The Latest

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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr.
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    RIFs rip through federal Office of Special Education Programs

    With OSEP reportedly decimated, one special education expert asks: How can IDEA "possibly function"?

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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    California high schoolers to gain automatic offers to Cal State under new law

    A pilot version of the program proactively offered thousands of students acceptance into the public university system.

    Updated Oct. 14, 2025
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    Week In Review: H-1B visa concerns continue

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a Supreme Court ruling resulting in very few curriculum opt-outs to gaps in students’ life skills.

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    Inside North Carolina’s direct admissions program

    A statewide initiative is offering high school students proactive admission to dozens of public and private colleges, following a pilot last year.

  • President Donald Trump sits in the Oval Office of the White House on Sept. 25, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    As Trump imposes hefty H-1B visa fee, how many districts rely on them?

    Over 500 districts hired educators from overseas under the program during fiscal year 2025, according to a new NEA analysis.

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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    How districts help students gain real-life skills

    Incorporating 21st century skills into the school day must be intentional, collaborative and student-driven, speakers told attendees at an AASA summit.

  • Fresh fruit and other food items are in a case accessible to students at a school cafeteria.
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    California takes ultra-processed foods off the school menu

    Schools must begin phasing out these foods in mid-2029, and vendors will be prohibited from offering them in mid-2032.

  • Elementary school students work on laptops in a computer lab.
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    Risks from AI use are growing alongside its popularity in schools

    Greater school use increases the likelihood of data breaches, bullying and other issues, a Center for Democracy and Technology survey said.

  • Kimberly Richey looks into the distance
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    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
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    Richey confirmed to lead Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights

    Kimberly Richey, who also served in Trump’s first term, steps into the role as the office faces a significant backlog and a halved workforce.

  • A child has their chin on a desk and looks sad. In front of the child on the desk is a pencil.
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    Getty Images
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    SEL improves student grades, test performance

    The meta-analysis of its benefits comes after parent and lawmaker pushback against social-emotional learning and as some educators rebrand the practice.

  • A handful of students walk in a row outside near a school building. They are each holding a cellphone and looking down at the cellphone.
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    Getty Images
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    Most school leaders report cellphone restrictions, widely seen as beneficial

    Students, teachers and principals view limiting devices as beneficial, but parents have concerns, research shows.

  • A girl student and two boy students are shown appearing to be bored, tired and daydreaming in a classroom.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    A skills crisis in our classrooms

    Dysregulation is creating a barrier to learning for many students, signifying a need to focus on executive function skills, two experts write.

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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

    From a large district’s mass teacher layoffs to new data on book bans in schools, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • An honor guard stands next to a display case containing the Declaration of Independence, Constitution and BIll of Rights.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    National Constitution Center expands ‘101’ curriculum to middle schoolers

    The nonprofit’s free civics curriculum is paired with a related toolkit that includes an interactive Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

  • A person is standing at a podium speaking into a microphone. Another person can be seen sitting to the side of the speaker listening.
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    Octavio Jones via Getty Images
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    How school boards reflect their constituencies — and where they don’t

    Board members have more positive views of their districts and are more critical of charter schools, a Fordham Institute and Wallace Foundation report says.

  • Two young students are in a classroom. They are sitting at a desk and looking at a book together.
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    Getty Images
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    Here’s how science of reading can be tailored for dual-language learners

    Despite misconceptions that the approach is one-size-fits-all or English-only, a Children’s Equity Project report details how it can work for bilingual students.

  • Students sit on the floor of a classroom holding books
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    Retrieved from K-12 Dive.
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    Maryland district gets few opt-out requests after Supreme Court mandate

    Curriculum opt-outs were requested on behalf of fewer than 1% of almost 150,000 students attending Montgomery County Public Schools.

  • Signage reading "boys" and "girls" outside of a restroom
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    Appeals court refuses to block Trump’s Title IX funding change

    The order deals a setback to a Virginia district that’s one of the first to push back on the administration’s strategy.

  • A handful of students carrying backpacks are seen heading into a school building
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    Fly View Productions via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    How are states approaching K-12 open enrollment?

    Best practices for open enrollment in public schools include transparent district reporting, the Reason Foundation says.

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    Stock via Getty Images
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    What school leaders should expect in the 2025-26 Supreme Court term

    An expanding shadow docket and an increase in First Amendment disputes could see more cases join the lone K-12 item this term.

  • Conference attendees listen to a session in a convention center meeting room.
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    kasto80 via Getty Images
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    The top K-12 conferences to attend in 2026

    Whether you’re looking to brush up on leadership best practices, school policy or the latest ed tech innovations, these events are a great place to start.

  • An adult man sits on the edge of a desk in front of a high school classroom as he teaches math from a whiteboard.
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    skynesher via Getty Images
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    H-1B visa lawsuit alleges $100K fee will worsen teacher shortages

    School systems in several states cited in the suit say the fee would create unsustainable costs and hinder hiring ability.

  • The U.S. Capitol stands in the distance as morning traffic moves along North Capitol Street Northwest on October 01, 2025 in Washington, DC. The government shut down early Wednesday after Congress failed to reach a funding deal.
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    Chip Somodevilla / Staff via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Mental health grants return and FCC rolls back E-rate expansion

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the government shutdown’s impact on schools to differentiated teacher compensation.

  • A book titled "One Of A Kind, Like Me" sits on a bookshelf in California
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Book bans becoming the new norm for districts, report says

    Four years since book bans proliferated, the movement’s spread to the federal level is creating “unprecedented” pressure for districts, PEN America says.

  • Three separate elevated highways lead to the Houston skyline in the background.
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    The image by Famartin is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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    Houston ISD lays off, reassigns hundreds of teachers

    The move follows district estimates earlier this year that predicted an enrollment drop of about 8,000 students.