Communications

Illustration by Nicole Xu showing a teacher in a teacher-parent conference with a laptop that translates a distorted depiction of the student. The female parent of the EL student has a swirly white line of confusion circling her head.
Nicole Xu for Education Week
Artificial Intelligence Can Schools Trust AI to Translate for Non-English-Speaking Parents?
AI tools can translate school materials for non-English-speaking parents, but there are challenges around privacy and accuracy.
Alyson Klein, September 21, 2026
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10 min read
092026 BIG IDEAS Building bridges
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management From Our Research Center Misinformation Drives Communities Apart. Here’s How School Boards Are Responding
Both national and local issues can force leaders to confront challenges within their districts.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Vanessa Solis, September 8, 2026
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4 min read
big ideas fryer v2
Natalie Behring for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion When Your District Goes Through Big Changes, Relationships Are Critical
A neighboring school closed. His district embraced a reorganization. It was a lesson in leadership.
Justin Fryer, September 8, 2026
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4 min read
BigIdeas0926 Bushweller
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Reported Essay It's Not About Being Nice. Fearless Leadership Requires Curiosity and Candor
Just ask the leader mediating an ugly school mascot fight or restructuring a once-segregated school.
Kevin Bushweller, September 8, 2026
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14 min read
MEAD, CO - AUGUST 18: Parents watch and and take photos of their kids as they enter the school during their first day of class at the Big Sky PK-8 School in Mead on Aug. 18, 2026.
Parents watch their kids as they enter the school on the first day of class at the Big Sky PK-8 School in Mead, Colo., on Aug. 18, 2026. As schools face growing backlash from parents over their use of educational technology, a school communications professional has some pointers on how schools can communicate with parents about how they're using technology.
Joel Solis/MediaNews Group/Boulder Daily Camera via Getty Images
Classroom Technology Q&A Facing 'Techlash,' How Should Schools Talk to Parents About Tech Use?
A school communications expert explains how schools should approach their messaging around tech.
Arianna Prothero, August 21, 2026
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5 min read
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Robyn Lady, a member of the Fairfax County School Board in Virginia, left, and Rachel Edoho-Eket, a principal in Howard County, Md., participate in a panel discussion titled "Building Trust With Families in a Skeptical Age" at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., on June 30, 2026. The growing backlash against the overuse of technology in schools is forcing school and district leaders to have some difficult conversations with parents.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
Classroom Technology How District and School Leaders Respond to the 'Techlash' Will Be Critical
Educators recommend showing parents how technology is used for learning.
Alyson Klein, August 4, 2026
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4 min read
Image of a teacher and student balancing digital and traditional schoolwork approaches.
Robert Neubecker for Education Week.
Classroom Technology Schools Brace for Growing Backlash to Classroom Screen Time
Many school leaders think a tech reset is overdue, but don't want to dump what's helping kids learn.
Arianna Prothero, August 3, 2026
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7 min read
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
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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
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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