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USA
20th August 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Schools upgrade cooling systems as extreme heat threatens learning

In a Time op-ed, former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and Jonathan Klein, chief executive and co-founder of UndauntedK12, discuss how extreme heat is increasingly disrupting U.S. schools, with aging buildings and air-conditioning systems struggling with higher temperatures. During the 2024-25 school year, more than 9m students across 10,000 schools experienced closures or disruptions linked to extreme heat and other severe weather. Research cited in the article suggests that excessive classroom heat can reduce concentration and learning, increase absenteeism, and worsen health problems. Schools are responding by modernizing HVAC systems, installing geothermal or ground-source heat pumps, and combining these upgrades with solar power and energy storage. These investments can provide more reliable heating and cooling, improve indoor air quality, and reduce schools’ exposure to rising and volatile energy costs. Federal energy tax credits and Elective Pay are also helping districts reduce upfront costs and make projects more financially viable. Several districts are already implementing these solutions. Center Grove Community Schools in Indiana is replacing aging boilers, chillers, and fan coils with a geothermal heat pump system, while a school in Menasha, Wisconsin, has combined ground-source heat pumps with solar panels and energy storage. Prince William County schools in Virginia are taking steps to protect their budgets from projected utility cost increases.

BLENDED LEARNING

An Administrator's Guide to Blended Learning

Online learning doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing approach. Explore blended learning with this comprehensive guide from FlexPoint®, which includes:
  • Worksheets to define your school’s needs
  • Outline of blended learning classroom models
  • List of questions to ask curriculum providers
  • Best practices for educator training
  • Instructional strategies and tips
  • Key benefits for you, students, and staff
Download the FlexPoint® guide to find the right mix of face-to-face and online instruction for your school or district.

Download Free Guide

 

TECHNOLOGY

BCI technology could give students greater classroom independence

Brain-computer interface technology could eventually help students with severe physical disabilities communicate, complete schoolwork, and participate more independently in class. The systems interpret electrical brain activity through headsets or implanted devices and could supplement assistive tools such as eye-tracking software and switch controls. Researchers say widespread classroom use may still be at least a decade away, with pediatric systems requiring personalized designs, teacher training, and collaboration with caregivers. Data privacy is also a significant concern, prompting researchers to explore processing brain data directly on headsets rather than transferring sensitive information to external computers. While the technology remains at an early stage, researchers believe it could provide greater independence for students whose disabilities limit their ability to use existing assistive technologies.

FINANCE

Sacramento schools face financial turmoil

Sacramento City USD is grappling with significant financial challenges following the rescission of a labor agreement with its teachers' union. The district has requested $20.6m from CalPERS to cover retiree health benefits for the 2025-26 fiscal year, a move that has raised concerns about its financial stability. Michael Fine, chief executive of the Fiscal Crisis and Management Assistance Team, expressed skepticism about the reimbursement, stating: “The Trustee... will catch up to that.” The agreement was projected to save the district about $98m over three years, but uncertainty remains regarding its future implementation. Taylor Kayatta, vice president of the district's board, emphasized the importance of honoring the agreement, while Nikki Milevsky, president of the Sacramento City Teachers Association, affirmed the union's commitment to pursuing the agreement's benefits. The district must identify $150m in cash solutions by June 2027 to avoid insolvency.

POLICY

Florida schools start new year with changes to teacher training, curriculum, and student support

Florida students are returning to classrooms under a series of new education laws covering teacher training, curriculum, student safety, grading, and graduation requirements. Schools must now provide annual autism-specific professional development for relevant teachers and administrators, covering academic instruction, behavioral support, communication strategies, and inclusive practices. Teachers and transportation staff working with students who may experience seizures will also require training, while schools must display guidance on responding to seizures. Students in grades 3-5 will be required to study cursive and demonstrate proficiency by the end of fifth grade, while public schools must display portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Other changes allow Special Olympics participation and certain dance courses to satisfy physical education requirements, and require families to be notified within 10 days if services specified in a student's individualized education plan are not provided. Florida has also standardized GPA weighting for honors, AP, International Baccalaureate, dual-enrollment, and other advanced courses. 

Texas governor targets H-1B visas in K-12 education

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has called for legislation banning public schools from employing workers on H-1B visas as part of a broader effort to restrict what he describes as foreign influence in K-12 education. The proposal follows a January directive halting new H-1B visas at Texas state agencies, public universities, and colleges. Abbott also wants lawmakers to prohibit public schools from accepting gifts, funding, or property from foreign sources, or entering into partnerships and financial agreements with them. The Texas Legislature is scheduled to reconvene in January. The proposals come as Abbott campaigns for reelection against Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa ahead of the November 3 election. Abbott has also recently proposed stronger criminal penalties for educators who have improper relationships with students and further limits on student screen time.

DISTRICTS

Education Department investigates Milwaukee Schools over race and discipline

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation into Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) over allegations that the district considers race when making disciplinary decisions. The probe coincides with new federal guidance stating that schools may violate the Civil Rights Act if they assess racial outcomes of discipline policies and make decisions based on those disparities, reversing an earlier federal approach that scrutinized policies for disproportionate racial impacts. Federal officials cited statements by Milwaukee education leaders criticizing ostensibly race-neutral policies as reflecting systemic “whiteness,” although neither the department nor MPS has provided further details about what triggered the investigation. MPS previously faced a federal probe over disproportionately high suspensions and expulsions of Black students, and disparities have persisted: Black students represented about 49% of enrollment but 75% of suspensions in the 2024-25 school year. If the latest investigation finds a civil rights violation, federal officials could seek a resolution agreement with MPS, with federal funding potentially at risk if the district ultimately refuses to comply.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Maryland school district adds cameras to 24 special education classrooms

Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland is expanding a pilot program that places video cameras in special education classrooms, with 24 additional classrooms across four schools receiving cameras from around October 1. The expansion follows an agreement with the district’s three labor unions and builds on an initial pilot launched in January, with the school board president aiming to equip all approximately 112 specialized program classrooms with cameras by 2030. The cameras record video, but not audio, and footage can only be accessed by authorized personnel for investigations into reported safety incidents, emergencies, or suspected student or staff misconduct. Parents can also request access through their school principal. The district and unions will hold quarterly reviews of when and why recordings have been accessed. The initiative was introduced following the October 2025 arrest of a former instructional assistant accused of sexually abusing students in special education classrooms.

EMPLOYMENT

NYC Mayor Mamdani challenges $10,000 school aide bonuses in collective bargaining fight

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is suing the City Council over the RESPECT Check Act, which would provide each public school paraprofessional with a $10,000 one-time “workforce stabilization” bonus. Mamdani argues that the unanimously approved measure violates New York’s Taylor Law by bypassing collective bargaining and undermining unions’ role in determining employee compensation, while his administration says it is already discussing longer-term solutions to paraprofessional shortages with the United Federation of Teachers. The City Council and UFT have rejected the mayor’s legal argument and pledged to defend the law, saying the bonuses could help address roughly 1,600 paraprofessional vacancies and reduce costs associated with special education staffing shortages. The dispute comes despite Mamdani having supported an earlier version of the measure in 2025 that would have provided recurring annual payments.

GOVERNANCE

Detroit schools appoint youth advocate as district expands career readiness push

The Detroit Public Schools Community District board has appointed 25-year-old philanthropist and youth advocate Jeremiah Steen to fill the seat left vacant by the death of board member Iris Taylor. Steen, who will serve through the end of December, said he hopes his appointment encourages greater involvement from younger Detroit residents and plans to focus on workforce development as the district rolls out a high school redesign emphasizing college and career readiness. Steen said he wants to ensure that credentials earned by students translate into jobs and greater economic mobility. His seat is among five on the ballot in the November 3 election, although Steen is not running this year.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Colleges face enrollment decline as demographic pressures reshape admissions

U.S. colleges are approaching a significant demographic shift as declining birthrates reduce the number of traditional college-age students, with enrollment forecast to fall 13% by 2041. The decline is already affecting parts of the Midwest and Northeast and is expected to increase financial and enrollment pressure on many institutions. However, fewer prospective students may not make admission easier at the most prestigious universities. A “flight to quality” is concentrating applications at highly selective private universities and prominent public institutions, as families increasingly question the value of a degree and focus on schools perceived to offer stronger career outcomes. Meanwhile, many regional and less-selective colleges are becoming easier to enter as their applicant pools shrink. Students are also responding to greater uncertainty by applying more widely. Common App users now submit nearly seven applications on average, up 46% since 2015-16, further intensifying competition at the most sought-after institutions even as the overall college-age population declines.

INTERNATIONAL

Bilingual teaching boosts science performance and engagement in South Africa

A study of 168 fourth-grade students at a Cape Town school found that teaching science in both isiXhosa and English improved academic performance and classroom engagement. Students taking a bilingual test achieved an 86% pass rate, compared with 51% among those taking an English-only test, while students also participated more actively in discussions and written work. Parents strongly supported the approach, saying bilingual materials helped them become more involved in their children’s education and connect classroom learning with everyday life. None expressed concern that using isiXhosa alongside English would disadvantage their children’s English development. The findings come as South Africa expands bilingual education into upper primary grades, with about 80% of its 12.7m public-school students learning in a language other than their home language. 

AND FINALLY......

Teacher defends classroom python blamed for Virginia middle school fire

An eight-foot python named Nanner has been blamed for contributing to a fire at Forest Middle School in Virginia, after investigators concluded that the snake escaped its enclosure and knocked over a heat fixture. The August 13 blaze caused water damage to eight classrooms, killed a tortoise, and destroyed much of life science teacher Brittany Jacobs’ teaching materials. Jacobs disputes the official explanation, arguing that surveillance footage showed the fire was already burning around 20 minutes before Nanner escaped the classroom. She said the snake’s enclosure had been locked, its damaged locks and soot-covered face suggested it forced its way out because of the heat, and nearby fixtures remained in place after the fire. Most affected classrooms were expected to reopen within days following cleanup, although the room where the fire originated could remain closed for up to a month.
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