Happy Monday!
Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be moderating a webinar featuring an FBI cybersecurity representative, a former district superintendent, and two education leaders on how AI is reshaping how kids are targeted online. It's the kind of webinar that, two years ago, might have read as overheated; today it reads as overdue. Education Week's Lauraine Langreo and Arianna Prothero report that the hacking group ShinyHunters claims it accessed information from 9,000 schools through the Canvas LMS, with a threatened leak date of tomorrow — the same afternoon as our panel.
The same day news of the breach became widespread, Clever's Jeff Carlson and SETDA's Julia Fallon published a piece arguing that K-12 needs deeper state-vendor collaboration, with shared accountability for incident response, risk management, public communication, and implementation. "The transactional procurement model," they write, "cannot continue."
The accountability question is rolling beyond cybersecurity. Three California pieces this week converge on the same word in a different conversation. CalMatters' Dan Walters notes that per-pupil spending has climbed 57% under Gov. Newsom — about $10,000 per student — with no equivalent move on NAEP. Carolyn Jones, also in CalMatters, summarizes the new Getting Down to Facts report, which argues local control has left "big gaps in student performance and questions over who's accountable for what." EdSource's Number of the Week reframes the debate around "effort," noting California has moved from 41st to 20th in the share of GDP it devotes to schools — still trailing peers like Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
And on a lighter note: the New York Times's Rylee Kirk on cursive clubs spreading through high schools and libraries, where students are teaching themselves a skill the Common Core dropped in 2010 — often, they say, because they want to sign professional documents without embarrassment. At least 23 states have brought cursive back to the curriculum.
Hope to see some of you tomorrow on the webinar!
–Thomas
K-12 Education
Cursive Club, Where Students Learn With a Flourish - The New York Times (subscription model) - May 11, 2026
What higher ed can do about getting research into the K-12 classroom - eSchool News - May 11, 2026
U.S. Schools Face a Crisis as the Number of Children Drops - The New York Times (subscription model) - May 8, 2026
Wealthy Students More Likely to Get Disability Accommodations, Study Finds - The 74 - May 11, 2026
Higher Education
Over the American dream? Watch this. - Harvard Gazette - May 8, 2026
Pima Community College explores majority 8-week class schedule - AZ Luminaria - May 7, 2026
Cal State may soon offer a 3-year bachelor's degree - CalMatters - May 11, 2026
Cal State clears way for reduced-credit degree programs - EdSource - May 11, 2026
OPINION: Three-year degrees may become a viable option in the U.S., but they are not yet proven, and questions of fairness and recognition remain - The Hechinger Report - May 11, 2026
College students are searching for AI-proof degrees - EdScoop - May 11, 2026
New Report Outlines Developmental Education Best Practices - The EDU Ledger - May 7, 2026
Mission, Mobility, and Leadership: What Military Life Taught Me About Serving as a College President - The EDU Ledger - May 8, 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
Education Department launches hiring spree in key office, roughly a year after mass layoffs - Politico - May 8, 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
Beshear announces universal pre-K program in two rural Kentucky counties - Louisville Public Media - May 7, 2026
As Transitional Kindergarten Grows, Hundreds of Child Care Centers Close - KQED - May 11, 2026
State & Local News
Arizona | From 'D' to 'B': D-backs donation transforms Title I school in Phoenix - ABC15 Arizona - May 11, 2026
California | California's Education Funding Level Rises Compared to Other States - The 74 - May 11, 2026
California | What's holding back California students? A new report urges stronger state oversight - CalMatters - May 7, 2026
California | California schools scored big increases in funding but not in academic performance - CalMatters - May 8, 2026
California | Can California earmark more funds for public schools? - EdSource - May 11, 2026
Chicago | Chicago Public Schools cut hundreds of custodian jobs last year. Staff say their schools are dirtier. - Chalkbeat Chicago - May 11, 2026
Colorado | Science of reading for all: Proposal would require Denver schools to use research-backed literacy lessons - Chalkbeat Colorado - May 8, 2026
Nevada | CCSD looks to close opportunity gap by aligning high school 'feeder patterns' - Las Vegas Sun - May 10, 2026
New York | Report finds Long Island schools underfunded by billions - WSHU Public Radio - May 8, 2026
New York | Scores of New York School Districts Report Using Discredited Reading Curricula - New York Focus - May 7, 2026
Pennsylvania | Paying for Philadelphia's $3 billion school closure and modernization plan could be a problem. - Pennsylvania Capital-Star - May 8, 2026
South Carolina | SC higher ed agency needs $25M more to pay for scholarships already awarded - SC Daily Gazette - May 8, 2026
Tennessee | MSCS third graders must retake TCAP literacy tests on last two days of school - Chalkbeat Tennessee - May 7, 2026
Texas | Teachers with national certification earn more, but Texas is questioning its worth - Texas Tribune - May 11, 2026
Texas | Houston ISD launching early literacy program to bridge gaps in reading skills - Houston Public Media - May 9, 2026
Educator Talent & Staffing
Maine finally raised teacher pay. Here's what it could mean for school staffing. - Bangor Daily News - May 8, 2026
AI & Technology
A Cyberattack on Canvas Could Cause Lasting Aftershocks for Schools - Education Week (subscription model) - May 8, 2026
A District Expects to Save $200K From AI-Powered 'Vibe Coding.' Here's How - Education Week (subscription model) - May 11, 2026
'Close to zero': Schools are spending tens of millions banning phones from classrooms, but test scores aren't improving - Fortune (subscription model) - May 8, 2026
This elementary school banned screens in the middle of the year. Will it solve their reading crisis? - eSchool News - May 8, 2026
The Cognitive Debt Problem - EdTech Insiders - May 8, 2026
Opinion: K-12 Needs Deeper State-Vendor Collaboration - Government Technology - May 7, 2026
Student Health, Safety & Nutrition
LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health Is Suffering, but Schools Are Poised to Help - EdSurge - May 8, 2026
A lifeline or 'dystopian'?: Schools open parking lots for homeless students and families - The Hechinger Report - May 11, 2026
USDA clears path for whole milk and 2% milk in schools nationwide - AGDAILY - May 11, 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
The Job Market Is Changing. How Career and Technical Education Can Keep Up - Education Week (subscription model) - May 7, 2026
The Simple Fix Small-Town Schools Are Using to Keep Teens Out of Dead-End Jobs - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - May 10, 2026
Employers are increasingly turning to degree and GPA' in hiring: Recruiters retreat from 'talent is everywhere,' double down on top colleges - Fortune (subscription model) - May 11, 2026
School Choice
New York Gov. Hochul Plans to Opt Into Federal Tax-Credit Scholarship - The 74 - May 11, 2026
Job Opportunities

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