School Facilities & Design

Explainer

Image of a classroom
What to Know About PCBs in Schools: A Visual Primer
Key facts about a toxic chemical that continues to contaminate older schools.
View Explainer
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
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
•
5 min read
katrina 20a
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
•
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
•
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
•
5 min read
Enrichment specialist Ally Audas works with 2nd graders Ansleigh Keeler and Liora Ward in the John Rex Charter School's garden lab in Oklahoma City.
Enrichment specialist Ally Audas works with 2nd graders Ansleigh Keeler and Liora Ward in the John Rex Charter School's garden lab in Oklahoma City.
Courtesy of Anna Shaffer
Teaching How School Gardens Can Teach Students Valuable Skills for a Tech-Heavy World
There are many ways to integrate technology into school gardening experiences.
Arianna Prothero, July 3, 2025
•
4 min read
Ceiba Phillips, an 11-year-old Eaton Fire evacuee, visits his school gutted by the fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025.
Ceiba Phillips, an 11-year-old Eaton Fire evacuee, visits his school gutted by the fire in Altadena, Calif., Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025. A new report from EdTrust outlines how schools can adapt for climate change, from incorporating the concept into the curriculum, tending to students' climate anxiety, and making climate-resilient facility upgrades.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What Schools Can Do About Climate Change Right Now
A new report details how schools can adapt for climate change in both small and big ways.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, May 2, 2025
•
7 min read
Person thinking to enter money maze puzzle.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding States Urge McMahon to Restore Federal Funds She Canceled Without Notice
New York's education department threatened legal action if the federal government doesn't restore pandemic relief funds.
Mark Lieberman, April 4, 2025
•
10 min read
school garden BS
Student Well-Being & Movement Video How Urban Schools Bring Lessons to Life Through Gardening
School gardens can connect classroom lessons with the wider world while offering lifelong learnings for students.
Sam Mallon, April 3, 2025
•
3:55
Load More ▼