CDC says school should come before sports

But those recommendations aren't always followed at the local level. Nic Antaya/Getty Images High school senior Audrianna Hill has been playing basketball since she was 5 years old. But this winter, with COVID-19 cases rising, there was a chance she might not get to play. Her Detroit school has been virtual since the pandemic began, and the basketball season has been pushed back multiple times since September. Basketball is a big part of who she is, and she's been banking on her last year of playing to help get her recruited. The suspensions haven't helped. "It's made it harder for me to go to college," Hill, a varsity player, explains. "Schools can't come and actually watch you. You have to rely on technology, and I don't know if some [college] coaches feel like watching 50 [performance] videos of different kids." Student athletes like Hill are still hoping for a full season this year, but updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be working against them. [The latest CDC guidelines]( released Feb. 12, advise that in communities with substantial transmission, sports and extracurricular activities should only occur "if they can be held outdoors, with physical distancing of 6 feet or more." In communities with high transmission, they say, these activities should be virtual only. The takeaway, a CDC official told NPR, is that academics should be a priority as schools consider when to resume certain in-person activities: "The emphasis should be placed on the educational needs of students. When it comes to extracurricular activities, if it's problematic to conduct those activities without taking the steps that we know work, we believe that officials should consider delaying or postponing." Of course, the CDC guidelines are only recommendations, and schools are under no obligation to follow them. That has senior Audrianna Hill relieved. Her school is still all-virtual, but in early February, she learned she’d finally be able to get back on the court. She played her first game of the season on Feb. 10. [Read More Here]( --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- On to the news… $10,000 vs. $50,000: For months, Democrats in Washington have been debating what to do about federal student loan debt. While some lawmakers have [pushed for President Biden to forgive up to $50,000 per borrower via executive order]( Biden has only expressed support for more limited forgiveness, of $10,000, through pandemic relief legislation. The sticking points between those two numbers revolve around which borrowers would benefit most, and the legality of forgiving student debt through legislation versus through executive action. [Read more here.]( — [Elissa Nadworny]( NPR Ed Reporter & Editor For many families, paying for college is one of the biggest financial decisions they'll make. College tuition is the highest it's ever been — and the financial aid process is anything but clear. American journalist Ron Lieber's new book, The Price You Pay for College aims to take the black box of college financials and, "turn it lighter and lighter shades of gray." [Read more here.]( — [Elissa Nadworny]( NPR Ed Reporter & Editor — Eda Uzunlar, NPR Ed Intern If schools follow the CDC’s updated guidance, President Biden’s reopening goals could be hard to reach. Biden has said that he wants most K-12 schools to be open five days a week by his 100th day in office, and the latest CDC guidance is intended to help schools operate in person safely. But some argue these guidelines will do little to promote school openings. [Read more here.]( — [Anya Kamenetz]( NPR Ed Education Correspondent And before you go, something to make you smile… Penguin Random House [Theanne Griffith]( has always loved science and literature. But her career has always focused on the science— specifically, neuroscience. She's now a researcher at the University of California, Davis. During her maternity leave, she felt a renewed urgency to embrace that other passion for books and writing. So she took the natural next steps: change the good ol' Twitter handle, create a website — plus, of course, write and pitch publishers like mad. Until finally, [The Magnificent Makers]( children's book series was born. The books follow two third graders, Violet and Pablo, through science-based adventures. In each book, they are zapped through a magical scientific instrument into an alternate universe, where they complete challenges that test their scientific knowledge. Readers are able to complete exercises along with the pair and at-home experiments are included at the end. Brought to you by NPR’s Short Wave, [listen here]( for more. See you next week. --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. --------------------------------------------------------------- What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [npred@npr.org](mailto:npred@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? 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