Dr. Adam Larsen, Peoria Unified School District, Author at eSchool News

Lead with purpose: 3 ways courageous K-12 leadership builds real impact

July 15, 2026 by Dr. Adam Larsen, Peoria Unified School District

Here are practical strategies for K-12 leadership staff to inspire teams, simplify systems, and elevate impact.

As the Director of Maintenance and Operations for 42 campuses across our district, my work is never small. From managing facilities and construction to navigating procurement and public…

AI in Education

The best time to be a teacher: Leading with AI and technology in the age of personalized learning

July 14, 2026 by Dr. Harold Jeffcoat, AASA, The School Superintendents Association

Teachers shouldn't fear that AI and advancements in technology will diminish their expertise--instead, they amplify it.

In an era defined by rapid technological advancement and an unprecedented explosion of information, public education stands at a pivotal and exciting crossroads.

Student Well-Being

Rethinking MTSS: How schools can turn student data into meaningful support

July 10, 2026July 10, 2026 by Erin Hornbeck, RethinkEd

The future of MTSS lies in helping educators turn information into meaningful, timely support that improves outcomes for every student.

Schools today are navigating an unprecedented convergence of academic gaps, behavioral challenges, chronic absenteeism and rising student mental health needs.

Student Well-Being

Schools need SEL assessments to fight chronic absenteeism

July 9, 2026July 9, 2026 by Jennifer Robitaille, Riverside Insights

Districts need evidence-based SEL frameworks and tools to find and quell chronic absenteeism in the earliest stage possible.

Our schools face a paradoxical challenge: chronic absenteeism, which is being treated as an attendance problem, actually isn’t.

Teacher Well-Being

5 ways to rest, reflect, and recharge this summer

July 8, 2026 by Jamie MacPherson, Van Andel Institute for Education

Summer offers educators a chance to focus on self-care, reflect on their teaching successes, and gear up for another academic year.

Summer break has finally arrived, and if you're like most educators, you're probably feeling a lot of conflicting emotions. There's relief that the school year is behind you,…

District Management

Most districts still struggle to fill specialist roles

July 7, 2026July 7, 2026 by ESchool Media Contributors

Specialist roles like special education, psychology, and nursing roles remain among the hardest to fill in the majority of school districts.

As school districts prepare for the 2026–27 academic year, new national data from BlazerWorks reveals a growing staffing crisis across K–12 education, with more than 90% of district leaders reporting increased…

College and Career Readiness

Rethinking employability skills in K–12 education

July 6, 2026 by Vernier Science Education

Employability skills require intentional, consistent development across all content areas and all grade levels.

What does it actually mean to prepare students for the future? What skills do they need to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce?

District Management

Data-driven decision-making is the key to unlocking K-12 district success

July 3, 2026 by Jennifer Duvall, Red Rover

Data-driven decision-making helps districts create a more stable and motivated educational environment that benefits both staff and students.

Today’s K-12 school districts have numerous responsibilities, from managing staff resources, to ensuring student safety, to fostering a learning environment where all students flourish.

District Management

Science achievement is not a one-year event

July 2, 2026 by Mindy Pearson, M.Ed., Penda Learning

Educational systems often encourage leaders to focus on immediate science achievement while science learning unfolds over many years.

District leaders are under increasing pressure to improve science achievement while balancing competing priorities, staffing challenges, instructional demands, and accountability expectations.

College and Career Readiness

The hidden curriculum gap

July 7, 2026July 1, 2026 by Dr. KC Curberson-Alvarado, Alliance for Decision Education & H3 Solutions Group

Aligning CTE with Decision Education can prepare students for their first step after graduation--and for every decision that follows.

A post-graduation readiness report by YouScience found that the majority of graduating high school seniors lack confidence in their post-graduation plans, including choosing a college, paying for it,…

District Management

Outcomes-based partnerships and accountability are the future of education

June 30, 2026 by Mark Angel, Amira Learning

Edtech and educators must take shared ownership of doing what matters--driving student growth--through outcomes-based partnerships.

The answer to stagnating test scores is not adopting technology that has never demonstrated any ability to move test scores. Educators have to finally recognize that hope is not a strategy…

District Management

We need accessible data and greater student agency

June 29, 2026 by Elisabeth Read & Dr. DeNay Speaks, Jefferson County Public Schools

Increased student agency strengthens and enables a growth mindset and supports the transfer of classroom knowledge into real-world skills.

Students are more than letter grades and test scores. They are unique individuals with their own goals, skills, and needs--deserving an educational journey that supports all three.

Teacher Well-Being

Teacher burnout is at an all-time high

June 26, 2026 by RAND Media

In addition to teacher burnout, many also report lower pay, second jobs, and out-of-pocket classroom spending.

Teacher stress declined modestly in 2026, but teachers were still far more likely than similar working adults to report higher stress, worse well-being and greater financial strain, extending a…

District Management

Learning doesn’t happen by accident–it starts with consistency and communication

June 25, 2026June 25, 2026 by Dr. Mike Ryder, Hardyston Township School District

A student’s school experience can shift dramatically--not just from year to year but from classroom to classroom each day. They may feel seen and encouraged by one teacher,…

K-12 Cybersecurity

For schools, cyber resilience starts at the data layer

June 24, 2026 by Katherine Hennessey, Everpure

In cyber resilience, protect the data layer and build recovery plans around the data and services that keep learning and operations moving.

Cyber resilience in education starts at the data layer. That is because the data layer is where schools' most important information lives and where recovery begins when something…

Durable Skills

Career-connected learning and life skills development in the middle grades

June 23, 2026 by Thomas O'Brien, Winward Academy & Dr. T.J. Vari, MaiaLearning

We must move beyond isolated skill instruction and integrate durable skills into curriculum, school programming, and extracurriculars.

The future of high-quality middle level engagement will include career exposure and exploration with a focus on transferable skills and the development of career goals.

Literacy

New generational reading, math scores have bright spots, but there’s still work to do

June 22, 2026 by Laura Stewart, 95 Percent Group

Every child, in every classroom, deserves access to the high-quality literacy instruction they need to unlock learning progress.

Ameer Baraka knew something was wrong long before anyone gave it a name. Ameer grew up in poverty in Louisiana and had difficulty learning to read, but no…

District Management

Don’t wait for September: Reach students now, when it matters most

June 19, 2026 by Dr. Josha Talison, Ecorse Public Schools

Changing how educators reach out to students, and focusing on community support, can prove invaluable in fighting absenteeism.

Here is a lesson for you: If you wait until the first day of school to address attendance, you've already lost the battle.

Teaching Trends

The future researcher in every fifth grader: The case for curiosity-first teaching

June 18, 2026 by Dr. Rayna Freedman, Jordan/Jackson Elementary School

A Massachusetts teacher has spent her career building a classroom culture where her students argue, wonder, and bring history home.

I've been teaching fifth grade in Massachusetts for 26 years. I hated social studies as a kid. I found it boring, heavy on dates and facts, and light…

Literacy

6 keys to building a high-impact summer reading program

June 17, 2026 by Samantha Krzyzanowski, Hope for Youth and Families

A nonprofit literacy director shares how her organization creates and perfects a 4-week summer reading program that changes students’ lives.

In 2023, Bob Bolduc, the founder of Hope for Youth and Families, identified a gap in our student’s reading success here in Springfield, Massachusetts. He sought to identify…

Classroom Management

With students tuning out, it’s time to rethink the classroom

June 16, 2026 by By Patti Clark, Chief Academic Officer at Lakeshore Learning

Disengagement is often less about student behavior and more about how the classroom learning experience is designed.

Across classrooms right now, many educators are noticing the same shift: Students are even harder to reach than they were just a short time ago. In a recent…

Teacher Professional Development

Maybe we have too much teacher training

June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 by Adam Geller, Edthena

When budgeting for teacher development, the focus should remain on what kind of training districts are funding.

“Maybe we have too much teacher training.” That headline is a sentence I never thought I’d write, given that I run a company built around supporting teachers’ professional…

District Management

Leading in the in-between: A multi-track approach to leadership growth

June 12, 2026 by Andy Szeto, Ed.D, Professor and District Administrator

The time between earning a license and a school leadership role is not empty space in a career--it can become a defining stage of growth.

There is a period in the school leadership journey that we do not talk about enough: the time between earning an administrative license and actually becoming a school…

Literacy

The hidden skill many kids are losing

June 11, 2026 by Dr. Benjamin N. Powers, The Southport School

Unlike worksheets or drills, literacy narratives invite the brain to weave together language, memory, emotion, and perspective.

Once upon a time. For generations, those four words were an invitation. Children leaned in because a story was beginning. They would listen closely, follow the characters, and…

District Management

Engaging K-12 families over the summer

June 10, 2026 by Dr. Kara Stern, SchoolStatus

The school communications calendar between May and September is a single arc, and districts that use this window well have a genuine head start.

It’s easy to connect with the families who show up in September already invested: responding to messages, attending events, kids showing up on time. In most cases, building…

Curriculum & Assessment

Building math skills by designing backpacks: How PBL shifted the way students see math

June 9, 2026 by Melanie Grosso, Riverside Presbyterian Day School

$pbl helps students understand key math concepts$

Building a strong foundation in math during elementary and middle school is essential for success in the later grades. Because each concept builds on the last, students must…

Education Policy & Funding

We need to start giving agency to educators instead of edtech vendors

June 8, 2026 by Priten Soundar-Shah, PedagogyVentures

Teachers and students need agency as they are voicing concern and disagreement over administrators’ edtech purchasing decisions.

American schools spent roughly $30 billion on educational technology in 2024--a figure that's projected to nearly double by 2033. Superintendents are constantly bombarded with emails, brochures, and demos…

AI in Education

My students need real connection, not AI feedback

June 5, 2026 by Andrew Rodgers, Chicago High School for the Arts in Chicago & 2025-2026 Teach Plus Illinois Policy Fellow

No AI algorithm can replace the human dialogue that helps students feel seen, challenged, and understood by their teachers.

As I wrapped up my student conferences, one conversation stuck with me. Steven had barely touched his final project for our computer science course, a virtual simulation of…

K-12 Cybersecurity

Will schools answer the Canvas breach’s wake-up call?

June 4, 2026 by Michael Greene, Enzoic

The Canvas breach lesson is clear--modern education security requires more than firewalls and endpoint protection.

The recent Instructure/Canvas breach should be a wake-up call for every school and university relying on third-party platforms to power teaching and learning.

District Management

Data alone doesn’t determine school success–leaders who know how to use it do

June 3, 2026 by Chris Rose, Abre

School leaders must weigh quantitative data against qualitative insight and focus on long-term outcomes rather than short-term fluctuations.

Educators often see recommendations, dashboards, and strategic plans labeled as “data-backed,” as if the numbers themselves drive outcomes. The truth is that data alone cannot make decisions or…

AI in Education

How districts can build a shared AI structure

June 2, 2026 by Roney Lima do Nascimento, University of São Paulo

Districts that creates the right language, the structure, and competence statements around AI will get a return on whatever platform it picks

In the second week of January, a senior mathematics teacher with 22 years in the classroom raised a hand at the end of a staff meeting and asked…

Curriculum & Assessment

This district’s STEM “space station” is a growing YouTube hit

June 1, 2026 by Peter Carafano, PhD, River City Science Academy

What happens when district-created STEM instructional media, Spacegate, succeeds both in classrooms and in open digital spaces?

A fictional space station orbiting the moon is turning into a real-world digital success story. Spacegate Station, a STEM series created in 2022 by Duval County Public School…

Edtech Trends

Beyond the ban: Rethinking cell phone policies in schools with smarter solutions

May 29, 2026May 29, 2026 by Taki Skouras, Cellairis

Schools can implement systems and policies that allow for access to student devices while limiting their use during instructional time.

Across the country, educators, parents, and policymakers are struggling with a question that schools can no longer afford to avoid: What role should cell phones play in today’s…

Curriculum & Assessment

Finding the “low way”: Reclaiming creativity in schools

May 28, 2026 by Joel Kupperstein, Project Lead The Way

Assessment and accountability matter, but we also need space for creativity that allows students to explore, revise, and discover.

When my daughter was little, every time we climbed into the car, she’d look up and ask, “Are we going to take the low way?”

AI in Education

How AI helps teachers spend less time on assessments and more time on impactful instruction

May 27, 2026 by Dr. Carla Braun, Community Unit School District 201

AI should never replace teachers in collaboration or expertise, but should shine a light on the insights that spark deeper conversations.

The overreliance on AI is a widely discussed topic for teachers, administrators, and families alike. The last thing we want is for technology to stifle the creativity, expertise,…

District Management

When it comes to absenteeism, the real work begins in summer

May 26, 2026 by Piper Bognar, Van Dyke Public Schools

The effort required to maintain student connection to school and combat chronic absenteeism is extensive, continuous, and human-centered.

Every June, once the last bus leaves and the halls go quiet, I get the strong desire to take a deep breath and to allow the pressure of…

IT Innovations

Apple’s MacBook Neo has entered the K-12 debate–are IT teams ready for it?

May 25, 2026 by Apu Pavithran, Hexnode

MacBook Neo conversations are only the beginning--what matters more is if surrounding IT teams are ready to support the change.

The MacBook Neo may narrow a pricing gap, but it also exposes a management gap. A lower-cost Mac may be enough to spark fresh interest. However, it alone…

Teaching Trends

Summer isn’t just a season, it’s a strategy

June 12, 2026May 22, 2026 by Liz McChesney, National Summer Learning Association & Joan Brooks, Blue Star Education

Research from 35 years in literacy help to close opportunity gaps, build partnerships, and make summer learning count for every child.

Summer is full of learning opportunities that many children miss. When back-to-school season begins, some kids are already starting behind. That's all due to a lack of access…

School Library Innovations

Demonstrating impact with data: How librarians can make the case for increased funding

May 21, 2026 by Jennifer Miller, @MeetMeInTheMediaCenter

After years of spending all their time on smartphone screens, today’s students are heading back to the school library for a range of reasons.

Libraries are more than a quiet corner of school where students can pick up a book now and then--they are vibrant learning environments that support classroom curriculum, spark…

Emergency Planning & Response

How comprehensive school safety planning protected our teachers and students

May 19, 2026 by Gregory Vaughn, S.L. Mason Elementary School, Valdosta City Schools

Why in-building coverage is a lifeline for school safety

When people outside of education talk about comprehensive school safety planning, it can sometimes sound theoretical: a checklist of protocols or a compliance exercise.

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