Parents

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how parents and other family members interact with schools and their children’s education
West Bloomfield team members huddle as defensive line coach Justin Ibe leads a team prayer before the game against Eisenhower, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich.
West Bloomfield team members huddle as defensive line coach Justin Ibe leads a team prayer before a game Oct. 21, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich. A federal religious liberty commission recently called for "know your rights" posters to inform public school students of their rights to prayer and religious expression.
Carlos Osorio/AP
Federal See What's in Trump Commission's Religious Freedom Agenda for Schools
Panel recommends federal guidance on parents' opt-out rights, Ten Commandments displays, and other features.
Evie Blad, July 2, 2026
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8 min read
Students play during a TK class at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026.
Students play at First Street Elementary School in Los Angeles, on April 22, 2026. Principals leading schools with preschool programs often don’t have enough runway to learn skills and theories before they’re tasked with leading early grades.
Ethan Swope/AP
Early Childhood How Principals Can Make Preschools Better
Principals need to adopt strategies that help their youngest learners thrive.
Olina Banerji, June 29, 2026
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5 min read
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A middle school history class in Sapulpa, Okla., uses whiteboards and worksheets during a tech-free day on April 7, 2026. EdWeek Research Center survey data show that relatively few schools are pairing back their investment in tech, despite pressure from some parents.
September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
Classroom Technology Are Schools Actually Scaling Back Tech in Response to a Rising Backlash?
An EdWeek Research Center survey asked educators about efforts to pull back on digital tools.
Sean Cavanagh & Jessica Cuellar, June 29, 2026
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2 min read
Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School, on June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill.
Art teacher Lindsay Johnson, second from left, teaches students how to ask Canva for help during a summer class at Roosevelt Middle School on June 25, 2025, in River Forest, Ill. Many parents are supportive of the use of tech in school that enhances learning.
Nam Y. Huh/AP
Classroom Technology Parents Don't Hate Ed Tech. They Just Want More Balanced Use
New survey reveals nuanced views about tech use in school among parents.
Arianna Prothero, June 26, 2026
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3 min read
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Students work together on a science, technology, engineering and mathematics challenge, facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center, in Simpsonville Elementary School, Nov. 18, 2025, in Simpsonville, Ky. Many schools across the country are now being asked to justify their use of technology in instruction.
Jon Cherry/AP Photo
Classroom Technology Tech Backlash Prompts Responses From Leader of Top Ed-Tech Group
Rebuilding trust with communities on tech concerns must be a high priority, CEO says.
Alyson Klein, June 25, 2026
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4 min read
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A staff member from a district school carts away food and household items to donate to student families in St. Paul, Minn., February 23, 2026. Across the Twin cities, teachers and school administrators adapted to support families affected by heightened immigration enforcement.
Tim Evans for Education Week
Families & the Community As ICE Activity Rises, Schools Focus on Family Support
Since 2025, school districts have quickly adapted to shifting effects from federal immigration enforcement.
Ileana Najarro, June 22, 2026
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7 min read
The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating how 43 school districts in three states teach about sexuality and gender identity and whether they give parents the opportunity to opt their children out of lessons that conflict with their religious beliefs on June 16, 2026.PICTURED, Protesters gather outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters in Glendale, California, on June 20, 2023. Over 300 people gathered outside the Glendale Unified School District headquarters, as protests continued over the issue of teaching children about same-sex parents and queer issues.
Protesters gather outside the Glendale school district in Glendale, California, on June 20, 2023 over the issue of teaching children about same-sex parents and queer issues. The U.S. Department of Justice is now investigating three other school districts over LGBTQ+ themes in sex ed. and beyond. (The Glendale district is not one of them.)
DAVID SWANSON / AFP via Getty Images
Federal Trump's Justice Dept. Investigates Dozens of Districts Over LGBTQ+ Curricula
The investigations target how schools discuss sexuality and gender identity and whether parents can opt their children out of lessons.
Evie Blad, June 16, 2026
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8 min read
WASHINGTON,DC - JUNE 10: Dr. Macquline King, Superintendent and CEO of Chicago Public Schools speaks with Mr. Johnathan Smith, Managing Director, Education and Federal Strategic Advocacy, National Center for Youth Law and Dr. Aaron Spence, Superintendent, Loudoun County Public Schools with US Representative Mark Takano, Democrat from California, before a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing titled “Breaking Trust: Attacks On Parental Rights, Inappropriate Content, And Legal Abuses In America’s Schools” on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 in Washington, DC.
Chicago Superintendent Macquline King speaks with Johnathan Smith, the managing director for education and federal strategic advocacy at the National Center for Youth Law, and Loudon County, Va. Superintendent Aaron Spence, before a hearing on parents rights in schools on Capitol Hill on June 10, 2026 in Washington.
Jabin Botsford/For Education Week
Families & the Community Lawmakers Grill Superintendents on Transgender Student Policies
The districts' policies around transgender students were repeatedly questioned.
Evie Blad, June 10, 2026
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5 min read
Students follow along in their copies of “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a seventh grade reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Seventh graders follow along in their copies of <i>Among the Hidden</i> by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How Family Reading Time Can Help Older Students Thrive
EdWeek readers offer suggestions about how to get older students reading more.
Marina Whiteleather, June 5, 2026
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1 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
Gabriela Durham, 17, uses her phone to listen to music inside her room on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in New York. Concerns about children and phone use are not new. But there is a growing realization among experts that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the relationship kids have with social media. As youth coped with isolation and spent excessive time online, the pandemic effectively carved out a much larger space for social media in the lives of American children.
Gabriela Durham, 17, uses her phone to listen to music inside her room on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in New York. A report shows how parents feel about their teens' social media use and an expert comments on what schools can do with the information.
Andres Kudacki/AP
Families & the Community Q&A How Parents See Students' Social Media Habits: Why it Matters for Educators
The Pew Research Center shows parents have increasing concern over their teens' social media usage.
Jennifer Vilcarino, June 2, 2026
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5 min read
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A teacher participates in a pilot project aimed at improving parent-teacher communication through AI-based simulations. Parent avatars respond to educators in real time through speech and body language.
Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity
Families & the Community Teacher-Parent Meetings Can Be Tense. Can AI Simulations Help?
Rehearsals on how to talk effectively with parents can ease a major pain point for teachers.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 31, 2026
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7 min read
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), are seen monitoring a football game between Bell Multicultural and Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations monitor a high school football game Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in Washington. Heightened immigration enforcement activity has raised concerns about its impact on students’ attendance and well-being.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Student Absenteeism Immigrant Students Fear Enforcement and Stay Out of School
An April working paper found that immigration enforcement increased absence rates.
Ileana Najarro, May 20, 2026
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4 min read
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
Early Childhood Who’s Responsible for Toilet Training? Schools or Families?
Districts grapple with how to respond when students aren't toilet-trained.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 15, 2026
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4 min read