Story Archive

Every K-12 education story we've tracked, newest first. Budget, technology, safety, infrastructure, policy, and leadership news from districts across America.

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The 74
Policy & Legislation
Oklahoma Jewish Charter Case Heads to Court as Debate Spreads to Other States

The founders of a proposed Jewish charter school in Oklahoma will appear in federal court Wednesday to argue that the school should be able to open even though the state charter board turned down its application. The...

Chalkbeat
Budget & Finance
$120 million is on the line in today’s DPSCD’s tax proposal vote

Detroit voters are heading to the polls Tuesday to help decide the fate of an operating millage proposal for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Michigan voters are deciding which candidates for governor will...

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
Free school supplies, backpacks, and activities: 2026 back-to-school events in Philadelphia

The School District of Philadelphia's back-to-school bus tour is happening again this summer. It'll stop at three locations this year offering free backpacks, snacks, activities, school registration help, and more.

The 74
Infrastructure
How a Years-Long Rise in Teacher Turnover Reshaped American Classrooms

There was no single reason why Ryan Higgins decided to leave teaching. It was a job he loved: invigorating, unpredictable, a chance to make the world a bit better. But several years into his career, Higgins, who taught...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
These New Exams Will Test California 4-Year-Olds’ English Fluency With Playful Games

California schools now have two screening instruments that use playful games and stories to test 4-year-olds’ language skills without making them cry. The California Department of Education this spring approved two...

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
‘Nobody feels good, nobody’s learning’: How high temperatures disrupt Philadelphia’s school days

Dozens of Philadelphia schools don't have adequate air conditioning ahead of the first day of the 2026-27 school year.

Chalkbeat
Leadership
2-K offers are out: 2,000 NYC toddlers get spots, 5,700 apply

Mayor Zohran Mamdani visits a preschool in the Bronx in April. Mamdani's 2-K program sent out offers to roughly 2,000 families Tuesday, after 5,700 applied.

The 74
Leadership
Opinion: Note to Democrats: Supporting Unions Isn’t the Same as Supporting Education

For years, Democratic politicians have treated support for teachers unions as a proxy for supporting public education itself. The logic is simple and politically convenient: Stand with unions, stand with teachers; stand...

District Admin
School Safety
Colorado’s youth mental health corps improves student attendance and behavior

“Near-peer” mental health navigators work in Colorado schools, after-school programs and a community health center, in a program designed to improve the professional pipeline, too The post Colorado’s youth mental health...

The 74
Technology & AI
LAUSD Could Face Layoffs, Furloughs, Closures Amid Projected $231M Shortfall

Los Angeles Unified School District leaders say they are confident they can persuade county officials that the district can avoid a projected cash shortfall and remain under local control, and are preparing for budget...

The 74
Budget & Finance
Outdoor Ed Programs Canceled for Tens of Thousands of Students After Federal Cuts

Nazma Begum spoke very little English and had never been on a hike in the woods when she moved to Detroit from Bangladesh at the age of 13.  But when she saw an announcement at her high school for a camping trip in...

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
Detroit school district responds to influx of questions after critical posts from content creator

DPSCD Superintendent Nikolai Vitti fielded questions about contracts and school cleanliness during a virtual meeting Monday. The district said it got an influx of questions after a string of viral social media posts.

Technology & AI
Illinois Institute of Technology lays off 160 faculty and staff members

As it undergoes a major restructuring, the private institution cited challenges in international student enrollment and research cutbacks.

Education Dive
Budget & Finance
Brown University president to step down in 2027

Christina Paxson has led Brown through tumultuous moments, including the coronavirus pandemic and federal funding freezes and disruptions. 

Chalkbeat
Leadership
Memphis’ first day of school by the numbers: enrollment improves, but teacher vacancies stagnate

This year, Hawkins Mill Elementary is welcoming students displaced by the closure of a neighboring school in the spring.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
McMahon calls on college leaders to commit to policy reforms by end of year

Her "Call to Action" repeats many themes from the 2025 proposed higher ed compact, such as viewpoint diversity and campus protest rules.

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
15 more Chicago campuses join Sustainable Community Schools program

Students participate in a Sustainable Community Schools program at Brighton Park Elementary in 2023. Chicago Public Schools is expanding the Sustainable Community Schools program to 15 more schools, bringing the total...

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
An alphabet without an F: AI slop seeps into Teachers Pay Teachers curriculum marketplace

What appears to be low-quality, AI-generated content is cropping up on Teachers Pay Teachers, which was rebranded to TPT. The content Chalkbeat reviewed included obvious errors and strange images.

The 74
Technology & AI
Opinion: AI Tutors Are Praising Instead of Teaching. Here’s Why That’s Hurting Students

As a professor, I recently gave a chatbot a weak student thesis, propped up by evidence that did not support the claim, and asked what it thought. It called the argument sharp, the structure clear and the reasoning...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Trump Overhaul Could Gut Head Start Standards, Leaving States to Set the Rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration is planning a dramatic overhaul of Head Start that would gut its quality standards, upending the hallmarks of the early education program for...

The 74
Technology & AI
Schools Are Rethinking Whether Every Student Needs a Laptop

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced in-person classroom instruction to go virtual, students suddenly needed to have their own laptops or tablets in order to interact with teachers and complete assignments. Most states...

The 74
Budget & Finance
Opinion: Want Federal Tax Credit Money for Public Schools? Here’s What to Do Now

Money will start flowing in January for the new federal scholarship tax credit program. Per the law, taxpayers will be able to direct $1,700 of their annual federal taxes to fund scholarships for students. Since public...

District Admin
Technology & AI
‘Kids are actually eating the food’: State expands lunch program that pairs schools with farms

In school lunchrooms around Lake Tahoe, students line up for a red, hairy fruit called a rambutan. On pozole day, they shout, “We want more!” And when the salad bar runs dry, they ask the staff to refill it—over and...

District Admin
Technology & AI
Fairfax Co. students launch AI tool to summarize school board meetings

Ronit Singh still remembers feeling caught off guard after learning the Fairfax County School Board voted to change the cellphone rules in the Northern Virginia district. The post Fairfax Co. students launch AI tool to...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Who Decides Which Stories Children Get to Read?

As book bans surge nationwide, Jan Lacina — professor at Texas Christian University and associate editor of the Early Childhood Education Journal — explores the benefits of diverse children’s literature in her new...

Chalkbeat
Technology & AI
NYC revamps how schools handle school avoidance under legal agreement

NYC public schools have long lacked clear guidance on school avoidance. Under a new agreement, the city is mandating liaisons and uniform training to support absent students.

The 74
Technology & AI
Exclusive: Nearly 1,900 U.S. Public Schools Within a Mile of a Data Center

This article was co-published with FastCompany. NEWNAN, Ga. — Arnco-Sargent Elementary sits in a wooded area on a two-lane road about 50 miles south of Atlanta. Across the street is a child care center. A Baptist church...

Education Dive
Budget & Finance
Week in review: A $100K fee for OPT?

We’re rounding up recent stories, from a look at the keywords used to target grants to a group of higher education bills advancing in the Senate. 

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Illinois Governor Signs School Cellphone Ban to Avoid Student Distractions

Students in all Illinois public schools will soon have to abide by rules barring them from using cellphones or other personal electronic communication devices during school hours unless they have been given specific...

The 74
School Safety
They Once Taught About a Hero. Now Faculty Rethink César Chávez Lessons

The same day The New York Times published its investigation of labor rights leader César Chávez’s alleged actions of sexual abuse, Bakersfield College professor Oliver Rosales was scheduled to teach his class, History...