Highlights
With the Child Poverty Rate Expected to Climb, New Efforts Emerge to Respond - The 74 - 14 January 2026
States Tackle the Childcare Shortage in Rural America with Tangible Results - The Daily Yonder - 14 January 2026
K-12 facilities need $90B to close maintenance, capital investment shortfall - Facilities Dive - 13 January 2026
AI's future for students is in our hands - Brookings - 14 January 2026
Federal Policy & Politics
Project 2025 author and top Trump official: Special education protections and funding will remain - Chalkbeat - 14 January 2026
Watchdog agency scales back student loan report - Politico Pro (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
Supreme Court weighs state restrictions on transgender student athletes - Higher Ed Dive - 14 January 2026
Researchers May Be Forced to Rely on a Court You’ve Never Heard Of - Inside Higher Ed - 13 January 2026
K-12 Education
Civics Takes Center Stage in 2026 - EdSurge - 14 January 2026
Higher Education
Senate advances bills rejecting Trump’s efforts to slash research funding - Higher Ed Dive - 13 January 2026
As Responsibilities for College Cost Shift, So Do State Priorities - Inside Higher Ed - 14 January, 2026
Howard Updates AI Curriculum to Align With Workforce - Government Technology - 13 January 2026
Early Learning & Child Care
Parents are cutting back on child care as costs stretch budgets - The Washington Post (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
Educator Talent & Staffing
How These 3 States Are Building a Principal Pipeline - Education Week (subscription model) - 14 January 2026
Just 2 states offer teachers paid leave and pick up the cost of a substitute - Chalkbeat - 12 January 2026
Technology & AI
The risks of AI in schools outweigh the benefits, report says - NPR - 14 January 2026
Make AI a force for good in schools - Fast Company (subscription model)- 13 January 2026
Denver schools blocking students’ access to ChatGPT over concerns about group chats, adult content - Chalkbeat - 13 January 2026
Workforce & Career Pathways
$98 Million Federal Funding Opportunity Through YouthBuild - New America - 14 January 2026
Four States Join National Effort to Expand Education and Workforce Pathways for Justice-Impacted Individuals - Philanthropy News Digest - 13 January 2026
School Choice
Inside a legal test case that could mean more public funding for religious education - Chalkbeat - 13 January 2026
In Rare Move, Oklahoma Charter School Ordered to Close at End of School Year - The 74 - 14 January 2026
State & Local News
California | California Legislators to Try Again to Make Kindergarten Mandatory - LA School Report - 14 January 2026
Colorado | Lawyers for Colorado’s ‘first public Christian school’ resist county order to close building - Chalkbeat Colorado - 13 January 2026
New York | Child Care Promises Leave Funding Questions Open: State of the State 2026 - New York Focus - 14 January 2026
Texas | Texas just made it easier for students to report DEI, faculty senate violations - Higher Ed Dive - 13 January 2026
NYC | How Will the New Chancellor Change New York Schools? - The New York Times (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:
ACT is hiring a Program Director of State Partnerships to identify strategic growth opportunities with state partners to further ACT's mission and better state/student outcomes.
Also Reading
Americans Predict Challenging 2026 Across 13 Dimensions - Gallup - 5 January 2026