Happy Tuesday! Two pieces caught my eye today.
In TIME, former Massachusetts Gov. Jane Swift and former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan make the case that teaching should be pitched to Gen Z as a strong first career, not a lifelong sacrifice. With 411,000 open positions and 40% of recent graduates underemployed, they argue for paid pathways into the classroom — including registered apprenticeships already being piloted in Tennessee, West Virginia, Texas, and Indiana.
Greg Toppo at The 74 takes a look at a new report from Digital Promise and the Center for Outcomes Based Contracting, which finds that tying edtech vendor payments to student outcomes doesn't just change the financial terms — it changes behavior. Districts in the OBC pilot met dosage requirements for up to 95% of students, compared with more than 65% of purchased ed tech licenses that typically go unused under traditional contracts.
K-12 Education
Texas Considers Required Reading List for Schools, Which Includes the Bible - The New York Times (subscription model) - April 7, 2026
Designing for Belonging: Lessons From Districts Building What Technology Can't Replace - Getting Smart - April 6, 2026
Judge Ends Federal Oversight of Special Education in New Orleans Schools - Associated Press - April 3, 2026
Higher Education
Do States Have the Data Capacity to Implement Workforce Pell? - Education Commission of the States - April 7, 2026
Universities of Wisconsin Board Will Vote on Whether to Fire System President Who Refused to Quit - Associated Press - April 6, 2026
Colleges Ramp Up Offerings to Teach Students to Be AI Ethicists - Higher Ed Dive - April 7, 2026
Bringing Stopped-Out Students Back to College - Inside Higher Ed - April 7, 2026
Opinion: Teaching in an American University Is Very Strange Right Now - The New York Times (subscription model) - April 6, 2026
COVID Remote Learning Put Drain on College Enrollment - K-12 Dive - April 7, 2026
Health Check-Up: Federal Student Loan Limits Rule Affect Texas Health Disparities, Nurses - KERA News - April 6, 2026
Policy & Politics
Education Department Scraps Civil Rights Deals Protecting Transgender Students - Politico Pro (subscription model) - April 6, 2026
Trump Administration Plans Major Shake-Up of College Oversight Rules - Bloomberg (subscription model) - April 6, 2026
Judge Halts Trump Effort Requiring Colleges to Show They Aren't Considering Race in Admissions - Associated Press - April 4, 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
Want to Stabilize K-12 Enrollment? Expanding Pre-K Access Could Help - K-12 Dive - April 7, 2026
Vermont's Child Care Subsidy Program Expands Access, Reduces Cost - Child Trends - April 7, 2026
AI & Technology
Schools Are Paying for Ed Tech That Students Never Use. Could a New Contract Model Change That? - The 74 - April 7, 2026
Colorado Students Face Cell Phone Ban Starting This Fall - CPR News - April 7, 2026
Massachusetts House Passes Cellphone Ban Bill Targeting Social Media, Kids - WBUR - April 6, 2026
Educator Talent & Staffing
The Case for More Gen Z Teachers - Time - April 7, 2026
Teachers Like It, Research Is Promising. Is This the Solution to Teacher PD? - Education Week (subscription model) - April 7, 2026
Student Health, Safety & Nutrition
Kansas Programs That Reduce Recidivism for Kids Could Lose Funding - The 74 - April 7, 2026
School Choice
Opinion: Can School Choice Programs Stamp Out Fraud While Staying Flexible? - Education Week (subscription model) - April 7, 2026
Chicago School Board to Consider Denouncing Trump-Backed Private School Efforts - Chalkbeat Chicago - April 6, 2026
Sarasota County Schools to Cut Teachers as Vouchers Divert Millions From District - WUSF - April 5, 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
House Bill Would Authorize Strengthening Community College Training Grants Program - Community College Daily - April 7, 2026
Unbounded Pathways: How Career Pathways Can Transform Dead Ends to Opportunities - K-12 Dive - April 7, 2026
Inside 5 Rural Texas Districts That Together Set Students on Path to the Future - The 74 - April 7, 2026
State & Local News
California | Families, Union Workers Bracing for Crippling, Historic LAUSD Strike in Exactly One Week - Los Angeles Times - April 7, 2026
Colorado | Colorado Lawmakers Release 2026-2027 Budget - Chalkbeat Colorado - April 6, 2026
Kansas | Kansas Governor Vetoes Tax Credit Programs for Private Schools - Kansas Reflector - April 6, 2026
Michigan | The Detroit School District's Latest Tactic to Boost Enrollment: Student Influencers - The 74 - April 7, 2026
North Carolina | Record High Number of High Schoolers Completed College-Level Courses in 2024-25, NC Reports - EducationNC - April 6, 2026
South Carolina | South Carolina school districts tackling chronic absenteeism - Spectrum News - April 6, 2026
Tennessee | Memphis School Leaders Say Feagins Caused Issues in State Audit - Chalkbeat Tennessee - April 6, 2026
Texas | Texas School Vouchers Could Deepen Segregation for Black Students - Texas Tribune - April 6, 2026
Washington | Rural Washington Schools Struggle as Logging Dollars Drop - The Seattle Times - April 7, 2026
Wisconsin | Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gaps? - The 74 - April 7, 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. Today’s featured role is:
One Million Degrees is hiring for a Director, Advisory and Capacity Building to join their team!