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USA
22nd October 2026
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THE HOT STORY

Congressional Democrats introduce legislation to limit early elementary class sizes

U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) has introduced legislation proposing a $2bn federal grant program to reduce class sizes in kindergarten through third grade at low-income public elementary schools. The Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act, backed by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA) and Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), would provide competitive grants to help school districts limit classes to no more than 18 students. Funding could support teacher recruitment, hiring, professional development, classroom expansion, and school building renovations. Brown has emphasized that smaller classes would allow educators to provide more individualized instruction, potentially improving student engagement and academic achievement. The proposal comes amid nationwide teacher shortages, staffing pressures, and constrained education budgets that have contributed to larger classrooms. Additional Democratic senators, including Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), have joined as cosponsors of the legislation.

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.

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LEADERSHIP

Five leadership changes to boost teacher morale and reduce staff turnover

U.S. school administrators are being urged to prioritize teacher appreciation, professional development, and workplace belonging as new research reveals that one in four educators plans to leave their job within the next year. Research from the Walton Family Foundation, Gallup, and The Mattering Institute found that 41% of teachers who feel they do not belong intend to leave, compared with just 12% of those who feel supported. Only 19% of teachers could identify someone at their school who actively invests in their professional growth. To improve morale and reduce burnout, researchers recommend five measures: making recognition routine, encouraging administrators to regularly acknowledge teachers, increasing leadership visibility, balancing workloads with appropriate support, and providing opportunities for creative teaching. The findings highlight the importance of fostering a supportive school culture to improve teacher retention.

POLICY

Baltimore City Schools CEO outlines strategic priorities after first 100 days

On Wednesday Baltimore City Public Schools chief executive Dr. Jermaine Dawson outlined his priorities following his first 100 days leading the district, emphasizing community engagement, operational improvements, and stronger neighborhood schools. Dawson, who succeeded Dr. Sonja Santelises, has spent his initial months gathering feedback from students, families, educators, and community members, identifying three key priorities: preserving successful initiatives, improving everyday operations, and building schools that earn community confidence. To translate this feedback into action, Dawson has announced a transition team comprising more than 200 participants, including students and senior staff members. The group will meet three times between November and January to review community input and help establish the district's strategic direction. Dawson has emphasized his commitment to ensuring every student feels valued, supported, and equipped with opportunities for future success.

ENROLLMENT

West Virginia public school enrollment drops 3.5%, raising concerns over funding

West Virginia's public schools have recorded their second-largest annual enrollment decline since the COVID-19 pandemic, losing 8,270 students in the 2026-27 school year. Enrollment across the state's 55 county districts fell 3.5% to 226,687 students, representing an 18.3% decrease since 2015-16. Declining enrollment has intensified financial pressures because state funding is heavily tied to student numbers, contributing to staffing cuts, budget reductions, and school closures. Nearly 140 schools have closed since 2011. State education officials have proposed reforms that would account for poverty, special education needs, rural communities, and other factors, with some changes potentially costing up to $190m. Meanwhile, the expansion of the Hope Scholarship voucher program, which now serves more than 25,000 students and has a $297m budget, has prompted legal challenges over its financial impact on public schools.

NUTRITION

Federal SNAP reductions leave fewer students eligible for free school meals

US school districts have reported rising student lunch debt and reductions in universal free meal programs following federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which have reduced eligibility for school meal assistance. More than 5m Americans, including an estimated 2m children, have lost SNAP benefits since last year, while the average number of students receiving free school lunches declined by 600,000 to 20.7m between fiscal years 2025 and 2026. Schools are increasingly losing access to the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides federal funding for free meals to all students at qualifying campuses. In Indiana, Knox Community School Corporation has accumulated $10,000 in lunch debt, while a San Antonio district reported more than $25,000 in unpaid balances during the first six weeks of school, an 83% increase. Districts in Houston, Miami-Dade, and Virginia have also reduced free meal coverage, raising concerns about food insecurity, financial pressures on families, and growing school budget shortfalls.

TECHNOLOGY

Staten Island school pioneers virtual therapy studio

Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical Education High School in Staten Island is preparing to open a nearly $500,000 student wellness studio featuring holographic technology designed to improve access to mental health services. Developed in partnership with S.I.C. Film School, the facility will use technology from Proto Hologram to project life-sized, three-dimensional images of remote therapists, making McKee the company's first K-12 school customer. The studio will also feature relaxation spaces, podcast recording facilities, and opportunities for students to create holographic content promoting mental well-being. Supported in part by Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella, the initiative comes amid concerns about declining adolescent mental health in New York City. However, questions remain about therapist availability, student privacy protections, and the effectiveness of holographic sessions compared with conventional telehealth services. School officials hope the project could eventually serve as a model for other schools, subject to funding availability.

OPERATIONS

Conservatives unite for classical education

Conservatives are collaborating to expand classical Christian schools through new taxpayer-funded scholarships, making half of U.S. school-age children eligible for state funding for private education. The Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS), led by President David Goodwin, aims to establish 5,000 new schools over the next decade, potentially serving 1.5m students. Goodwin said: “It sounds like a very ambitious goal, but this money has never been there before.” Critics express concerns about the impact on public schools and church-state separation. The recent Texas program, which allocates $1bn for private education, has already transformed access to Christian education, with many families utilizing state funding. However, the initiative raises questions about the blurred lines between public and private education. Rachel Laser, head of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, remarked: “It's an abject violation of religious freedom to force a taxpayer to fund a school that discriminates against their faith.”

LEGAL

Judges dismiss lawsuit challenging Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships

Tennessee's Education Freedom Scholarships program has survived a legal challenge after a three-judge panel in Davidson County Chancery Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by parents against Gov. Bill Lee and state education officials. The plaintiffs argued that the taxpayer-funded voucher program violated Tennessee's constitutional Education Clause by diverting public funding from under-resourced schools to private institutions. However, the court rejected those claims in its October 19 ruling, allowing the program to continue. Launched in 2025, the initiative provides state funding to eligible students for private K-12 tuition and other educational expenses, with 35,000 students receiving vouchers worth $7,530 each for the 2026-27 school year. The lawsuit was supported by civil rights organizations, including the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center, while school choice advocacy groups backed families defending the program.

SAFETY AND SECURITY

National survey finds 80% of students oppose all-day cellphone bans over safety concerns

A national survey by Hopelab and Data for Progress has found that 80% of students oppose all-day cellphone bans in schools, citing concerns about their ability to communicate during emergencies, including school shootings and lockdowns. The survey, which included nearly 1,500 young people ages 13 to 24, found that 64% supported restrictions on cellphone use during classes, highlighting a preference for targeted measures rather than blanket prohibitions. Among high school respondents, 80% attended schools with cellphone restrictions, while 42% reported full-day bans. Approximately 42 states and Washington, D.C., have introduced school cellphone restrictions, with some districts implementing bell-to-bell bans. Researchers have urged schools to establish clear emergency communication protocols and provide accommodations for students who rely on assistive technologies, including translation and reading tools, while balancing safety concerns with efforts to reduce classroom distractions.

SCHOOL TRANSPORT

Columbus schools weigh $7.2m in transportation savings

Columbus City Schools is considering replacing traditional high school bus services with Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) transportation as part of efforts to reduce costs. District officials have presented three options, including eliminating school busing entirely, providing students with COTA passes, or retaining school buses for students facing difficult public transit connections. The proposals could save between $4.8m and $7.2m annually. However, concerns remain over COTA's reliability after the agency missed more than 32,000 scheduled trips during the first eight months of 2026, partly because of battery-related restrictions affecting its electric buses. More than 4,200 high school students currently rely on traditional school transportation. Officials are developing safety, accessibility, and infrastructure improvements, with a final proposal expected by the end of December.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Federal court rulings stand as Trump administration drops student loan forgiveness appeals

The Trump administration has dropped two appeals challenging federal court rulings that blocked proposed changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program, which provides student debt relief to eligible public-sector and nonprofit employees after ten years of qualifying payments. The administration had sought to give Education Secretary Linda McMahon authority to exclude employers deemed to have a "substantial illegal purpose," potentially affecting organizations supporting undocumented immigrants and transgender youth. Federal judges in Massachusetts and Washington blocked the changes, finding that the rules exceeded the Education Department's authority and raised constitutional concerns over free speech. The Justice Department has now withdrawn both appeals without explanation, leaving the rulings in place. Advocacy groups have welcomed the decision, which preserves existing protections for a program that has forgiven student loans for more than 1m Americans.

INTERNATIONAL

Study finds South African teachers need better training to tackle classroom inequality

South Africa’s teacher training programs are failing to adequately prepare future educators to challenge the social and economic inequalities affecting schools, according to a study of 24 final-year student teachers. The research, carried out by Nhlanhla Mpofu of the University of Notre Dame Australia, found that 19 participants focused primarily on technical teaching skills, including lesson planning, classroom management, and curriculum delivery, rather than examining how poverty, language barriers, and inadequate resources affect students. Only five demonstrated deeper critical reflection, largely supported by mentors who encouraged discussions about fairness, privilege, and social justice. The study identified mentor teachers as a key influence on whether trainees questioned educational inequalities or simply adapted to existing conditions. Mpofu argues that universities must strengthen reflective teaching practices to help schools address, rather than reinforce, South Africa’s longstanding inequalities.
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