This Is Your Kid’s Brain on Extreme Heat

High school chemistry teacher in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , has spent at least $1,000 of her own money on fans.

Heat affects the brain in a few key ways: It diverts some blood from organs toward the skin, releasing heat into the surrounding air.

Children with asthma are particularly at risk, because high temperatures lead to the formation of ozone, which irritates the airways.

In schools with no AC, for each increase of 1 degree Fahrenheit , students’ PSAT scores the second year were 1 percent lower than a typical year ’s gain between PSAT takes.

A study conducted in 58 countries found that this trend is internationally true.

In the US , there are both geographical and demographic disparities that affect who ends up struggling in a hot classroom.

Baltimore City Public Schools instructed teachers in 20 schools without air-conditioning to switch to remote learning due to extreme heat.

In some schools, teachers must take time to move students out of the classroom and into cooler areas.

Other schools resort to early dismissals, which is a challenge for working parents who struggle to find child care.