Happy Wednesday!
Two pieces worth your attention today.
In Education Week, Sarah Schwartz unpacks new nationally representative survey data on how the science of reading has actually reshaped classroom practice. The short version: curriculum and PD have shifted significantly, but a meaningful share of teachers still lean on older methods — and remain lukewarm on phonics. Adoption is one thing; implementation is the long tail.
Chalkbeat's Lily Altavena pulled off a great piece of reporting: she asked five superintendents from New York to Oregon to share every sales pitch that landed in their inboxes during a single day in March. The result is a vivid picture of an AI-enabled marketing arms race targeting districts with tightening budgets — "transformative experiences," "research-backed answers," and even unsolicited calendar invites. Worth a read for anyone trying to make sense of how K-12 purchasing decisions are actually getting made.
— Thomas
K-12 Education
How the Science of Reading Is Reshaping Teaching: What the Data Say - Education Week (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Can Student Influencers Woo Classmates to This District? - Education Week (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Chalkbeat Ideas Roundup on education reform, research, reading, and politics - Chalkbeat - April 29, 2026
I Built Radical Possibility in Schools — and It Nearly Broke Me - EdSurge - April 29, 2026
Black Kids in Book Deserts Don't Just Need to Read, They Need to Be Inspired - The 74 - April 29, 2026
K-12 students are struggling with reading, but families don't always know - SmartBrief - April 29, 2026
Three Days a Year Is Not a Civic Education - American Enterprise Institute - April 29, 2026
Report Cards Are Sending Parents the Wrong Signals - Bloomberg (subscription model) - April 27, 2026
Higher Education
Historically Black colleges team up to pursue top research status - The Washington Post (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Professional school grads from diverse classes get higher salaries - Ars Technica - April 29, 2026
Governors Can Fix Higher Ed - Education Next - April 29, 2026
New Jersey City University meets mental health need with 24/7 aid - NJ Spotlight News - April 29, 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
An educator's plea to teach all children, including immigrants - The Hill - April 29, 2026
Civil Rights Office Resolved 1% of Cases in 2025, Report Finds - Inside Higher Ed (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
Nearly half of families live in a child care desert - Axios - April 29, 2026
Reader Survey
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State & Local News
California | National University to accept all California Community College transfers - EdSource - April 29, 2026
California | Only 16 Percent of California Community College Students Earn a Bachelor's Degree. A New Transfer Pathway With National University Aims to Change That. - University Herald - April 28, 2026
Chicago | 1,000s of Chicago MS, HS Students Expected to Join Union-Driven Day of Action - The 74 - April 29, 2026
Colorado | Colorado lawmakers propose novel investment strategy to raise money for childcare - Chalkbeat Colorado - April 29, 2026
Michigan | As Michigan lawmakers push their ideas for funding schools, district leaders urge inflationary increases - Chalkbeat Detroit - April 28, 2026
New York | Tech glitches disrupt state math exams across New York - Chalkbeat New York - April 29, 2026
NYC | Mamdani needs home-based childcare providers for 2-K. Can he get them to sign up? - Chalkbeat New York - April 28, 2026
Portland | Another year of cuts: Portland Public Schools presents $2.77 billion budget - OPB - April 29, 2026
Texas | Houston ISD chief to lead Beaumont schools during its second state takeover - Texas Tribune - April 29, 2026
Virginia | Virginia's Paid Family Leave Law Signals Shift in the South - The 74 - April 29, 2026
AI & Technology
In Backlash Against Tech in Schools, Parents Are Winning Rollbacks - The New York Times (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
How YouTube Took Over the American Classroom - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
How the AI-enabled race for taxpayer money starts in a superintendent's inbox - Chalkbeat - April 29, 2026
Student Health, Safety & Nutrition
In the wake of Sandy Hook, a nationwide effort works to prevent school shootings - Associated Press - April 29, 2026
More than two-thirds of U.S. schools say they're unable to afford the cost of student free lunch—and MAHA's dietary guidelines may make it worse - Fortune (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
Gen Z has the wrong idea about college. Your career doesn't start after you graduate - Fortune (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
AI won't kill your job — it will kill the path to your first one - Fortune (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
An On-the-Job Education - Inside Higher Ed (subscription model) - April 29, 2026
Workforce Pell won't work if students don't know it exists - Community College Daily - April 29, 2026
Conversations About the Future of Workers - LinkedIn - April 29, 2026
School Choice
Exclusive: Most Homeschoolers Also Use An Array of Resources, Data Shows - The 74 - April 29, 2026
Job Opportunities
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