WBFO Education Desk

One of Buffalo’s highest-performing public schools faces closure following a vote by the New York State Board of Regents last week. WBFO’s education reporter Kyle Mackie reports on how Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School got caught in pandemic politics and the great debate about charter schools.

Memorial Day weekend begins with it beaches opening up and other tentative steps to restart the economy. In his daily coronavirus briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the reopenings can be done safely if people follow the rules.

With no prior notice, Buffalo Public Schools on Wednesday unanimously approved a fundamental change in education, a change the school board wants to put into effect in the fall of next year.

Lawsuits against universities like Columbia, Drexel or the University of Pennsylvania are appearing across the United States, after more and more students feel like they’re not getting the quality of education they paid for before the pandemic hit. A similar trend is starting to appear right across the border.

The Buffalo Public Schools district is continuing to deal with coronavirus on the fly, as things keep changing. The uncertainties are making it hard for officials to plan the future.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation last week to “reimagine education” in New York State. That move has been criticized by teachers’ unions, administrators and some parents, but some Buffalo families are ready for change.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the final call on schools Friday: Students will not go back to class this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. Buffalo parent leaders said they’re not surprised—but it won’t be easy for the families hit hardest by the disruptions of the "new normal."

Most parents of young children say they’re experiencing more stress now than before the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new statewide survey. But the worst impacts are being disproportionately borne by low-income families and families of color.

Seven weeks into remote learning necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic, Buffalo Public Schools is rolling out a new grading policy. WBFO’s education reporter Kyle Mackie spoke to district officials to learn more.

It's a failed connection that is happening at the worst time for 5,500 students in the Buffalo school district. Scheduled to have been operational in January, a project called "Connected Communities" could have provided WiFi access to students dealing with the demands of distance learning as schools remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The $1.3 million plan is far behind schedule and, as Geoff Kelly of Investigative Post reports, the company charged with installing the system is also facing other troubles.

What’s it like to have your last year of high school interrupted by a global pandemic? WBFO’s education reporter Kyle Mackie asked, and five Buffalo seniors said they’re feeling somewhere between stressed out and sad.

It’s now the fourth week of school closures in Buffalo, and remote or distance learning is supposed to be in full swing. But not all students have the same access to technology to help them keep learning.

Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Kriner Cash told school board members Wednesday night he doesn't expect buildings to reopen for the rest of the school year and expects the district's fiscal situation to get much worse.

As New York’s hospital system braces for the arrival of more COVID-19 patients, D’Youville College in Buffalo announced plans to move up graduation for students in some high-needs healthcare fields.

Despite the advancements delivered by Title IX legislation over the last 50 years, girls still participate in sports less than boys, and the disparity widens with the pressures of adulthood. Why does it matter? Because kids who compete do better in school, at work and throughout life. So WBFO's Marian Hetherly took a look at leveling the playing field in a series she's calling "Girl Power."

The New York State United Teachers union is calling on U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to waive federal state testing requirements this year as schools continue to close in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

With schools closed in Buffalo and across Western New York, many districts are grappling with the immediate challenge of how to keep students fed who normally rely on meals served at school.

The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut made the joint decision to close all bars and restaurants in those states beginning at 8 p.m. Monday to prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus.