Q&A

These Q&As feature some of the field's most prominent education scholars, leaders, and practitioners talking about important education issues
Conceptual image of gears drawn in flowing line art being tethered together and a lasso bounding box.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Curriculum Q&A Should State Boards Have More Oversight of Curricula?
A more active role would help schools select strong, research-based curricula, an expert argues.
Evie Blad, August 17, 2026
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5 min read
Long Beach, CA - March 20 : Teacher Monica Alvarado, left, leads activities with staff in the infant class at Educare Los Angeles at Long Beach , a very high-quality child care center in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Long Beach, CA.
Teacher Monica Alvarado, left, leads activities with staff in the infant class at Educare Los Angeles at Long Beach, a very high-quality child care center in Long Beach on Wednesday, March 20, 2024 in Long Beach, Calif. Head Start programs for early childhood education will no longer promote bilingualism under a proposed rule change.
Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via TNS
Federal Q&A What Head Start's English-Only Rule Could Mean for English Learners
Research shows it's not necessary to lose a home language to learn English.
Ileana Najarro, August 17, 2026
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3 min read
Ninth-graders Charley Mays, left, and Grace Coleman work on iPads during an honors physical science class at Minnetonka High School on Oct. 30, 2019 in Minnetonka, Minnesota .
Ninth-graders Charley Mays, left, and Grace Coleman work on iPads during an honors physical science class at Minnetonka High School on Oct. 30, 2019 in Minnetonka, Minn. Some experts caution schools not to go too far in dialing back the use of classroom technologies, a trend called the "techlash" that is driven by concerns about the overuse of technology in schools.
Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
Classroom Technology Q&A Why a 'Blunt Force' Approach to Screen Time May Be Problematic
District and state leaders should avoid one-size-fits-all mandates on screen time, expert argues.
Alyson Klein, August 17, 2026
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3 min read
Collage of book and symbols of planning pages, sharing of viewpoints, dialogue, and collaboration.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Q&A Many Teachers Are Bored in Team Meetings. Here's How to Keep Them Engaged
Author Elisa MacDonald says meetings are about adults learning, not sticking to an agenda.
Olina Banerji, August 14, 2026
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4 min read
Xerius Jackson, 7, gets an MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic put on by Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025 , in Lubbock, Texas .
A 7-year-old receives an MMR vaccine at a clinic hosted by the Lubbock Public Health Department on March 1, 2025, in Lubbock, Texas. A recent executive order modifying federal vaccine recommendations may sow confusion for parents and add administrative burdens for school nurses amid rising nationwide measles cases.
Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images via TNS
School Climate & Safety Q&A Trump's Order on Vaccines Sows Confusion as School Starts
The president of the National Association of School Nurses warns of vaccine confusion and pushback.
Elizabeth Heubeck, August 14, 2026
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6 min read
Numberpad visible on keyboard of ASUS CX1 Chromebook, Lafayette, California, October 27, 2025.
The Canon-McMillan school district in Pennsylvania is one of a growing number of school districts that are scaling back students’ classroom screen time. Students in grades K-2 will no longer have regular access to school-issued laptops or tablets, and students in grades 3-8 will have limited access through Chromebook carts.
Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Sipa via AP Images
Classroom Technology Q&A Why This District Is Getting Rid of Chromebooks for K-2 Students
Some parents, educators, and even students are souring on the ubiquitous presence of the technology.
Lauraine Langreo, August 11, 2026
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6 min read
Yamileth Escalera tosses a red foam cube into a container full of water during a pre-K prep program at Castleberry Elementary School in Fort Worth on June 29, 2026. The students had to guess whether their chosen object would float or sink when dropped in water.
During a pre-K prep program at Castleberry Elementary School in Fort Worth, Texas, on June 29, 2026, Yamileth Escalera tosses a red foam cube into a container of water as part of an activity where students guess whether their chosen object will float or sink. Increasingly, students in pre-K and kindergarten are required to complete standardized assessments to measure their development and preparedness.
Elvis Martinez-Cartagena/Fort Worth Star-Telegram via TNS
Early Childhood Q&A This State Has a New Kindergarten Assessment—No Computer, Pen or Paper Required
The assessment evaluates 16 items in four separate foundational skills categories.
Elizabeth Heubeck, July 24, 2026
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8 min read
This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin.
This undated photo taken through a microscope provided by the CDC shows Cyclospora cayetanensis oocysts found in a fresh stool sample which had been prepared with a formalin solution and stained with safranin. There are simple steps schools can take to low the risk of cyclospora affecting students, a consultant to districts says.
CDC via AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A How Schools Should Manage the Cyclospora Outbreak
A consultant to school systems offers advice on food safety and messaging to families.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 23, 2026
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5 min read
Front view of a group of wooden cubes with icons representing persons. The main focus is on an angry person who has a cube over his head with a thought bubble full of insults
Education Week + iStock/Getty
School & District Management Q&A School Leaders Face More Parental Threats Than Teachers
Parental violence went up after the pandemic, directed most towards school administrators.
Olina Banerji, July 21, 2026
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5 min read
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi (2) and France's Kylian Mbappe (10) hug after the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, on July 9, 2026.
Morocco's Achraf Hakimi, in the red jersey, embraces France's Kylian Mbappe after the World Cup quarterfinal between France and Morocco on July 9, 2026. Mental health experts see creative options for engaging students through the competition.
Steven Senne/AP
Teaching Q&A How the World Cup Can Build Students' Sense of Belonging
A pair of healthcare researchers say simple activities tied to the mega-competition can support mental health.
Jennifer Vilcarino, July 14, 2026
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8 min read
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Nintendo Switches, like the one the teenage boy is using above, are being used in the Denver Public Schools in an esports program designed to improve student engagement. Education Week recently talked to one of the educators involved in that program, who gave a presentation about it at the ISTELive 26 + ASCD Annual Conference in Orlando, Fla., June 28 to July 1.
Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo
Classroom Technology Q&A How This District Is Using Esports to Increase Student Engagement
An education technology specialist discusses an esports development program she created.
Lauraine Langreo, July 9, 2026
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4 min read
DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee speaks during a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new addition at Raymond Elementary School on the first day of school, on Aug. 28, 2023, in Washington.
Lewis Ferebee, the then-chancellor of the District of Columbia public schools, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Raymond Elementary School on the first day of school, on Aug. 28, 2023, in Washington. Ferebee was announced as EdReports’ new chief executive officer in May.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Curriculum Q&A Leader Says EdReports Is 'Evolving' and Still Critical for Curriculum Review
Lewis Ferebee says EdReports has responded to criticisms and is a useful tool in a sea of curriculum choices.
Mark Walsh, July 8, 2026
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5 min read
NEAConvention 7.6.2026 MarkMakela35
Newly elected NEA President Princess Moss, photographed during the union's convention in Denver on July 6, 2026. Moss said she wants the union to improve its organizing capabilities.
Mark Makela for Education Week
Teaching Profession Q&A 'Organize, Organize, Organize': New NEA President Sees the Value in Everyday Engagement
The incoming leader of the nation's largest teachers' union focuses on engagement.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 7, 2026
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4 min read
NEAConvention 7.5.2026 MarkMakela18
NEA President Becky Pringle is photographed backstage during the NEA Representative Assembly in Denver on July 5, 2026. 5,800 delegates from all over the country are participating in the four-day-long union convention.
Mark Makela for Education Week<br/>
Teaching Profession Q&A NEA's Outgoing President Reflects on a Turbulent Tenure—And the Need for 'Continuous Organizing'
The outgoing head of nation's largest teachers' union discusses how she's helped reposition it to respond to new challenges.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 5, 2026
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5 min read