The Fed’s influence over school districts had implications beyond just funding and data. Eliminating The Office of Education Technology (OET) will create significant gaps in educational technology research, validation, and equity assurance. Kris Astle, Education Strategist for SMART Technologies, discusses how industry self-governance, third-party organizations, and increased vendor responsibility might fill these gaps, while emphasizing the importance of research-backed design and implementation to ensure effective technology deployment in classrooms nationwide. Have a listen:
Key Takeaways
More News from eSchool News
Children learn best on paper: We need better technology, not less of it
It is an odd thing to hear from someone who builds education technology for a living, but the most important tool in an elementary classroom is still a pencil. The learning science says so.
Rethinking MTSS: How schools can turn student data into meaningful support
Schools today are navigating an unprecedented convergence of academic gaps, behavioral challenges, chronic absenteeism and rising student mental health needs.
Schools need SEL assessments to fight chronic absenteeism
Our schools face a paradoxical challenge: chronic absenteeism, which is being treated as an attendance problem, actually isn’t.
5 ways to rest, reflect, and recharge this summer
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, pride in everything you’ve accomplished, but also exhaustion from months of pouring your time, energy, and heart into your students.
Most districts still struggle to fill specialist roles
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 demand for specialist staff.
Rethinking employability skills in K–12 education
What does it actually mean to prepare students for the future? What skills do they need to succeed in tomorrow’s workforce?
Data-driven decision-making is the key to unlocking K-12 district success
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.
Science achievement is not a one-year event
District leaders are under increasing pressure to improve science achievement while balancing competing priorities, staffing challenges, instructional demands, and accountability expectations.
The hidden curriculum gap
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, pursuing a career pathway, evaluating a job offer, and assessing which risks are worth taking. These types of decisions affect all students, regardless of zip code, ethnicity, or gender.
Outcomes-based partnerships and accountability are the future of education
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 and cease rewarding vendors who show up without RCTs and rigorous validation.