Q&A

These Q&As feature some of the field's most prominent education scholars, leaders, and practitioners talking about important education issues
Yamileth Escalera tosses a red foam cube into a container full of water during a pre-K prep program at Castleberry Elementary School in Fort Worth on June 29, 2026. The students had to guess whether their chosen object would float or sink when dropped in water.
During a pre-K prep program at Castleberry Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 29, 2026, Yamileth Escalera tosses a red foam cube into a container of water as part of an activity where students guess whether their chosen object will float or sink. Increasingly, students in pre-K and kindergarten are required to complete standardized assessments to measure their development and preparedness.
Elvis Martinez-Cartagena/Fort Worth Star-Telegram via TNS
Early Childhood Q&A This State Has a New Kindergarten Assessment—No Computer, Pen or Paper Required
The assessment evaluates 16 items in four separate foundational skills categories.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 24, 2026
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8 min read
This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin.
This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. There are simple steps schools can take to low the risk of cyclospora affecting students, a consultant to districts says.
CDC via AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A How Schools Should Manage the Cyclospora Outbreak
A consultant to school systems offers advice on food safety and messaging to families.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 23, 2026
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5 min read
Front view of a group of wooden cubes with icons representing persons. The main focus is on an angry person who has a cube over his head with a thought bubble full of insults
Education Week + iStock/Getty
School & District Management Q&A School Leaders Face More Parental Threats Than Teachers
Parental violence went up after the pandemic, directed most towards school administrators.
Olina Banerji, July 21, 2026
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5 min read
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi (2) and France's Kylian Mbappe (10) hug after the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, on July 9, 2026.
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi, in the red jersey, embraces France's Kylian Mbappe after the World Cup quarterfinal between France and Morocco on July 9, 2026. Mental health experts see creative options for engaging students through the competition.
Steven Senne/AP
Teaching Q&A How the World Cup Can Build Students' Sense of Belonging
A pair of healthcare researchers say simple activities tied to the mega-competition can support mental health.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 14, 2026
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8 min read
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Nintendo Switches, like the one the teenage boy is using above, are being used in the Denver Public Schools in an esports program designed to improve student engagement. Education Week recently talked to one of the educators involved in that program, who gave a presentation about it at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., June 28 to July 1.
Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo
Classroom Technology Q&A How This District Is Using Esports to Increase Student Engagement
An education technology specialist discusses an esports development program she created.
Lauraine Langreo, July 9, 2026
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4 min read
DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new addition at Raymond Elementary School on the first day of school, on Aug. 28, 2023, in Washington.
Lewis Ferebee, the then-chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Raymond Elementary School on the first day of school, on Aug. 28, 2023, in Washington. Ferebee was announced as EdReports’ new chief executive officer in May.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Curriculum Q&A Leader Says EdReports Is 'Evolving' and Still Critical for Curriculum Review
Lewis Ferebee says EdReports has responded to criticisms and is a useful tool in a sea of curriculum choices.
Mark Walsh, July 8, 2026
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5 min read
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Newly elected NEA President Princess Moss, photographed during the union's convention in Denver on July 6, 2026. Moss said she wants the union to improve its organizing capabilities.
Mark Makela for Education Week
Teaching Profession Q&A 'Organize, Organize, Organize': New NEA President Sees the Value in Everyday Engagement
The incoming leader of the nation's largest teachers' union focuses on engagement.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 7, 2026
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4 min read
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NEA President Becky Pringle is photographed backstage during the NEA Representative Assembly in Denver on July 5, 2026. 5,800 delegates from all over the country are participating in the four-day-long union convention.
Mark Makela for Education Week<br/>
Teaching Profession Q&A NEA's Outgoing President Reflects on a Turbulent Tenure—And the Need for 'Continuous Organizing'
The outgoing head of nation's largest teachers' union discusses how she's helped reposition it to respond to new challenges.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 5, 2026
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5 min read
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Roberta Freitas presents at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 29. Freitas spoke about the concept of unplugged AI, in which educators teach students about the fundamentals of the tech without immersing them in it.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How to Use Paper to Teach About AI and Cutting-Edge Tech
Low-tech activities can help students develop a richer understanding of implications and mechanics of AI.
Arianna Prothero, June 30, 2026
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3 min read
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025.
Timothy Rimke reads during Casey Cuny's English class at Valencia High School in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Aug. 27, 2025. Teachers face the challenge of helping students become writers with their own voices in the presence of generative AI tools.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How an English Teacher Helps Students Find Their Voices in the Age of AI
Students' voices are lost when AI does most of the thinking, a teacher says.
Lauraine Langreo, June 29, 2026
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3 min read
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Teachers participate in a team exercise at the first training session of the National Academy for AI Instruction on March 18, 2026, at UFT headquarters in New York City. Experts say teachers need more professional development opportunities around how to use AI to improve instruction.
Salwan Georges for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Q&A Educators Offer Advice on AI's Role in Workforce Development
Teachers’ use of AI varies widely, based on how much training and guidance they’ve received.
Lauraine Langreo, June 25, 2026
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4 min read
Students embrace Sage, a therapy dog, at Valley View Elementary on April 29, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn.
Students embrace a therapy dog at an elementary school in Columbia Heights, Minn., on April 29, 2026. Efforts to help kids improve their social and emotional well-being need to be combined with schools taking a hard look at how they are contributing to high levels of student stress, experts say.
Ellen Schmidt/MinnPost via AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Is SEL a Band-Aid Patching Over Schools' Systemic Problems?
Why schools need to take a hard look at how their decisions heighten student stress.
Arianna Prothero, June 24, 2026
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3 min read
LuAnn Oliver's son, who is in 6th grade, demonstrates how he uses an iPad for his classes during a May 9, 2026 gathering at Oliver's house in Arlington, Va. A group of parents were there to discuss ways to encourage schools to limit screen time. Concerns about the overuse of technology in schools are rising across the country.
LuAnn Oliver's son, who is in 6th grade, demonstrates how he uses an iPad for his classes during a May 9, 2026, gathering at Oliver's house in Arlington, Va. A group of parents were there to discuss ways to encourage schools to limit screen time. Concerns about the overuse of technology in schools are rising across the country.
Kevin Wolf/AP
Classroom Technology Q&A How Schools Can Limit Screen Time, But Still Use Tech Effectively
A district leader discusses how adolescent brain development and screen use affect learning.
Lauraine Langreo, June 23, 2026
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5 min read
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First and 2nd graders play during a mid-morning recess at William F. Prisk Elementary School in Long Beach, Calif. on May 20, 2026 . The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its recess recommendations this year for the first time in 13 years, recommending a minimum of 20 minutes of recess daily.
Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A What Students Lose When Recess Is Squeezed Out of the Schedule
Two professors discuss why recess is not a priority in the education system and equity issues amongst students.
Jennifer Vilcarino, June 23, 2026
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6 min read