The Latest

  • 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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    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 photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    POP QUIZ

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

    From school meal beverages to U.S. Department of Education investigations, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • A teacher guides three young students using tablets in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.
    Image attribution tooltip
    StockPlanets via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.

  • Kimberly Richey looks into the distance
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    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.

  • Four high school students and a teacher are sitting and standing around a desk in a classroom. One student siting at the desk is using a laptop and mouse and others are looking at the screen
    Image attribution tooltip
    izusek via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Positive school climate tied to better student attendance

    Chicago middle and high schoolers with fewer absences had higher test scores, the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research finds.

  • A teenage girl stands in front of her middle school class to present information.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How ‘open mic’ activities can improve writing, social skills

    Involving students in planning and fostering a supportive environment can encourage even the most reticent to participate, one expert says.

  • The exterior of the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Supreme Court to hear arguments in transgender student athlete cases

    Justices on Tuesday will weigh whether Title IX protects transgender athletes or bans them from participating on teams aligning with their gender identity.

  • Seven different icons for different artificial intelligence apps display side by side on a phone screen.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Character.AI, Google agree to mediate settlements in wrongful teen death lawsuits

    The lawsuits “are tragic reminders” that AI chatbots aren’t safe for minors seeking emotional support, says a media safety expert.

  • A police officer with a long gun is seen in the distance near the exterior of a red brick school building. In the foreground is an athletic scoreboard that says the school name.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    School shootings dropped in 2025. Here’s what to know for 2026.

    With school shootings reaching their lowest count in five years at 233, a school safety expert urges realistic prevention practices in the new year.

  • A student sits on the stairs inside alone. The student has one hand to their forehead and the other hand is holding a cellphone.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Jatuporn Tansirimas via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Increasing rates of student loneliness present challenge for schools

    One researcher suggests stronger support for social-emotional learning is needed to address the issue for all students.

  • Close up shiny wooden law gavel in dark brown color on top of a wooden table in an office.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Week In Review: From Head Start to Texas teachers, K-12 hits the courtroom

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, including ESEA waivers and key trends to watch in 2026.

  • A yellow school bus is seen from the side with an open door and a handful of children walking up the steps into the bus.
    Image attribution tooltip
    FatCamera via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    BY THE NUMBERS

    Education Department data shows slight dip in public school enrollment

    While the numbers of public school students and schools are marginally down, the number of public charter school students is on the rise.

  • A Head Start teacher high-fives a student in a group of three students
    Image attribution tooltip
    John Moore/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Federal judge halts layoffs, anti-DEI measures at Head Start

    Mass cuts and prohibitions on diversity, equity and inclusion put the program in an “impossible situation,” District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez wrote.

  • Several students are sitting at desks in a classroom. A teacher who is standing is leaning down to help a student on a laptop.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    6 trends to watch for K-12 in 2026

    Enrollment concerns, growing school choice competition, data privacy and new federal policy priorities are among a slew of challenges facing public schools.

  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

    Image attribution tooltip
    POP QUIZ

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

    From the release of updated dietary guidelines to another potential K-12 case headed to the U.S. Supreme Court, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • A group of people in front of a building
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    DOL clarifies FMLA’s stance on travel time, school closure in opinion letters

    While the law protects time spent traveling to appointments, it doesn’t encompass stops for unrelated activities, the labor department noted.

  • Two adults are standing in a classroom. A student is seated at a desk looking up at one adult.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on January 07, 2026
    Image attribution tooltip

    Iowa first state awarded ESEA waiver under Trump administration

    While some say the waiver will reduce federal red tape, others are concerned about lowered standards and less accountability.

  • Elizabeth Mirabelli and Lori Ann West
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Thomas More Society on January 06, 2026
    Image attribution tooltip

    Should schools reveal students’ LGBTQ+ identity to parents? Teachers to ask the Supreme Court to decide

    A legal battle in California could determine whether parental notification of student pronoun and name changes is constitutional.

  • Charlie Kirk stands behind a microphone with his hand raised in gesture
    Image attribution tooltip
    Rebecca Noble/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Texas Education Agency sued over probes into teachers’ Charlie Kirk posts

    Commissioner Mike Morath urged superintendents in September to report teachers who were critical of Kirk on social media, Texas AFT said.

  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stands at a podium that has "The White House" written on it.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New dietary guidelines: More protein, fewer ultra-processed foods

    School meals must eventually align with federal nutrition standards informed by the Trump administration's 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

  • Five students are sitting close together at a table. They have pens and markers in their hands and they are writing on a sheet of paper on the desk.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to reacclimate students after winter break

    Taking time to reestablish routines — and perhaps forge new ones — can help educators engage learners as school resumes.