need Archives

Why one-off AI training will not prepare teachers

November 3, 2026 by Dr. Cristi Ford & Dr. Emma Zone, D2L

Districts need sustained support connecting AI to daily instructional decisions and support teachers in their efforts.

Across K–12 education, districts are moving quickly to help teachers understand artificial intelligence. They are offering workshops, creating guidance, identifying approved tools and developing resources to support responsible…

Students with Special Needs

The goal isn’t to make school easier for students with dyslexia

October 29, 2026 by Dr. Benjamin N. Powers, The Southport School & The Dyslexia Foundation

Students with dyslexia need evidence-based, explicit reading instruction delivered with enough frequency and intensity to make a difference.

One of the most important distinctions we can make when educating students with dyslexia is the difference between making learning accessible and simply making it easier. Only the…

District Management

What 500 doorsteps taught me about getting kids back to school

October 21, 2026 by Shepria Johnson, Concentric Educational Solutions

Families want their kids in school, and schools want their students back--the missing piece is usually someone willing to show up and ask the right question

I know the feeling when a letter from school shows up at the house. Nobody opens one of those smiling. Most of the time, the letter tells a…

Digital Literacy

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

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…

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…

A Stronger Cybersecurity Foundation Starts with a Modern SIS

September 1, 2026August 28, 2026 by Vcarlson

Your SIS is central to district operations and security. Learn what to look for in a modern SIS, from role-based ... Read more

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…

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…

The New Math for EdTech: What Counts When Measuring Technology’s Value

September 1, 2026August 20, 2026 by Vcarlson

Districts are being asked to justify technology spend they can’t yet measure. This report shows how districts hope to close ... Read more

AI in Education

Schools are building AI rules before they know the destination

August 12, 2026August 7, 2026 by Scott Laband, Colorado Succeeds

America’s schools are moving quickly to respond to the rise of artificial intelligence, with parents, teachers, administrators, and lawmakers working to wrap their arms around what this means…

District Management

Does school design help or hinder adolescent learning?

August 12, 2026August 4, 2026 by Heidi Neumueller AIA, NCARB, LEED AP®, Amy Keller Frye

How one school reimagined learning spaces–and what others can learn

Adolescence is one of the most consequential periods of human development, yet the environments designed to support it often fail to reflect its complexity. Spanning ages 10 to…

Curriculum & Assessment

First graders need a chance to explain their math thinking

July 30, 2026 by Ashley Landry, Reynolds Elementary, Spring ISD

$Research shows that young students build stronger math understanding when it connects to their everyday lives.$

In first grade, educators shape the trajectories of how students feel about math. Long before they discover algebra or standardized tests, six- and seven-year-olds are forming beliefs about…

College and Career Readiness

A second language is more than an elective—it’s a workforce skill

July 17, 2026 by Andrew Bowen, Carnegie Learning

Schools can use technology in language learning to build communication skills, cultural understanding, and career readiness.

When I taught Spanish, students would often ask, “Why do I need to learn this?” Many thought that learning a new language would only be useful if they…

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 behavioral assessments to fight chronic absenteeism

August 4, 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.

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

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.

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.

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…

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…

Teacher Professional Development

What higher ed can do about getting research into the K-12 classroom

May 11, 2026 by Dr. Steve Baule, Dr. Tammy Champa, and Dr. Jessa Cook

A lack of structured collaboration between K-12 and higher ed contributes to a disconnect between research and practice.

Educational research has never been more abundant, yet its impact on classroom practice remains uneven at best. While universities continue to produce studies on instructional strategies, student outcomes,…

Newsline

ClassMate by World Book Recognized with Prestigious ISTE Seal

May 5, 2026 by ESchool News Staff

CHICAGO, May 5, 2026 — ClassMate by World Book, the leading platform of trusted content that helps build knowledge through ... Read more

AI in Education

When AI does the work, who does the learning?

April 28, 2026 by Christian Pantel, D2L

If we design AI systems that shortcut the learning process, we risk undermining the very purpose and value of education.

AI is rapidly reshaping education, but not always in ways that support learning. A growing number of AI tools promise to “help” students by doing assignments, writing papers,…

Literacy

5 ways to make reading click for teens

April 23, 2026 by Carey Sweet, The Reading League Florida Chapter

Five classroom-tested approaches that make reading engaging, relevant and sustainable for teens and middle school students.

Reading is competing for attention in a world built for scrolling. A recent University of Florida study found that the share of Americans who read for pleasure on…

Educational Leadership

What schools need to know about accessibility compliance as ADA deadline looms

April 17, 2026April 13, 2026 by Christina Adams, Siteimprove

Accessibility compliance ensures students, parents, and community members with disabilities can properly and effectively access content.

Recent updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act means digital accessibility for public educational institutions can not be ignored. It will become a legal mandate.

Featured on eSchool News

A new need-to-know for the AI classroom

April 17, 2026April 10, 2026 by ESchool Media Contributors

In an AI-rich classroom where ideas are abundant and answers are cheap, the scarce resource is not information--it is ownership.

Most project-based learning workshops are built around three domains: design, assessment, and implementation.

District Management

In districts, reaching readiness, retention, and success

March 5, 2026 by Laura Ascione

Using data to drive decisions through every district process helps you retain teachers who give their best to students. teacher retention

It's critical that schools create an environment where students thrive and teachers and staff feel supported and empowered.

District Management

Too many apps, too many missed messages

March 3, 2026 by Crystal Famania, Phoenix Elementary School District #1

How a 100 percent Title I district strengthened family trust through consistency and unifying school communication.

In our district, families were checking multiple apps just to keep up with school communication. One child’s teacher posted in one platform. Another school used something different. District…

District Management

Beyond the dashboard: Why K-12 educators need data literacy, not just data

January 20, 2026 by Dr. Curt Merlau, Resultant

The power of any data dashboard isn't in the dashboard itself--it's in the conversations that happen around it. Data literacy is critical.

Walk into any data meeting at a K-12 school today, and you'll likely see a familiar scene: educators huddled around printed reports, highlighters in hand, trying to make…

Teacher Professional Development

Learning the “why” behind the math: How professional learning transformed our teachers

January 16, 2026 by Jason Aldridge, Charleston County School District

$Teachers are the first to tell you whether PD is worth their time…and our teachers are asking for more of this professional learning.$

When you walk into a math classroom in Charleston County School District, you can feel the difference. Students aren’t just memorizing steps--they’re reasoning through problems, explaining their thinking,…

Student Well-Being

Reimagining teacher preparation to include student mental health supports

January 14, 2026 by Dr. Yuvraj Verma, Bessemer City Middle School & William Howard Taft University & Jennifer Veitch, Bessemer City Middle School

Teacher preparation programs must evolve to reflect the emotional realities of today’s classrooms--including student mental health.

Teacher preparation programs have long emphasized curriculum, instruction, and assessment. However, they often fall short in one critical area: social-emotional and mental health needs of students.

Student Well-Being

The rise of remote psychoeducational testing: What school leaders need to know

January 6, 2026 by Stephanie Taylor, Ed.S., NCSP, Taylored Education Solutions

Remote testing isn’t just a novelty--it’s a practical, scalable solution that is rooted in evidence to help students with mental health.

Special education is at a breaking point. Across the country, more children than ever are being referred for evaluations to determine whether they qualify for special education services.

AI in Education

AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace?

January 2, 2026 by Laura Ascione

As AI becomes a fixture in schools, educators and students need reliable guidance on how to use it well--especially as AI use evolves.

The rapid rise of generative AI has turned classrooms into a real-time experiment in technology use. Students are using AI to complete assignments, while teachers are leveraging it…

Literacy

Solving the staffing crisis is key to the Science of Reading movement

December 5, 2025 by Laura Stewart, 95 Percent Group

Every time a new leader or teacher steps in, the hard-won progress on a literacy initiative can be jeopardized--staffing is critical.

As someone who’s dedicated my career to advancing the Science of Reading movement, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to help every child become a strong, fluent reader.

Durable Skills

Students must intentionally develop durable skills to thrive in an AI-dominated world

November 27, 2025 by ESchool Media Contributors

Durable skills are even more essential in the age of AI.

As AI increasingly automates technical tasks across industries, students’ long-term career success will rely less on technical skills alone and more on durable skills or professional skills, often referred…

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