eSchool News

We urgently need to rethink media literacy education–here’s how I did

October 9, 2026 by Deidre Habetler, Chicago Public Schools

Decision Education will be essential to help students make high-quality real-world decisions in a life shaped by constant digital input

In my classroom, I see students make rapid judgments about information they encounter online, but struggle to explain why they trust it and if it is trustworthy.

Newsline

Vivacity Launches New Learning Hub for All Your District’s Google Training.

October 8, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

Vivacity Tech PBC Greenville, SC, September 29, 2026 – – Vivacity introduced V Guide in January 2026 to provide the ... Read more

E-rate Funding

E-Rate’s quiet impact on student success

October 8, 2026 by Patrick Mitchell, Columbia County School District

For many districts, E-Rate is far more than a technology funding program--it is an investment in educational opportunities.

When people think about technology in schools, they often think about devices in students' hands. What they don't always see is the infrastructure operating behind the scenes to…

Literacy

We need a continuous K–12 literacy system

October 7, 2026 by Dr. Christina Bretz, Learning Without Tears

Early literacy investments are working, but middle and high school students need more support to round out a comprehensive K-12 approach.

The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Long-Term Trend results showed encouraging reading gains among 9-year-olds, while reading scores for 13-year-olds remained statistically unchanged.

AI in Education

“My boss probably used AI”: What school leaders need to know about AI, authenticity, and trust

October 6, 2026 by Nesreen El-Baz, ESL Educator

AI can help us communicate more effectively, yet it can also make communication feel less authentic--school leaders must navigate carefully.

AI is increasingly part of everyday leadership work, from drafting emails and reports to organizing ideas. Used thoughtfully, it can reduce administrative burden. But when AI enters more…

AI in Education

Learner agency comes first in AI-driven digital literacy

October 5, 2026 by Dr. Mark Taormino, College of Southern Nevada

Curriculum must evolve beyond AI tools and teach learner agency, judgment, verification, and critical thinking for true digital literacy.

For many schools, the path to AI literacy remains unclear. The challenge is not simply AI’s rapid evolution, but its ability to generate answers almost instantly, forcing educators…

Students with Special Needs

Denver is opening more specialized classrooms as the number of students with autism grows

October 2, 2026 by Melanie Asmar, Chalkbeat

As the number of children identified with autism rises nationwide, more students are needing special education services.

The autism center at Denver’s West High School is twice as big as a typical classroom and more than half as empty. That’s intentional: These specialized centers are…

District Management

Cheating is not the problem–it’s a solution (in a zero-sum educational system)

October 1, 2026 by Michael B. Horn, Clayton Christensen Institute

We need innovations to reinvent schooling around a positive mindset--and eliminate the breeding ground for cheating oneself out of learning.

In a TED Talk viewed over 2 million times, Efosa Ojomo of the Christensen Institute made the provocative case that corruption isn’t the problem holding poor countries back. Corruption is the solution for people in poor countries…

Edtech Trends

Parents worry about ed tech. Most still see a place for it, polls suggest.

September 30, 2026 by Lily Altavena, Chalkbeat

Moderate parents who support some screen time could be important people to consider, as big school districts start to pass limits on ed tech.

Some parents are organizing campaigns to opt their kids out of classroom tech. Others are suing education software companies. But there may be a quieter majority: Parents who…

Curriculum & Assessment

5 strategies to boost U.S. K-12 math achievement

September 29, 2026 by ESchool Media Contributors

$A new report offers a clear blueprint for U.S. policymakers as the nation tries to boost math achievement following historic low scores.$

A new report from the Center for American Progress details the underlying causes behind this decline and highlights promising solutions to improve math outcomes and outlines five specific policy-based strategies…

E-rate Funding

What E-Rate makes possible: Four lessons from our district

September 30, 2026September 28, 2026 by Dr. Chris Smallen, Lenoir City Schools & Rachel Little, United Data Technologies

Lenoir City Schools uses E-Rate to create an environment where all district students have access to the same opportunities and resources.

For nearly three decades, E-Rate has helped school districts build and sustain the network infrastructure that supports teaching, learning, safety, and the many systems educators rely on every…

Edtech Trends

Teachers weigh the realities of classroom technology in new national survey

September 25, 2026 by ESchool Media Contributors

New report finds educators want better vetting, more input, and greater classroom oversight rather than strict technology limits.

While classroom technology is nearly universal, educators are navigating a growing disconnect between how digital tools are mandated and how they actually function, according to Teaching for Tomorrow:…

Student Well-Being

An early childhood classroom: Supporting emotional well-being amid everyday challenges

September 24, 2026 by Jennifer Fernandez and Lynnette Cornett, School Specialty

Simple design choices can turn sensory overload into calm, predictable learning spaces in early childhood well-being.

Early childhood classrooms are seeing a clear shift. Young children are starting school feeling increasingly worried and overwhelmed compared to years past.

Newsline

Abre Launches “Vera,” Analytics Agent Built to Retire Static K-12 Dashboards

September 23, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

Integrated directly into Abre’s Data Intelligence Platform, Vera delivers real-time, role-aware answers to plain-language questions without compromising student privacy or ... Read more

College and Career Readiness

Inspiring curiosity for career exploration and mentoring for pathway success

September 24, 2026September 23, 2026 by Michael Collins, Ruben S. Ayala High School

Career exploration should be combined with visible connections to career pathways that align with a student’s interests and aspirations.

In my eight years as a high school CTE, Engineering and Architecture Pathway instructor, I have witnessed students and their families struggle to navigate their career trajectory. Every…

School Library Innovations

Beyond book displays: How to build lasting support for your school library

September 23, 2026September 22, 2026 by ESchool Media Contributors

When school librarians hear the word marketing, many immediately think of newsletters, social media posts, bulletin boards, or eye-catching displays. Those tools certainly have their place, but they're…

Teaching Trends

Back to school in 2026: The trends shaping K-12 education this year

September 24, 2026September 21, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

From AI and student engagement to teacher support, education trends are focused on turning innovation into meaningful impact.

As students and educators settle into the 2026-27 school year, K-12 leaders are navigating a landscape shaped by rapid technological change, persistent academic challenges, and growing pressure to…

AI in Education

The oral exam is back, and AI may be the reason

September 18, 2026 by Nesreen El-Baz, Bloomsbury Education Author & School Governor

AI is forcing educators to reconsider what actually counts as evidence that learning has taken place, and oral exams may be the answer.

In 2023, Catherine Hartmann, a professor at the University of Wyoming, gave students in a history of meditation course a deeply personal assignment: try a contemplative practice and…

District Management

Let’s work to keep our students while we still have them

September 17, 2026 by Paul DeAngelis, Concentric Educational Solutions

Keeping our students connected, supported, and on a path to graduation is the choice school leaders must make now.

According to research I recently saw , About 16% of young people ages 18 to 24 are not in employment, education, or training. Researchers call them NEETs, or…

College and Career Readiness

Quit saying “I’m not a math person”

September 16, 2026 by Dr. T.J. Vari, MaiaLearning & Thomas O’Brien, Winward Academy

$"Not a math person"--what seems like a harmless and innocent thing to say could be creating significant damage over time.$

It’s quite rare to hear someone say, “I can’t read” or “I’m illiterate so I don’t read.” On the other hand, lots of people claim that they’re “not…

District Management

5 questions to help every district leader make better decisions

September 15, 2026 by Steven L. Miller, Ph.D., K-12 Research Consultant

Here's what a 33,000-student science meta-analysis teaches district leaders about better decision-making for district students.

As budgets remain tight and expectations for measurable student growth increase, every instructional decision carries greater weight. Choosing one initiative often means delaying another, making it even more…

K-12 Cybersecurity

Why K-12 cybersecurity education needs practice, not just awareness

September 14, 2026 by Paul Cuffe, GetIntoCyberJobs.com

K-12 cybersecurity education can do is help students build habits that remain useful as technology changes.

Students are already making cybersecurity decisions every day. Giving them a list of rules is not the same as teaching them how to recognize a threat.

Universal Design for Learning

The compliance trap waiting on the other side of Title II

September 11, 2026 by Luis Pérez, CAST

A Web Content Accessibility Guidelines audit tells you if a tool passes a test--it won't tell you if students can actually use it.

Every few years, something shifts how schools think about accessibility. A law changes, a new technology arrives, or a group of advocates succeeds in bringing attention to the…

Building & Campus Security

The everyday access control gaps schools overlook

September 10, 2026 by Mike Garcia, HID Global and Mercury Security

Modern access control connects people, policies, technologies, and emergency procedures into a coordinated safety program.

School leaders have invested heavily in campus security over the past decade. Cameras, visitor management systems, emergency communication platforms, and access control upgrades have become standard parts of…

AI in Education

AACTE releases national framework on AI in educator preparation

September 9, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

The widespread adoption of AI is changing educator preparation what educators need to know and what they need to be able to do.

A new national framework from AACTE (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education) aims to help educator preparation programs (EPPs) navigate the rapidly changing role of artificial intelligence…

Classroom Management

When practice becomes data: Helping teachers respond to student misconceptions

September 8, 2026September 8, 2026 by Henry Yang, EduNinja

A student can complete 20 questions and still leave a teacher with very little useful information. A score may show that something went wrong, but it does not…

Literacy

Why reading interventions plateau—and why New York’s new dyslexia center won’t change that

September 8, 2026September 7, 2026 by Russell Van Brocklen, Dyslexia Researcher

New York is investing in earlier dyslexia identification, but identifying struggling readers is only the first step in reading interventions.

I’ve sat across from more than one district administrator staring at a dashboard full of reading intervention minutes and a flat progress line. The pattern is familiar: a…

AI in Education

Career readiness in the AI era needs decision practice, not just tool access

September 4, 2026 by Gleb Tsipursky, PhD, Disaster Avoidance Experts

When it comes to career readiness, the best prep for an AI-shaped labor market is more practice making decisions when AI is in the room.

Schools are racing to teach students how to use AI. That is necessary, but it is not enough. The workplace advantage will increasingly belong to people who can…

AI in Education

Building an everyday equitable practice for AI in schools

September 3, 2026 by Chelsie Thielen, Winona State University

Ai in schools must move beyond superficial bans and passive policies to everyday practice grounded in scrutiny, judgment, and equity.

AI technology is advancing rapidly in schools, but research is increasingly showing that Large Language Models (LLMs) lack the common sense, morality, and knowledge of individual classroom dynamics…

Curriculum & Assessment

A new approach to middle school math data boosted our state test scores

September 2, 2026 by Kaitlin Fields, Metropolitan School District of Washington Township

$Having more clarity about what middle school math content is being taught—and why—has led to increased rigor in classrooms.$

Picture a group of middle school math teachers meeting to mull over a specific problem. Their eighth graders keep missing the same assessment question about graphing a system…

Teacher Professional Development

We stopped waiting for the teacher pipeline–we built our own

September 1, 2026 by Bonnie Toffoli & Kimberly Wood, Orange County Public Schools

How one district created a cradle-to-career teacher pipeline and development ecosystem, and what other districts can take from it.

Every hiring season, school districts ask the same question: Where are the teachers? We stopped asking and started building.

District Management

A blanket screen-time ban won’t fix what’s broken in edtech

August 31, 2026 by Todd Wirt, Discovery Education & Former Public School Superintendent

A ban on edtech and screen time won't work if we want to prepare students for the future and help them build digital fluency and AI literacy.

Many parents, policymakers, and educators are worried about screens in schools. They’ve observed the positive effects of cell phone bans and are wondering how edtech might contribute to…

Teaching Trends

Answering the question behind the question

August 31, 2026August 28, 2026 by Steven M. Baule, Ed.D., Ph.D.

Routine student questions can become an opportunity for better communication, stronger course design, and deeper learning.

Librarians and instructional designers have long understood that the first question someone asks is not always the question they need answered. In a library reference interview, a patron’s…

Curriculum & Assessment

Students won’t remember every lesson, but here’s what’ll stick

August 27, 2026 by Ryan Sprott, PBLWorks

How project-based learning, or PBL, builds the curiosity, empathy, and practical skills that last well beyond a student's time in school.

For a lot of students, school can feel like a transaction: You do the work, you get the check mark, and then you move on. That model can…

District Management

Building inclusive school communities through integrated digital strategy

August 26, 2026 by Alex Tarin, Finalsite

Administrators and technologists must look at digital strategy as a key bridge to equity and inclusive school communities.

Clear, timely communication is the bedrock of the relationship between a school and its families. It is the invisible thread connecting a student’s classroom progress to the support…

AI in Education

Beyond spotting deepfakes: Teaching multilingual learners to interrogate AI

August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by Nesreen El-Baz, ESL Educator

Helping multilingual students spot deepfakes in the age of AI will help them better assess authenticity of online content.

Long before computers entered our homes and classrooms, photographs helped shape what people believed. Images carried a particular kind of authority: We did not simply look at them;…

District Management

Financial education must not sacrifice student privacy

August 24, 2026 by Vince Shorb, National Financial Educators Council

Students need practical experience with financial education, but no classroom exercise should put their personal information at risk.

Financial education is gaining real momentum across the United States. More states are adopting mandates, more schools are adding graduation requirements, and more policymakers are acknowledging that students…

District Management

Attendance is the scoreboard–connection is the game

August 24, 2026August 21, 2026 by Luvelle Brown, Ithaca City School District & Concentric Educational Solutions

Don't wait for the school district to solve student disconnection and attendance challenges on its own--it won't, because it can't.

If I had been asked a few years ago, I would have told you that chronic absenteeism was a school system's problem to fix. With better data systems,…

Literacy

What it really takes to accelerate adolescent literacy across our district

August 20, 2026August 20, 2026 by Dr. Michelle Picard, Loudoun County Public Schools & Dr. Octavia Gray-Essex, Lexia

Gaps in foundational skills, from decoding and spelling to fluency, undermined the district’s adolescent literacy efforts.

When people hear about the literacy gains we’ve seen in our middle schools, they often ask a simple question: What program did you use?

College and Career Readiness

Uncovering the college and career readiness shifts that exceptional school systems are making

August 19, 2026 by Dr. T.J. Vari, MaiaLearning & Thomas O’Brien, Winward Academy

Instilling college and career readiness in students is the cumulative result of thousands of intentional moments across 13 years of schooling

If you ask most educators where college and career readiness (CCR) begins, many will point to high school. That's when many students start thinking seriously about graduation requirements,…

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