This document is the first of a semi-annual "stocktaking" publication to analyze various political trends impacting education and young people. Bellwether hopes to help the field separate signal from noise and provide context around various issues and trends affecting the sector. The impact of COVID-19 school closures on schools and students, which are only starting to be understood, was an obvious starting place for the first project. But while the pandemic has dominated attention for the past several years, it is not the only issue in American life. Other issues are stressing Americans, such as mass shootings, inflation, mental health needs, and racism, to name a few. Because schools are institutions that transfer culture and norms and one of the last public venues where Americans regularly come together, schools are often battlegrounds for society's various debates. In this report, the authors focus on six issues related to pandemic disruptions and broader cultural debates: (1) School Enrollment; (2) Student Achievement; (3) Student Discipline; (4) Guns and School Safety; (5) Race and Racism; and (6) LGBT Rights. Each topic begins with an overview of the data and research at a societal level, then takes a closer look at how it is affecting the education sector and how schools are navigating it. The goal is to provide a clear fact base for discussion about complicated issues.