While pre-K gets attention, babies are left behind. Only 19% program capacity for under-2s. Maryland's $10M investment signals what might come next: states filling the gap Washington won't address. https://bit.ly/3XcrPYW

Age segregation in schools mirrors an assembly-line model, efficient but ineffective. One educator's 12-year experience shows mixed-age learning builds leadership, empathy, and genuine understanding. Some schools do it. Most don't. Why? https://bit.ly/3WxLcLQ

School meals are where children get their best nutrition. Yet 3 years after ending pandemic free meals, schools carry $6,900+ in unpaid lunch debt on average. Families are choosing between food and rent. https://bit.ly/47VylcK

Middle-class parents end up in higher-performing schools with fewer Black and Latino students. Low-income families? They don't. School choice was supposed to reduce inequality. Instead, it's entrenching it. https://bit.ly/4oi7cqj

Tri-Share splits child care costs three ways: families, employers, state. Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Connecticut are adopting it. But critics say it addresses affordability, not supply. Many eligible families still can't find care. Is it solving the crisis?https://bit.ly/448CrvE

Law enforcement agencies are watching colleges that invest in experiential learning. Gwynedd Mercy's Crime Scene House doesn't just prepare students, it gives them the confidence to walk into a police academy already knowing what to expect. https://bit.ly/47gjCce

Ruby was a sharp, funny sophomore killed in a drive-by shooting. Her teacher now attends her murder trial and advocates nationally for gun violence prevention and educator mental health support. Teachers are becoming activists out of necessity. https://bit.ly/4oqd8gR

By seeking opportunities, reflecting on goals, and stepping outside his comfort zone, Clark became a teacher, writer, curriculum designer, and community leader — all without leaving the classroom. https://bit.ly/43gQRtk

Emotions and cognition are inseparable in the brain. Students who can't manage anxiety or frustration can't access learning. New meta-analysis of 40 studies shows SEL programs boost academic performance by 4-8 percentage points depending on program length.https://bit.ly/47xyce5

Psychologist Angela Duckworth on school phone policies: "You cannot solve the problem through individual willpower." Her research with 20K+ teachers confirms it. Schools that physically remove phones see the best results.https://bit.ly/48GPKqC

"Near-peer" mental health navigators, ages 18-24, are more effective than traditional counselors in some cases because they share students' lived experiences and understand digital-age struggles firsthand. Trust and authenticity matter. https://bit.ly/3WFeuYW

Early reading skills predict later academic success, but they're not the only predictor. A parent learned to balance research-backed instruction with the reality of letting kids play and learn naturally, without projected anxiety about their future. https://bit.ly/4nAneus

Girls' science and math performance improved when schools prioritized early STEM exposure and integrated science into other subjects. But with pandemic relief funding expired and teacher shortages mounting, schools struggle to maintain those gains. https://bit.ly/3JgjXT7

AI translation tools help silent English learners participate in class for the first time. One girl went from "I don't think I can" to proficiency. But AI struggles with voices, misses cultural context, and can become a crutch instead of a bridge fluency. https://bit.ly/49wnk31

The edtech industry's dirty secret: student data persists long after contracts terminate. Vendors claim they don't know if deletion happened. Schools have to take their word. When breaches occur years later, data that should have been deleted resurfaces. https://bit.ly/47Q7PA6

While companies claim surveillance tools save lives, critics say schools need transparency, bias checks, and careful contract review to ensure these systems protect rather than harm students. https://bit.ly/4ofpOr3

"A smile or whatever could make them feel better for that moment." Denver kitchen manager Khallela Ahmad knows that sometimes the most important thing she serves isn't on the menu. https://bit.ly/3Jd0liE

The E-Rate hot spot program supported 12,500+ libraries (half in rural areas) and 106,000 schools. The FCC cut it in October after Republicans said it was funding overreach. Now districts and libraries are on their own to bridge the digital divide. https://bit.ly/48JSZgY

Kids pick up on whether the adults in their world are working together or at odds. When they sense unity, they feel safer and more willing to take risks. A child who knows their parent and teacher are on the same side can settle in, focus, and thrive. https://bit.ly/43fpIXZ

The Youth Mental Health Corps deployed 317 young adults as school mental health navigators in year one, reaching 16,000 students. Early results: reduced behavioral referrals, improved attendance, less stigma around seeking help. https://bit.ly/3WFeuYW

Between 2000-2022, 1,375 school shootings in U.S. schools killed 515 students. Teachers exposed to violence experience PTSD rates higher than most professions. One educator lost a student to gun violence and now advocates for trauma-informed policy change.https://bit.ly/4oqd8gR

A rural Ohio library circulated 60 hot spots over 1,300 times a year, for students, telehealth appointments, job interviews. Now that E-Rate funding is gone, and they're scrambling. Libraries in underserved areas are hit hardest. https://bit.ly/48JSZgY

Experts warn these tools disproportionately target students with disabilities, LGBTQ students, and students of color, and can even lead to unnecessary police involvement. Clear policies and oversight are critical. https://bit.ly/4ofpOr3

Montgomery County, Maryland invested $10M in early childhood education. Only 19% of programs have infant/toddler seats. As federal funding stalls, states are stepping in with creative solutions. Could this spark a national trend? https://bit.ly/3XcrPYW

A teacher applied science of reading research to his 4-year-old and watched her decode unfamiliar words in real time. Sound identification over letter names, consistent timing, and gamification, all based on how young brains actually process language. https://bit.ly/4nAneus

From baking for 200+ students to managing inventory to checking in with kids having a rough day, school food service workers do so much more than we see. Khallela Ahmad's story is a reminder of the care happening in every corner of schools. https://bit.ly/3Jd0liE

Students in social-emotional learning programs saw academic performance improve by an average 4 percentage points, 8 points for year-long programs. Literacy up 6.3%, math up 3.8%. The data is clear, but political opposition is mounting. https://bit.ly/47xyce5

School choice creates months of exhausting labor—mostly on mothers. Research shows wealthier families navigate the process with networks and time. Low-income families? Fewer real options. The promise of equity remains unfulfilled. https://bit.ly/4oi7cqj

74% of parents are happy with their child's education, yet only 35% rate K-12 schools as good, the lowest since Gallup asked in 1999. "People have gotten a taste of politics mixed into their schools, and they don't like that taste," says one researcher. https://bit.ly/3IPSWpl

Mixed-age classrooms foster collaboration over competition. Older students deepen learning by teaching younger peers. Younger students gain confidence learning from those ahead. Yet most schools still sort kids by age despite evidence of its limitations. https://bit.ly/3WxLcLQ

What works for school cellphone policies? New research shows physical separation is key. Phones locked away lead to engaged students. Phones in pockets with "no show" rules lead to constant distraction. Teachers say it's making a real difference. https://bit.ly/48GPKqC

Support doesn't always look like bake sales or midday volunteering. It looks like a 9 p.m. group chat shutting down rumors. An email saying "reply when you can." A box of pencils in November. Teachers and parents are already in the same village. https://bit.ly/43fpIXZ

SNAP benefits are at risk from the ongoing government shutdown. 7.2 million food-insecure kids now depend even more on school meals. The average school meal debt is $6,900. Schools are stepping in, but the system is breaking under the pressure. https://bit.ly/47VylcK

The gender gap in STEM performance is widening again. Girls now score worse than boys in science, reversing years of progress fueled by early exposure, curriculum changes, and federal pandemic relief funding that's now gone. https://bit.ly/3JgjXT7

Why do we undervalue teachers? Megan Thiele Strong's research links higher teacher pay to lower teen suicide rates. The average salary is $72,030. Her answer to raising it? "Not a miracle, just political will. https://bit.ly/42K1bKa

Criminal justice students at Gwynedd Mercy University are now solving crimes in a realistic Crime Scene House before they ever step into a police academy. Fake blood, fingerprints, interrogation rooms. This is what workforce readiness looks like. https://bit.ly/47gjCce

Companies are done waiting for colleges to train their employees. They want students who already have skills. That's why colleges are investing in experiential learning, study abroad, internships, and yes, simulated crime scenes. https://bit.ly/47gjCce

Survey of 20,000+ educators reveals: the farther the phone, the better the outcome. Schools requiring phones in lockers or pouches see happier teachers and more engaged students. Clear rules beat willpower every time.https://bit.ly/48GPKqC

Over 100 interviews. One consistent finding: not a single parent described school choice as empowering. Sociologist Bailey Brown's new research shows the anxiety, labor, and inequality hiding behind the promise of "choice." https://bit.ly/4oi7cqj

Dan Clark launched Youth 2 Leaders, a civic engagement program, giving students hands-on experience in their communities, proving leadership can happen right in the classroom. https://bit.ly/43gQRtk

"Parents are not the enemy of teachers. Most are our allies, sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, always human." A teacher reflects on why dropping the opponent mindset matters, and how partnership changes everything for students. https://bit.ly/43fpIXZ

Higher teacher pay = lower teen suicide risk, according to 25 years of data. "What would it take to raise" teacher salaries from $72,030 to $272,030? "Not a miracle, just political will," writes Megan Thiele Strong. https://bit.ly/42K1bKa

When a Denver middle schooler told kitchen manager Khallela Ahmad "I missed you," it clicked: she's not just the lunch lady. She's feeding kids—and filling gaps that go way beyond hunger. https://bit.ly/3Jd0liE

Last year, Lawrence High School journalism students successfully lobbied to exempt their program from a $162K Gaggle contract. Students argue AI monitoring can unfairly flag messages and block important educational resources. https://bit.ly/4ofpOr3

Schools give students Chromebooks. Then the FCC cuts funding for the hot spots that let kids actually use them at home. "It seems particularly cruel," says one education tech leader. The digital divide just got wider. https://bit.ly/48JSZgY

American education satisfaction hits record low at 35%, driven largely by political divides. Meanwhile, 74% of parents still like their own kids' schools. Politics has moved from periphery to center. https://bit.ly/3IPSWpl

Latino students often wrestle with a tumultuous relationship to their language and culture. Many first- and second-generation youth either feel pride in their Spanish language, feel pressure to minimize it, or were never taught it.

A parent posted about emailing her child's kindergarten teacher four times in the first week. Instead of pile-on, other parents flooded comments with grace: "We see what teachers carry." Most families are already on our side—we just need to notice. https://bit.ly/43fpIXZ

The FCC just cut E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hot spot lending to schools and libraries. For rural areas with no other internet access, this is devastating. "We're back to square one," says one Michigan library director. https://bit.ly/48JSZgY

Khallela Ahmad manages a school kitchen feeding 500 students a day. But her real job? Making sure kids know someone cares. "They just want to know that somebody sees them," she says. Pizza Thursdays help. https://bit.ly/3Jd0liE