The new school year is about to begin, and challenges lie ahead. Concerns about surging COVID infections are mixed with questions about how greatly the pandemic disrupted learning.Cheryl Bost, president of the Maryland State Education Association, the statewide union, says the first place to focus is pupils’ mental health. Check out WYPR's education coverage. And Baltimore City principals Najib Jammal of Lakeland Elementary Middle School and Melody Locke of Westport Academy talk about a new partnership to support teachers’ professional development.

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