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27th May 2026
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THE HOT STORY

New survey highlights growing gap between AI adoption and school policy

A new Gallup and Walton Family Foundation study found that most public school teachers receive little or no formal guidance on how to use artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom, despite it becoming increasingly embedded in education. The survey of more than 2,000 K-12 public school teachers found that 82% receive no formal advice on using AI at school. Nearly 69% said they receive no guidance on using AI for tutoring or one-on-one instruction, 58% lack guidance on AI-assisted grading and feedback, and 47% are not advised on using AI to create assignments or classroom materials. Teachers at lower-income schools were less likely to receive AI guidance than those at wealthier schools, highlighting disparities in support and resources. Researchers also found that schools with formal AI policies were more likely to see both teachers and students actively using the technology. Beyond AI, the report identified broader concerns around unrealistic and unclear job expectations. More than half of teachers said expectations for excellent teaching at their schools were unrealistic to some degree, while teachers reporting unclear expectations were significantly more likely to experience burnout and job dissatisfaction. Gallup researcher Andrea Malek Ash said teachers are increasingly expected to do “one-and-a-half jobs,” making clear communication from school leadership critical. The study found that teachers who viewed expectations as realistic were more likely to remain engaged at work and continue teaching the following year.

BOOST ENROLLMENT

How to Attract Families to Your School & Increase Enrollment

Schools and districts must adapt to be a top-of-mind choice in an era where parents wield greater influence over their children’s academic journeys. As you seek to attract and retain students, this award-winning guide will support you.

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DISTRICTS

Historic Chicago school board elections see 51 candidates file for office

The upcoming election for the Chicago Board of Education will feature a total of 51 candidates vying for 20 district seats and the citywide president position on November 3. While two incumbents, Ellen Rosenfeld and Angel Gutierrez, are running unopposed, the remaining districts will see competitive races with two or three candidates each. Patricia Easley, who aimed to run for a district seat, was not listed among the candidates. Five candidates are competing for the president's position, including Jessica Biggs and Jennifer Custer, who are leaving their district seats to pursue this role. The election marks a significant shift to a fully elected board, a goal pursued by advocates for years. However, challenges remain, including voter awareness and financial issues within the district.

FINANCE

Educators warn $3.9bn withholding would deepen California school crisis

California education associations and labor groups are urging state lawmakers to reject Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposal to temporarily withhold $3.9bn in voter-protected school funding, warning the move would worsen teacher shortages, deepen district budget deficits, and threaten education quality across the state. The revised 2026-27 budget proposal would defer funding required under Proposition 98, the 1988 measure that guarantees roughly 40% of California’s general fund for K-12 schools and community colleges. Education groups said the plan would reduce statewide funding by around $643 per student, as districts already face layoffs, school closures, and multimillion-dollar deficits. Members of the Education Coalition, including teachers, school boards, administrators, parent groups, and employee unions, gathered at the state Capitol to oppose what they described as the “unacceptable stripping” of school funding. Education leaders said continued withholding of funds would increase financial instability for districts already dealing with rising costs, staffing shortages, and the expiration of pandemic-era funding. “Every dollar withheld has a consequence for our students,” said Tatia Davenport, chief executive of the California Association of School Business Officials. The Legislature has until mid-June to finalize the state budget.

Louisiana lawmakers weigh redirecting school funding to preserve teacher stipends

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday that public school teachers will not face a pay cut in the upcoming school year, but he has yet to explain where the state will find the nearly $200m needed to maintain existing teacher and staff stipends. Speaking at the State Capitol, Landry said teachers deserve “certainty,” “stability,” and a permanent pay raise, though he said he would wait until the legislature finalizes the state budget before revealing his funding plan. Senate President Cameron Henry confirmed that one option under consideration would redirect $150m from the state’s Minimum Foundation Program, which funds K-12 school operations, to extend teacher pay stipends for another year. The stipends, worth $2,000 annually for teachers and $1,000 for school support staff, have been funded for the past three years but were not included in the current budget proposal. The funding gap emerged after voters rejected a constitutional amendment earlier this month that would have created a permanent teacher salary increase to replace the temporary stipends. Landry and legislative leaders are now discussing both a short-term solution for the coming year and a longer-term overhaul of the Minimum Foundation Program to direct more recurring funding toward teacher compensation.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools board to eliminate 345 positions

The Memphis-Shelby County Schools board has approved a $1.7bn budget for the 2026-27 school year, likely one of its final major financial decisions before a newly created state-appointed board assumes broad oversight powers. The Tennessee legislature recently approved, and Gov. Bill Lee signed, legislation shifting significant authority away from the locally elected board following concerns over academic performance, governance, and leadership issues within the district. The state-appointed board will have authority over major contracts, personnel decisions, and district leadership. The new budget includes a 2% staffing reduction, eliminating 345 positions, primarily linked to recent school closures and declining enrollment. Teachers’ aides will account for the largest share of cuts, with 141 positions removed. MSCS is also projecting a 4% decline in revenue and an 8% reduction in spending, driven largely by lower federal funding, declining student enrollment, and reduced state and county allocations. Per-pupil spending is expected to fall by $528 year over year to $16,347, though that remains above the Tennessee state average.

Milwaukee Public Schools plans classroom hiring while cutting central office roles

The Milwaukee School Board is scheduled to vote May 28 on a proposed $1.6b budget for the 2026-27 school year, with no amendments introduced since Superintendent Brenda Cassellius released the plan earlier this month. The budget aims to address a $46m deficit through reduced administrative spending, central office cuts, and restructuring efforts, while increasing investment in classroom staffing. The proposal would add roughly 150 teaching positions, 140 paraprofessional roles, librarians, children’s health assistants, and additional art, music, and physical education teachers. At the same time, the district plans to eliminate about 260 non-classroom positions, including 53 central office jobs, 53 assistant principal positions, and dozens of school-based “implementer” roles, generating an estimated $29.5m in savings. Following feedback from schools, nine assistant principal positions were later restored. The district expects revenue to decline by about $8.7m next year, partly because enrollment is projected to fall by more than 4,000 students as several charter schools leave the district.

Staff shortages and funding gaps hamper NC school-based mental health support

North Carolina schools are expanding efforts to support student mental health through statewide frameworks, school-based services, and community partnerships, but staffing shortages and limited funding continue to strain the system. The state uses the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model and the Multi-Tiered System of Supports framework to guide mental health services, with schools required to maintain mental health plans under state policy. School counselors, psychologists, social workers, and nurses play central roles in delivering support, ranging from preventative programs to crisis intervention. However, North Carolina exceeds recommended national staffing ratios across all school health personnel categories, including one school psychologist for every 1,928 students and one school social worker for every 995 students. Districts, particularly in rural areas, report difficulties hiring qualified staff because of limited funding, low salaries, and workforce pipeline challenges. State leaders are considering additional investments, including Gov. Josh Stein’s proposal for $32.1m in recurring funding to support more than 360 additional school health positions. Federal grants totaling millions of dollars are also helping recruit and retain school counselors, psychologists, and social workers, while community partnerships and Medicaid reforms aim to expand access to school-based mental health services.

WORKFORCE

Wisconsin teacher unions record nation’s steepest decline in strength since 2012

Wisconsin teacher unions have experienced the largest decline in strength of any state since 2012, according to a new report from the conservative-leaning Thomas B. Fordham Institute. The study ranked Wisconsin 36th nationally for teacher union strength, down 18 places from the institute’s previous rankings. Teacher union membership in the state fell from 98% in 2012 to 45% in 2025, representing the largest drop nationwide. Researchers attributed much of the decline to Wisconsin’s 2011 Act 10 law, signed by former Gov. Scott Walker, which sharply limited collective bargaining rights for public-sector unions and capped negotiated raises at inflation levels. The report also found Wisconsin unions rank among the weakest nationally in financial resources and labor protections, placing 43rd for membership and resources, and 44th for labor and bargaining policies. Despite weaker membership levels, Wisconsin teacher unions remain politically active. The state ranked 25th for political involvement, with unions sponsoring one of the nation’s highest numbers of state and local political advertisements during recent election cycles. Roughly 70% of candidates endorsed by teachers unions won their races in 2024.

GOVERNANCE

State education council approves transition of Providence school district governance

Rhode Island’s Council on Elementary and Secondary Education unanimously voted to return the Providence Public School District to local control by July 1, ending seven years of state intervention following widespread concerns about the district’s performance and governance. The decision follows a recommendation from Education Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green, who cited improved academic outcomes, higher graduation rates, and safer school facilities as evidence that the district was ready for the transition. The state took over the district in 2019 after a Johns Hopkins University report identified systemic problems, including poor instruction quality, bullying, and weak school leadership. Providence Superintendent Javier Montañez said district leaders would continue working to ensure stability during the transition, while discussions over how authority will be transferred remain ongoing. A public community forum is scheduled for June 3. Parents, teachers, and local officials welcomed the move back to local governance, while emphasizing the need for transparency, accountability, and continued community involvement. Providence Teachers Union president-elect Lindsay Paiva said many educators felt their voices had been silenced under state control, while parent advocate Naiommy Baret said families deserve a school system that is “responsive to parents and accountable to students.”

TEACHING

Experts say high-dosage tutoring succeeds when backed by strong systems

Education leaders Christina Grant and Kevin Huffman argued that high-dosage tutoring can significantly improve student outcomes, but only when schools commit to strong implementation, accountability, and data tracking rather than treating tutoring as a quick fix. The authors said criticism of tutoring programs following major post-pandemic investments often stemmed from weak execution rather than flaws in the model itself. Research shows high-dosage tutoring can deliver learning gains equivalent to one-third of a grade level annually, with the potential for a full additional year of learning over three years. They said many districts lacked the systems needed to monitor participation, attendance, and academic progress when billions of dollars were deployed between 2022 and 2024, leading to inconsistent results. The article highlighted Washington, D.C.’s tutoring initiative as an example of a successful approach, with built-in research frameworks, real-time student feedback, and continuous measurement. Early results showed tutored students exceeded expected academic growth by 44% and improved attendance compared with peers who did not participate. Grant and Huffman also emphasized the importance of practical implementation measures, including scheduling tutoring during the school day, providing tutor training, tracking attendance daily, and using outcomes-based contracts that tie provider payments to student performance.

CYBERSECURITY

Schools expand cybersecurity training as cloud-based risks grow

School districts are increasingly treating cybersecurity training as a core part of operations as cloud-based learning systems create growing risks tied to phishing, ransomware, and everyday user behavior. Ransomware attacks against K-12 schools jumped 92% between 2022 and 2023, while phishing attempts continue targeting teachers, students, and administrators through email, collaboration platforms, and classroom applications. Experts said technical protections alone are no longer enough because many breaches originate from human error. Cybersecurity specialists warned that many educators mistakenly assume cloud providers are fully responsible for protecting school data, creating gaps in accountability as districts rely more heavily on SaaS platforms, learning management systems, and digital tools. In response, schools are increasingly introducing recurring phishing simulations, tabletop exercises, micro-training modules, and digital citizenship programs. Experts said training should be tailored by role, with administrators focusing on ransomware response and sensitive data management, teachers learning how to recognize phishing attempts and secure cloud documents, and students receiving age-appropriate online safety instruction.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

Wellington school breaks ground on new campus

The Wellington School in Upper Arlington is initiating a significant campus construction project, which involves demolishing a century-old building to facilitate renovation and expansion. The relocation of the upper school to the Fishinger Road side will create innovative academic and community spaces aimed at promoting collaborative, inquiry-driven learning. Head of School Eliza McLaren stated: "Wellington must continue to evolve, and this investment reflects how we do that work at Wellington – through spaces that invite curiosity, foster connection, and give students and teachers the conditions to do their best work." The project is expected to be completed by 2027, although a cost estimate has not been provided. The renovation will also include a new entrance, enhanced arts facilities, and improved outdoor spaces. Founded in 1982, Wellington educates over 700 students from preschool to 12th grade, focusing on passion-driven learning and an entrepreneurial mindset.

HIGHER EDUCATION

UCLA faces federal lawsuit over antisemitism

The Trump administration has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), alleging the institution is “deliberately indifferent” to antisemitic harassment of Jewish and Israeli students. This lawsuit, the third against the University of California (UC) system this year, follows a pro-Palestinian encampment and rallies that have raised concerns about a hostile environment for Jewish students. The complaint seeks repayment of potentially hundreds of millions in federal grant dollars, as well as independent monitoring and policy reforms. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated: “Now, the Department of Justice calls UCLA to account for its toleration of the equally appalling hostile educational environment against its Jewish and Israeli students.” UCLA has previously defended its actions against antisemitism, emphasizing its commitment to a safe and inclusive environment. The lawsuit adds to ongoing scrutiny of UC's civil rights practices, including previous allegations of a hostile workplace for Jewish employees.

INTERNATIONAL

LEGO Foundation commits $97m to expand education for children in conflict zones

The LEGO Foundation has committed $97m over five years to expand International Rescue Committee (IRC) programs that use play-based learning to help children affected by conflict recover and continue their education across East Africa and the Middle East. The partnership aims to reach five million children in countries including Ethiopia, Lebanon, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda, and the Palestinian territories, with funding designed to remain flexible as conflicts evolve. LEGO Foundation chief executive Sidsel Marie Kristensen said the initiative would focus on children in “the most dire contexts,” while IRC President David Miliband said the program was about giving conflict-affected children “the best of childhood back.” The funding will support the IRC’s PlayMatters program, which trains teachers to integrate play into lessons for children aged three to 12 who are coping with trauma and disruption. The initiative also includes radio-based educational content delivered in multiple languages to reach remote or inaccessible communities.
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