Communications

Collage illustration of a teacher meeting with a parent and student. There is a close-up image of hands typing on a keyboard in the background with binary code and motherboard-inspired lines behind the teacher.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Canva
Artificial Intelligence Opinion Principals, Don't Let AI Undermine Strong Parent Relationships
Yes, AI can be a useful tool for school communications, but nothing replaces a real conversation.
Ilanit C. Hoory, July 28, 2026
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3 min read
Signs reading "NO ICE ACCESS" taped to the front doors of Valley View Elementary School, on Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn.
Signs taped to the front doors of Valley View Elementary School declare that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agents can't enter the building, on Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn. District leaders across the country are now regularly requesting emergency contact information from families in the wake of heightened immigration enforcement.
Liam James Doyle/AP
School & District Management ICE Raids Are Making Emergency Contacts Essential for Schools
Educators say schools can help families plan for what happens if parents are detained by ICE.
Ileana Najarro, July 16, 2026
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5 min read
ISTEJune29cc
Attendees move between sessions at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., on June 29, 2026. The backlash emerging from many school communities about tech's role in classrooms has been a major undercurrent at the show, the nation's largest ed-tech conference.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Classroom Technology There's a New Pledge for Schools to Show They're Deliberate About Tech Use
ISTE and GreatSchools.org are urging schools to prove they're using tech in a "safe and purposeful" way.
Alyson Klein, June 29, 2026
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2 min read
Contemporary art collage of human hand holding dialogue bubble. Concept of communication, news, chat. Dialog importance.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
Families & the Community Quiz QUIZ: Teachers, How Ready Are You for Difficult Parent Conversations?
Test your knowledge of how to approach challenging academic or behavior issues with families.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 2, 2026
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1 min read
Wed., May 20, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Rod Sheppard, former principal of Florence Learning Center in Florence, Ala., Angie Charboneau-Folch, principal of the Integrated Arts Academy in Chaska, Minn., and Chase Christensen, the principal of Arvada-Clearmont school in Wyoming, share strategies on how to advocate for public schools at the National Education Leadership Awards gathering in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 2026.
Rod Sheppard, former principal of Florence Learning Center in Florence, Ala., Angie Charboneau-Folch, principal of the Integrated Arts Academy in Chaska, Minn., and Chase Christensen, the principal of Arvada-Clearmont school in Wyoming, were interviewed by Chris Tao, a National Student Council member, on stratgies to advocate for public schools at the National Education Leadership Awards gathering in Washington on April 17, 2026.
Allyssa Hynes/National Association of Secondary School Principals
School & District Management How Top Principals Advocate for Their Students and Schools
Principal-advocates coach and encourage others in schools to speak up
Olina Banerji, May 4, 2026
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5 min read
Images from an influencer's reel.
Images courtesy of thekid.maddie
School & District Management Can Student Influencers Help This District Rebuild Enrollment?
A district hopes that student influencers can bring a more authentic voice to its marketing push.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 29, 2026
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5 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Families & the Community Opinion 'Easy, Positive, and Judgment Free.' How Families Can Support Their Children
Educators share their best advice for working with parents and guardians on student learning.
Larry Ferlazzo, April 22, 2026
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12 min read
A class portrait session at a New York City middle school.
A New York City middle school holds a class portrait session on May 5, 2021. The school photo giant Lifetouch this past winter found itself swept up in viral social media rumors about an alleged connection to the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Loccisano/Getty
School & District Management Q&A How a School Photo CEO Dealt With a Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory
Lifetouch's CEO discusses the company's response to social media rumors alleging ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 21, 2026
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7 min read
Scenes from a visit to Morrisville Middle/Senior High School in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025.
Backpacks at a middle/senior high school in Morrisville, Pa., on Nov. 13, 2025. A new analysis explores the progress of schools in fighting chronic absenteeism when they communicated early with families of students at risk of becoming chronically absent.
Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
Student Absenteeism Schools Made Steady Progress Boosting Attendance With This Strategy Change
The timing and tenor of communication with families matter, according to a new analysis.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 25, 2026
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5 min read
A sanitation worker picks up trash next to a mural of César Chavez in Bakersfield, Calif., Thursday, March 19, 2026.
A sanitation worker picks up trash next to a mural of César Chavez in Bakersfield, Calif., on March 19, 2026. Schools around the country are weighing how to respond to new allegations about the labor leader.
Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP
Families & the Community Schools Named for César Chavez Face Renaming Debates After Assault Allegations
Dozens of schools named for the labor leader are weighing how to respond to new allegations.
Evie Blad, March 19, 2026
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6 min read
Thu., April 09, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
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FILE - In this Aug. 26, 2020, file photo, Los Angeles Unified School District students stand in a hallway socially distance during a lunch break at Boys & Girls Club of Hollywood in Los Angeles. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is encouraging schools to resume in-person education next year. He wants to start with the youngest students, and is promising $2 billion in state aid to promote coronavirus testing, increased ventilation of classrooms and personal protective equipment.
Los Angeles public school students maintain social distance in a hallway during a lunch break in 2020.
Jae C. Hong/AP
School & District Management Opinion 6 Years Ago, Schools Closed for COVID. Have We Learned the Right Lessons?
A school administrator outlines four priorities to guide true recovery from the pandemic.
Robert Sokolowski, March 12, 2026
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5 min read
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district's overall score by 10 points in two years.
Elementary students walk to their next class in the Aldine Independent school district near Houston on Aug. 20, 2025. The district has decided to close 11 schools over the past three years due to a sharp enrollment drop.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A How a School District Handled 3 Straight Years of Campus Closures
Amid 11 closures, a superintendent shares her advice for leaders in similar situations.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 6, 2026
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8 min read