The Latest

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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.

    Updated Jan. 27, 2026
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    STUDY HALL

    What you need to know about private school choice

    State-led programs that use taxpayer funds for private school tuition have expanded rapidly. A new federal program will add even more options.

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    Week In Review: Bipartisan agreement reached on Ed Dept funding plan for FY26

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from natural disaster best practices to policy and legal trends to watch this year.

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    Education Department halts effort to implement controversial anti-DEI letter

    The agency dropped its appeal of a court ruling against guidance aimed at ending race-based programs in schools.

  • A mental cabinet that has fire damage is open and inside are school lunch boxes.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Natural disasters will happen. What to do before — and after — one strikes your school.

    NWEA’s playbook suggests that schools develop a recovery plan and build relationships with community groups before any severe climate event occurs.

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    Opinion

    For students with disabilities, the Office for Civil Rights is often the last line of defense

    Efforts to shutter the Education Department threaten to sever lifelines that protect students furthest from privilege and opportunity, writes one expert.

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    Tracker

    As student enrollment declines, a look at public school closures

    We’re tracking districts’ plans to shutter or consolidate schools amid enrollment pressure from falling birthrates and growing school choice.

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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 enrollment challenges to a bipartisan budget proposal, what did you learn from our recent stories?

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    Deep Dive

    4 education legal and policy trends to watch in 2026

    From civic education advocacy to religious public schools, here’s what K-12 leaders can expect in the legal and policy spheres.

  • A closeup view of a counselor's hands holding a clipboard while listening to a student who is holding a backpack in their lap.
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    How a California district embraces student-centered counseling

    A low-income district east of San Jose has become a “bright spot” for tackling absenteeism with an approach focused on data and student interactions.

  • People are walking outside on a sidewalk with the U.S> Capitol dome in the distance. On the sidewalk is a sign reading, "Closed due to federal government shutdown."
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    Bipartisan K-12 budget proposal would stall gutting of Education Department

    Senate and House leaders reject Trump administration plans to outsource management of Education Department programming.

  • An adult sits at a small desk on a stage in a room, holding a pen and writing on a paper. Rows of children are sitting at individual desks behind the adult.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Trump 2.0: A sea change for K-12

    From Education Department downsizing to a variety of legal battles, take a month-by-month look at how the federal approach to K-12 has shifted.

  • Three high school theater students share notes on a performing arts center stage.
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    The play’s the thing: How peer-to-peer mentoring in theater builds SEL skills

    Student theater can be a gold mine for promoting mentorship, confidence and creativity in a rushed, screen-oriented culture, one expert says.

  • A hand holding a pencil is shown writing out algebra equations.
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    bluestocking via Getty Images
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    Maine teacher makes math relevant with ‘fun-tivities’

    This high school educator is engaging students with a mix of inquiry-based digital projects and hands-on activities.

  • Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles sits at a table with younger students
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    Retrieved from Houston Independent School District.
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    Houston ISD families report positive outlook following takeover

    Data shows particularly positive perceptions toward learning progress and district improvement among families at targeted improvement schools.

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    What can US schools learn about AI education from their Chinese counterparts?

    Schools in China are fast equipping students to work with the emerging tech, ILO Group CEO Julia Rafal-Baer said after a recent visit.

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: School shootings drop and SCOTUS hears trans athletics cases

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a slew of new Title IX probes to debates over tech in schools.

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    Samuel Corum via Getty Images
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    Senators discuss school tech limits amid youth mental health crisis

    Two witnesses went so far as to suggest curbing 1:1 device rollouts in a Thursday Senate committee hearing.

  • A young bearded teacher is seated on a desk and talking with a diverse group of teenage students seated in a circle in a classroom.
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    Opinion

    How can we create the conditions to inspire young leaders to say ‘yes’ to teaching careers?

    Innovative staffing models may be part of the solution, writes the executive director of Teach For America Bay Area in California.

  • A teacher guides three young students using tablets in a classroom.
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    House hearing: Is now a good time to regulate AI in schools?

    House education committee members found consensus on student risks, though Republicans raised concerns about hindering innovation.

  • An aerial view of a child's hands holding a glass of milk on a wooden table.
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    Trump signs bipartisan Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act into law

    Previously, districts could only serve fat-free and low-fat milk in school meals due to concerns surrounding high cholesterol and obesity in young people.

    Updated Jan. 15, 2026
  • A student is pictured sitting at a desk in a classroom holding a cellphone under the desk. Only the student's middle body is shown.
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    StockPlanets via Getty Images
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    Poll shows most teens oppose classroom cellphone bans

    Despite teens’ perceptions, states and districts say the restrictions lead to better teacher satisfaction and improved school climate.

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    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
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    Education Department launches 18 Title IX transgender athlete investigations

    The new string of investigations into some public schools and colleges comes on the heels of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing on the issue this week.

  • LGBTQ+ advocates holding placards reading "LetKidsPlay" stand in front of Congress
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    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court weighs thorny issues in state transgender athlete bans

    Liberal and conservative justices weighed what a Title IX decision would mean for other areas of education, like remedial classes for underperforming boys.

  • Arizona school facilities, Maricopa Superior Court, school facility repairs
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    K-12 facilities need $90B to close maintenance, capital investment shortfall

    Schools should be spending 7% of their budgets on facilities, but they’re not close to that, according to the 2025 State of Our Schools report.