Oct 17, 2017
The public education system in Puerto Rico was already struggling before two historic hurricanes -- Irma and Maria -- wreaked havoc on this U.S. territory. Reporter Andrew Ujifusa and photographer Swikar Patel of Education Week discuss their recent reporting trip to Puerto Rico, where they met students and teachers who have lost their homes -- as well as their schools -- and are now struggling to get the basic essentials, like food and shelter. Ujifusa reported on the vastly different reality for rural communities outside the capital, San Juan, where electricity and running water have yet to be restored. Patel captured poignant portraits of the resilience of the children and educators, many of whom aren’t sure when their schooling -- and jobs -- will resume.