Trump immigration policies fueled absenteeism uptick, research says

Even a federal law enforcement vehicle parked a block and a half away were enough to impact attendance, an Annenberg researcher said.

By Naaz Modan • June 25, 2026

Half of Americans favor Ten Commandment displays. More support school employees leading prayer

About 60% of Americans support some form of teacher-led school prayer, but most say student participation should be optional, Pew Research found.

By Naaz Modan • June 25, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

By K-12 Dive staff

Some Education Department cuts ‘appear’ to impact legal duties, OIG says

The independent office says a 40% staff reduction in early 2025 affected the Education Department's legal duties. The agency says it remains compliant.

By Kara Arundel • June 23, 2026

Miami-Dade County Public Schools approves closure, consolidation of 9 schools

The district’s school board unanimously approved the plan without a roll call vote. The board also voted to eliminate 168 district positions.

By Anna Merod • June 23, 2026

More than half of states miss targets for improving special education

States labeled as needing intervention or assistance for multiple years could face enforcement actions such as being termed a high-risk grantee.

By Kara Arundel • June 23, 2026

EEOC opens antisemitism probe into NEA, Brandeis Center says

The center's complaint alleges the teachers union didn’t specify Jews as the primary victims of the Holocaust, among other things. NEA has said it "does not tolerate antisemitism in any form."

By Naaz Modan • June 22, 2026

Week In Review: New Ed Dept interagency agreements and a district’s library overhaul

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a rejected Supreme Court case to teacher workforce updates.

By Roger Riddell • June 22, 2026

Takeaways from the Ed Dept-HHS special ed agreement

Critics worry it will lead to a medical approach, while supporters say the collaboration will improve outcomes.

By Kara Arundel • June 18, 2026

AI in schools: 3 ways Congress can help

In a Senate subcommittee hearing, experts shared why federal investments in teacher training and research are needed for successful implementation.

By Anna Merod • June 18, 2026

What will the Justice Department-OCR agreement mean for schools?

Concerns include the agency’s capacity to handle the volume of civil rights complaints and the impact on schools' relationship with federal oversight.

By Naaz Modan • June 18, 2026

AI tutor access alone doesn’t equate to student gains, study says

In two districts analyzed by Stanford University, students’ average weekly use of one such tutor was 2.18 minutes and 5.23 minutes, respectively.

By Anna Merod • June 18, 2026

The Education Dept now has 14 interagency agreements. Here are the changes.

The department says the partnerships with six other federal agencies reduce federal bureaucracy. Critics claim they add confusion.

By Kara Arundel • June 17, 2026

Illinois passes law defining play-based learning

The state is among a handful to officially adopt such a definition, delineating both guided play and student-initiated play for young learners.

By Ed Finkel • June 17, 2026

Indiana becomes 3rd state to gain ESEA waiver

The U.S. Education Department says the move will cut red tape and spur innovation, but critics worry it will hurt transparency and equity.

By Naaz Modan • June 16, 2026

Despite fewer exit plans, teacher stress, burnout still high

Though teacher turnover appears to be on the decline, Rand Corp. finds wage gaps and stress rates remain issues for the profession.

By Anna Merod • June 16, 2026

DOJ deems EEOC’s disparate impact discrimination guidelines unconstitutional

The push against disparate impact liability has been a focus of the Trump administration, including by the Education Department.

By Ginger Christ • June 16, 2026

Supreme Court rejects second student speech case in a week

In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito urged the court to consider taking up a future case to clarify the limits of school speech.

By Naaz Modan • June 15, 2026

Week In Review: Proposed Ed Department cuts and school nurse burnout

We’re rounding up last week’s news, from more federal scrutiny of districts’ LGBTQ+ policies to mixed signals on students’ academic gains.

By Anna Merod • June 15, 2026

Trump administration appeals ruling against $100K H-1B visa fee

The fee has caused concern among higher education experts that it would hamper colleges’ ability to recruit foreign scholars and instructors. 

By Natalie Schwartz • June 12, 2026

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

From proposed Education Department budget cuts to new reading data from the Nation’s Report Card, what did you learn from our recent stories?

By Anna Merod • June 12, 2026

NYC schools face public pressure to pause AI use for 2 years

Student data privacy was cited as a key concern in a letter to the city’s mayor and school chancellor from 29 members of city council.

By Anna Merod • Updated June 12, 2026

4 California districts face DOJ reviews over LGTBQ+ policies

San Francisco Unified School District is among systems under scrutiny for parental notification and transgender inclusion policies.

By Naaz Modan • June 11, 2026

OCR launches DEI probe into Denver-area school district

The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights cites teacher training and a parent committee as examples of alleged "rampant racially-discriminatory programming."

By Naaz Modan • June 11, 2026

Federal agencies propose mandatory E-Verify participation for grant recipients

The rule would provide an “additional safeguard” to existing employment eligibility requirements, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

By Ryan Golden • June 10, 2026

DC Public Schools leads nation in academic recovery. Here’s why.

A focus on strategic planning and programming drove impressive gains in the nation’s capital, writes outgoing chancellor Lewis Ferebee.

By Lewis Ferebee • June 10, 2026