Highlights
More students are going to college. Affordability and workforce training are factors - NPR - 15 January 2026
Education Department announces some personnel shifting to Labor Department with programs - The Hill - 15 January 2026
DOJ Report Compounds MSI Advocates’ Worries - Inside Higher Ed - 15 January 2026
House hearing: Is now a good time to regulate AI in schools? - K-12 Dive - 15 January 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
Project 2025 author and top Trump official: Special education protections and funding will remain - Chalkbeat - 14 January 2026
Trump administration opens 18 new probes over trans athletes - The Washington Post (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
K-12 Education
Navigating the literacy cliff - SmartBrief - 14 January 2026
Peering Into the Future: Look for These K-12 Education Trends in 2026 - EdSurge - 15 January 2026
Top 5 Schools in Each State Beating the Odds in 3rd Grade Reading - The 74 - 15 January 2026
Higher Education
Enrollment Ticked Up 1% Last Fall, With Most of the Growth at Community Colleges - The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription model) - 15 January 2026
The number of foreign students enrolling in US universities has dropped for the first time in 3 years - Business Insider (subscription model) - 15 January 2026
Judge Proposes Restricting Deportation of Scores of Noncitizen Academics - The New York Times (subscription model) - 15 January 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
Haaland unveils education policy plan, doubles down on universal pre-k - Source New Mexico - 15 January 2026
San Francisco to Offer Free Child Care for Families Earning Up to $230,000 - Bloomberg (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
Technology & AI
The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says - NPR - 14 January 2026
What can US schools learn about AI education from their Chinese counterparts? - K-12 Dive - 14 January 2026
About 4 in 10 teens support cellphone bans in classrooms; fewer back all-day restrictions - Pew Research Center - 13 January 2026
The Ingredients for a Successful Cellphone Ban: What Teachers Say - Education Week (subscription model) - 13 January 2026
Student Health, Safety & Nutrition
With the Child Poverty Rate Expected to Climb, New Efforts Emerge to Respond - The 74 - 14 January 2026
RFK Jr.’s new food pyramid heads to school cafeterias as advocates cry for more funding - The Hill - 15 January 2026
Educator Talent & Staffing
How can we create the conditions to inspire young leaders to say ‘yes’ to teaching careers? - K-12 Dive - 15 January 2026
School Choice
Study: Switching to Charter School Improves Performance for Special Ed Students - The 74 - 14 January 2026
State & Local Scan
Connecticut | More Connecticut seniors are getting college acceptances without applying - NBC Connecticut - 14 January 2026
North Carolina | NC joins initiative to expand access to education, jobs after incarceration - WUNC News - 14 January 2026
Boston | Boston schools face stark truth: Shutter buildings while needing billions to renovate current facilities - Boston Globe (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
NYC | ‘He has not been afraid to touch the third rail’: Meet NYC schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels - Chalkbeat New York - 15 January 2026
NYC | New York Could Offer Universal Child Care in $4.5B Plan - Newsweek (subscription model) - 14 January 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:
ISTE is hiring a Project Manager to provide high-level project management services for the portfolio of projects within the Innovation Strategy team in support of ISTE+ASCD’s mission.
Also Reading
New grant program will provide Alabama veterans with 24/7 mental health support - Yellowhammer News - 15 January 2026