A few pieces that caught my eye today.
A new Girl Scouts survey out this morning has some of the most interesting data I've seen on how AI has settled into kids' lives. Among girls ages 5 to 13 who use voice assistants, 65% consider them friends. Nearly half say AI is better than their parents at helping with homework. And 43% say they'd turn to AI before a busy parent. The number that stuck with me: 51% of girls use AI daily — but only 32% of parents think their kid does.
Two reports on student debt landed today, and they're worth reading side by side. The New York Fed finds the average defaulter is now nearly 40 — about 2.5 years older than before the pandemic — with borrowers 50 and up defaulting at higher rates than younger ones. Many are parents who borrowed for their kids. A new report from Gallup and Lumina found that 52% of college graduates have delayed a life milestone because of student debt. For Gen Z, it's 67%.
And one more worth flagging: the American Academy of Pediatrics released its first new recess guidance in 13 years yesterday. Up to 40% of districts have reduced or eliminated recess since the mid-2000s. AAP is calling for at least 20 minutes a day and pushing back on withholding recess as punishment, which falls hardest on the kids who need it most.
–Thomas
K-12 Education
As school districts cut budgets, DEI work may be first to go - The Hechinger Report - May 12, 2026
3rd-Grade Retention Isn't Really About Kids — It's About Adults Who Teach Them - The 74 - May 12, 2026
How Community-Based Advocates Can Bring Students Back to School - The 74 - May 12, 2026
The Southern Surge Proves Science of Reading Works. Why Aren't More Districts Listening? - Tech & Learning - May 12, 2026
Higher Education
There Is a Fire Sale on M.B.A.s - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
The Average Student-Loan Defaulter Is Nearly 40 Years Old - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
The Only Thing Harder Than Getting Into College Is Getting Off the Wait List - The Wall Street Journal (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
Want to earn more money? College is still the best bet. - The Washington Post (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
Liberal Arts Colleges Still Matter But They Must Adapt or Die - Bloomberg (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
How AI Killed a 133-Year-Old Princeton Tradition - The Atlantic (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
Student loan debt is delaying life milestones for young Americans - Axios - May 12, 2026
Student loan interest rates are set to rise for 2026-27: Expert analysis - CNBC - May 12, 2026
Why Transparency Is the White Whale of College Admissions - The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
Does Higher Ed Need Defense, Improvement or Both? (column) - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
Adult Learners Are the New Norm - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
Even as AI Use Spreads, Graduates Maintain Their Degree Was Worth It - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
Moody's lowers Columbia University's outlook to negative - Higher Ed Dive - May 12, 2026
Re-enrolling stopped-out students as a community college imperative - Community College Daily - May 12, 2026
A mother and son's long journey to graduate from Howard University, together - The Washington Post (subscription model) - May 10, 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
GAO Report Shows FAFSA Simplification Paid Off - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
State & Local News
Mississippi | Mississippi needs Head Start and neighbors for childcare - Mississippi Today - May 12, 2026
NYC | Bezos Family Gives $100 Million for Preschool Education in New York - The New York Times (subscription model) - May 11, 2026
Oregon | Oregon's most unexpected gubernatorial candidate? A pencil with a point - NPR - May 11, 2026
AI & Technology
Deal reached with hackers to delete data stolen from the Canvas educational platform - Associated Press - May 12, 2026
Girls say AI is a smarter tutor, a funnier comedian, and has better taste than their parents, new Girl Scouts survey finds - Fortune (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
Canvas Hack: Instructure Agrees to Ransom Deal in Exchange for Stolen Data - KQED - May 12, 2026
Latest Canvas Attack Shows Schools Still Struggle With Cybersecurity - EdSurge - May 12, 2026
Half of Campus Tech Leaders Question AI's ROI - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
3 Questions on Utilizing AI for Online Course Redesign - Inside Higher Ed - May 12, 2026
For Young Kids, Screen Time Isn't Just an At-Home Issue Anymore - The 74 - May 12, 2026
Florida Study: Cellphone Bans Promote Academic Gains … After a Year or So - The 74 - May 12, 2026
In a new survey, AI scores high as a math learning tool - eSchool News - May 12, 2026
AI in Education Policy – Moving at the Speed of Change - Education Commission of the States - May 12, 2026
One Step Forward, One Step Back - On EdTech - May 12, 2026
Student Health, Safety & Nutrition
Lawsuit blames ChatGPT maker OpenAI for helping plan a school shooting - Associated Press - May 12, 2026
Pediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for the first time in 13 years - Associated Press - May 11, 2026
American schools have been quietly killing recess to focus on test scores—and pediatricians are warning it's a mistake - Fortune (subscription model) - May 11, 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
Interest in Career and Tech. Ed. Has Jumped. Which Fields Will See the Biggest Growth? - Education Week (subscription model) - May 12, 2026
School Choice
Majority of new Tennessee vouchers awarded to higher-income families - Chalkbeat Tennessee - May 12, 2026
How Charter Schools Can Help Strengthen K-12 Public Education for the Future - The 74 - May 12, 2026
Scarce oversight: State let Newark charter crisis flourish, staff say - Chalkbeat Newark - May 11, 2026
Also Reading
The New Harvard Trend? Getting Punched in the Face. - The New York Times (subscription model) - May 9, 2026
How one Chicago mother is defying the odds - WGN-TV - May 12, 2026
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