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USA
5th August 2026
 

THE HOT STORY

High school students develop AI policy recommendations for K-12 education

Nearly 100 high school students from all 50 states have developed a national framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in K-12 schools, calling for policies that emphasize authentic learning, human judgment, data privacy, and student involvement rather than broad restrictions on AI. Drafted during last month's America's Youth AI Festival in Washington, D.C., the nonbinding STUDENTS FIRST Act of 2026 recommends allowing AI to support activities such as brainstorming, studying, and lesson planning, while prohibiting its use to generate original student assignments or independently make decisions on grading, discipline, or hiring. The student-authored framework also calls for greater transparency around student data collection, AI literacy instruction throughout K-12 education, ongoing staff training, and regular reviews of district AI policies with input from students, educators, and parents. Organizers said the recommendations are intended to help guide future conversations among schools and policymakers as AI becomes more widely adopted in education.

SCHOOL CHOICE

Arkansas lawmakers approve study of proposed $100m school choice tax credit

An Arkansas legislative committee has approved a study of a proposal to create a $100 million personal education tax credit program that would provide families with up to $3,000 per child for private school or homeschool expenses beginning in 2027, with universal availability proposed by 2029. Supporters say the refundable tax credit would offer a less regulated alternative to the state's Educational Freedom Account program for families who do not want to participate in its requirements, while complementing, rather than replacing, existing school choice initiatives. The proposal would cover expenses including tuition, textbooks, tutoring, transportation, technology, and educational therapies. Supporters argue it would expand educational freedom and reduce administrative burdens, while opponents questioned the need for another taxpayer-funded program, arguing public dollars should carry stronger accountability requirements and expressing concern about the potential impact on public school funding.

FINANCE

Unspent Education Department funds raise concerns over federal education programs

The U.S. Department of Education allowed more than $75m in congressionally appropriated funding to expire unspent in fiscal 2025, far exceeding the amounts left unspent during the previous decade. The largest unobligated balances included funding for staff salaries, the Office for Civil Rights, mental health grants, education research, career and technical education, and the department's inspector general, with experts attributing the underspending to workforce reductions, slower implementation of programs, and the cancellation of previously awarded grants. Spending has continued at a slower pace during the current fiscal year, raising the prospect that additional funding could expire unused. Critics argue the approach undermines Congress's spending decisions and could reduce future appropriations for key education programs, while the department said unobligated funds are not uncommon and that it remains committed to using appropriated funds effectively to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.

PARENTING

'Helicopter parents' becoming a bigger presence in young adults' careers

Recruiters and hiring managers say parental involvement in the careers of young adults is becoming increasingly common, with some parents contacting employers, applying for jobs on behalf of their children, attending interviews, or even participating in workplace discussions. Human resources professionals say the trend has become far more widespread in recent years, particularly among Gen Z workers, raising concerns that excessive parental involvement signals a lack of independence and self-reliance. While some parents argue they are simply helping their children navigate a difficult job market or providing networking support, employers say direct intervention rarely improves hiring prospects and can instead create a negative impression. A survey by résumé service Zety found that 20% of Gen Z respondents had a parent attend a job interview with them, while HR professionals reported receiving calls from parents about applications, performance reviews, benefits, and even absences. Many employers said they now encourage parents to step back and instead coach their children to communicate directly with managers and recruiters.

EMPLOYMENT

Teacher performance pay returns to Ohio campaign spotlight

Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy has renewed calls for merit-based pay for Ohio's public school teachers, arguing that top-performing educators should earn higher salaries while giving local school leaders greater authority over compensation. The proposal has reignited a long-running debate over teacher performance pay, with education experts noting that research suggests such programs can improve student outcomes when carefully designed, but often fail because of heavy reliance on test scores, limited teacher support, funding challenges, and implementation issues. Ohio has a mixed history with performance-based pay, including the failure of a statewide proposal under Senate Bill 5 and the eventual collapse of Cleveland's merit pay system despite bipartisan backing. Teacher unions argue that raising overall salaries and increasing school funding would be more effective than introducing merit pay, while supporters contend that local flexibility could help schools better reward and retain high-performing educators.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Doctors urge families to lighten students' backpacks as school year begins

Health experts are urging families to keep school backpacks as light as possible, warning that overloaded bags filled with laptops, textbooks, sports gear, and other items can place unnecessary strain on children's bodies and increase the risk of injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends watching for signs such as children leaning forward, struggling to walk, or shoulder straps digging into their skin, while advising parents to choose well-fitting backpacks with padded straps and regularly remove unnecessary items. Teachers and parents also recommend limiting what students carry each day by reviewing school supply needs, taking advantage of classroom resources where available, and avoiding nonessential personal items. Experts add that backpacks should always be removed while riding in vehicles to ensure seat belts function properly in the event of a crash.

Nearly 1,900 U.S. public schools are within a mile of a data center

The rapid expansion of data centers across the United States is bringing industrial-scale facilities closer to schools, raising concerns among parents, educators, and local communities about noise, traffic, pollution, and environmental impacts. According to new analysis from Brown University, 1,878 public schools are located within one mile of an existing or approved data center, with California accounting for 602 of those schools. Researchers say developers are increasingly targeting suburban and exurban areas where land is cheaper but infrastructure remains accessible. The research also found that students attending schools closer to data centers perform worse in mathematics than peers at schools farther away, with researchers attributing the difference to the environmental effects associated with the facilities rather than regional characteristics. Longer-term studies are still underway, as the current wave of AI-driven data center construction is relatively recent. Communities across the country are challenging proposed developments near schools. In Coweta County, Georgia, residents are attempting to halt "Project Sail," a large data center campus planned less than one-fifth of a mile from Arnco-Sargent Elementary School. Similar opposition has emerged in Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, and elsewhere as school districts question whether such facilities belong near residential neighborhoods.

CYBERSECURITY

K–12 districts urged to strengthen oversight of third-party software

Recent cybersecurity incidents involving Canvas and PowerSchool have highlighted the growing risks posed by third-party software vendors, prompting experts to urge K–12 districts to adopt more structured vendor risk management practices. With schools relying on thousands of Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, experts recommend creating a comprehensive inventory of all software, categorizing vendors by risk based on the sensitivity of student data they handle, and focusing security resources on the highest-risk providers. The article also recommends embedding cybersecurity requirements into vendor contracts, including clear breach notification timelines, audit rights, backup and recovery obligations, and disclosure of subcontractors. Ongoing monitoring through security certifications, vendor updates, and regular reviews, combined with processes to identify unauthorized applications and incident response plans tailored to critical vendors, can help districts better protect student data while maintaining operational resilience.

Portland Public Schools apologizes after student information was mistakenly disclosed

Portland Public Schools has disclosed that it mistakenly shared the personal information of approximately 3,500 students with a military recruiter, including students whose families had specifically opted out of military recruitment communications. The district said a former employee provided a student data file without removing those protected records, exposing students' names, grade levels, phone numbers, home addresses, and schools, although no Social Security numbers, financial information, medical records, or academic records were included. The district said it discovered the error on July 7, asked the military recruiter to delete the information without using it, and has notified affected families. Portland Public Schools has also launched an internal review and is implementing additional safeguards and verification procedures to strengthen the protection of student data and prevent similar incidents in the future.

CHILD CARE

Indiana child care deregulation plan sparks concerns over quality despite affordability push

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun is proposing more than 30 regulatory changes aimed at lowering child care costs, including reducing staff qualification requirements, easing educational standards, and relaxing some health and operational rules. While Braun argues the reforms will reduce administrative burdens and expand access to affordable care, child care providers, educators, and parents contend the changes would undermine education quality without meaningfully lowering costs, instead shifting early learning toward basic supervision. Many say restoring funding for child care vouchers and provider reimbursement rates would be a more effective solution. The proposed changes would eliminate degree requirements for directors, reduce qualifications for caregivers, remove some expectations around literacy, play, cultural awareness, and caregiver interaction, and relax certain sanitation and equipment standards.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

Extreme heat continues to disrupt learning in Philadelphia

Nearly one-quarter of Philadelphia's district schools will begin the 2026–27 school year without adequate air conditioning, despite significant progress in recent years to upgrade aging buildings. The district has reduced the number of schools lacking sufficient cooling from 118 to 52 over the past four years through HVAC improvements funded in part by federal COVID-19 relief dollars. However, officials now expect cooling upgrades to be completed as part of a broader 10-year facilities modernization plan, which still lacks full funding. Schools without adequate cooling will continue to shift to remote learning when temperatures reach the district's heat threshold. Teachers, researchers, and advocates warn that excessive classroom heat disrupts learning, increases absences, and contributes to behavioral issues. Educators say remote learning during heat emergencies often occurs with little notice, while students who remain in overheated classrooms struggle to focus. District leaders say long-term investments in school modernization are intended to eliminate future heat-related closures, but expensive and complex renovations to older buildings mean many schools will continue facing heat-related disruptions for the foreseeable future.

ABSENTEEISM

NYC introduces new schoolwide approach to tackle chronic absenteeism

New York City's Department of Education has agreed to overhaul how schools respond to students who chronically miss school because of anxiety, depression, or other social and emotional disabilities under a legal agreement reached with attorneys who filed a class action lawsuit. The agreement requires every school to appoint a school avoidance liaison, provide staff training, create individualized reintegration plans, and improve access to mental health resources and special education evaluations. The new policies are designed to promote earlier intervention and greater consistency across the city's nearly 1,600 schools, replacing uneven practices that sometimes left families without support or blamed parents for attendance problems. Officials said the changes will help schools identify the root causes of absenteeism, work more closely with families, and gradually reintegrate students into the classroom, while the Education Department will also publish guidance and resources for parents and monitor schools' compliance with the new requirements.

HIGHER EDUCATION

:Iowa Central becomes first U.S. college approved for Workforce Pell Grants

Iowa Central Community College has become the first college in the United States to receive federal approval for the Workforce Pell Grant program, allowing students enrolled in its emergency medical technician (EMT) program to access federal financial aid for short-term workforce training. State and federal officials said the approval will help students enter high-demand careers more quickly and with less debt, while addressing labor shortages in critical sectors such as healthcare. The Workforce Pell program supports eligible training courses lasting eight to 15 weeks, including for students who already hold bachelor's degrees. Iowa officials said the initiative is intended to expand access to industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields, with Iowa Central's EMT program becoming the first in the nation to qualify under the new federal framework.

INTERNATIONAL

China expands AI-powered learning to transform schools nationwide

China is accelerating the integration of artificial intelligence across its education system as part of a broader effort to improve teaching quality and deliver more personalized learning for its more than 220m students. Under the country's 2026-30 Five-Year Plan and the Ministry of Education's "AI Plus Education" initiative, AI is being deployed in classrooms to analyze student performance, generate tailored assignments, assist with lesson planning, and support teachers with grading and curriculum development. Schools across China are already using AI in a range of ways, from creating individualized learning pathways to introducing AI literacy classes and helping teachers develop real-world case studies. While educators say the technology is improving efficiency and enabling more personalized instruction, they stress that AI remains a support tool rather than a replacement for teachers, who continue to play a critical role in providing guidance, critical thinking, and ethical oversight as digital learning becomes more widespread. 
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