Meagan Booth, Chalkbeat, Author at eSchool News

The move from principal to district leader was fraught–here’s what I missed the most

November 7, 2025July 30, 2025 by Meagan Booth, Chalkbeat

How can educators stay connected to how the work is actually experienced and carried out in schools if they move to a district role?

I knew taking a central office role meant trading the school building for a district badge. I knew the days would be filled with policy, meetings, and personnel…

AI in Education

Data, privacy, and cybersecurity in schools: A 2025 wake-up call

July 30, 2025 by Rishi Raj Gera, Magic Edtech

In the rush to embrace AI, schools must not lose sight of their responsibility to protect students' data and privacy from shadow AI tools.

In 2025, schools are sitting on more data than ever before. Student records, attendance, health information, behavioral logs, and digital footprints generated by edtech tools have turned K-12…

Online & Hybrid Learning

Digital learning in a new age

July 29, 2025 by John Watson, DLAC

Digital learning is broadening the world of CTE for students through online and hybrid school programs for those interested or in need.

Digital learning--in the form of online, hybrid, and blended schools and courses--is growing steadily in U.S. schools. These learning options can transform education because they allow for learning,…

Literacy

How we’re rebuilding literacy–and confidence–in our high school

July 28, 2025July 28, 2025 by Cindy Walker, Birmingham Community Charter High School

What began as a literacy strategy to help students access grade-level texts turned into a catalyst for broader reading transformation.

By the time students reach high school, reading struggles are harder to hide--and harder to address. Unlike early grades where texts are simpler and foundational skills are the…

AI in Education

From pen to prompt: Navigating AI in the classroom

July 28, 2025 by Kris Astle, SMART Technologies

Students can (and should) still show their work in the age of AI--but it might look a little different in today's classroom.

Education helps develop our cognitive muscles. Letting AI do it for us is not the answer, but could AI be a thought partner to help build this skill?…

AI in Education

National AI training hub for educators to open, funded by OpenAI and Microsoft

July 25, 2025 by Norah Rami, Chalkbeat

More than 400,000 K-12 educators across the country will get free training in AI through a $23 million partnership between a major teachers union and leading tech companies.

Education Policy & Funding

Why should we care about cuts to funding for science education?

July 25, 2025 by Elizabeth A. Davis, University of Michigan

Meaningful science education is crucial for improving all of our lives, from the lives of children and youth to future and current teachers.

The Trump administration is slashing the funding for new projects focused on STEM education and has terminated hundreds of grants focused on equitable STEM education.

School Management

Navigating back-to-school anxiety: A K-12 success guide

July 24, 2025 by Dr. Jason Richardson, Garden City Elementary School & the International University of the Caribbean

Building strong support networks within the school community significantly reduces back-to-school anxiety levels.

As the 2025-2026 academic year approaches, experiencing anxiety about returning to the classroom is a natural response to change that affects everyone differently.

AI in Education

Bridging the language gap with AI tools every teacher can use

July 22, 2025 by Nesren El-Baz, ESL Educator

AI tools and supports could mean the difference between silent confusion and real understanding for English Learners.

AI tools aren’t a replacement for good teaching, but they offer powerful scaffolds. Teachers can differentiate, reinforce, and expand instruction, without needing to become language specialists.

K-12 Cybersecurity

Rethinking K-12 cyber strategies amid federal budget cuts

July 21, 2025 by Gary Barlet, Illumio

Incremental but intentional steps to strengthen cyber hygiene help school districts improve their security posture and realize savings.

The recent suspension of the K-12 Cybersecurity Government Coordinating Council marks a pivotal shift in how the nation’s public school systems manage cybersecurity.

District Management

Real talk: What it really takes to lead successful grading reform

November 7, 2025July 18, 2025 by David Specht, Otus

After 10 years of reimagining grading, these school leaders are still evolving when it comes to grading reform and standards-based grading.

What started as a deeply rooted effort to promote equity has grown into a districtwide, cross-curricular system that blends teacher voice, clarity for families, and support from the…

STEM & STEAM Trends

Young minds: New teachers’ impact on equitable science learning

July 18, 2025 by Fernanda Pires, University of Michigan

A new study examines how different approaches to equity in science education work together, potentially influencing future teachers and PD.

New elementary teachers who promote equity in science are proving highly effective at engaging students, no matter their background, a new University of Michigan study shows.

Digital Learning Tools

Digital learning is different

July 17, 2025 by Rick Cave, West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District

When students can master learning with digital learning tools and resources, they'll be prepared to navigate an increasingly digital world.

In the animated film Up, the character Dug is a talking dog with an interesting mannerism. Each time he sees a movement off to the side, he stops…

IT Innovations

Centralized IT governance helps improve learning outcomes

July 17, 2025 by Jesus Peña, UDT

A district’s IT transformation led to reliable connectivity and ample bandwidth, ensuring students no longer face learning disruptions.

As school districts continue to seek new ways to enhance learning outcomes, Madison County School District represents an outstanding case study of the next-level success that may be…

Teacher Professional Development

Using AI to reimagine teacher preparation for scale, equity, and reflective practice

July 16, 2025 by David A. Slykhuis, Ph.D., Valdosta State University

A computerized AI coaching support model lets pre-service teachers engage in scalable, self-guided reflection for teacher preparation.

With growing teacher shortages nationwide, particularly in high-need subject areas and underserved communities, educator preparation programs (EPPs) have a big task at hand.

AI in Education

How Kai Cenat saved my high school English class

July 15, 2025 by Mathias Muschal, Cardinal Ritter College Prep, Archdiocese of St. Louis

When students have opportunities to record their thoughts on video, they communicate effectively in a modern medium without turning to AI.

Like many teachers since the public release of ChatGPT, I’ve encountered frustration. For a lot of us, it has felt as though we are spending more of our…

Education Policy & Funding

School choice and homeschool freedom go hand in hand

July 15, 2025 by Colleen Hroncich, the Cato Institute & Ben DeGrow, ExcelinEd

Efforts to increase homeschool regulations have been spurred by support for school choice and a growth in home education post-COVID.

“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” Many homeschoolers have embraced this lesson after learning it the hard way. That vigilance has paid off recently in a couple of…

College and Career Readiness

Integrating technology in CTE classrooms

July 14, 2025 by Dusty Moore, iCEV

Embracing technology in CTE helps prepare a future-ready workforce adept at leveraging technology for problem-solving and innovation.

By integrating advanced tools and digital resources, CTE educators can better engage students and mirror the high-tech environments they will eventually work in.

Digital Learning Tools

How Gimkit engages my students

July 10, 2025 by Jacob Nissen, Concordia St. Paul University

Gimkit can boost engagement, reinforce learning through interactive gameplay, and offer valuable insights into student progress in real time.

During the height of the COVID-19 outbreak, teachers needed to become resourceful in how they delivered content to students. During this time, students experienced significant change and evolved…

Teacher Professional Development

The Tennessee Educational Technology Association: A blueprint for success

July 9, 2025 by Simon Weller, UDT

For K-12 professional organizations, a commitment to professional growth and support benefits school districts as edtech evolves.

Since its official founding in 1994, the Tennessee Educational Technology Association (TETA) has been a driving force in uniting K-12 leaders across the state, championing the advancement of…

Literacy

Beyond formulas: Embracing complexity in writing instruction

July 8, 2025 by Brett Stamm, University of Southern Mississippi & Tiffany Larson, University of Central Oklahoma

Through thoughtful design and teaching, students can become flexible and skilled writers able to tackle the challenges of writing instruction

Early in our careers, when we were fresh-faced and idealistic (we still are!) the prepackaged curriculum and the advice of more experienced colleagues was the go-to resource.

District Management

How our district turned a sea of data into a compass for change

July 7, 2025 by Dr. Adrienne Usher, Bullitt County Public Schools

Consolidating data in a single system helped a district more effectively meet the varied needs of its 13,000 students.

Before Bullitt County Public Schools implemented a comprehensive data system, we often found ourselves looking at multiple different data sources for each individual child.

AI in Education

China’s kindergarten coders: The AI arms race begins at age 4

July 4, 2025 by Mitzi Perdue, Institute of World Politics & American Society for AI

If AI is the new literacy and the foundation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the future may be written by those who learned it first.

In a brightly lit preschool classroom in Shenzhen, 4-year-olds are gathered around an AI-enabled robot named Toubao. With practiced ease, they issue voice commands, identify image patterns, and…

STEM & STEAM Trends

In Rhode Island, a partnership brings STEM lessons to life

July 1, 2025 by Neil Nachbar, University of Rhode Island

Hands-on STEM learning activities helped middle school students understand how lessons in their science classes had real-world applications.

Sixth grade science lessons at Governor Christopher DelSesto Middle School in Providence were more interactive this year thanks to a partnership with the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate…

Education Policy & Funding

Why the Trump administration grounded these middle schoolers’ drones–and other STEM research

June 30, 2025 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

Give a girl a drone, and she might see her future as a scientist. But if her teacher doesn’t have the training or resources to turn cool tech…

Game-Based Learning

5 reasons why game design is the best way to teach STEAM skills

August 28, 2025June 27, 2025 by Mike Kawas, GameU

Through game design, students gain hands-on experience that traditional classrooms often lack--and they build strong STEAM skills.

Industries are evolving quickly, and they need workers with strong STEAM skills. But most traditional classrooms aren’t set up to keep pace. Students often aren’t getting the real-world,…

STEM & STEAM Trends

Why math hints matter–and how AI can help

June 26, 2025 by Dr. Steve Ritter, Carnegie Learning

$AI-driven math hints do more than nudge students toward a correct answer--they help students develop confidence and persistence.$

Research shows that productive struggle in math leads to better learning. But there’s a fine line between productive and unproductive struggle. When tasks are too difficult, frustration takes…

School Management

Reversing the absent trend: A school’s community-powered comeback

June 25, 2025 by Dr. Jason Hall, New Brighton Elementary School

Family engagement is key to counteracting chronic absenteeism, attendance challenges, and boosting academic success.

Since the global pandemic shut down schools and forced students to learn remotely, chronic absenteeism has more than doubled in schools nationwide. Our elementary school is no exception.

Education Policy & Funding

Trump nominee Penny Schwinn pledges alignment with president’s education agenda after GOP criticism

June 25, 2025 by Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat

Schwinn said abolishing the Education Department is a call to explore options around what is in the best interest of students.

Penny Schwinn, President Donald Trump’s nominee for the No. 2 role at the U.S. Department of Education, said she agrees with his push to dismantle the department and…

AI in Education

You’re using ChatGPT? A true story about why AI literacy starts with us

June 24, 2025 by Nesren El-Baz, ESL Educator

Responsible AI use and AI literacy are not just about the technology--they're about curiosity, judgment, integrity, and communication.

Math isn’t my strongest subject, and when a student asked me to help solve an equation involving angles as I covered for a fellow teacher, I hesitated. Rather…

Education Policy & Funding

Trump moved fast and broke things in education–but what he’s creating isn’t clear

June 24, 2025 by Erica Meltzer, Chalkbeat

Critics and allies alike say they’ve been stunned by the speed at which Trump has moved to enact his education agenda .

The Grandview school district’s headquarters is nearly 1,000 miles away from the White House. Yet President Donald Trump keeps taking up Kenny Rodrequez’s brain power.

Classroom Learning

Understanding and mitigating academic regression from summer learning loss

June 23, 2025 by Dr. Jason Richardson, Garden City Elementary School and International University of the Caribbean

Proactive strategies to prevent summer learning loss can help reduce the achievement gap that often widens during summer months.

Summer learning loss, also known as the "summer slide," represents a significant challenge in education where students experience academic regression during extended breaks from formal instruction.

STEM & STEAM Trends

Many students decide they’re not a ‘math person’ by the end of elementary school, new study shows

June 20, 2025 by Norah Rami, Chalkbeat

$Nationwide student math achievement has yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, gaps between the highest and lowest students continue to grow.$

Roughly half of middle and high schoolers report losing interest in math class at least half the time, and 1 in 10 lack interest nearly all the time…

AI in Education

Ensuring academic integrity in the AI age

June 19, 2025 by Max Spero, Pangram Labs

AI detection is a great way to flag assignments, but detection of AI use warrants further investigation before punitive measures on students.

Students' AI usage can range from summarizing content to full-scale writing support, which begs the question: What can educators do if they suspect an assignment is authored by…

DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Access)

Bridging the digital divide to empower the youngest learners

June 19, 2025 by Dr. Melanie Johnson, Collaborative for Children

In Greater Houston, where nearly half of children start kindergarten unprepared, Collaborative for Children is taking bold steps to close the digital divide, beginning with our youngest learners.

AI in Education

AI can personalize learning–it can’t make students care

June 18, 2025 by Thomas Arnett, Clayton Christensen Institute

In trying to personalize learning for students via AI, maybe we’ve focused too much on tailoring content and not on transforming context.

I recently read 10 to 25, a new book by David Yeager, one of the leading research psychologists in adolescent development and motivation. The book explores what young people…

Coding and Robotics

Creating a fun robotics lesson that addresses 4 ISTE standards

June 17, 2025 by Katherine M. Blagden, PhD, Roger Williams University

Interdisciplinary robotics lessons aligned to ISTE standards promote engagement, creativity, foundational literacy, and STEM across grades.

Instructing preservice educators at Roger Williams University in STEM education highlights the complex, multifaceted nature of effective STEM lesson planning. Teachers must align instructional content with state and…

CoSN Corner

Whose call: A student-driven approach to school cell phone policies

June 17, 2025 by Megan Pacheco, Challenge Success

Including students in designing solutions helps establish school cell phone policies that are more likely to be successful and sustained.

Over the last few years we have had the pleasure of working with several school partners to address the growing concern around cell phones in schools. Using a…

AI in Education

My high school Spanish teacher taught me about the original AI–Authentic Interaction

June 16, 2025 by Becca Katz, Chalkbeat

When a teacher builds a face-to-face relationship with students , it is, as it turns out, just as impactful as many edtech tools and resources

As AI dominates the education zeitgeist, I think it’s time to highlight an effective teaching tool as tried and true as a Ticonderoga No. 2 pencil: high-quality IRL…

College and Career Readiness

Many states picked diploma pathways over high school exit exams. Did students benefit?

June 13, 2025 by Kalyn Belsha, Chalkbeat

Diploma pathways appear to have helped more students who aren’t college-bound to graduate, but they also have created new issues.

When 18-year-old Edgar Brito thinks about what he’ll do in the future, mechanical engineering is high on the list. The senior at Washington state’s Toppenish High School first…

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