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

Daniel Perez, a recruiter with Teachers Accelerator Program, talks to a job seeker during a job fair Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025, in Miami.
Daniel Perez, a recruiter with Teachers Accelerator Program, talks to a job seeker during a job fair on Oct. 1, 2025, in Miami. New data from the EdWeek Research Center suggests that more than 50% of districts use AI tools during the teacher-hiring process.
Marta Lavandier/AP
Recruitment & Retention AI Is Changing Teacher Hiring. Here’s How
Sarah D. Sparks, April 2, 2026
8 min read
Sign on door that reads "Principal's Office" from a school.
Liz Yap/Education Week with E+
William Penn School District Superintendent Eric Becoats, center, speaks with prospective applicants during a teachers job fair at the high school's cafeteria in Lansdowne, Pa., Wednesday, May 3, 2023. As schools across the country struggle to find teachers to hire, more governors are pushing for pay increases and bonuses for the beleaguered profession.
William Penn School District Superintendent Eric Becoats, center, speaks with prospective applicants during a teachers job fair at the high school's cafeteria in Lansdowne, Pa., on May 3, 2023. School districts face challenges in finding teacher candidates, particularly in hard-to-fill positions.
Matt Rourke/AP<br/>

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

Efficient Operations/Budget & Finance

An image representing disputes over property taxes.
DigitalVision Vectors
Budget & Finance How Do Schools Solve a Problem Like Property Taxes?
Mark Lieberman, February 12, 2026
11 min read
Teachers utilize a team teaching model, known as the Next Education Workforce Model, at Stevenson Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., on Jan 30, 2025.
Teachers utilize a team-teaching model that spreads out teacher expertise and facilitates collaboration at Stevenson Elementary School in Mesa, Ariz., on Jan 30, 2025. Some of those models depend on having coaches and interventionists—positions that risk getting cut during lean budget times.
Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week

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

Parent & Community Engagement

The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington.
The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. The high court recently ruled that California policies that sometimes limit or discourage schools from disclosing information to parents about children’s gender transitions and expressions at school likely violate parents’ constitutional rights
Rahmat Gul/AP
Dr. Sara Bode (far right) high fives Juri Sleet, 4, after she and Crystal Webb, a kindergarten readiness coordinator talk with Sleet's grandma, Quintina Davis (left) about the literacy screening they gave Sleet at Linden Primary Care Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.
Dr. Sara Bode (far right) high fives Juri Sleet, 4, after she and Crystal Webb, a kindergarten readiness coordinator, talk with Sleet's grandmother, Quintina Davis (left), about the literacy screening they gave Sleet at Linden Primary Care Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Columbus, Ohio.
Jessica Phelps/AP
Heather Nicholson, a Moonshot teacher, talks with Shyanne Schaefer, a student in the program during an art lesson at California New Area Elementary School in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024.
California Area Elementary School teacher Heather Nicholson talks with student Shyanne Schaefer during an art lesson as part of a competency-based learning program in Coal Center, Pa., on May 16, 2024. The district designed the program, which eschews conventions like traditional lesson plans, letter grades, and age-specific classrooms, with a grant from Remake Learning, an organization that encourages schools and community organizations to innovate and design new learning opportunities. A new national commission will explore how to encourage such "learning ecosystems" in other communities.
Jaclyn Borowski/Education Week

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

State-of-the-Art Facilities/Maintenance

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, center, arrives for a tree planting ceremony at the Department of Education to announce plans to create the Green Ribbon Schools competition which will "raise environmental literacy," inside and outside the classroom and reduce a school's environmental footprint, on April 26, 2011. A Texas oak tree was planted at the ceremony.
Then-Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, center, arrives for a tree-planting ceremony on April 26, 2011, at the U.S. Department of Education to announce plans to create the Green Ribbon Schools competition. The Trump administration ended the recognition—which honored schools for reducing their environmental impact and offering hands-on environmental education—last year.
Tom Williams/Roll Call via Getty Images
20260122 AMX US NEWS CPS CANCELS CLASS FRIDAY DUE 1 TB
A crossing guard assists students as they arrive for classes at Chalmers STEAM Elementary school on Jan. 22, 2026, in Chicago. Extreme cold hitting much of the United States in the coming days could test schools' aging infrastructure and force school closures. Chicago Public Schools called off classes for Friday, Jan. 23.
Antonio Perez/ Chicago Tribune

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

Prepare Students for Career & College in a Global Environment

Scranton High School student Elizabeth Kramer participates in the Program 3-D Prototyping during Luzerne County Community College's STEM Technology Day on Monday, February 17, 2020, in Nanticoke Pa. More than 100 students from four school districts will attend. The students were part of "Talent Search," an Educational Opportunity Center program. The Talent Search program identifies and assists individuals from economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have the potential to succeed in higher education.
Scranton High School student Elizabeth Kramer participates in a 3-D prototyping program at Luzerne County Community College's STEM Technology Day on Feb. 17, 2020, in Nanticoke, Pa. The students were supported by Talent Search, funded by a federal program that identifies and helps economically disadvantaged students who have the potential to succeed in higher education. The Trump administration seeks to broaden the program to include more workforce-based training.
Mark Moran/The Citizens' Voice via AP
New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing in ceremony at a Salute to Service event at an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville.
New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. States' education plans call for tracking students paths from the classroom to college, career, or the military, but they've struggled to access enlistment data from the U.S. Department of Defense. Through a new agreement, five states will pilot a data-sharing process with the Pentagon with hopes to expand to additional states.
Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
Successful male and female in leadership achieve target. Embracing success confidence holding winner flag on top of mountain peak.
Education Week + iStock/Getty

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

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

School Safety

Protesters demonstrate against ICE agents near the the Whipple Federal Building on Jan. 8, 2026.
Protestors gather after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, on Jan. 7, 2026. The incident later prompted the Minneapolis school district to cancel classes amid broader federal immigration operations.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS

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