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In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Donald Trump devoted limited attention to education, focusing primarily on a nationwide K-12 artificial intelligence (AI) competition spearheaded by First Lady Melania Trump. The initiative encourages students and educators to develop AI-based solutions to real-world problems, with finalists set to showcase their work at the White House later this year. Trump did not address major education policies that have defined his administration, including deep staff cuts at the U.S. Department of Education, the transfer of key federal education programs to the Department of Labor, or expanded support for private school choice. He also avoided discussion of controversial moves such as revoking protections that limited immigration enforcement at schools and scaling back STEM grants and the department’s office of educational technology. While briefly referencing parental notification policies related to student gender identity, the president offered no new education proposals, leaving his longer-term agenda unclear as midterm elections approach.

 

Education Week News

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A Ninth Circuit panel has declined to pause a lower court ruling that blocks the U.S. Department of Education from canceling nearly $1bn in school mental health grants without following required legal procedures. The three-judge panel rejected the department’s emergency request to stay a permanent injunction issued in December by a federal judge in Seattle. The appeals court said the department had not shown it was likely to succeed in arguing that its cancellation of the grants complied with the Administrative Procedure Act. Judges found the department’s termination notices were not sufficiently tailored to individual grants and lacked adequate explanations. Sixteen states, including Washington, sued the Education Department in July after it discontinued funding under two grant programs aimed at expanding school-based mental health services, citing conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities. The states argued the cuts threatened programs designed to address shortages of mental health professionals in low-income and rural schools, initiatives they say have reduced suicide risk, absenteeism, and behavioral issues. The district court previously ruled the department’s actions were unlawful and ordered it to issue legally compliant decisions by March 2. State officials welcomed the appellate decision, saying it protects critical support for students’ mental health.

 

Courthouse News Service

Bloomberg Law

Heather Bailie Schock, an assistant professor of education at the University of Tampa, emphasizes the importance of making teaching strategies visible to preservice teachers. Despite her efforts to model effective teaching techniques, students often failed to recognize them. To address this, she implemented medical-style huddles, which promote shared understanding among team members. These huddles, lasting no more than 15 minutes, begin with the question: “What did you see me do or model in class today?” This structure has led to sharper observations from students and has surfaced important concerns, such as confusion regarding state teacher-certification examinations. Schock noted: “Huddles help move pedagogy from theory to action.” By fostering a culture of celebration and reflection, these huddles have transformed the learning experience for preservice teachers, building community and reducing stress.

 

Education Week News

Carthage ISD has confirmed that 22 teachers will receive state-funded compensation awards through the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, marking the district's first group of designated teachers. Superintendent Jarrod Bitter said, “This is a celebration of great teaching,” highlighting the importance of recognizing outstanding instruction and student growth. The validation of the district's data ensures that the local system produces reliable results, with 33% of eligible teachers proposed for designations: 10 Recognized, 9 Exemplary, and 3 Master. The TIA program, established by the Texas Legislature, allows effective teachers to earn designations with funding ranging from $3,000 to $32,000 annually. Designated teachers will be notified by the Texas Education Agency later this spring regarding their awards.

 

Panola Watchman

Superintendent Karen Molinar addressed the Fort Worth ISD school board about the disproportionate disciplinary actions against African American students. While they represent 20% of the district's enrollment, they account for 35% of discipline referrals. “That as a district we have been very concerned about,” Molinar said, highlighting the ongoing inequality. The goal is to reduce the disparity from 16% to 12% by the end of the school year, though Molinar acknowledged they will not meet this target. The district is analyzing disciplinary and academic data to improve classroom environments and support teachers. A plan approved in January 2025 aims to address these disparities over the next five years. Nationally, African American students face higher suspension rates, which can negatively impact their academic futures. Fort Worth ISD has implemented reset centers to help students refocus, but African American students still represent a significant portion of referrals.

 

Star-Telegram

Jill Morris, director of accountability, research, evaluation and assessment, announced that the Bryan ISD board of trustees approved targeted improvement plans for four campuses during a meeting on February 23. These plans are mandated by state law for schools receiving funds from the Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities Grant or identified for needing comprehensive support. The campuses involved are Long Intermediate School, Rayburn Intermediate School, Sadberry Intermediate School, and SFA Middle School. Morris noted: “The plan is to have principals better able to support teachers who then are better able to instruct our students, leading to a cultural shift, but then ultimately student outcomes.” SFA Middle School and Sadberry Intermediate School have shown progress but still require monitoring over the next two years to ensure continued improvement.

 

Community Impact Newspaper

Clear Creek ISD's board of trustees approved an interlocal agreement with the Harris County Department of Education to join a federally funded after-school program during its February 23 meeting. This initiative, part of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, aims to enhance students' reading and mathematics skills while offering fine arts, STEM, and college or career readiness activities. The program is funded under Cycle 11, Year 5 of a federal grant, with HCDE receiving $1.5m to manage it regionally.

 

Community Impact Newspaper

Hitchcock ISD has been designated as “Accredited-Warned” by the Texas Education Agency due to failing financial accountability ratings for two consecutive years. Superintendent Darryl Henson stated, “The audit was submitted late, and it had a modified opinion,” which contributed to the district's “F-Substandard Achievement” rating. The issues stem from a late financial audit submission and deficiencies identified by auditors, including budgeting concerns and internal control weaknesses. The district has made leadership changes and submitted a financial corrective action plan to the Texas Education Agency. Henson emphasized the need for stronger internal controls and stated, “It's not good enough anymore to submit balanced budgets.” He reassured parents that the accreditation change will not impact students' education, saying, “I am confident this will not affect students' long-term educational stability.”

 

The Galveston County Daily News

Last week, students from Academy High School and Academy Elementary School came together for a unique culinary experience focused on tacos. High school culinary students guided Pre-K students through a taco lesson at Beestro, the school's culinary cafe. They taught essential skills like kitchen safety and food assembly, which they learned in the Academy ISD culinary arts program. Superintendent Darla Nolen said the event was “something pretty special,” describing it as a “full circle Academy ISD moment.” Pre-k students also enjoyed reading “Dragons Love Tacos” and participated in an art project. The culinary program regularly hosts various community meals, including senior citizen lunches and school board dinners.

 

Killeen Daily Herald

Carolyn Dugger, principal of Hay Branch Elementary School, has resigned to care for her husband facing health issues, Killeen ISD Superintendent King Davis said. "Family comes first, and we fully support her decision," he noted. Karol Carlisle will serve as the interim principal for the remainder of the school year. Davis praised Carlisle's familiarity and leadership within the community, stating, "Ms. Carlisle is a familiar and trusted leader at Hay Branch." With 33 years in education, Carlisle has previously served as assistant principal and is currently a part-time instructional specialist.

 

Killeen Daily Herald

Allen ISD is facing a significant decline in student enrollment, projected to decrease by 1% to 2.3% over the next six years, according to a report from School District Strategies. Brent Alexander, the Demographic Research Director, noted that enrollment has already fallen by 1,440 students since 2020, representing a 6.7% net decline. Factors contributing to this trend include an aging population, a flat or declining birth rate, and high housing costs in Allen. Alexander stated, “Many things are continuing to influence the district's enrollment,” emphasizing the need for changes to reverse this trend. The district anticipates dropping below 20,000 students by fall 2026, which could impact funding tied to enrollment numbers. To address this, officials are implementing the Allen Advantage open enrollment program, which has already attracted 20 new students.

 

Community Impact Newspaper

Boerne ISD trustees reviewed the academic progress of elementary students on February 23, focusing on third-party assessments. Chief instructional officer Larissa Flores reported that prekindergarten students showed growth in reading, language, and math, although writing and health/wellness scores slightly declined. Flores said, “The beginning of the year expectation for health and wellness is actually very low to be considered on track.”

 

Community Impact Newspaper

Artificial intelligence (AI) is intensifying cyber threats against U.S. schools, enabling hackers to launch more sophisticated attacks at a time when federal cybersecurity support is being scaled back. Experts warn that generative AI tools now allow cyber criminals to craft highly convincing phishing emails, mimic the writing style of school leaders, and even create voice and video deepfakes to trick staff into transferring funds or disclosing sensitive data. AI can also rapidly scan public records, such as school budgets and staff directories,  to identify vulnerabilities. With some AI systems now capable of autonomously executing tasks, even low-skilled attackers can carry out complex ransomware operations. Schools remain prime targets due to limited cybersecurity resources and the high value of student data on the dark web. Meanwhile, federal support has diminished. Funding for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) was recently cut, requiring schools to pay membership fees. Other federal coordination efforts and the Education Department’s Office of Educational Technology have been shuttered or suspended, leaving districts with fewer shared intelligence resources. Despite the challenges, experts say schools can strengthen defences by focusing on cybersecurity fundamentals, including multi-factor authentication, strong password policies, regular software updates, phishing simulations, staff training, identity-verification protocols, and collaborative information-sharing networks among districts. Tabletop exercises and shared state-level partnerships can also help improve preparedness.

 

Government Technology

New math, English and science resources are being introduced in New Zealand's schools after earlier delays drew criticism from teachers, with Education Minister Erica Stanford announcing the rollout alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Auckland. The package includes a 12-week teacher-led writing programme called Scribo for Year 6 to 10 students who are a year or more behind in literacy, along with new digital math textbooks and workbooks for Years 9 and 10. The resources are curriculum-aligned and expected to support around 140,000 students and 6,000 teachers annually over the next three years. Professional development will also be provided. The announcement follows complaints from the Post Primary Teachers’ Association that the delayed materials caused frustration at the start of the school year. In addition, NZ$40m ($23.8m) from Budget 2025 has been allocated to supply hands-on science kits to primary and intermediate schools nationwide by early 2027. The kits, which will operate under a rotational “library” model managed by House of Science, will allow teachers to book experiment sets delivered directly to classrooms. The initiative will expand access from about 10% of students currently reached to nationwide coverage and includes new kits for Māori medium education. Officials said potential conflicts of interest in the contract process were appropriately managed.

 

Inside Government NZ

RNZ