 Dear reader,
As the pandemic persists, the need to find substitute teachers feels endless. On any given day, principals are scrambling to fill vacancies at the front of the classroom. And that’s not entirely new: A critical substitute shortage existed even before Covid. The stakes are much higher now, though, and the need for permanent solutions enormous, writes Hechinger’s Neal Morton. He looks at districts that are using the pandemic to try solutions to the substitute shortage, a roadmap we will need nationally for many years to come.
This week, we also go deep inside the student loan crisis to learn more about how veterans are faring. The answer? Not very well. Some 92 percent of military borrowers who applied for loan forgiveness before the pandemic were denied by the Department of Education. That has to do with narrow and confusing rules that make it difficult for veterans to qualify, among other factors.
Fear of loans is one reason our story about the potential of three-year colleges and growing momentum around the concept is getting so much attention. We’d love to hear your thoughts on these stories, and any others. As always, I’m grateful whenever our readers encourage others to sign up for our weekly newsletters. And please stay well; the pandemic is far from over.
Liz Willen, Editor
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