Education in Appalachia

Robert Mitchell has taught in the Pittsburgh public school system for 26 years, but COVID has drastically changed what his school day looks like. Instead of being in the classroom with his students, Mitchell has created a digital workspace in his home where he teaches his middle school students Spanish. Photo: Justin Hayhurst/100 Days in Appalachia

In the Union Strongholds of Central Appalachia, Labor Struggles for Health Benefits Echo in Teacher Vaccination Efforts

Robert Mitchell gets up while it’s still dark. Since the pandemic began last March, Mitchell, who has taught in the Pittsburgh city school system for 26 years, rises early to make sure his digital classroom is set up for the day.  Between lesson planning – which includes some off-screen Spanish […]

Read More

Commentary: Remote Learning Highlights Inequities in Public Education. But A Premature Return to In-Person Learning Could Be Worse.

Defending plans to reopen schools at the deadliest, most infectious period of this pandemic yet, some officials have invoked the right to education in their state constitutions. A West Virginia Department of Education spokesperson recently remarked that the inequities of remote learning are “a derogation of the right to a […]

Read More

Research: Fracking ‘Boom’ Does Not Deliver Funds For Rural PA Schools

Advocates of unconventional natural gas drilling cite the potential for benefits for surrounding communities. In Pennsylvania, researchers found that the financial impact on the mostly rural school systems where fracking occurred was negative. Unconventional natural gas development has transformed American energy over the past decade. Hydraulic fracturing, often popularly referred to […]

Read More
Teachers celebrate after West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice and Senate Republicans announced they reached a tentative deal to end a statewide teachers' strike by giving them 5 percent raises in Charleston, W.Va., Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Photo: Robert Ray/AP

Fact-check: Is Jim Justice the First West Virginia Governor to Fight For Teacher Pay Raises?

West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, facing a competitive Republican primary in 2020, recently introduced an ad touting his accomplishments in office, including a focus on K-12 education. The ad, released in a Dec. 4 tweet, features several West Virginians reading off a series of scripted accomplishments from Justice’s tenure. One of […]

Read More

Appalachians are Dying at Higher Rates than Almost Anywhere Else in the Country. Investing in Education Could Change That.

Appalachia is, and has been for decades, lagging behind the rest of the nation in a number of health outcomes. The region struggles with heart disease, diabetes, cancer and much more. But new research on the rate at which Appalachians are dying has health officials calling for more investments in […]

Read More