EdWeek's Must Read Articles

Bringing you the must-read articles in K-12 education on some of the hottest topics, so you can improve your subject matter expertise quickly.

You can also browse these topics pages: student achievement, opportunity/achievement gap, and the digital divide.

High-Performing & Dedicated Team

From left, Dawn Fritz of the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, Michelle Murphy of the Colorado Rural School Alliance and members of a state task force on school discipline meet to discuss staffing shortages on March 26, 2024. Colorado has a large number of far-flung school districts, which face special challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.
From left, Dawn Fritz of the Colorado Parent Teacher Association, Michelle Murphy of the Colorado Rural School Alliance and members of a state task force on school discipline meet to discuss staffing shortages on March 26, 2024. Colorado has a large number of far-flung school districts, which face special challenges in attracting and retaining teachers.
Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a press conference on July 29, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Abbott wants to ban schools from using H-1B visas to hire international educator—a practice used to fill high-need roles teaching subjects like math and foreign languages.
Elvis Martinez-Cartagena/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images<br/>
Abigail “Abby” Zwerner shares a moment with her mother Julie Zwerner after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the assistant principal, Ebony Parker, of Richneck Elementary School during proceedings at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 , in Newport News, Va. Zwerner was injured when a 6-year-old male student shot her while she was teaching. Violence against educators has risen since schools reopened after the pandemic.
Richneck Elementary schoolteacher Abigail Zwerner with her mother after a verdict was reached in her lawsuit against the school's assistant principal, Ebony Parker, at Newport News Circuit Court on Nov. 6, 2025 in Newport News, Va. A 6-year-old student brought a loaded gun to school that was later used to shoot Zwerner, despite her raising concerns with school officials.
Kendall Warner/The Virginian-Pilot via TNS

You can also browse these topics pages: teacher quality/effectiveness, retention, and recruitment & hiring.

Efficient Operations/Budget & Finance

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 13: School supplies are displayed at a Target store on August 13, 2026 in Downtown Brooklyn in New York City. Back to school supplies are expected to cost more than 10% more for families amid a rise in inflation driving up costs.
School supplies are displayed at a Target store on August 13, 2026, in New York City. Back-to-school supplies are getting more expensive and families are struggling to pay for them, prompting educators to step in and help.
Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
Budget & Finance How to Help When Families Can't Afford School Supplies
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 20, 2026
4 min read
Third graders at Oak Ridge Elementary School, Ben Vue, 9, left, Genesis Cortez, 9, Grettell Dominguez, 9, and Vanessa Guerra 8, right, sit together while eating lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023 , in Oak Park .
Third graders at Oak Ridge Elementary School in Oak Park, Calif., sit together while eating lunch on Feb. 22, 2023. Several schools across the country have announced they're no longer providing free meals to all students because they've stopped qualifying for the federal Community Eligibility Provision.
Lezlie Sterling via TNS
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Education technology companies market their products and services at the ISTE Live 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in late June in Orlando, Fla. Some school districts are now insisting that payments to ed-tech companies be linked to evidence that their products and services improve student learning.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week

You can also browse these topics pages: budget & finance and school funding.

Parent & Community Engagement

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
Imran, left, confers with his math partner Nataly as the fifth graders solve a problem using base-10 rods at Hawthorne Elementary School, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023 , in Seattle .
Imran, left, confers with his math partner Nataly as the 5th graders solve a problem using base-10 rods at Hawthorne Elementary School in Seattle on Jan. 24, 2023. Some parents in the city, which issues devices to all students, have opted their children out of school-issued technology.
Ken Lambert/Seattle Times via TNS
Classroom Technology These Kids Are Learning Without Tech in a District That Gives Out Devices to All
Claire Bryan, The Seattle Times, August 17, 2026
10 min read
Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Karen Locken plays with children in an Early Head Start program in Pasadena, California on Friday, April 18, 2025 .
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

You can also browse these topics pages: families & the community and parent engagement.

State-of-the-Art Facilities/Maintenance

You can also browse this topics page: school facilities & design.

Prepare Students for Career & College in a Global Environment

A Workforce Development job fair at Pepin’s Hospitality Centre, 4121 N 50th St , on Thursday, April 2, 2026 in Tampa . Thousands of Hillsborough County Public Schools seniors meet face-to-face with employers for on-the-spot interviews, job offers, internships, and training opportunities.
People attend a workforce development job fair at TPepin’s Hospitality Centre on April 2, 2026, in Tampa, Fla. As job seekers experience labor market volatility, a report underscores the importance of career literacy.
Dirk Shadd/Tampa Bay Times via TNS
Students walk in the hallways on the first day of school at Heritage High School in Saginaw, Mich. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026 .
Students walk in the hallways on the first day of school at Heritage High School in Saginaw, Mich., on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026. Dual-enrollment classes for high school students have grown increasingly common in recent years. A new study finds socioeconomically disadvantaged students are more likely to fail such classes, but that even those students who fail are more likely than peers to enroll in college.
Kaytie Boomer/mlive.com via TNS
Image of careers like welding, electricians, carpenters, and technicians
Canva

You can also browse these topics pages: college readiness, college access, career readiness, and graduation requirements.

Diversity

Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English Language Learner students, many of whom speak Spanish at home. Russellville schools have the highest percentage of English Language Learners of any district in the state, and officials there have invested in aides and teachers who know how to work with those students.
Katherine Alfaro works with students at Russellville Elementary School, in Russellville, Ala., Aug. 9, 2022. Alfaro is an aide for English learners, many of whom speak Spanish at home. English-learner education is not immune to anti-DEI policies and politics, according to a new research study.
Rebecca Griesbach/AL.com via AP
States Anti-DEI Efforts Reshape How States Serve English Learners
Ileana Najarro, June 30, 2026
5 min read
Education Test Scores 26128714986558
Teacher Greg Burris works with 1st grader Joshua at Munger Elementary-Middle School on May 7, 2026, in Detroit. Data show that there are too few male early educators, and when boys don’t see male teachers, they may be less likely to consider a career in teaching, perpetuating the cycle of too few male teachers.
Paul Sancya via AP

You can also browse these topics pages: diversity and teacher diversity.

School Safety

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A high school football field in Crofton, Md., on Aug. 22, 2026. Gunfire has wounded or killed someone at 43 high school football games since 2018, according to tracking by Education Week. Safety specialists suggest deliberate planning ahead of football season and clear assignments for school staff at games, among other steps schools can take to enhance security.
Marvin Joseph/Education Week
HERMOSA BEACH, CA-NOVEMBER 10, 2023, 2023: People ride an e-bike on the Strand in Hermosa Beach. In Hermosa Beach, it's against city code to use electric power on the Strand, but many e-bike riders do so anyway.
People ride an e-bike in Hermosa Beach, Calif. School districts are developing new policies as students' use of e-bikes rise, as do related crashes and traffic problems.
Mel Melcon/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
An e-bike is seen at a retail store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022.
An e-bike for sale at a store in Glenview, Ill., on July 20, 2022. More students have been riding the motorized two-wheelers to school, leading school districts to establish restrictions on who can ride them and institute safety training.
Nam Y. Huh/AP

You can also browse these topics pages: school safety and school shootings.