Schools and pharmacies should prioritize children for coronavirus vaccination, President Joe Biden said Thursday. Biden encouraged school districts to hold pop-up vaccination clinics, and for pharmacies to prioritize students ages 12 and older for vaccines as well as to partner with districts to expand vaccination efforts.

Incorporating "hope theory" and hopefulness in lessons can help improve students' outlook and well-being, according to National Board Certified Teacher Laura Bradley. In this article, Bradley, a veteran middle-school teacher, shares strategies to promote hope and optimism through classroom activities, such as designing a computer game or writing a story about how someone achieved a goal.

A high-school welding teacher in Louisiana says students need to think about more than the trade -- they need a plan for the future. Chris Henning says he asks students pointed questions while exploring the costs associated with housing, car insurance and other bills, along with average salaries they can earn in welding or another skilled trade.

Susan Shapiro, an assistant professor at the Touro College Graduate School of Education, offers five tips to help support teaching and learning in the 2021-22 school year. In this commentary, Shapiro offers ideas for teachers, including to allow time for socializing when dividing students into small groups and recognizing that learning took a step back during the pandemic.

The Texas State Teachers Association is asking Gov. Greg Abbott to allow public-school mask mandates when classrooms reopen for the next school year. Abbott has said he would maintain a directive issued in May that prevents local entities from adopting mask mandates.

A bill was signed into law this week by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that prohibits school districts in the state from suing students' families over school meal debt. The New York State Parent Teacher Association supported the legislation, with Executive Director Kyle Belokopitsky saying, "Every child should have the opportunity, and the continued opportunity, to have a healthy breakfast and a healthy lunch in school buildings."

Peggy Brookins, president and CEO of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, writes in this blog post about the recent events that have taken over the country. An NBCT, Brookins writes about her experiences as a Black teacher in America and encourages everyone to join hands on the path forward. Read on.

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