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What to Know About PCBs in Schools: A Visual Primer
Key facts about a toxic chemical that continues to contaminate older schools.
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A new gym under construction in Wisconsin's Cuba City school district, pictured April 16, 2026, would have also served as a tornado shelter, thanks to an $8.8 million FEMA grant. But nearly four years after it was awarded the grant, the district still doesn't have the money.
Arthur Maiorella for Education Week
Education Funding A School Wants a Tornado Shelter. A Federal Grant Keeps Getting in the Way
The district still can't spend a FEMA grant it was originally awarded in 2022.
Mark Lieberman, May 1, 2026
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9 min read
Cassatt mural on February 2026.
The reimagined “Modern Woman” mural, inspired by artist Mary Cassatt, is seen in February 2026 at Aveson’s temporary campus in Pasadena, Calif. Created by students displaced by the Eaton fire, the mural incorporates imagery from their former Altadena campus and serves as a symbol of healing, memory, and community after the wildfire.
Studio Tutto
Families & the Community Their School Burned Down. Then They Picked Up Their Paintbrushes
A group of 15 students in California used art to celebrate and grieve the school they lost to fire.
Olina Banerji, April 20, 2026
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4 min read
Fifth-grader Willow Miller raises the U.S. and Nevada flags in a daily flag-raising ceremony to start the school day in Good Springs, Nev., on March 30, 2022. Teacher Abbey Crouse assists at right. The school, along with an elementary, middle and high school in neighboring Sandy Valley, are the only schools in the mostly urban Clark County School District to meet just four days a week.
A student raises the U.S. and Nevada flags to start the school day on March 30, 2022, in Goodsprings, Nev., where the elementary school meets four days week. A growing number of schools have turned to four-day weeks over the past two decades, sometimes for budget reasons, other times for teacher recruitment and retention. But the payoff isn't always clear-cut.
Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP
School & District Management Explainer The 4-Day School Week: What Research Shows About the Alternative Schedule
More schools have shifted to the four-day week. How common is it? Does it save money and attract teachers?
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 9, 2026
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7 min read
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
Federal Ed. Dept. Quietly Ends an Honor for Schools’ Environmental Work
Applicants found out when the online portal for award submissions never opened.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, March 13, 2026
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5 min read
Education Week opinion letters submissions
Gwen Keraval for Education Week
Teaching Letter to the Editor Learning Spaces Should Meet the Needs of All Students
Better classroom design can help neurodivergent learners thrive, says this letter to the editor.
January 30, 2026
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1 min read
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
School & District Management A Cold Front Is Sweeping the Country. Can Schools' Heating Keep Up?
A spate of frigid temperatures across much of the country will present a test for schools' aging heating systems.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 22, 2026
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5 min read
Principal Andrew Zanghi carries a table down a hallway at Woodmore Elementary @ Meadowbrook on August 15, 2025 in Bowie, Maryland. In a so-called ‘swing move,’ Woodmore Elementary has relocated to Meadowbrook Elementary school until Summer 2027.
Principal Andrew Zanghi carries a table down a hallway at Woodmore Elementary @ Meadowbrook on August 15, 2025, in Bowie, Maryland. In a so-called ‘swing move,’ Woodmore Elementary has relocated to Meadowbrook Elementary school until Summer 2027.
Pete Kiehart for Education Week
School & District Management How Schools Make 'Swing Spaces' Feel Like Home
School leaders share tips for managing temporary “swing spaces” during renovations, from early planning to making spaces feel like home.
Ciara Meyer, August 15, 2025
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4 min read
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland.
A Midland ISD employee walks past the front of Legacy High School on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, in Midland, Texas. The district's board voted to restore a Confederate general's name to two of its schools.
Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune
Equity & Diversity Another District Restores a Confederate Name to Its Schools
The district dropped Robert E. Lee's name from two buildings in 2020. The Lee name will be back for the 2026-27 year.
Brooke Schultz, August 13, 2025
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5 min read
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In this Aug. 30, 2005 file photo, people walk through floodwaters on Canal Street in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Louisiana and Mississippi coasts. On seeing this scene one day after the storm hit land, photographer Bill Haber recalls, "Thats when we really realized how bad it was, and we had no idea how bad it would get."
Bill Haber/AP
Special Report Katrina at 20: Voices of Two Career Educators
Katrina at 20: Voices of Two Career Educators
July 25, 2025
An elementary school damaged by the Eaton Fire is seen in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2025.
An elementary school damaged by the Eaton Fire is seen in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2025.
Ringo Chiu via AP
School & District Management Opinion Schools Are Vulnerable to Climate Disasters. Principals Aren’t Ready
When an emergency forces schools to close, school leaders need more than just moral courage.
Casey Cirullo Upson, July 25, 2025
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4 min read
Image: San Carlos, CA, USA - 2019 : Yellow low emissions NGV school bus refuel cleanest burning alternative fuel at compressed natural gas CNG fueling station owned by PG&E
Michael Vi/iStock
School & District Management How Much Is Climate Change Costing Schools? A New Effort Seeks to Find Out
The initiative also documents what's known about schools' emissions, how climate disasters eat into learning time, and potential solutions.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, July 18, 2025
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6 min read
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 Representative Assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional (ESP) of the Year.
Andy Markus, the head custodian at Draper Park Middle School, in Draper, Utah, sits for a portrait during the National Education Association's 2025 representative assembly in Portland, Ore., on July 3, 2025. Markus was named the 2025 NEA Education Support Professional of the Year for his mentorship of students.
Kaylee Domzalski/Education Week
School & District Management In Their Own Words This Custodian Got Students to Stop Vandalizing and Take Pride in Their School
Andy Markus, the 2025 Education Support Professional of the Year, helped boost behavior and engagement in his Utah district.
Sarah D. Sparks, July 7, 2025
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5 min read