01

Education Department Overhaul Advances — and Hits Bipartisan Resistance

The biggest national story remains the transfer of Education Department functions to other agencies — civil-rights enforcement toward the Justice Department and special-education staff toward Health and Human Services, even as the IDEA program stays put. This week the effort met its clearest pushback yet: the Senate’s education committee voted 13–9 to advance S. 5046, a bipartisan bill that would bar the department from relocating four core offices — special education, postsecondary, elementary and secondary, and Indian education. Two Republicans joined Democrats in support; Secretary Linda McMahon and other officials argue the agreements are misunderstood and need more time to prove out. Fully dissolving the department would require an act of Congress, which the vote suggests is unlikely.

02

School Bus Driver Shortages Persist Into Back-to-School

As campuses reopen, transportation remains the top operational worry. A new July readiness survey of transportation leaders found driver shortages are still the single biggest challenge heading into 2026–27, and industry reporting shows roughly four in five districts short-staffed, with about a quarter having cut or shortened routes. With an aging workforce and split-shift schedules driving turnover, districts are leaning on routing technology, stop consolidation, staggered bell times, and alternative transportation partnerships to cover hard-to-serve trips rather than waiting for the labor market to recover.

03

AI in Education: Teachers Want Clear Guidance, Not Bans

The dominant back-to-school conversation is how teachers should actually use generative AI. Educators are asking for practical district policies, real professional development, and classroom-ready guidance rather than blanket prohibitions. More than thirty states have now issued AI guidance, and deadlines are converging — Ohio required every district to adopt an AI-use policy, Illinois released a lengthy framework, and Maryland districts must align local policies this fall — while Boston moves to make AI literacy a graduation requirement. Surveys consistently name academic integrity as the top worry for teachers and students alike, keeping the real question front and center: when does AI genuinely support learning?

04

Parental Rights and Federal Investigations

The U.S. Department of Education announced a cluster of investigations this week centered on parental notification, student privacy, and Title IX compliance. Its Student Privacy Policy Office opened inquiries involving districts in Washington and Colorado and a state education agency in Minnesota, and found a Massachusetts district had violated a federal survey opt-out law — following earlier actions in Maryland and Michigan. The department frames the effort as reinforcing parents’ rights to review materials and opt children out; several of the underlying questions remain contested. Regardless of perspective, the investigations are already shaping how districts write and communicate their policies.

05

New Heat-Safety Rules Take Effect for Student Athletics

Extreme summer heat is reshaping how schools run fall practices. In Texas, a University Interscholastic League mandate took effect August 1 requiring every member school to monitor Wet Bulb Globe Temperature — which accounts for humidity, wind, and solar radiation, not just air temperature — and to modify or stop outdoor athletics and marching-band activities based on real-time readings, with required rest and hydration breaks and rapid-cooling zones. The change, prompted in part by heat-related student-athlete tragedies, moves long-standing recommendations into enforced standards, and athletic directors nationwide are reviewing their own emergency protocols before practices ramp up.

06

The Future of Innovative School Models

The closure this summer of The Primary School — the tuition-free, whole-child model co-founded by Priscilla Chan that integrated health care and family support with academics — has renewed debate about philanthropy-driven education. Backed through the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the two California campuses served hundreds of low-income families before shutting at the end of the 2025–26 year, with CZI pledging roughly $50 million to ease the transition as students move into a nearby public district. The episode has sparked broader conversations about wraparound services, governance, and what makes bold education innovation sustainable when a single funder’s priorities shift.

07

Back-to-School Planning Ramps Up Nationwide

Across the country, districts are shifting from summer programming to full academic operations — finalizing calendars, hiring and onboarding staff, preparing classrooms, and posting board-meeting agendas for the new year. Families are moving in step: national retail data points to record back-to-school spending even as affordability stays top of mind, with many parents starting early to stretch their budgets. It’s the annual reset — a good moment to compare schools, programs, and providers before the first bell. (Our Back-to-School Toolkit above is built for exactly this.)

MOST-SEARCHED RESOURCES

What educators and administrators are looking for most as the new year begins.

AI Classroom Policy Toolkit

Ready-to-adapt policy language, lesson ideas, and responsible-use guidance for districts and teachers.

TeachAI Toolkit →  |  ISTE AI Resources →

Back-to-School Administrator Checklist

Start-of-year checklists and planning guides for leaders — including our own toolkit built for this season.

K12 Academics Toolkit →  |  Edutopia Back-to-School →

Parent Communication Templates

Family-engagement resources and outreach templates to keep communication clear and consistent.

Colorín Colorado →  |  Panorama Resources →

School Safety & Heat Preparedness

Authoritative heat-illness prevention and athletics safety guidance for the fall season.

Korey Stringer Institute →  |  NFHS Sports Safety →

Teacher Professional Development

Webinars, courses, and educator toolkits on instruction, classroom management, and ed tech.

edWeb Free Webinars →  |  ASCD Professional Learning →

Attendance Improvement Strategies

Data tools and proven, non-punitive strategies to reduce chronic absenteeism.

School Transportation Planning

Routing, recruitment, and operations resources for stretched transportation departments.

School Transportation News →  |  School Bus Fleet →

Funding & Grants

Classroom funding and grant opportunities for schools and educators.

DonorsChoose →  |  Grants.gov →