Happy Wednesday!
A colleague mentioned over coffee recently that they're trying to figure out how to keep track of and prioritize the ever-growing list of education newsletters and Substacks landing in their inbox.
A February Pew report puts the question in context: about 30% of Americans get news from email newsletters at least sometimes. Readers are selective, though — roughly 71% subscribe to four or fewer, and 62% don't end up reading most of what arrives. Which is to say: I'm genuinely grateful this is one you not only subscribe to but also read.
So a question back to you: what education newsletters and Substacks earn a regular open from you? Let us know.
Three stories worth your time tonight. State-funded preschool enrollment hit a record 1.8 million last school year, the AP reports, with more than half of the national gain coming from California's universal TK rollout — though only six states meet all 10 quality benchmarks. The Wall Street Journal has an exclusive on Achieve Partners closing a $450 million fund with a unique apprenticeship-focused approach, with managing director Daniel Pianko arguing early-career pathways now matter for white-collar jobs as much as the trades. And The Atlantic publishes reader responses to Rose Horowitch's January feature "Accommodation Nation" — a substantive exchange on whether extra-time-on-tests has tilted from leveling the playing field to creating an advantage.
As always, if something crossed your desk today that deserves a wider audience, I'd love to hear about it.
K-12 Education
'We're Going Grassroots': How a Principal of the Year Is Boosting AP Enrollment - Education Week (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
'Easy, Positive, and Judgment Free.' How Families Can Support Their Children (Opinion) - Education Week (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
When is best to introduce students to Shakespeare? - K-12 Dive - April 22, 2026
Returning to What it Means to Make School Human Again - EdSurge - April 22, 2026
Poor children still face large resource gaps outside of school, study finds - Chalkbeat - April 21, 2026
Higher Education
Campus dinners aim to repair Black-Jewish alliance, frayed by the Gaza war - The Washington Post (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
Have Accommodations Become an Unfair Advantage in Higher Education? - The Atlantic (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
Gen Z college students are looking for scholarships on TikTok. There's a better way, experts say - CNBC - April 22, 2026
Perfect homework, blank stares: Why colleges are turning to oral exams to combat AI - WHYY - April 22, 2026
Higher education groups challenge Trump's latest anti-DEI order - Higher Ed Dive - April 22, 2026
Top takeaways for college leaders from ASU+GSV - Higher Ed Dive - April 22, 2026
Many college mission statements say everything—and nothing at all - University Business - April 22, 2026
Rival political events bring gust of free speech to Baylor University - Waco Bridge - April 22, 2026
Liberals launch college project to counter Turning Point USA - The Washington Post (subscription model) - April 21, 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
Texas can require public schools to display Ten Commandments in classrooms, court rules - Associated Press - April 22, 2026
Trump administration delays rule aimed at improving disability access in schools - NPR - April 22, 2026
Some Grad PLUS Borrowers Could Face Loan Caps - Inside Higher Ed - April 22, 2026
Education Dept., not Labor, to Distribute Funds for Schools this Summer - The 74 - April 22, 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
More kids than ever are attending state-funded preschool, with California's surge leading the way - Associated Press - April 22, 2026
Record numbers of kids are enrolling in state-funded preschool as Trump pushes states to cover costs amid federal funding for wars - Fortune (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
State Pre-K Hits Record Enrollment, But Advocates Caution About Quality - Education Week (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
Kids in State-Funded Preschools Hit Record High, but Program Quality Varies - The 74 - April 22, 2026
Head Start programs face funding squeeze - The 74 - April 22, 2026
State & Local News
Alabama | 'Cradle to career': Birmingham forms commission to jumpstart success for city students - AL.com - April 22, 2026
California | California Schools Face Budget Cuts as Enrollment Drops by 74,961 Students - The 74 - April 22, 2026
Florida | External review supports deep staffing cuts for Broward schools. What it found - Miami Herald (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
Michigan | Detroit Leaders Convened to Discuss Path Forward for Tech Growth - The Michigan Chronicle - April 22, 2026
Nebraska | Nebraska Passes Special Ed Bill Without Proposed Protections for Students - The 74 - April 22, 2026
New Jersey | Newark's teen voters were eager to cast a ballot. But they had to fight to actually participate. - Chalkbeat Newark - April 22, 2026
Ohio | In effort to combat chronic school absences, Ohio launches a statewide attendance dashboard - District Administration - April 22, 2026
Tennessee | 5 key takeaways from the Memphis schools takeover bill - Chalkbeat Tennessee - April 21, 2026
Texas | Texas will soon replace the STAAR test. Here's what comes next. - Houston Chronicle - April 22, 2026
Educator Talent & Staffing
Does Virtual Professional Development Tie Directly To Young Students' Academic Outcomes? - EdWeek Market Brief - April 22, 2026
Report: Digital classroom tools could improve teacher retention, student outcomes - Route Fifty - April 22, 2026
AI & Technology
Los Angeles limits classroom screen time - The Hill - April 22, 2026
Pa. lawmakers say regulations on AI in education, student privacy are coming - Penn Capital-Star - April 22, 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
Achieve Partners Bets on Apprenticeships to Uplift Careers—and Investment Returns - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
They Chose Careers in the Trades and Still Wound Up With Debt - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - April 22, 2026
Workforce Pell Points to Need for Data Innovation (opinion) - Inside Higher Ed - April 22, 2026
School Choice
27 states want to opt into federal school choice program - K-12 Dive - April 22, 2026
Tennessee Senate kills private-school voucher testing bill - Tennessee Lookout - April 22, 2026
Job Opportunities
Looking for your next opportunity in education? W/A Jobs features 3,500+ career opportunities from 300+ organizations across the education industry.