The screen-time debate’s blind spot
Last fall, during a professional development session I was running with a group of teachers in São Paulo, a fifth-grade teacher raised her hand and asked a question…
educators
The next wave of K-12 innovation: How educators are shaping the future of edtech
Every school year brings an influx of IT solutions designed to reinvent K-12 education. Schools are primed to jump on the latest technologies to address the issues most…
As classrooms go digital, are educators ready?
Today, about 80 percent of K–12 students use computers or tablets at school--up from about 50 percent before the pandemic. Even as parents worry about too much “screen…
Too many apps, too many missed messages
In our district, families were checking multiple apps just to keep up with school communication. One child’s teacher posted in one platform. Another school used something different. District…
Celebrating Teachers: Nominate Outstanding Educators for Crystal Apple Awards
School Specialty, a leading provider of learning environments, instructional solutions, and supplies for preK-12 education, is proud to celebrate outstanding educators with its 12th annual Crystal Apple Awards.
A new PLC model that builds collective efficacy and fights teacher burnout
In schools across the country, teacher turnover and burnout have reached crisis levels. Educators are stretched thin, often working in isolation, and many professional learning communities (PLCs) fail…
What’s in and out in literacy instruction for 2026
The conversation around literacy instruction has reached a turning point. After decades of debate, we're finally seeing a broad consensus around evidence-based practices--but the challenge now is moving…
Retention First: Hire Teachers Who Stay
When staffing eats up 85% of a district’s budget, retention matters. Learn how K-12 districts use cross-department collaboration, smarter planning, ... Read more
School Specialty Expands Learning Beyond the Screen with New Outdoor Furniture Line
Childcraft expands early learning beyond four walls and screens with durable, sustainable furniture designed for outdoor discovery.
Despite platform fatigue, educators use AI to bridge resource gaps
Sixty-five percent of educators use AI to bridge resource gaps, even as platform fatigue and a lack of system integration threaten productivity, according to Jotform's EdTech Trends 2026 report.
Beyond the dashboard: Why K-12 educators need data literacy, not just data
Walk into any data meeting at a K-12 school today, and you'll likely see a familiar scene: educators huddled around printed reports, highlighters in hand, trying to make…
5 tips for educators using video
When you need to fix your sink, learn how to use AI, or cook up a new recipe, chances are you searched on YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, or even…
AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace?
The rapid rise of generative AI has turned classrooms into a real-time experiment in technology use. Students are using AI to complete assignments, while teachers are leveraging it…
25 predictions about AI and edtech
As generative AI technologies evolve, educators are moving away from fears about AI-enabled cheating and are embracing the idea that AI can open new doors for teaching and…
How AI can fix PD for teachers
Many teachers have experienced PD sessions that are disorganized, disconnected from practice, or delivered by outsiders who misunderstand the local context.
Modernizing the special education workforce is a national imperative
America’s special education system is facing a slow-motion collapse. Nearly 8 million students now receive services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), but the number of qualified teachers…
Solving the staffing crisis is key to the Science of Reading movement
As someone who’s dedicated my career to advancing the Science of Reading movement, I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to help every child become a strong, fluent reader.
The end of one-direction career pathways: Why empowering students sets the best course for future success
When middle school students make the leap to high school, they are expected to have a career path in mind so their classes and goals align with their…
AI in the classroom: Preparing for a new era of teaching and learning
When I first started experimenting with AI in my classroom, I saw the same thing repeatedly from students. They treated it like Google. Ask a question, get an…
From explaining to empowering: How tutors can support student thinking
Consider the work of a personal trainer. They can explain and model a workout perfectly, but if the athlete isn’t the one doing the lifting, their muscles won’t…
Room to grow: Creating a classroom built for success
For decades, curriculum, pedagogy, and technology have evolved to meet the changing needs of students. But in many schools, the classroom environment itself hasn’t kept pace.
How AI is streamlining special education
Districts nationwide are grappling with increased special education demands amid persistent staff shortages and compliance pressures.
3 strategies to boost student reading fluency this school year
With the new school year now rolling, teachers and school leaders are likely being hit with a hard truth: Many students are not proficient in reading.
Making career readiness meaningful in today’s classrooms
How can we make classroom learning more meaningful for our students? In today’s rapidly evolving world, preparing learners for the future isn’t about gathering academic knowledge.
Why busy educators need AI with guardrails
In the growing conversation around AI in education, speed and efficiency often take center stage, but that focus can tempt busy educators to use what’s fast rather than…
How Windows 11 is powering the next generation of K-12 innovation
As school districts navigate a rapidly evolving digital landscape, IT and academic leaders face a growing list of challenges--from hybrid learning demands and complex device ecosystems to rising…
AI, CTE are key to preparing students for future careers
Educators are embracing AI and career and technical education (CTE) as keys to preparing students for their future after high school, according to the 2025 Savvas Educator Index…
Why critical data literacy belongs in every K–12 classroom
An unexpected group of presenters--11th graders from Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago--made a splash at this year’s ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency (FAccT).
Strengthening middle school literacy: What educators need to know
Literacy has always been the foundation of learning, but for middle school students, the stakes are especially high. These years mark the critical shift from learning to read…
Building a literacy framework that works: A district leader’s journey in Peoria
When I stepped into the role of curriculum coordinator for Peoria Public Schools District 150 in 2021, I entered a landscape still reeling from the disruption of COVID-19.…
Why AI’s true power in education isn’t about saving time
As a former teacher, educator coach and principal, I've witnessed countless edtech promises come and go. The latest refrain echoes through conference halls and staff meetings: "AI saves…
5 keys to AI success: A roadmap for K–12 administrators
Like many educators, I have strong feelings about the abundance of artificial intelligence now used in schools. Some teachers choose to take a Gandalf approach to AI and…
26 insights about what back-to-school season has in store
As the back-to-school season begins, educators and students alike are stepping into classrooms that look and feel increasingly different from just a few years ago. Technology is no…
Better Behavior, Thriving Students
To promote classroom behavior that supports student learning, educators need proactive, practical strategies. The Second Step® behavior mitigation guide ... Read more
Phones, devices, and the limits of control: Rethinking school device policies
A growing body of research and an even louder chorus of educators point to the same conclusion: students are distracted, they’re disengaged, and their learning is suffering. What’s…
Tips, tools, and truths: Making PD meaningful in today’s classrooms
As a classroom teacher and district leader with over 26 years of experience, I’ve attended countless professional development (PD) sessions. Some were transformative, others forgettable.
In training educators to use AI, we must not outsource the foundational work of teaching
I was conferencing with a group of students when I heard the excitement building across my third grade classroom. A boy at the back table had been working…
KU researchers publish guidelines to help responsibly implement AI in education
Researchers at the University of Kansas have produced a set of guidelines to help educators from preschool through higher education responsibly implement artificial intelligence in a way that…
Optical LAN: The silent hero of modern learning
From immersive AR/VR learning in science labs to hybrid classrooms, real-time collaboration platforms, and remote learning at scale, how students learn and educators teach is changing rapidly.
Most students, educators use AI–but opinions differ on ethical use
As generative AI continues to gain momentum in education each year, both its adoption and the attitudes toward its use have steadily grown more positive, according to a…