Education – PBS NewsHour

Education reform has been on the national political agenda for decades, but has significant progress ever been made? In his new book, “Addicted to Reform,” former NewsHour education correspondent John Merrow chronicles the many attempts. Merrow sits down with Jeffrey Brown to discuss his findings and his prescriptions for rescuing public education.

The nation's $1.4 trillion student debt burden doesn't just fall on young graduates -- it's affecting older Americans, too. The number of people age 60 and older with student loans has quadrupled in the last 10 years. PBS NewsHour Weekend's Megan Thompson reports on seniors who are struggling with loans as they approach retirement. This is part of an ongoing series of reports called 'Chasing the Dream,' which reports on poverty and opportunity in America.

Drug use among teenagers in the U.S. is down, but the mortality rate is rising. As part of our series “America Addicted,” the NewsHour’s Pamela Kirkland visited one so-called recovery school in Indianapolis that is giving new hope to students battling addiction.

Several states have tightened their immunization requirements, requiring children who attend school get vaccinated against preventable illnesses. But some parents who believe vaccines should be a personal choice are pushing back. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports from Vermont on a fight over immunization there.

A program in Arizona supports nontraditional students who want to pursue degrees at their own speed. Much like a Netflix subscription, the new program lets students pay a flat fee for a personalized curriculum that works within their schedules. Hari Sreenivasan reports on how Northern Arizona University is putting bachelor's degrees within reach for many.

Coal miners in the heart of Appalachia face unemployment and uncertainty as the expansion of automation and natural gas threatens the industry that’s been an economic bedrock. But a West Virginia nonprofit matches displaced workers to sustainable jobs in agriculture or carpentry while helping them pursue associate degrees. Hari Sreenivasan reports as part of our series, Rethinking College.

As technology evolves and more online graduate programs become available at a much lower cost, should we reconsider traditional higher education in a classroom setting? Hari Sreenivasan reports on how some students earning master’s degrees at Georgia Tech are paying little or nothing for online courses from a top program.

Some high school students in Colorado may get prime jobs even before they get their diplomas. That’s because CareerWise, the nation’s first statewide youth apprenticeship program, links students to industries and addresses manufacturers’ demand for skills, while offering employment, academic credit and support for college. Hari Sreenivasan reports as part of our Rethinking College series.

College graduation can be a time of financial anxiety. But Purdue University is offering students a new way to pay for their degrees: Students get funding when they agree to pay back the university a percentage of their future earnings, which Purdue's president sees as an investment. Hari Sreenivasan reports as part of our Rethinking College series.

Oysters were once abundant in New York City, but decades of over-harvesting and pollution led to their near-extinction there. Now, an education initiative called the Billion Oyster Project teaches public school students how to help bring them back to the city’s harbor, with the goal of restoring a billion oysters by 2035. NewsHour Weekend’s Ivette Feliciano has more.

In the age of standardized testing, screen time and what some see as a generation of excessively coddled children, a new movement of preschools is pushing kids outdoors, come rain or shine, heat or cold, to connect with nature and learn to take measured risks, in addition to math and the ABCs. Jeffrey Brown reports from Midland, Michigan.

"Step," a new documentary, follows students from the Baltimore Leadership School for Girls, an institution with the primary goal of 100 percent college acceptance. But that's not their only success. Girls at the school channel their strengths into practicing step, an artform that combines movement, percussion and more. Members of the school explain what the program has meant to them.

Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is considering dialing down federal guidance for how colleges and universities should handle sexual misconduct investigations. The Obama administration issued new requirements in 2011 changing how schools should handle investigations on their campuses, drawing both praise and criticism. William Brangham learns more from Anya Kamenetz of NPR.

Flint, Michigan’s superintendent is leading a comprehensive effort to mitigate the effects of lead on his students. Since alarmingly high levels of lead were found two years ago, the school district taken several measures to ensure the crisis wouldn't stand in the way of their kids' education. Special correspondent Kavitha Cardoza of Education Week reports.

Summertime is supposed to be fun for children and families, but for millions, the absence of free school meals or discounted lunches is a cause for worry. Special correspondent Lisa Stark of Education Week reports from Nebraska on how food banks try to bridge the gap.