Q&A

These Q&As feature some of the field's most prominent education scholars, leaders, and practitioners talking about important education issues
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The civics ed. field is ready to update the framework of an exam that dates back. Brochures at a conference on America's 250th anniversary are shown in Philadelphia, on Feb. 7, 2026.
Matthew Ludak for Education Week
Social Studies Q&A The Only National Civics Test Dates Back Decades. What Aspects Need to Change?
The test needs to factor in more recent developments such as the widespread use of social media.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 21, 2026
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4 min read
Teens are getting less sleep than ever, but schools can help counteract it by establishing a "culture of sleep," experts say. A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
A Mansfield Senior High School student rests during his health class on sleep, in Mansfield, Ohio, Dec. 6, 2024.
Phil Long/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Teen Sleep Problems Are Hurting Academics and Wellness
A new study says teens are sleeping at a record low rate, affecting cognitive ability and health.
Jennifer Vilcarino, May 19, 2026
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5 min read
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
Gina Tomko/NASSP
School & District Management Q&A Three Retiring Principals on What’s Changed in Schools
These principals reflect on the rising challenges reshaping school leadership.
Olina Banerji, May 15, 2026
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4 min read
September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
Students in a history class focus on group activities as their teacher facilitates on April 7, 2026, in Sapulpa, Okla. A new national group is working to understand how to bring more male teachers into the classroom.
September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
Recruitment & Retention Q&A A New Group Looks for Ways to Draw Men Into Teaching
Fewer men are becoming teachers, prompting new efforts to recruit and retain them.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 11, 2026
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4 min read
Close crop photo of a student's hands working with wires of a semiconductor.
High school student Caden Wang, 15, works on a wheatstone circuit bridge during a class about semiconductor manufacturing at Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., on Nov. 5, 2025. The national advocacy group Advance CTE says it's trying to push past barriers and get more information from employers about the work-based skills students need.
Photo by Adriana Zehbrauskas for Education Week
College & Workforce Readiness Q&A The Struggle to Move From Data to Outcomes in Career and Technical Education
The head of a major organization focused on preparing students for careers talks about its new vision.
Lauraine Langreo, May 11, 2026
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4 min read
Images of impact on students during the COVID-19 pandemic including wearing masks, social distancing, empty classrooms, and some symbols of executive function.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Charles Krupa/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What the Research Says Kids' Executive Function Skills Took a Hit During COVID. What Can Schools Do?
Children are struggling to master skills related to memory, attention, and self-control.
Lauraine Langreo, May 4, 2026
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6 min read
Vector illustration of two young elementary students wearing bookbags and holding hands as they enter into a mobile phone with smaller phones connecting in the atmosphere around him. All on a dark blue background with the phones lit up.
DigitalVision Vectors
Student Well-Being & Movement Q&A Strict Screen-Time Limits? Pediatricians Make Case for Flexibility
A pediatrician who helped craft new screen-time guidelines explains why flexibility matters.
Arianna Prothero, April 29, 2026
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4 min read
High school principal of the year Jason Johnson.
Jason Johnson receives the 2026 National High School Principal of the Year Award at a National Association of Secondary School Principals event April 17, 2026, in Washington.
NASSP
School & District Management Q&A 'We’re Going Grassroots': How a Principal of the Year Is Boosting AP Enrollment
Jason Johnson, the high school principal of the year, wants every student to succeed.
Olina Banerji, April 22, 2026
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5 min read
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