Technology

Ed-Tech Policy

Education news, analysis, and opinion about technology policies at the school, district, state and federal levels.

See also: E-Rate

Featured Special Reports

Special Report Why Schools Need Tech. And Why They Don’t
Schools and state legislators are taking action to rebalance how much time students spend using technology.
April 20, 2026
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Special Report Laptops & Learning: How Technology Is Giving K-12 Education a New Look
Education Week examines the massive expansion in the use of laptops and digital curricula in K-12 and what it means for student learning. 
May 17, 2022
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Illustration by F. Sheehan/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty and E+)
Special Report K-12 Connectivity Challenges Now and After COVID-19
Internet connectivity at home emerged as a huge problem during COVID-19 and will likely continue to be the case for schools next fall.
March 10, 2021
A team of people build a path across the digital divide.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty

  • The Latest

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, shakes hands with the organizers of the event at the Hubert Humphrey Building in Washington on Sept. 1, 2026.
    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, shakes hands with the organizers of an event focused on the harms of student screen time at the Hubert Humphrey Building in Washington on Sept. 1, 2026. The symposium is part of HHS’s Live Real Life campaign, a national effort aimed at helping families, schools, and communities reduce harmful screen use and create more opportunities for children to engage in real-world experiences.
    Sarah L. Voisin For Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy RFK Jr. Calls for Children to Have 'Less Screen Time and More Real Life'
    Speakers at an event hosted by the Department of Health and Human Services discuss the harms of student screen time, and possible solutions.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, September 1, 2026
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    4 min read
    Photo illustration of an elementary-aged Caucasian boy with outstretched legs and a laptop on his lap. He is sitting on a very large cellphone propped up by four orange construction cones. The background is a montage of overlapping rectangle shapes with some ghosted images of young elementary students using a variety of tech (headphones and cellphones).
    Photo illustration by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
    Ed-Tech Policy Opinion Is the Backlash Against Tech in Schools Going Too Far?
    As schools rethink their relationship with tech, there are questions they should be asking.
    Lina Eroh, July 6, 2026
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    5 min read
    Debbie Castlen, a bus monitor for Daviess County Public Schools, sits in front of a parked school bus outfitted with wifi in the parking lot at Russell Shifley Park, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Owensboro, Ky. Castlen was working a 4-hour shift at the bus, which enables students without wifi at home to download their school assignments as the new school year begins with students working remotely.
    Debbie Castlen, a bus monitor for the Daviess County public schools, sits outside a school bus equipped with Wi-Fi at Russell Shifley Park in Owensboro, Ky., on Aug. 26, 2020, where she worked a shift helping students without home internet download assignments as the school year began remotely. The setup reflects the kind of connectivity effort now under scrutiny as federal officials review the future scope of the E-rate program.
    Greg Eans/The Messenger-Inquirer via AP
    Ed-Tech Policy FCC Launches Review of E-Rate Program Amid Screen Time Debate
    The end of the E-rate program would be an "existential threat" for schools, advocates say.
    Lauraine Langreo, June 8, 2026
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    4 min read
    Chairman Brendan Carr testifies before the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Subcommittee on Communications and Technology oversight hearing of the Federal Communications Commission at Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
    Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr testifies during a House committee oversight hearing of the FCC in Washington, on Jan. 14, 2026. Some education organizations opposed a measure the FCC recently approved to create a new bidding portal for federal E-rate funds.
    Jose Luis Magana/AP
    Ed-Tech Policy Education Groups Say New E-Rate Bidding Portal Will Hurt Small Districts Hardest
    Supporters of the measure say it will create a more transparent bidding process.
    Mark Walsh, May 1, 2026
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    3 min read
    A gif with web accessible icons around a computer screen with a magnifying glass.
    Shivendu Jauhari/Getty
    Ed-Tech Policy Schools Have Another Year to Make Websites Accessible. Why That Matters
    People with disabilities say inaccessible online content is a barrier to participating in public life.
    Evie Blad, April 28, 2026
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    4 min read
    Photos of board members decorate the walls inside LAUSD headquarters Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles.
    Photos of board members decorate the walls inside LAUSD headquarters Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Board of Education recently voted to limit screen time in classrooms.
    Damian Dovarganes/AP
    Ed-Tech Policy Nation's 2nd Largest District Moves to Limit Student Screen Use
    LAUSD will limit classroom screen time, emphasizing quality learning over device use.
    Lauraine Langreo & Arianna Prothero, April 24, 2026
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    5 min read
    Education Week opinion letters submissions
    Gwen Keraval for Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy Letter to the Editor Don’t Ban Phones, Limit Them
    Phones can be useful tools, says a high school student.
    April 24, 2026
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    1 min read
    In this Oct. 5, 1980, file photo, Nancy Armstrong, a teacher at the Marshall elementary school in Harrisburg, Pa., assists her students in the use of computers to aid them in their studies. Today’s grandparents may have fond memories of the “good old days,” but history tells us that adults have worried about their kids’ fascination with new-fangled entertainment and technology since the days of dime novels, radio, the first comic books and rock n’ roll.
    In this Oct. 5, 1980, file photo, Nancy Armstrong, a teacher at Marshall Elementary School in Harrisburg, Pa., assists her students in the use of computers to aid them in their learning. The debate about how much time students should spend using technology to learn has been around for decades, but is now heating up in Congress and state legislatures and creating some unlikely allies.
    Paul Vathis/AP
    Ed-Tech Policy Welcome to the 'Funky' Politics of the Tech in Schools Debate
    The Trump administration is cheerleading AI in schools as GOP lawmakers crack down on ed tech.
    Alyson Klein, April 20, 2026
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    9 min read
    Young people making posts, writing social network publications. Modern media influencer, poster & blogger man and woman using mobile phones app concept.
    Education Week + iStock
    Ed-Tech Policy Opinion We’re Finally Holding Tech Accountable for Harming Teens. What Happens Next?
    For young people, mitigating the risks of social media isn’t as simple as just logging off.
    Kaya Henderson, April 8, 2026
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    5 min read
    High school students eat lunch in the cafeteria on Dec. 5, 2025, in Spokane, Wash. While most states are banning cellphone use in school, one Connecticut district is pushing lawmakers to turn down a statewide ban.
    High school students eat lunch in the cafeteria on Dec. 5, 2025, in Spokane, Wash., while looking at their phones. While most states have passed restrictions on student cellphone use in school, leaders in one Connecticut district want their state lawmakers to turn down a statewide, "bell-to-bell" ban.
    Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy These School Leaders Don’t Want a Statewide Cellphone Ban. Here's Why
    As lawmakers consider a student cellphone ban, leaders of one district want to set their own policy.
    Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, February 23, 2026
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    3 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy Opinion What’s the Right Way to Limit Phones in School?
    A public health expert weighs in on how schools can cultivate healthy tech habits.
    Rick Hess, February 17, 2026
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    8 min read
    U.S. Map. This illustration is based on the image of modern society. Cellphones policy.
    iStock/Getty
    Ed-Tech Policy How Strong Are States' Student Cellphone Restrictions? New Analysis Grades Them
    Report about all 50 states brings a changing policy landscape into focus.
    Arianna Prothero, January 28, 2026
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    5 min read
    Students enter school in Spokane, Wash. on Dec. 3, 2025. Most teens surveyed said their school’s cellphone restrictions have had no impact on “making friends.”
    Students enter school in Spokane, Wash. on Dec. 3, 2025, with a posted reminder of the cellphone ban. In a new survey, most teens said their school’s cellphone restrictions have had no impact on “making friends.”
    Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy How Cellphone Bans Have Affected Students' Lives: What Teens Say
    A new survey asked teenagers if the restrictions affected their happiness and ability to make friends.
    Olina Banerji, January 28, 2026
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    4 min read
    Teacher on cellphone in classroom with blurred students in background.
    Education Week and Getty
    Ed-Tech Policy Teachers Like Cellphone Bans—But Not for Themselves
    Teachers say they need to use their phones for their work, but some administrators want rules in place.
    Olina Banerji, January 23, 2026
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    3 min read
    A student at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., briefly checks their phone during class on Dec. 3, 2025.
    A student at Ferris High School in Spokane, Wash., briefly checks their phone during class on Dec. 3, 2025. Teachers say there are some actions administrators can take that will cellphone restrictions easier to implement in the classroom.
    Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
    Ed-Tech Policy The Ingredients for a Successful Cellphone Ban: What Teachers Say
    One key component: support from school leaders.
    Olina Banerji, January 13, 2026
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    5 min read