As Teacher Appreciation Week draws to a close, I want to share this important new research on the teacher pipeline from EdTrust-Texas. Importantly, it highlights the potential positive impact when we make the right changes to policy. https://edtru.st/3Pnc2Gs

EdTrust's Boot Camp came to a close today. This year we laid the groundwork to build a math movement. It’s time students know that every single one of them can access this gateway to opportunity.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, we need to resolve to: • Build stronger pipelines into the profession • Implement retention strategies that support teachers of color • Devise policies that treat educators as essential contributors to our nation’s future

For many college students, the greatest barrier to a degree isn't the coursework, but their personal circumstances. EdTrust highlights how stronger, student-centered emergency aid programs that can improve retention and support long-term success. https://edtru.st/3RjMURp

Look at what’s happening in Cedar Rapids, Iowa: “[Private schools] either reject a disabled student outright or admit them, only to push them out when they become too much work.” Ensuring an excellent and equitable education IS NEVER “too much work.” https://edtru.st/4t7YU5K

A budget is a statement of values, and the president’s budget proposal would weaken our ability to know what works and how students are doing. This great blog piece from Ivy Morgan, EdTrust’s director of P-12 research and data analytics, explains what is at stake. https://edtru.st/4n9fSj2

I’m happy to share this op-ed, co-authored by EdTrust’s William Freeman about how Michigan can transform the higher education learning experience for incarcerated individuals. https://edtru.st/3Oyho1j

A proposed $13B cut to public education would eliminate literacy, family, and civil rights programs. This isn’t just policy, it impacts real students, real classrooms, real futures. Tell leaders: invest in students, don’t cut opportunities.

This new report shows that tens of thousands of qualified New York students are passed over for Algebra I in 8th grade. The solution is straightforward: automatically enroll qualified students. This one policy could open the door for 20,000+ more students every year. https://edtru.st/4mUxyi9

We Are Fierce Advocates Demanding Bold Change! We are committed to ensuring that every student has the support and resources they need to receive a high-quality education that prepares them for an enriching life. That’s equity, and that’s the movement we are building.

I was so happy to read this great piece from EdTrust in Texas’s state director Jonathan Feinstein. He explains how a new law in Texas is going to give more students an opportunity to be taught by great teachers. Great work, Jonathan and EdTrust in Texas! https://edtru.st/4trHXEh

Let’s celebrate the great work from EdTrust-West. Last week, the team released their 2026 #Equity8 — an annual set of eight state budget items and bills with the greatest potential to advance educational equity in California. https://edtru.st/4cwq8wM

We should be doing everything we can to set our kiddos up for success from their earliest years. At a moment when public schools are under attack, we must ensure students have equitable access to a high-quality education. Strong investment in pre-K may be one way to do so. https://edtru.st/3Qgt7C7

Supports to help students access are essential because they link education to real economic opportunity. They translate learning into skills the labor-market needs, reduce time and cost to credentials, and support entry into stable, middle-class careers. That also makes them essential to democracy.

Low-performing schools are not failing students, states that drain school resources are. Advocates and policymakers must defend “adequate, equitable, and sustainable funding” for all public schools that is buttressed with strong accountability and support. https://edtru.st/4caGT1z

This story out of Massachusetts highlights why it is so important to fund schools based on equity, and while it is not a story about vouchers, it is a story that may become more common across the country as the federal voucher program begins in many states. https://edtru.st/4tEZMzt

Indiana is taking steps to abandon students in struggling schools and send the money for those students elsewhere. Indiana, instead, should use the money as Congress intended: for sustained, successful school improvement work. https://edtru.st/4miQ7MA

Workforce Pell is here. EdTrust's guide makes sure states can deliver real economic mobility, opportunity, and equity. https://edtru.st/4twwkvr

D.C. remains subject to federal decision-making that can directly shape education funding and policy, often without full local control. Greater local authority would mean D.C. could meet the needs of its students. https://edtru.st/41YOo5C

This must-read blog post from EdTrust’s Qubilah Huddleston lays bare the impossible budget choices district leaders are being forced to make as student needs continue to rise while funding remains unpredictable and insufficient. https://edtru.st/4twXm5X

School improvement is not about checkboxes. It’s about community-based solutions. https://edtru.st/48kPOej

The Trump administration continues its campaign to defund education, and EdTrust continues to stand against the attack. https://edtru.st/4bPl3k2

EdTrust-New York's latest report reveals strong progress in New York classrooms improving literacy instruction though significant inequities remain. Education reform initiatives must include comprehensive strategies to ensure all students benefit. https://edtru.st/4v5H3hZ

Nearly three decades ago, EdTrust's "Good Teaching Matters" offering a clear-eyed look at the state of education in America and the persistent inequities that were holding too many students back. Even today, the core findings remain strikingly familiar. https://edtru.st/4m0MhHL

EdTrust in Texas published a blueprint for college and career readiness that is largely applicable across the country. The recommended policies are straightforward and what every student deserves: https://edtru.st/4dPmY9x

Great work from EdTrust in Louisiana highlighting the investment gap between Louisiana’s wealthy and lower-income school districts. https://edtru.st/40U8E8f

Requiring students to complete the FAFSA is an important step toward making college more affordable. But state leaders must focus on both strong policy design and meaningful implementation. Because when we get this right, FAFSA is a gateway to opportunity. https://edtru.st/4usMuHP

EdTrust advocated for language to require GAO to review the characteristics of schools identified as in need of improvement and strategies that improve support for their students. Last week we received GAO's report. You can read about the findings and EdTrust's take here: https://edtru.st/4rTcTMj

EdTrust-Tennessee is committed to preserving education access for undocumented students whose right to public schooling is under attack in the state. https://edtru.st/4bthy2H

New data from EdTrust-New York reveals that too many students from low-income backgrounds are not completing college. https://edtru.st/4dvDF9R

At EdTrust we continue to oppose the unlawful dismantlement of the Department of Education. The plan to move the federal student loan portfolio to the Department of Treasury is illegal and puts at risk borrowers with student loans in default. https://edtru.st/4uHAm5C

When the federal government encourages states to loosen school oversight and lower standards, the outcome is obvious: traditionally underserved students will pay the price through persisting and expanding opportunity gaps. https://edtru.st/3NFWvAJ

Tennessee lawmakers passed HB 793, an alarming bill to force schools to verify immigration status of every student. This could cause a ripple effect with devastating consequences to classrooms nationwide. https://edtru.st/4bheEOr

I’m incredibly grateful and honored to have been invited to deliver the 2026 Commencement Address for the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. https://edtru.st/4cPZKjc

Tomorrow, we celebrate Pi Day. As we celebrate the wonder of π, I’m reminded that talent is infinite, and our commitment to equity should be, too.

The Pell program helps more than 7 million students from low- and middle-income backgrounds afford college each year. But Pell is in a $17 billion financial crisis. Congress must ensure Pell remains fully funded by taking action this year! https://edtru.st/47tapwC

This is a great article from EdTrust’s Eric Duncan and The Hunt Institute’s Sean Banks on creating a pipeline of diverse and strong classroom teachers and school leaders that fuels national progress, economic growth, and civic engagement. https://edtru.st/4boc484

Today, I was thrilled to provide the federal advocacy perspective at the D.C. Policy Center’s State of D.C. Schools Briefing. My main takeaway: All our students are brilliant. We need to not just say it but embrace it. https://edtru.st/4ls2Zj9

New research from EdTrust-Midwest: Michigan Has a Leaky Teacher Workforce Pipeline. But We Can Fix It! As Michigan strives to be a top 10 state for education, investment in teacher pipelines is a must. https://edtru.st/3P3mqCI

What lessons could students lose under “patriotic education”? In this must-watch video, the amazing educator and 2022 Teacher of the Year Kurt Russell explains what’s at risk. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/CHKnkDmJKJ4

It’s great to see states considering and implementing steps that reject punitive actions around addressing chronic absenteeism. Punishing families, or viewing families as the problem, does not solve chronic absenteeism, but engaging with families does. https://edtru.st/46HbSPQ

I am thrilled to share EdTrust’s latest quarterly update! https://edtru.st/4bpIO1N We are celebrating our 30th anniversary. While our 30th year may be the most challenging yet, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of equity and justice for our nation’s students.

I am thrilled to have partnered with Arlen Benjamin-Gomez and EdTrust-New York on this important piece highlighting how New York can make sure public schools are preparing students for college and career. You can read our piece here: https://edtru.st/4rh0gKL

I am excited to join an expert panel discussion as part of the D.C. Policy Center’s release of its seventh annual State of D.C. Schools report on 3/11 at 9:30 a.m. at the MLK Library. Register here: https://edtru.st/4srLLVt

AI technology will only be useful if educators know how to foster inclusive, engaging, and rigorous learning experiences, and students know the best practices to maximize their learning opportunities. https://edtru.st/4aJCIJq

Check out this new report from EdTrust-New York that highlights significant growth in college in high school participation and strong graduation outcomes for students across the state. https://edtru.st/3MRnNDU

Regardless of politics, thoughtful, student-centered policy can advance. EdTrust-TN recently held its 5th annual Ten for Tennessee, which celebrates the top ten policies and proposals in 2026 that best advance educational opportunity in the state. https://edtru.st/3MBFxmF

Great work, Eric Duncan, advocating for more Black male teachers. It is so vital students have teachers that look like them, see them, and support them. That is how you transform lives. https://abcnews.com/Politics/lawmakers-praise-black-male-teachers/story?id=130492887

Great work, EdTrust-New York and Arlen Benjamin-Gomez emphasizing the importance of Mayor Mamdani’s universal child care plan for immigrant children and families: https://edtru.st/3ZYlPV7

EdTrust-West issued an important statement on an action in California, where "the U.S. Department of Justice recently moved to join a lawsuit claiming Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) discriminates against white students." https://edtru.st/4scaugf