The Latest

  • 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 mental health screenings at schools to the Education Department’s latest plans for special education, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • One person is standing and looking to the right. Two other people are in the background and sitting at a table.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How can colleges help solve the special educator shortage?

    Speakers at this week’s OSEP conference highlighted an Illinois teacher apprenticeship program and technical assistance for minority serving institutions.

  • Houston Independent School District Superintendent Mike Miles kneels next to a student in a classroom
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Houston Independent School District.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Houston ISD reports zero failing schools 2 years after takeover

    The improvements follow wholesale reforms in Texas' largest school district, though its state takeover will remain in place at least two more years.

  • Futuristic central processor unit on the abstract motherboard with blue lights and rays as symbol of data transfers.
    Image attribution tooltip
    sankai via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How a summer camp exposes both students and teachers to quantum physics

    The Quantum For All pilot combines professional learning and direct practice to close knowledge gaps and expand STEM opportunities.

  • A stack of books sits on a table in the foreground. In the background are rows of shelves of books in a room
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kenishirotie via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Top 10 books for English language arts remain largely unchanged over 35 years

    Some 90% of teachers somewhat or strongly agreed that diverse literature should be required for all students, according to a NCTE survey.

  • Two people are on a stage. One person is standing and has a microphone. The other is sitting.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Education Department eyes special education in school choice expansion

    Increasing choice models will better help meet student and family needs, Diana Diaz-Harrison said at the OSEP conference.

  • A gavel lays flat on top of an open Bible with the scales of justice displayed in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Thai Noipho via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Arkansas Ten Commandments law blocked in some schools by district court

    The preliminary injunction halting a mandate to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom said the requirement is “plainly unconstitutional.”

  • A closeup view of a counselor's hands holding a clipboard while listening to a student who is holding a backpack in their lap.
    Image attribution tooltip
    SeventyFour via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Illinois 1st state to require universal mental health screenings at schools

    Under SB 1560, Illinois school districts will receive free resources to implement the new initiative for students in grades 3-12.

  • Teenage students are walking up and down a staircase in a school hallway.
    Image attribution tooltip
    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    The post-COVID private school enrollment boom is slowing

    Some 40% of private schools report increased enrollment between the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, a Cato Institute survey found.

  • The facade of a large white building framed by trees is seen. People are gathered in front of the building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    Did SCOTUS make it easier to sue schools for disability discrimination?

    Special education legal experts say they don't expect a significant uptick in lawsuits in the long term from the Supreme Court’s A.J.T. v. Osseo ruling.

  • People are sitting at table and in rows of chairs in a large conference rooms
    Image attribution tooltip

    Screenshot: U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee

    Image attribution tooltip

    Senate committee rejects K-12 grant consolidations in FY 26 bill

    The bill, which now advances to the House and full Senate, recommends funding the Education Department at $79 billion.

    Updated Aug. 1, 2025
  • Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Natural Language Processing Data
    Image attribution tooltip
    Just_Super via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Week In Review: AI, federal funding and ESEA waivers

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from guidance on “unlawful” DEI to how district leaders are navigating school closures.

  • Front view of a teacher and a handful of students sitting on a brick wall outside a school building. They are all holding books.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    These 6 guidelines can improve equity in literacy, report says

    Empowering educators and partnering with parents are just two recommendations from EdTrust for expanding equitable reading opportunities.

  • U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Justice Department targets ‘unlawful’ DEI in hiring, training

    Districts could face legal liability for targeted recruitment or training on issues like "toxic masculinity," the DOJ guidance says.

  • A row of six teenagers are sitting on a outdoor bench. Most are looking down at cellphones in their hands.
    Image attribution tooltip
    LeoPatrizi via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Opinion

    Want a better society? Teach kids how to be exemplary citizens

    Students must be equipped to focus on making the world a better place, not just on their own self-interests, writes a Virginia independent school leader.

  • An illustration of a student looking into an empty outline of a teacher in a classroom.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

    Image attribution tooltip
    STAFFED UP

    What can be learned from Texas’ surge in uncertified teachers?

    The state is set to phase out uncertified teachers by 2029-30 after having one of the highest rates of underqualified educators in the nation.

  • The facade of the Indiana Department of Education
    Image attribution tooltip
    The image by Another Believer is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    Education Department tells states to seek waivers from ESEA

    Some states have already requested flexibility through block grants, giving a glimpse into what more state autonomy might entail.

  • 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 Trump administration’s release of frozen K-12 funds to the Education Department’s AI priorities, what did you learn from our recent stories?

  • The library in The Buckley School NYC's Walsh Building with students learning.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from The Buckley School, NYC on July 30, 2025
    Image attribution tooltip
    Q&A

    The accidental facility manager: Robert Alemany

    With a background in teaching and business, the private school facilities manager relies on people skills to meet his challenges.

    Updated July 31, 2025
  • Three high school students walk down a school hallway with locker on the left side wall.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daniel de la Hoz via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    How to bring joy into middle and high school classrooms

    Creating a sense of community and embracing opportunities for play can bolster students’ desire to learn.

  • Three young children read the same book side by side while laying on the ground.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Stock Photo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    New York teachers want more preparation for science of reading

    As the state rolls out a literacy strategy grounded in the approach, a survey shows high interest among educators in expanding their skills.

  • A person stands next to someone while pointing to one of the many black-and-white photos displayed on a wall.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Ben Coy/Horry County Schools Communications Department
    Image attribution tooltip

    Closing a school is never easy. Here’s how to communicate it with care.

    In one South Carolina district, replacing a building came with the added challenge of preserving a segregation-era school’s history.

  • A high school teacher stands to the right of a screen while presenting on a student public relations program.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Merod/K-12 Dive/K-12 Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    This Indiana high school is relying on students to tell its story

    In Hamilton Southeastern High School’s media program, students are learning the art of crafting a compelling message.

  • A student sitting at a desk in a classroom as their hands over their face.
    Image attribution tooltip
    FangXiaNuo via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    HHS: Fewer adolescents report depression, suicidal thoughts

    The percentage of adolescents who had a major depressive episode dropped from 20.8% in 2021 to 15.4% in 2024, an annual survey finds.

  • A clear glass jar sits on a pile of books. Inside the jar are bills and coins. A label on the jar says "Education"
    Image attribution tooltip
    pong-photo9 via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip
    Deep Dive

    What will ‘big, beautiful’ school choice mean for public schools?

    A new federal private school choice program is adding to existing pressure from state-led programs amid shrinking enrollment and funding.