Mask Mandates Cut COVID-19 Spread in Schools, Studies Find
In one study, stricter mask policies reduced school infections by more than 70 percent during the delta wave.
Student Well-Being
Relaxed Mask Guidelines Raise Anxiety for Parents of Children With Disabilities
The CDC's changes could undercut some legal arguments for those who have pushed universal masking to protect medically vulnerable children.