The Department of Education named seven more schools it will seek to close when the Panel for Educational Policy meets in March. That leaves 32 schools still open for business that were under scrutiny. The D.O.E. said it would consider a range of “interventions” to help these struggling schools improve.

As schools displaced by flooding and storm damage return to their buildings, and the holiday volunteer buzz fades, communities hard hit by Sandy still face a long recovery. One student recently undertook a book drive to help an elementary school, and he collected over 400 books.

Some high school seniors had their college applications delayed by Sandy, and may be writing about the experience. What real-life events were in your essay? Hear the conversation on The Brian Lehrer Show. Plus, Don Fraser, from the National Association for College Admission Counseling, offers suggestions on how to best address the storm’s impact in an essay.

A student leader from Long Island City High School spoke to an international audience at a climate change conference in the aftermath of Sandy.

A school damaged by Hurricane Sandy is open but parents and the teachers’ union say they are concerned about lingering environmental issues, most notably mold. The D.O.E. counters that the air quality at the Belle Harbor elementary schools is “acceptable” although they promise to test the building again.

A frank assessment of the Bloomberg legacy and what awaits the next mayor were the highlights of a breakfast panel hosted by City & State and SchoolBook. You can hear it here.

Union leaders reached agreement with the city to swap three vacation days in February for school days and return a clerical half day to one more day of instruction to make up for learning time lost to the Sandy and its aftermath.

The number of displaced schools is dropping to 18, as 12 schools and programs return to their repaired buildings on Monday.

The latest data from Tweed shows fluid movement among school districts and neighborhoods as students displaced by Sandy find new or temporary schools. Attendance rate for the relocated students was just 30 percent on Thursday.

Our friends from Sesame Street help us understand how to talk to children during a natural disaster. Take a listen. You’ll hear Elmo talk to a young fan on the phone.