Health

Learn more about how the physical well-being of students and staff impact schools
Elsa Estrada, 6, smiles at her mother as pharmacist Sylvia Uong applies an alcohol swab to her arm before administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pediatric vaccine clinic for children ages 5 to 11 set up at Willard Intermediate School in Santa Ana, Calif., Nov. 9, 2021.
Elsa Estrada, 6, smiles at her mother as pharmacist Sylvia Uong applies an alcohol swab to her arm before administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a pediatric vaccine clinic in Santa Ana, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2021. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is no longer recommending annual COVID shots for healthy children.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Student Well-Being What RFK Jr.'s New COVID Shot Recommendations Could Mean for Students
The health and human services secretary said that annual COVID shots are no longer recommended for healthy children.
Caitlynn Peetz, May 29, 2025
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5 min read
Student Carrera Crittenden participates in an activity during a theatre class at Weber High School, taught by Mark Daniels, on January 13, 2025 in Pleasant View, Utah. Daniels incorporates a lot of movement in the students during all of his classes.
Student Carrera Crittenden participates in an activity during a theatre class at Weber High School, taught by Mark Daniels, on January 13, 2025 in Pleasant View, Utah. Daniels incorporates a lot of movement in the students during all of his classes.
Kim Raff for Education Week
School & District Management Active Kids Are Better Learners. Here's How Principals Can Get Them Moving
In an era of waning recess, here are a few tips to make learning more than just a "sit-and-get" lesson.
Olina Banerji, May 20, 2025
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4 min read
NYC Dance BS
Teaching Profession Video In This School, Teachers Dance Their Stress Away
This New York charter school offers teachers a Friday afternoon dance class to decompress from the week and connect with each other.
Lauren Santucci & Sarah D. Sparks, May 8, 2025
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2:22
Vivien Henshall, a long-term substitute special education teacher, works with Scarlett Rasmussen separately as other classmates listen to instructions from their teacher at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore.
Vivien Henshall, a long-term substitute special education teacher, works with Scarlett Rasmussen as other classmates listen to instructions from their teacher at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore. Proposals to change Medicaid spending could impact the classroom, where special education services are often covered by the federal health insurance program.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Student Well-Being How Medicaid Spending Cuts Could Harm Schools
Districts use Medicaid to cover costs of special education, student services. Cuts to the program would hurt, superintendents said.
Evie Blad, April 18, 2025
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4 min read
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas.
Vials of the MMR measles mums and rubella virus vaccine are displayed Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. As the West Texas measles outbreak grew, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio, persuaded parents of unvaccinated children at her school to get immunized.
Julio Cortez/AP
Student Well-Being How a School Nurse Convinced Parents to Vaccinate Their Kids Against Measles
“We know that parents trust not only nurses, but especially school nurses," said Kate King, a school nurse in Columbus, Ohio.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 16, 2025
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6 min read
Closeup photo of a white adolescent exhaling smoke from an e-cigarette
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Federal Efforts Have Curbed Teen Vaping. Will the Recent Cuts Change That?
Efforts to curtail youth vaping may be in peril after dramatic federal staffing cuts.
Evie Blad & Mark Walsh, April 2, 2025
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6 min read
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. arrives before President Donald Trump addresses a joint session of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
Ben Curtis/AP
Student Well-Being What RFK Jr. Thinks Schools Ought To Do About Cellphones
At least 19 states have laws or policies that ban or restrict students’ use of cellphones in schools, according to EdWeek's tracker.
Lauraine Langreo, March 26, 2025
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4 min read
Students in Robyn Newton’s P.E. class run across the gym at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024.
Students in Robyn Newton’s P.E. class run across the gym at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024. In this K-5 school, movement breaks are incorporated in classrooms, hallways, and on school grounds as a regular part of a students' day.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Quiz Test Your Knowledge: The Role of Physical Activity in Schools
Regular movement boosts student focus, cognitive skills, and academic success. Test your knowledge of physical activity in schools.
Sarah D. Sparks & Laura Baker, March 21, 2025
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2 min read
Image of a band aid being applied after a vaccination.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being As Measles Outbreak Grows, See How Your State's Vaccination Rate Stacks Up
Outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases, like measles, are becoming more common and severe as childhood vaccination rates decline.
Caitlynn Peetz & Maya Riser-Kositsky, March 17, 2025
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3 min read
Illustration of a person turning the alarm clock off.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being What to Expect From Students After the Start of Daylight Saving Time
Countless students arrive at school sleep-deprived. Health experts say daylight saving time adds to the problem.
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 7, 2025
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4 min read
Fifth grader Raigan Paquin works her way across the climbing wall during teacher Robyn Newton’s P.E. class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024.
Fifth grader Raigan Paquin works her way across the climbing wall during teacher Robyn Newton’s P.E. class at Vergennes Union Elementary School in Vergennes, Vt., on Nov. 18, 2024. Newton collaborates with teachers at the school to create lesson plans that incorporate movement in classrooms.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week
Student Well-Being Download Activate the Classroom: Tips for Incorporating Movement (DOWNLOADABLE)
Integrating movement into the classroom boosts learning, focus, and well being. Thry these strategies to get students active and engaged.
Laura Baker, March 6, 2025
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1 min read
Image of a female leaping over data bars.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Download Students Who Move More, Learn More (DOWNLOADABLE)
Schools and families can boost student success by reducing screen time and promoting movement throughout the day. This is what a physically active student may look like.
Laura Baker & Gina Tomko, March 6, 2025
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1 min read
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas.
A sign is seen outside of Seminole Hospital District offering measles testing, Feb. 21, 2025, in Seminole, Texas. The biggest risk from the outbreak is to unvaccinated people, but a small number of people who were vaccinated decades ago might need updated shots to ensure they’re protected.
Julio Cortez/AP
School & District Management Some School Staff Might Need a Measles Booster. Here Is Who's Affected
Some educators could have received their measles shots during a five-year span when an ineffective version was given.
Caitlynn Peetz, February 28, 2025
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3 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a doctor wearing gloves and filling a syringe with medicine from vial.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being Measles Is on the Rise as Vaccinations Drop. Where Does That Leave Schools?
With an outbreak in West Texas, are the conditions ripe for more measles outbreaks elsewhere?
Caitlynn Peetz, February 25, 2025
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6 min read
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