“We all feel like we're witnessing the death of public education up close and personal."

Jennifer Reesman, regarding the two-week notice that parents received when the Montgomery County, Md., Public Schools decided to cancel the half day before Thanksgiving. Schools across the nation have been canceling classes on short notice due to staff shortages, staff fatigue and mental health concerns. Burbio, an organization that tracks school district websites, says these closures have affected 858 districts and 8,692 individual schools thus far. (NPR — November 23, 2021)