Then and Now

Our archives span 40 years. Learn how today’s top education issues are informed by what came before—and how they’ve evolved
Conceptual image of drawing new graduates to the teaching workforce.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Teacher Preparation Then & Now Why We Still Haven't Solved Teacher Shortages (Despite Decades of Trying)
The teacher-shortage discourse has a long history—and no perfect solutions.
Evie Blad, October 31, 2024
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6 min read
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, during a meeting Feb. 23, 1984 meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House.
President Ronald Reagan is flanked by Education Secretary Terrel Bell, left, during a meeting Feb. 23, 1984 meeting in the Cabinet Room at the White House. Bell, who once testified in favor of creating the U.S. Department of Education, wrote the first plan to dismantle the agency.
Education Week with AP
Federal Then & Now Why It's So Hard to Kill the Education Department—and Why Some Keep Trying
Project 2025 popularized plans to end the U.S. Department of Education, but the idea has been around since the agency's inception.
Evie Blad, August 30, 2024
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9 min read
Illustration
F. Sheehan for Education Week + Getty
Classroom Technology Then & Now How the 'Sexting' Panic Previewed Today's Debate About Kids' Cellphone Use
As technology evolves, one axiom stays the same: Schools must help students weigh how to responsibly fit it into their lives.
Evie Blad, July 30, 2024
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7 min read