Q&A

These Q&As feature some of the field's most prominent education scholars, leaders, and practitioners talking about important education issues
Teach for America teacher Channler Williams with kindergartners at Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale, MD on April 12, 2016. Teach for America has seen its applicants drop in each of the last three years so they are retooling the way they recruit students. One thing they are doing is taking prospects to see TFA teachers at work. Today, students from Georgetown and George Washington University got a glimpse of life in the classroom and Mrs's Williams class was among those visited.
Teach For America has had success getting undergraduates to tutor, some of whom later go into its teaching corps. The organization is seeking ways how to respond to newer teachers' needs and expectations. TFA teacher Channler Williams works with her kindergartners at Templeton Elementary School in Riverdale, Md. on April 12, 2016.
Linda Davidson/The Washington Post via Getty
Teaching Profession Q&A Teach For America's Tutoring Focus Is Now Helping Drive Teacher Recruitment
The education corps is rebounding from pandemic losses, thanks in large part to a burgeoning tutor focus.
Sarah D. Sparks, April 21, 2026
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4 min read
A class portrait session at a New York City middle school.
A New York City middle school holds a class portrait session on May 5, 2021. The school photo giant Lifetouch this past winter found itself swept up in viral social media rumors about an alleged connection to the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Loccisano/Getty
School & District Management Q&A How a School Photo CEO Dealt With a Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory
Lifetouch's CEO discusses the company's response to social media rumors alleging ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 21, 2026
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7 min read
Students pass a talking piece during a restorative justice exercise at a school in Oakland, Calif., on June 11, 2013.
A student receives the talking piece from another student during a restorative justice session at a school in Oakland, Calif., on June 11, 2013. Nathan Maynard, the author of a newly released book on student discipline, says restorative practices are often misunderstood.
Lea Suzuki/San Francisco Chronicle via AP
School Climate & Safety Q&A Restorative Practices Aren't Consequence-Free, Says a Student Discipline Expert
Consistent consequences are important to managing student behavior, says the author of a new book on discipline.
Olina Banerji, April 13, 2026
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6 min read
MVCS 2522
A kindergarten sign is displayed at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026, as classrooms nationwide shift toward more academic instruction and less play.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Early Childhood Q&A What One Researcher Saw Inside 29 Kindergarten Classrooms
Developmental psychologist Susan Engel shares insights from two years in kindergarten classrooms.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 3, 2026
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10 min read
A woman embraces her child outside a House hearing room during protests against a bill that would allow public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling for classes in Nashville, Tenn., March 11, 2025.
A woman embraces her child outside a hearing room at the Tennessee State Capitol during protests against a bill that would have allowed public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling in school, in Nashville, Tenn., on March 11, 2025. Lawmakers are expected to vote on an amended version of the bill that would require schools to collect students' immigration status information.
George Walker IV/AP
Federal Q&A Why the Heritage Foundation Is Targeting Plyler v. Doe
Lora Ries explains how the Supreme Court could overturn the 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision.
Ileana Najarro, March 26, 2026
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4 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 Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025. The district has invested in targeted supports for older readers who struggle with foundational reading skills.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy Q&A One Reading Skill Might Be Responsible for Many Older Students' Struggles
Learning how to break down multisyllable words is key to reading comprehension in older grades.
Sarah Schwartz, March 25, 2026
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9 min read
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Vanessa Solis/Education Week + DigitalVision Vectors
Artificial Intelligence Q&A How a School Uses AI to Address Student Behavior Problems
AI has helped streamline the development of behavior intervention plans, a school leader said.
Lauraine Langreo, March 23, 2026
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4 min read
West De Pere High School is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing environmental literacy through facility upgrades such as LED lighting, motion sensors and advanced HVAC systems. To further explore energy, students have opportunities to explore alternative energy, including participation in the annual Wisconsin Public Service Solar Olympics Challenge. Going the extra mile, West De Pere hosts recycling drives that successfully collected 117 pounds of batteries and Christmas lights last year alone. The school's physical education program fosters a deep appreciation for the natural world, offering diverse activities like biking, fishing, and archery that emphasize physical health and lifelong skills. Additionally, West De Pere's involvement in the Farm to Table program highlights the importance of local produce, complemented by a school greenhouse that enhances hands-on learning. Through these initiatives, West De Pere High School is empowering students to become proactive stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainability in their communities.
West De Pere High School in De Pere, Wis., was a 2025 honoree in the state's Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin program. The state expanded that recognition program honoring schools' sustainability work after the U.S. Department of Education ended its Green Ribbon Schools program last year.
Courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
States Q&A This State Stepped In When the Feds Stopped Honoring Schools' Environmental Work
The Trump administration last year ended the Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 19, 2026
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4 min read
Students listen to social studies teacher Ella Pillitteri during a seventh grade civics class at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla., Tuesday, April 16, 2024. When teachers at the K-8 public school, one of the top-performing schools in Florida, are asked how they succeed, one answer is universal: They have autonomy.
Students listen to their social studies teacher during a 7th grade civics class at a school in Boca Raton, Fla., on April 16, 2024. New proposed legislation would create a model national civics curriculum—something that has never successfully been tried.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Social Studies Q&A A New Bill Calls for a Model Civics Curriculum at a Polarized Moment
A Democratic senator has introduced bills to boost hands-on civic learning and create a national civics curriculum.
Sarah Schwartz, March 18, 2026
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9 min read
President Ronald Reagan addresses the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention in front of an old fashion red school house, background, Feb. 7, 1984 in Las Vegas, Nev. Standing behind Reagan are NASSP officials.
President Ronald Reagan addresses the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention in front of an old fashion red school house, background, Feb. 7, 1984 in Las Vegas, Nev. Standing behind Reagan are NASSP officials.
Doug Pizac/AP
School & District Management Q&A Meet the National Principals Association: Why the 110-Year-Old Org. Rebranded
Elementary school leaders will add new priorities for the national organization.
Olina Banerji, March 17, 2026
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6 min read
North Dakota Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler announces the gathering of a task force to look into future options the state has for the assessment of students during a press conference May 8, 2015, at the state Capitol in Bismarck, N.D.
Kirsten Baesler, then North Dakota's schools superintendent, talks to the press on May 8, 2015, at the state capitol in Bismarck. Baesler, now the assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in the Trump administration, spoke with Education Week about the administration's approach to flexibility from federal education requirements.
Mike McCleary/The Bismarck Tribune via AP
Every Student Succeeds Act Q&A Trump's Top K-12 Official: Returning Ed. to States Isn't Just Waiving Rules
Kirsten Baesler spoke with EdWeek about the Education Department's approach to testing and accountability.
Alyson Klein, March 12, 2026
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5 min read
Damon Lewis.
"We're going to get to the standards ... but we have to make sure that our kids feel safe enough to come into our building," said Damon Lewis, the principal for Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., and the National Middle Level Principal of the Year in 2025.
Allyssa Hynes/NASSP/NASSP via reporter
School Climate & Safety Q&A This Principal Puts Relationships Ahead of Content. Here’s How
A school leader discusses how he and his staff create a safe and supportive learning environment.
Lauraine Langreo, March 6, 2026
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5 min read
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
Early Childhood Q&A Assessing Kindergarten Readiness—During Routine Pediatric Checkups
An Ohio pediatric hospital's clinics assess preschoolers' literacy readiness during routine visits.
Elizabeth Heubeck, March 6, 2026
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8 min read
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district's overall score by 10 points in two years.
Elementary students walk to their next class in the Aldine Independent school district near Houston on Aug. 20, 2025. The district has decided to close 11 schools over the past three years due to a sharp enrollment drop.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A How a School District Handled 3 Straight Years of Campus Closures
Amid 11 closures, a superintendent shares her advice for leaders in similar situations.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 6, 2026
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8 min read