The Nation’s Two Largest Districts Hit Pause on Student AI

New York City announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI for grades 2-K through 8, along with new screen-time limits, affecting nearly 600,000 students — about two-thirds of the system. Announced Sept. 2 by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Chancellor Kamar Samuels, the policy disables AI features in dozens of previously approved programs and allows only limited, vetted pilots in high schools. Days later, Los Angeles Unified adopted its own restrictions on student generative AI — so the country’s two biggest districts now sharply limit classroom AI as the year begins.

Treasury and IRS Move to Tie Tax-Exempt Status to Race-Neutral Policies

A proposed rule from the Treasury Department and the IRS, “Racial Nondiscrimination in Private Schools,” would deny 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status to private schools, colleges and universities that weigh race in admissions, scholarships, aid, athletics or other programs. Officials say it aligns federal guidance with recent Supreme Court rulings; Treasury estimates up to 18,000 institutions could be affected, while race-neutral criteria such as income, geography or first-generation status — and genuine religious missions — would be preserved. Opened for a 60-day comment period on Sept. 4, the proposal is widely expected to draw legal challenges.

Psychologists: On Ed Tech, “Engagement” Isn’t the Same as Learning

A new American Psychological Association expert report warns that time-on-app, clicks and rewards don’t equal learning — and cautions that generative AI can lift a student’s immediate performance while leaving the underlying knowledge undeveloped. Written for families, educators and product developers, it offers 10 recommendations, including insisting on independent (not vendor-funded) evidence and watching which students actually benefit. Its core test: what a child can do once the app is closed.

Six-Country Study Finds COVID’s Toll on Kids Was Milder Than Feared

New research synthesizing 17 long-term studies across six countries, published in the journal Child Development, finds that most children’s learning, health and wellbeing recovered substantially in the years since the pandemic. Rather than a universal “learning loss,” the setbacks that persisted were concentrated among children who already faced other risks before COVID hit — a reminder that context, not the pandemic alone, shaped outcomes.

New Data: Where Teachers Actually Go When They Leave

An analysis from the consulting group ERS tracked teacher turnover across six states from 2020 to 2025 and found that many “departures” are really moves within a school or district — a factor often left out of turnover math. While turnover hasn’t fully returned to pre-pandemic levels, the researchers argue that better staffing plans and stronger support for special-education and early-career teachers could make for far steadier schools.

Chronic Absenteeism Meets a New Fix: “School-Avoidance Liaisons”

With chronic absenteeism still well above pre-pandemic levels, New York City is requiring every school to designate a trained “school-avoidance liaison” this fall to help students who miss class because of anxiety, depression or other social-emotional disabilities. Spurred by a class-action settlement, the role emphasizes early outreach to families and gradual re-entry over blame — an approach other districts are watching closely.

A New Clock for International Students Starts Sept. 15

A federal rule replacing the long-standing “duration of status” system with fixed admission periods — generally capped at four years — takes effect Sept. 15 for international students and exchange visitors. Colleges are bracing for added paperwork and extension requests amid visa backlogs, and warn that the uncertainty could push global talent toward competing countries just as new international enrollment softens.

A Global Week for Literacy — and for Schools Under Attack

UNESCO marks the 60th International Literacy Day on Sept. 8 with a global celebration in Mexico and its International Literacy Prizes, followed on Sept. 9 by the International Day to Protect Education from Attack, themed “Can education survive attack?” The back-to-back observances spotlight both the unfinished global push for literacy and the rising number of assaults on students, teachers and schools in conflict zones.

Texas Governor Pushes to Bar H-1B Visas for Public-School Teachers

Gov. Greg Abbott is calling for legislation to prohibit Texas public schools from employing teachers on H-1B visas — a tool districts use to fill hard-to-staff roles in subjects like math, bilingual education and world languages. If passed next year, Texas could become the first state to ban the practice; Dallas ISD alone employs scores of such teachers, and the move could prompt similar debates in other states.

Colleges Open the Fall Under Financial and Enrollment Pressure

As campuses welcome students back, analysts describe a squeeze: a demographic “enrollment cliff,” softening international enrollment, higher endowment taxes and what one ratings agency calls “adversarial” federal policy. With sector revenue projected to grow more slowly than costs this year, tuition-dependent colleges are the most exposed — fueling more merit aid, program cuts and, in some cases, mergers or closures.