McMahon's 'National Call to Action' Presses Colleges on Reform

U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon asked every college to publish, by the end of 2026, a public statement on admissions transparency, free speech, affordability, academic rigor and national service. The letter sets no penalties and conditions no funding.

HHS Proposes a Sweeping Head Start Overhaul

A proposed rule would loosen or eliminate more than 1,400 provisions and shift authority to states. Officials say cutting the admin-cost cap from 15% to 5% could free $2.2 billion and serve up to 268,000 more children; providers warn it could weaken the program.

Vaccine Executive Order Targets School Mandates as Measles Surges

A new order recognizes 11 core childhood immunizations, calls for splitting the MMR shot, and directs challenges to states whose school vaccine laws it disputes. States still set school entry requirements, so the classroom impact remains uncertain.

Back to School 2026: Phones Banned, AI Screened

As students returned this week, districts rolled out their strictest tech policies yet - bell-to-bell phone bans, tighter screen-time limits, and rules treating unauthorized AI use as an integrity violation.

Measles Hits a 35-Year High as the School Year Opens

The CDC has confirmed more than 2,465 measles cases in 2026 - already past all of 2025. Some 93% of patients were unvaccinated or of unknown status, and 68% are 19 or younger, adding pressure on school nurses.

'It Wouldn't Be Head Start Anymore': Providers Push Back

Early-childhood experts warned that loosening class-size, health-screening and parent-involvement rules could make Head Start resemble commercial childcare and erode a consistent national standard.

Cellphone Restrictions Now Reach Most of the Country

At least 38 states and D.C. now require districts to ban or restrict student phone use, with 28 adopting full bell-to-bell policies. A Pew survey found 77% of adults support banning phones during class.

Teachers Are Using AI - Often Without Any Training

As AI becomes ordinary in classrooms, many teachers say they aren't getting good guidance on using it well - echoing new K12 Academics research featured above: 60% of teachers now use AI, and most received no training.

Special Education Data and a Lawsuit Against the Education Department

This week's policy tracking spanned new figures on written state special-education complaints and a fresh lawsuit against the U.S. Education Department, part of a busy stretch shaping services for students with disabilities.

The Changing Character of Kindergarten

A widely shared analysis argued kindergarten is shifting away from discovery, creativity and social-emotional foundations toward formal academics - a debate with fresh urgency as the youngest students head back.