Almost a year into the pandemic and the American education system remains severely disrupted. About half of children across the United States are not in school.

The Biden administration has set a clear goal for restarting in-person instruction: reopening K-8 schools within 100 days of his inauguration.

Is that ambitious target possible?

Guest: Dana Goldstein, a national education correspondent for The New York Times. 

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Background reading: 

• A slow vaccine rollout and local fights between districts and unions could make it harder for President Biden to fulfill his promise to reopen schools quickly.
• In cities and suburbs where schools are closed, teachers’ unions are often saying: not yet. One powerful union leader is trying to change that.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

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