Stay ahead in the K-12 marketing landscape with The WirED Marketer, our free newsletter, delivered 2x/month. Packed with actionable data and insights to help edmarketers drive meaningful results.
For full access to all issues, Subscribe Now .
Hey Marketing Pals!
This past week I heard someone say, “human is the new luxury,” and boy did it resonate.
I recently read Reuters’ Journalism, Media, and Tech Trends 2026 Report and it stated that only 7% of what you see on Instagram comes from friends and family. Seven percent! The rest are strangers and brands promoting products I didn’t know I needed.
And LinkedIn? It’s definitely better than the measly 7% of content, but there’s a suspicious number of em dashes in most posts (IYKYK). It feels a little vanilla.
And this is exactly why I keep writing this slightly random, not-very-polished note each and every time. So, thanks for humoring me here.
Today’s note admittedly has little to do with K-12 (back to our regularly scheduled programming next time around, promise!) but here’s my point: I think the future belongs to the brands (and people) willing to sound like actual humans. It’s imperfect at times, but that’s what makes it authentic.
And I’m SO here for it. Who’s with me?
ㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀
Your WirED Marketer,
—Melissa, Senior Director, Marketing at Education Week
P.S. — 📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ⠀⠀⠀⠀
ㅤㅤㅤ
✨ In this edition you’ll find:
- What EdWeek’s top stories are really telling us
- Why you should position products as empowering, not prescriptive
- ASU-GSV sessions you won’t want to miss
What’s Trending ✨
What EdWeek’s Top Stories Are Really Telling Us
If you want to know what’s keeping district leaders up at night, don’t start with an RFP, start with what they’re reading.
A quick scan of EdWeek’s most-read stories this year reveals something deeper than trending topics. It’s a shift in mindset. And for marketers selling into K-12, it’ll either be validating (yay, I’m on the right track!), or a moment to reflect and reprioritize how you go to market.
First, the stories on edweek.org with the highest engagement* in 2026 thus far. 👇
- Debates Over Math Teaching Are Heating Up. They Could Affect Classrooms
- What It Looks Like to Put Teachers in Charge of Their Own PD
- Should Teachers Allow Students to Redo Classwork?
- Congress Has Passed an Education Budget. See How Key Programs Are Affected
- The 3 Worst Words You Can Say to a Teacher
- I Adapted a Hospital Practice for Teacher Prep. It Was Transformative
- Education Groups Push $2.5 Billion Plan to Rebuild Teacher Preparation
*Engagement is a blended metric that includes total views, read time, social interactions, and on-article engagements, as reported by Metrics for News, a tool that EdWeek (and other publications like us) use.
DO THIS 👇 Actionable advice on marketing edtech 👇
Alright, so you looked at the list of the most popular articles. Now what? You might be asking yourself, “Ok, so what? As a marketer, what is this telling me?” I’m here to give you actionable guidance. When looking at that list, here’s what I see:
Trend #1: There’s a real appetite for autonomy in teaching. Position your product as empowering, not prescriptive.
At a quick glance, it looks like we’re seeing some shifts away from top-down mandates and toward teacher agency, flexibility, and professional judgment.
DO THIS 👇
- Reframe messaging from “standardized solution” to “teacher-driven flexibility.”
- Highlight things like, customization, choice, and adaptability at the classroom level.
- Consider taking an approach like this for campaign positioning, “Built for district goals. Designed for teacher autonomy.”
Trend #2: Debates over math teaching are heating up. The stakes are high and unsurprising; people have a lot of opinions.
DO THIS 👇
- Get specific about your instructional approach.
- Show alignment to state standards or current frameworks.
- Equip sales teams with language to navigate different district philosophies.
Trend #3: PD is not one-size-fits-all.
When it comes to packing, think about what unbundling your PD might look like—picture modular, self-directed PD instead of large programs that require teachers to take a full day off, find a sub, etc.
DO THIS 👇
- Highlight flexibility in your PD offerings:
- On demand
- Embedded in daily workflow
- Ease of use
POLL 📊
In the last edition, I asked your thoughts on Substack or beehiiv—thanks to those who wrote in! I heard from what I’d describe as quite a few beehiiv evangelists. Your responses are so helpful, keep ‘em coming!
This edition’s poll:
What does spring break mean to you?
| NADA, BUSINESS AS USUAL |
| NOSTALGIC—MTV IN THE ‘90s |
| A FAMILY TRIP (THINK DISNEY CRUISE, CEDAR POINT) |
| NONE OF THE ABOVE. STICK TO K-12 CONTENT, MMMKAY? |
Events on our Radar 📚
Sunny San Diego, here we come!
We’ve got a lot lined up for ASU-GSV 2026 and we’d love you to pop on over and join a session (or 5!)
Our sessions range from “Data Dive: Unveiling our New 2026 ‘State of the Industry’ Report” to “Peeking Behind the Curtain: Insights for K-12 Marketing and Sales” to “Inside District RFPs: What Administrators are Trying to Tell Companies” (and more!)
Register for one (or all) of them today. Space is limited, so do it now!
Meet An EdWeek-er👋
Jessica Cuellar, Deputy Managing Editor for Digital
Jess Cuellar is our deputy managing editor for digital here at EdWeek. When she’s not at work, she likes to play very mediocre piano, take slow jogs, and relax with her delightful yet unruly three boys.
Three words to describe yourself:
“Curious, Collaborative, Compassionate.”
What are you thinking about the most lately?
“I’m thinking about how to better connect our community with the stories happening inside our schools. That includes improving our content strategy, using analytics to guide what we publish, and making sure our stories reach our audience where they already are—whether that’s social media, email, or our website.
One thing I’m starting to think about more since starting the news product certification class through the News Product Alliance, is how to combine audience research, user needs and product-market fit when developing news products and tools that can best help our audiences solve problems and do their jobs better.”
What’s a trend you’ve been really into?
“I’m really interested in the rise of short-form video as a storytelling tool for K-12 leaders. More and more readers are consuming content in video form and newsrooms that prioritize quick, visual content are able to create and share impactful stories, relevant guides and answers to questions that leaders can quickly consume and share with their community.”
What topic are you currently following closely?
“I’m following the impact of AI in education—especially how schools balance the opportunities of AI tools with teaching students responsible use, critical thinking, and digital literacy.”
Say What?! 🦜
What we’ve heard at the watercooler, on social, out and about…
“Children are struggling today with self-discipline, self-control, stamina, and focus. We need more time, tools and support in teaching these skills and incorporating strategies with proven effectiveness into already existing curriculum.”
— Anonymous response from February 2026 EdWeek Research Center survey.
That’s all folks. Thanks for reading. See you again in 2 weeks.
Your WirED Marketer,
Melissa AND team, because every marketer knows, it takes a village.
📩 Did someone forward you this email? Sign up here.
What did you think of this newsletter?
😍 I LOVED IT, 10/10
🤔 It was ok, 5/10
😒 Needs improvement, 1/10
We can help you develop a successful campaign tailored to your unique marketing goals. To learn more, contact Advertising & Marketing Solutions Director Mike Bell at mbell@educationweek.org.