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715
August 28, 2020

Long-Awaited Asteroid Finally Hits Earth

Teachers, students and parents around the country have been bracing themselves all spring and summer long for the start of this unprecedented school year. This week, it's here.

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  • Transcript

Keith Negley

Prologue

Prologue

Host Ira talks with a teacher in South Carolina who is just trying to figure out what the first day of school will look like. (12 minutes)

By

Ira Glass
Act One

Masked Crusaders

Two teachers find themselves thrown into a heated and ugly fight with parents right before school opens back up. Producer Miki Meek has this story from Utah. (20 minutes)

By

Miki Meek
Act Two

Screen Times at Ridgemont High

Aviva DeKornfeld talks with a high schooler about how he’s prepped for remote learning with a bunch of kids he doesn’t know. (4 minutes)

By

Aviva DeKornfeld
Act Three

Future Imperfect

Some schools started back in July, including many in Tennessee. David Kestenbaum talks to one teacher there who’s already gone through a month of in-person learning to see what the  future might hold for other schools. (6 minutes)

By

David Kestenbaum
Act Four

The Case of the Well-Prepared Elementary School

A school that has prepared for every Covid scenario faces a problem they never saw coming. Stephanie Wang tells the story of one Indiana school's first day in person. Stephanie is the bureau chief of Chalkbeat Indiana. (11 minutes)

By

Stephanie Wang
Act Five

The Leftovers

A week after starting classes, a Covid outbreak forces a university to send students back home. Producer Robyn Semien takes a tour of the emptying campus. (6 minutes)

By

Robyn Semien

Song:

“School Days” by Al Green

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