The Latest

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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.

    Updated July 14, 2026
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    Shutterstock / Robert Kneschke

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    Sponsored by Smart Care

    Preventative maintenance: The key to keeping K-12 cafeterias safe, efficient and ready to serve

    Why preventative maintenance is critical for safe, reliable K-12 cafeteria operations.

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    pixdeluxe via Getty Images
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    How educators approach questions is key for student engagement

    Teachers should plan the tone and sequence of queries carefully while being prepared to adjust when called for, pedagogy experts say.

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    Getty Images
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    Mental health grant cancellations at issue in new lawsuit from 15 states

    The attorneys general say the department plans to terminate the grants despite a prior injunction protecting them.

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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    Education Department takes steps to halt schools from ‘passing the trash’

    New guidance builds on uneven efforts across several administrations to prevent alleged sexual predators from jumping from one school to another.

  • Individuals walk past the U.S. Department of Justice building.
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    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
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    Settlement reached in race-conscious admissions case at magnet school

    The agreement between the U.S. Justice Department and a New Jersey school is a major K-12 development following on the Supreme Court's college ruling.

  • Rep. Tim Walberg sits in front of a microphone while speaking.
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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    10 bills introduced to codify outsourcing of federal education programs

    Supporters say the Republican-led proposals would help “right-size” the Education Department, while opponents predict inefficiencies.

  • A teacher writes in a notebook while sitting at a desk in front of an empty classroom.
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    Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Chronic absenteeism continues to vex school systems

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from students with disabilities in general classrooms to state AI laws.

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    Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    For chronic absenteeism, pandemic recovery is possible but still uncommon

    Just 13% of districts studied by a Johns Hopkins center were able to rebound to pre-pandemic levels by the 2024-25 school year.

  • Three adults sit on chairs on a stage. They are talking. A purple screen is behind them.
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    Permission granted by Patrick Siren/WhyNotMedia
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    Governors call on states to support locally driven K-12 solutions

    Collaborations between states and districts can help improve student outcomes, the governors of Maryland and Wyoming say.

  • Donald Trump speaks while signing an executive order at his desk.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Education Department targets Equity Assistance Centers again

    A proposed rule would rescind regulations for the program, which the agency says would allow it to “explore other means” of delivering those services.

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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 young students’ reading progress to new state laws mandating district policies, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • A student interacts with an AI chatbot on a cellphone while studying with a calculator, notebook, and digital tablet on a desk.
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    Getty Images
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    4 more states require districts to adopt AI policies

    At least one state has gone as far as to prohibit artificial intelligence’s use for grading, discipline or other high-stakes decisions.

  • Students seated in individual desks in a classroom are facing a teacher in the front of the room. Students have their arms raised.
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    pixdeluxe via Getty Images
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    Education Department eyes changes for measuring racial disparities in special education

    The agency plans to amend the Equity in IDEA rule, worrying some advocates concerned about racial inequities in special education.

  • A view of a person's hand assembling multiple rows portioning meals to be served out on individual serving trays.
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    Getty Images
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    Access to free school meals under threat, think tank warns

    The Center for American Progress warns that legislative cuts to safety net programs could prevent Community Eligibility Provision participation.

  • A waving student leans out of a school bus
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    Retrieved from Montgomery County Public Schools.
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    Another K-12 admissions policy lawsuit appealed to the Supreme Court

    If accepted, a ruling could impact other cases challenging diversity efforts in major urban school systems, such as those in New York, Boston and Philadelphia.

  • This is a painting of George Washington and his men crossing the Delaware River during the Revolutionary War, created by Emanuel Leutze in 1851.
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    Retrieved from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
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    Connecting the dots between visual art and literacy skills

    Having students interpret visual art can strengthen analytical and interpretive skills for reading, veteran English educator Carol Jago says.

  • Dollar bills and finance and banking on digital stock
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    Getty Images
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    How can schools improve financial literacy?

    An American Bankers Association executive said more public-private partnerships and hands-on experiences are crucial.

  • https://www.aclu.org/news/lgbtq-rights/live-coverage-west-virginia-v-b-p-j-scotus-arguments
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    Retrieved from American Civil Liberties Union on July 06, 2026
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    Supreme Court’s transgender athletics decision: What districts need to know

    Whether Title IX permits transgender students to play on sports teams aligning with their gender identity is among the gray areas that may be settled by future cases.

  • Two young students are on the floor in a classroom reading a book.
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    Reading progress has stalled for youngest learners, DIBELS tests show

    This is the first time since the 2020–21 school year that early reading readiness has failed to improve year over year, according to test-provider Amplify.

  • The outside of the U.S. Department of Education building is shown with the wording "U.S. Department of Education"
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    Douglas Rissing via Getty Images
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    Inside the Education Department’s interagency agreements

    The most recent moves outsource various special education and civil rights activities to the departments of Health and Human Services and Justice.

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    Getty Images
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    STUDY HALL

    Here’s what you need to know about key topics shaping K-12

    We’ve gathered past installments of our explainer series in one place to help you stay on top of the must-know information on key topics.

  • Students are sitting at individual desks in a classroom looking toward the front of the classroom
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    StockPlanets via Getty Images
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    More students with disabilities learning in general education classrooms

    A GAO report finds 42 states and the District of Columbia increased the share of students with disabilities in general education classes.

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    Fintan Trimble via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: A landmark Supreme Court ruling and a major testing company acquisition

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from “misconceptions” at the Education Department to Texas’ curriculum change.

  • A photograph fom an altitude of about 500 feet shows an aerial view of bridges, downtown St. Louis and the Gateway Arch.
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    Getty Images
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    St. Louis Public Schools could close up to a third of its schools

    The preliminary proposal comes as the Missouri school district has seen enrollment decline sharply by 58.5% in a 34-year period.

  • A student types on a computer while using a generative AI chat.
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    Getty Images
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    Where chatbots fit in the curriculum conversation

    Use of the AI-powered tools to boost students’ writing and studying skills comes with advantages and disadvantages.