The Latest

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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    DOL seeks to hike H-1B visa holder wage rates to curb ‘abuse’ of program

    While schools are unlikely to be affected by the proposed changes, AASA said it’s still concerned about the $100,000 H-1B fee imposed by President Donald Trump last year.

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    Sponsored by Hager Companies

    The key to improving teacher confidence in school safety is already in your doors

    The best way to prepare students and teachers to handle any safety situation is to ensure they have confidence in their school’s safety infrastructure.

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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    ESSER pandemic spending is over. What will its legacy be?

    Education finance experts say the effectiveness of relief funds is hard to measure — but schools would be worse off without the money.

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    This student-led mental health group has seen promising results so far

    Laguna Beach High School’s peer-to-peer mental health initiative, the Student Support Collective, is proving to boost student safety and belonging.  

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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.

    Updated 21 hours ago
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    Week In Review: School meal funds in the courts and new staffing data

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from the Education Department’s latest interagency agreement to superintendents’ average tenure.

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    The average length of current superintendents’ tenure? 5.4 years

    A growing percentage of district leaders also report declining economic conditions in their districts in a new AASA salary and benefits study.

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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr on March 25, 2026
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    Interagency agreements now number 10. Here are the details.

    Supporters say the Education Department outsourcing reduces federal bureaucracy. Critics claim it adds confusion.

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    Retrieved from Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board.
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    Oklahoma charter board faces second suit over Jewish school’s rejection

    Rejecting a religious group's bid to open a public school is unconstitutional, the organization’s lawsuit claims.

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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Maryland sees return on investment in grow-your-own programs

    High school participants in the Teacher Academy of Maryland were 45% more likely to become teachers within 10 years, researchers found.

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    DeKalb County prioritizes feedback on school closure, repurposing list

    Up to 28 schools could be closed, converted or repurposed, the Georgia district said as it seeks to balance enrollment across its buildings.

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    YorVen via Getty Images
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    Grade 3-8 students need updated literacy skills supports, report says

    The Advanced Education Research & Development Fund report offers insights into where older readers struggle and advice on how to help them.

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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 pushback against an education-related Supreme Court ruling to new data on kindergarten redshirting, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • A teacher wearing a face mask looks out into a hallway of high school students walking away while wearing their backpacks.
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    What did teacher turnover look like during the COVID-19 pandemic?

    About 1 in 7 public school teachers changed schools or left the profession between 2020-21 and 2021-22, according to the Learning Policy Institute.

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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    How educators can help students learn to navigate polarizing issues

    A report from the Or Initiative suggests educators can use digital literacy and encourage civil discourse to support student dialogue.

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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    21 states sue USDA over funding conditions they say would threaten school meal programs

    The lawsuit pushes back on new grant conditions that bar funds being used for programs that support “gender ideology” or “illegal immigration.”

  • A group of young students is sitting on the floor in a classroom with their arms stretched above their heads. They are facing an adult who is sitting on the floor but it out of the camera shot and only their leg is visiable.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    NWEA: Kindergarten redshirting brings short-term academic gains only

    The gains fall away by 3rd grade, and a delay in starting school can cost families an extra year of childcare, the firm's analysis says.

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    Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Judge scraps another school admissions policies lawsuit

    In the wake of SFFA v. Harvard, several challenges have claimed socioeconomic or experience factors are a proxy for race-based admissions.

  • New York City Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium. He is flanked by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Column // LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP

    How the new NYC schools chief plans to improve rigor and equity

    Building a solid foundation for interventions and changing perceptions around math and reading success are among challenges Kamar Samuels faces.

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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    White House urges Congress to protect children on AI platforms

    The Trump administration released a National Policy Framework for Artificial Intelligence as lawmakers consider bills to improve online safety for youth.

  • The camera shows the exterior of an off-white stone building with the working "U.S. Department of Education" on the side of the building
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    States say Education Department not following mental health grant orders

    The department is only providing grant recipients with six months of funding rather than a full year, the plaintiff states said in recent court documents.

  • Echols County Schools building in Statenville, Georgia
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    The image by Michael Rivera is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    Court doesn’t buy school district’s defense for not complying with race bias settlement

    Georgia’s Echols County School district argued “qualified immunity” meant it couldn’t be sued for refusing to implement changes.

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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Education Department moves to shift student loan, FAFSA duties to Treasury

    The U.S. Department of Treasury plans to take “operational responsibility” for defaulted loans before eventually managing the entire $1.7 trillion portfolio. 

  • A close-up view of students using tablets while sitting at their desks pushed together in a classroom.
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    Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Outcomes-based ed tech contracts and K-12 policies in court

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from governors prioritizing special education to federal support for the science of reading.

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    Heather Diehl/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Republican reps eye SCOTUS ruling on undocumented children in schools

    Plyler v. Doe, which critics say burdens school resources, guarantees undocumented immigrants a free public education under the 14th Amendment.

  • A student holds their phone while using a generative artificial intelligence app as they complete their homework.
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    Getty Images
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    More middle and high schoolers are leaning on AI for homework

    At the same time, students fear that using the technology to help with assignments will hinder their critical thinking skills, a Rand Corp. survey found.