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30th September 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Global teacher shortages worsen as schools struggle to recruit qualified educators

Teacher shortages are becoming an increasingly widespread global challenge, with nearly 40% of 15-year-olds attending schools where principals said staffing shortages hindered instruction in 2025, up from 27% in 2018, according to OECD data. The share of teachers working without full certification has also increased in two-thirds of countries reporting data, with nearly one in 10 primary and secondary teachers across OECD countries not fully qualified in 2025. Schools are struggling particularly to recruit qualified STEM educators, while growing demand for special education and multilingual-learner support is adding to staffing requirements despite declining student enrollment in many countries. In the U.S., teachers generally work longer hours and spend more time teaching than the OECD average, but report comparatively strong morale and satisfaction with employment conditions beyond salary. The U.S. also draws more heavily on career changers, with 16.3% of teachers having previously spent at least a decade in another profession, nearly double the OECD average of 8.4%. The OECD argues that improving working conditions, leadership, career opportunities, and how teachers’ time is structured will be important to attracting and retaining educators.

INSTRUCTIONAL COHERENCE

No More Patchwork Literacy: Teachers Need Cohesive Resources

How can you spend more time teaching instead of countless hours scouring the internet for engaging authentic texts, supplemental worksheets, foundational skills support, standards-aligned activities, or assessments that pinpoint student progress? Piecing together fragmented resources isn’t just exhausting; it creates inconsistent learning experiences for students who need steady, structured growth. When instructional tools lack alignment across grade levels, critical skills fall through the cracks during key transitions. You shouldn't have to act as a curriculum designer on top of everything else you do.

Educators deserve a unified, evidence-based instructional approach that meets every learner, from PreK through high school, at their precise point of need. Consistent, high-quality materials free teachers to focus on what matters most: delivering impactful, engaging instruction.

Discover how a unified PreK-12 literacy strategy empowers teachers and elevates student reading outcomes.

 

FINANCE

Proposition 3 campaign seeks to preserve billions in California school funding

California teachers unions are campaigning heavily for Proposition 3, a November ballot measure that would make permanent higher state income tax rates on the top 2% of earners that have been in place since 2012 and are otherwise due to expire in 2031. According to the article, the measure is projected to generate $5bn-$15bn annually for the state’s general fund, with 40%, or $2bn-$6bn, going to schools and community colleges. The Yes on 3 campaign had raised $46.8m as of September 24, including $33.3m from the California Teachers Association and $10m from the National Education Association, while the opposition had raised $5,500. Teachers are also canvassing statewide, with more than 1,200 educators knocking on nearly 39,000 doors during a September 19 campaign event. A September 25 UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies survey cited by the article found 54% support for Proposition 3, 40% opposition, and 13% undecided.

Texas Education Agency requests $97.3bn for 2028-29 school funding

The Texas Education Agency has requested $97.3bn for K-12 education initiatives and staffing for the 2028-29 biennium, up from about $91bn in the current state budget. The request includes approximately $49.6bn for fiscal 2027-28 and $47.7bn for fiscal 2028-29, with most funding expected to flow through the agency to school districts. Education Commissioner Mike Morath said the proposal would preserve all public school funding through the Foundation School Program and other initiatives. During public testimony, some participants called for a larger increase in the basic allotment, which rose by $55 last year to $6,215 per student, while the state comptroller’s office has separately requested doubling funding for the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program to $2bn.

NUTRITION

Federal proposals target school meal costs and access for military families

Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) have introduced The Healthy Meals Help Kids Learn Act, a piece of legislation that would permanently increase federal reimbursement rates for free, reduced-price, and paid school meals by 45 cents for lunch and 28 cents for breakfast, with annual adjustments, as school nutrition programs face rising food, labor, and equipment costs. A survey of 1,240 school meal program directors found that 99% reported needing additional funding, while 70% said current reimbursement rates were insufficient to cover the cost of producing school lunches. Heinrich and Kim have also introduced legislation that would expand access to free and reduced-price meals for military families by excluding the basic allowance for housing from income eligibility calculations and examining options for directly certifying military children for meal programs.

TECHNOLOGY

Meta adds new Instagram tools for nearly 17,000 participating schools

Meta has expanded Instagram’s school partnership program in the U.S., introducing additional features designed to connect schools and students as the company faces increased scrutiny over teen safety. Nearly 17,000 schools have joined the program, and Meta is creating a centralized hub for school-related accounts. Verified students at participating schools will gain access to features including directories for clubs and teams, school-specific Stories, and Notes for announcements, while verified schools will receive new Channels and Notes tools to communicate with students, parents, and the wider school community. The expansion follows Meta’s agreement in August to pay up to $18bn over the next decade and impose restrictions on teenagers’ use of Facebook and Instagram to resolve claims that its platforms were designed to addict children.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

Georgia rolls out statewide threat assessment model for K-12 schools

Georgia schools will soon have access to a statewide Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management framework designed to identify concerning behaviors, assess potential risks, and connect individuals with appropriate resources before situations escalate into violence. Developed by the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency over approximately six years, the model will help public and private K-12 schools establish their own threat assessment programs while using existing student, employee, and community resources. Several school systems have already completed training and reported interventions involving individuals displaying concerning behaviors, and the statewide rollout will expand on those efforts with a standardized approach focused on prevention and early intervention.

CURRICULUM

AP Computer Science and Seminar courses set for AI-focused changes

The College Board is redesigning AP Computer Science Principles and AP Seminar beginning in the 2027-28 school year as artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly affects teaching and student work. AP Computer Science Principles will incorporate AI and machine learning across its curriculum and introduce an AI Create Project requiring students to develop an application using AI. AP Seminar will teach appropriate uses of generative AI but require students to draft and edit essays submitted for AP scoring in a secure environment without access to the technology. The changes follow feedback from thousands of AP teachers, who broadly recognize the importance of AI literacy while expressing concerns about critical thinking, independent work, and unreliable AI-detection tools. The College Board also plans additional professional development to help educators implement the redesigned courses.

Military schools undergo curriculum overhaul under Hegseth education agenda

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA), which operates around 160 schools serving approximately 66,000 children of U.S. service members, is undergoing significant changes under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Pentagon is increasing its emphasis on “classical education,” expanding school choice, restricting hundreds of books, and introducing centralized reading requirements, including a mandate for teachers to teach two novels from an approved list using prescribed lesson plans. Schools have also restricted certain materials and activities related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, gender identity, Women’s History Month, and Black History Month. The changes are being introduced despite DoDEA students historically performing above national averages on federally mandated tests. The system has launched an online history of the West course, plans further classical education initiatives, and is offering the Classical Learning Test to 11th and 12th graders, with the exam set to be accepted by the three major U.S. service academies beginning in the 2027 academic year.

 
CNN

HEALTH & WELLBEING

Lawmakers seek answers over delayed COVID-19 vaccine access for children

Top Senate Democrats are pressing federal health officials over an apparent monthlong delay in making COVID-19 vaccines available through the Vaccines for Children Program, which provides free immunizations to more than half of U.S. children, including those covered by Medicaid and those who are uninsured or underinsured. The vaccines received FDA approval on August 27, but states were not able to begin ordering doses through the program until September 23. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Edward Markey (D-MA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) have asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to explain the delay and ensure distribution continues without further interruption. HHS said the vaccines are now available for states to order and argued that COVID-19 vaccine procurement does not follow the same deadlines as vaccines for more predictable seasonal illnesses because the virus circulates year-round.

CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION

U-46 outlines $62.6m plan for school renovations and infrastructure upgrades

Illinois School District U-46 plans to spend nearly $62.6m on 25 construction and infrastructure projects, in addition to school construction, expansions, and renovations already underway. Major projects include an estimated $14.6m remodeling of Elgin High School’s science wing, a $6.13m parking lot project at Bartlett High School, and a $4.53m final phase of roof replacement at Larkin High School. More than 20 infrastructure projects will address HVAC systems, paving, water lines, fire alarms, intercoms, security, lighting, and other facilities. About $3.3m of the funding will come from the district’s health and life safety fund, with the remainder earmarked from its operations and maintenance fund.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Ken Griffin donates record $3bn to Carnegie Mellon

Citadel chief executive Ken Griffin is donating $3bn to Carnegie Mellon University, the largest individual gift to higher education in U.S. history, including $2bn to establish a new campus in Miami and $1bn for the university’s main Pittsburgh campus. The 35-acre Miami campus, located in Wynwood, will focus on technology and innovation, including artificial intelligence, health and biological discovery, national security, energy and climate resilience, and advanced manufacturing. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with the first students expected in 2028, and the campus is eventually projected to support more than 3,500 students, nearly 300 faculty members, and more than 600 staff. Griffin will also join Carnegie Mellon’s Board of Trustees, while its Pittsburgh computer science building will be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science.

Education Department extends student loan interest rate discount deadline

The U.S. Department of Education has extended the deadline for federal student loan borrowers to enroll in automatic payments and receive a one percentage point interest rate reduction until December 31, with the benefit lasting through June 30, 2028, once borrowers enroll. Nearly 2m borrowers have signed up for autopay since the discount became available over the summer, compared with the typical 0.25 percentage point reduction offered for automatic payments. The discount applies to eligible Direct Loans, including Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, Direct PLUS, and Direct Consolidation Loans, provided they were disbursed on or after July 1, 2012, and are in good standing. FFEL and private student loans are not eligible.

INTERNATIONAL

Hundreds detained as school protests escalate across France

High school protests across France have escalated over concerns including teacher shortages, overcrowded classes, demanding schedules, inadequate facilities, and overheated classrooms, with demonstrations or disruptions affecting hundreds of schools. Some protests turned violent, with students setting fires and throwing objects at police, who responded with batons and tear gas; Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said 440 people were detained nationwide, most of them minors, while 10 students and staff members were reported injured. The demonstrations coincided with nationwide public-sector strikes and protests over the government’s budget, adding to political tensions between the government and La France Insoumise, whose politicians have supported the student movement. 
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