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Education Slice helps you stay ahead of essential education news shaping your profession. With a dedicated daily National Edition and three strategic State Editions in California, Texas and Florida, we bring our unique blend of AI and education expertise to research and monitor 100,000s of articles to share a summary of the most relevant and useful content to help you lead, innovate and grow.

From Kindergarten to K-12, Edtech news, school management and teaching strategies… Education Slice is the only trusted online news source in the US dedicated to covering current headlines, articles, reports and interviews to make sure you’re at the forefront of changes in the education industry.

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National
ChatGPT Teen Mode falls short on homework and safety protections, report claims

Common Sense Media has concluded that ChatGPT’s Teen Mode poses an “unacceptable risk” to users under 18 after conducting about 4,000 interactions with the teen and general versions of the artificial intelligence (AI) tool. The nonprofit found that Teen Mode’s study features could be easily bypassed or provide direct answers to assignments, while parental alerts did not consistently activate during test conversations involving suicidal thoughts, self-harm, eating disorders, or violent behavior. The report also found that ChatGPT sometimes interacted with teenagers in a friend-like manner, inconsistently enforced boundaries around harmful content, and could not reliably determine a user’s age. Common Sense said these shortcomings are particularly significant given its survey finding that 70% of teens use AI for homework help, including 63% who reported using it to obtain answers to assignments. OpenAI disputed the testing methodology, saying technical issues prevented some safeguards, including parental notifications, from operating correctly during the evaluation. The company said it remains committed to teen safety and developed study mode with input from child development and learning experts, as well as teenagers. Common Sense urged educators to discuss AI risks with students and help them understand that chatbots can be unpredictable and unreliable, particularly during crisis situations.

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Education Slice
California
Parents vs. LAUSD: a legal showdown

The Trump administration has launched an enforcement action against Los Angeles USD over policies it says keep students’ gender identity confidential from parents and may violate federal parental-rights protections. Federal officials also raised concerns about whether school practices involving sensitive student information comply with the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which governs parental notification and consent for certain surveys or evaluations. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the administration was acting to restore parents’ role as “the primary protectors of their children”. Los Angeles USD denies wrongdoing and says it complies with state and federal law. The legal position remains contested: California law prevents districts from forcing staff to disclose a student’s gender identity, while a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling means parents must be informed when they ask. The dispute adds to several existing clashes between the district and the administration, including investigations involving race-based programs, teacher misconduct procedures and other education policies, with more than $1.1bn in annual federal funding potentially at stake.

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Education Slice
Texas
Texas schools face four-day week debate

In Texas, state senators are revisiting the 2015 law that allowed schools to operate on a four-day week, citing concerns over student performance. "At least 180 days is the minimum," said Sen. Donna Campbell during a recent Senate Education Committee hearing. The law aimed to provide flexibility for school closures but may have led to academic challenges. A study indicated that students in four-day week districts performed lower in subjects compared to those in traditional five-day schools. Experts like Emily Morton emphasized the need for "guardrails" to ensure instructional time is maximized. While some districts argue for local control over scheduling, the overall trend raises questions about the effectiveness of reduced school weeks on student achievement.

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Florida
Safer routes urged around schools

School-age pedestrian deaths on weekdays during the school year have remained broadly unchanged over the past five years, with 134 children killed in 2024, according to an Education Week analysis of federal data. Researchers warn that children face particular risks around dawn and in the evening, while larger vehicles, high-speed road designs, and schools located farther from residential areas can make walking more dangerous. Experts say safety lessons and speed-limit signs are not enough, recommending measures such as narrower lanes, crosswalks, bike routes, and safer school entrances. New York City is reducing speed limits to 15 mph near hundreds of schools, redesigning streets, and expanding temporary car-free zones around schools. Researchers also encourage districts to map students’ routes and work with transportation authorities on infrastructure improvements that make walking and cycling safer.

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