Elissa Nadworny

On average, preschool teachers are paid less than mail-order clerks, tree trimmers and pest control workers. And if they switched to teach kindergarten — in many states, their salaries would double.

Thirteen percent of all students and nearly 20 percent of high school students are missing more than 15 days of school a year, according to the latest numbers from the Obama Administration.

Some people in public education work hidden in plain sight. Here's the story of one man who takes on the role of surrogate parent, teacher and counselor.

Three years ago, Grand Rapids' public schools took a hard look at the numbers on absenteeism. They've been able to get nearly half of the students missing school to show up.

Grad speeches are underway. And since it's an election year, it's hard for speakers to resist stepping onto the soapbox.

"They're stuck in a predicament that teaches them that that's who they are. And that that's how they fit into the world," says Harvard economist Ron Ferguson.

Teaching 5-year-olds how to read and count, while molding them into kind, confident students isn't easy. In kindergarten, every day is a surprise, says Marissa McGee, one of our 50 Great Teachers.

For our profile of Marlem Diaz-Brown, we asked her students to do the reporting. Here's how we got an exclusive look inside their classroom.

That frustrated kid at the back of the class? It's not that he doesn't get it — or doesn't care. It could be he just can't see. A new report provides a look at children's vision screening by state.

Lisa Elder teaches about manners, laundry and a good handshake at a juvenile facility in Vermont.

Even after high school or college, Americans keep on learning. While online tools make this easier than ever, a new study finds the vast majority of adults prefer taking classes in physical places.

In Adam Grant's book, Originals, he writes that taking risks and embracing curiosity can lead to original ideas. So how can teachers and parents use his findings to help their kids be more creative?

#NPRreads is a weekly feature on Twitter and on The Two-Way. The premise is simple: Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag. Each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

Elissa Nadworny, ‎NPR Ed Producer & ...

When Susan Cain wrote Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking in 2012, it was a big success. The book made the cover of Time magazine, spent weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list and was the subject of one of the most-watched TED ...

#NPRreads is a weekly feature on Twitter and on The Two-Way. The premise is simple: Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag. Each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

From NPR Ed Digital Producer and ...

By some accounts, education is a $7 trillion global industry ripe for disruption. Others see it as a sacred pursuit, nurturing developing minds while preserving tradition. Around the world, education means equal rights and opportunity.

People risk their lives for it every day.

In the U.S., the public education ...

Science teacher Stephen Ritz and his students live in a food desert. His solution: Grow 100 bags of fresh fruits and vegetables a week — in the classroom.

Less art and play; more textbooks and tests, say surveyed teachers.

However the Supreme Court rules on affirmative action, it will affect the lives of college-bound teens. So we asked them: Should college admissions decisions take race into consideration?

Every morning, the familiar routine plays out in hundreds of thousands of classrooms: A teacher looks out over the desks, taking note of who's in their seats and who isn't.

On any given day, maybe there are one or two empty chairs. One here, one there. And that all goes ...