The Latest

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    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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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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
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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.

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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.

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    Getty Images
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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.

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    izusek via Getty Images
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    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.

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    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.

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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    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.

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    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.

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    Michael Ciaglo via Getty Images
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    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.

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    Jatuporn Tansirimas via Getty Images
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    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.

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    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.

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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    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.

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    John Moore/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    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.