The Latest

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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    What will the Justice Department-OCR agreement mean for schools?

    Concerns include the agency’s capacity to handle the volume of civil rights complaints and the impact on schools' relationship with federal oversight.

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    iStock / Cavan Images

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    Sponsored by Schneider Electric

    Solar PPAs for school districts: Lessons from New Jersey

    What districts should know now about solar PPA savings, performance and planning in 2026.

  • A student holds a phone while using an AI chatbot to do their homework.
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    Getty Images
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    AI tutor access alone doesn’t equate to student gains, study says

    In two districts analyzed by Stanford University, students’ average weekly use of one such tutor was 2.18 minutes and 5.23 minutes, respectively.

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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    The Education Dept now has 14 interagency agreements. Here are the changes.

    The department says the partnerships with six other federal agencies reduce federal bureaucracy. Critics claim they add confusion.

  • An adult stands at the front of a classroom holding a book. Several students sitting in desks facing the adult are pictured with their backs to the camera.
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on June 16, 2026
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    Education Department transfers key special ed, civil rights functions

    The departments of Health and Human Services and Justice will receive core special education and civil rights responsibilities under the agreements.

    Updated June 16, 2026
  • Two people are seated on a stage. One person's back is to the camera and one person is facing toward the camera. A backdrop and screen say "RISE"
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    Permission granted by Connor McLaren/Ronald Reagan Institute
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    Indiana becomes 3rd state to gain ESEA waiver

    The U.S. Education Department says the move will cut red tape and spur innovation, but critics worry it will hurt transparency and equity.

  • An adult is sitting at a desk in a classroom with four students. The adult is holding up four fingers.
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Despite fewer exit plans, teacher stress, burnout still high

    Though teacher turnover appears to be on the decline, Rand Corp. finds wage gaps and stress rates remain issues for the profession.

  • A teenage boy looks into a microscope in a biology class.
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    Getty Images
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    What one summer STEM program is doing to expand high schoolers’ horizons

    Summer Science Program International engages diverse cohorts of juniors in a variety of disciplines on 13 college campuses across North America.

  • The Illinois State Capitol building.
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    Getty Images
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    Illinois passes law defining play-based learning

    The state is among a handful to officially adopt such a definition, delineating both guided play and student-initiated play for young learners.

  • A person in a suit stands in a government building with historic artwork and statutes in the background
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court rejects second student speech case in a week

    In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito urged the court to consider taking up a future case to clarify the limits of school speech.

  • Small children are playing with wooden blocks with colorful see-through windows. An adult hand is seen in the photo
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    Lourdes Balduque via Getty Images
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    Should Head Start require pre-K teacher pay parity?

    Many commenters on a proposed rule said more federal funding is needed in addition to Head Start workforce wage and benefits standards. 

  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exterior
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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    DOJ deems EEOC’s disparate impact discrimination guidelines unconstitutional

    The push against disparate impact liability has been a focus of the Trump administration, including by the Education Department.

  • Two students are in a school library near bookselves and are passing a book over the bookshelf
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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    How a Maryland district renovated 48 school libraries in 1 year

    Prince George’s County Public Schools worked with partners that provided new furniture, lighting, books and tech devices.

  • A teacher is standing in a classroom while several students and another teacher are seated at tables with papers on the tables.
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    SolStock via Getty Images
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    3 states sue over cancelled special education teacher training grants

    California, Rhode Island and Wisconsin say the cuts are harmful. The Education Department says it remains committed to students with disabilities.

  • A large group of people stands holding signs that read, "We love our immigrant families and stay out of our schools, ICE."
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    Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio/AP

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    Tracker

    ICE activity on K-12 school grounds

    The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said immigration enforcement actions at schools should be "extremely rare." Here's where they’re happening.

    Updated June 12, 2026
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Proposed Ed Department cuts and school nurse burnout

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from more federal scrutiny of districts’ LGBTQ+ policies to mixed signals on students’ academic gains.

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    Getty Images
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    Trump administration appeals ruling against $100K H-1B visa fee

    The fee has caused concern among higher education experts that it would hamper colleges’ ability to recruit foreign scholars and instructors. 

  • A person stands at a podium outside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. Other people are standing beside the person. A sign on the podium says "Keep Public Funds in Public Schools Act"
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    Retrieved from Screenshot: Rep. Gwen Moore/YouTube.
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    Treasury previews guidance for first federal school choice program

    As the formal rulemaking process moves forward, the scholarship tax credit program that launches in 2027 continues to draw both opposition and support.

  • Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium as Zohran Mamdani listens behind him.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    NYC schools face public pressure to pause AI use for 2 years

    Student data privacy was cited as a key concern in a letter to the city’s mayor and school chancellor from 29 members of city council.

    Updated June 12, 2026
  • A room full of people are sitting at tables and looking at papers and computers on the tables.
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    Retrieved from House Appropriations Committee on June 10, 2026
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    Ed Dept would see 10% budget cut under House committee plan

    The FY27 spending bill undercuts the Trump administration's proposed budget, but rejects efforts to consolidate certain grant programs.

    Updated June 15, 2026
  • A person wearing a suit speaks into a microphone on a podium
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    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    4 California districts face DOJ reviews over LGTBQ+ policies

    San Francisco Unified School District is among systems under scrutiny for parental notification and transgender inclusion policies.

  • Four people sit at a table with microphones. Behind them are people seated in rows
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    Retrieved from House Education and Workforce Committee Democrats on June 10, 2026
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    School culture wars come to Capitol Hill

    Lawmakers questioned district leaders from Chicago, San Francisco and Virginia's Loudoun County about student pronouns, gender transition and other policies.

  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
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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 proposed Education Department budget cuts to new reading data from the Nation’s Report Card, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • 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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    OCR launches DEI probe into Denver-area school district

    The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights cites teacher training and a parent committee as examples of alleged "rampant racially-discriminatory programming."

  • A close-up of a hand with a pencil filling in test answer sheet bubbles.
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    Getty Images
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    9-year-olds show some growth as 13-year-olds stagnate in NAEP long-term trends

    Both age groups report reading for fun less frequently compared to past decades, according to new data from the Nation’s Report Card.

  • A close-up of an elementary student writing with a pen in a workbook on a desk while studying in a classroom.
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    Getty Images
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    How 2 schools are dialing back screen time

    Some educators see literacy, fine motor and mental health benefits by emphasizing hands-on activities in the classroom.