Questions about funding, supplies, safety, numerous policy changes, and the growing backlash leading to bans on AI and cellphones are among the many local and national issues in the news as students go back to school in the US. Last week, Part 1 of IEN’s annual back-to-school scan highlighted the stark differences in the headlines in developed and developing countries (Safety and shortages or banning technology? Going back to school in a divided world in 2026 (Part 1).
For back-to school headlines from previous years, see: Economics, AI, Cellphones and More: Scanning the International Back-To-School Headlines for 25-26 (Part 1); New Policies, New mandates, Uncertainty and Chaos (Part 2); Supplies, Cellphones, and Fear (Part 3); Politics, Policies, and Polarization: Scanning the 2024-25 Back-To-School Headlines in the US (Part 1) Supplies, Shortages, and Other Disruptions? (Part 2), Banning Cell Phones Around the World? (Part 3); Crises and Concerns: Scanning the Back-to-School Headlines for Fall 23 (Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3). Hope and trepidation: Scanning the back-to-school headlines in 2022 (Part 1), (Part 2) , (Part 3); Going back to school has never been quite like this(Fall 21: Part 1), (Part 2), (Part 3); What does it look like to go back to school in 2020? It’s different all around the world…; Headlines around the world: Back to school 2019 edition.
Across the US
The first day of school: Bells, bikes, buses and big feelings, NPR
10 Priorities from district & school leaders across the country for this year, NCEE
Funding, tech, politics: Here’s what’s weighing on district leaders this year, EducationWeek
New school year brings big challenges, EducationWeek
“Federal policy turbulence and enrollment declines have magnified the precarity of the state and local funds school districts depend on for the lion’s share of their budgets. Educators think a backlash to technology use in classrooms that’s intensified over the past year will continue to grow. And struggles to boost students’ achievement in reading and math persist, with the “math wars” restarting and schools working to implement still-new laws reforming literacy instruction.”
75% of educators expect student behavior to be a shallenge this year. What else? Education Week
Fires, floods and more: Severe weather impacts millions of students, K-12 Dive
Heat forces school closures, remote learning and early dismissals across 8 states, K-12 Dive
Measles cases hit 35-year record high just as kids head back to school, The74
3 states are testing out drones as a way to stop school shootings, NPR
From the feds on down, school funding Is uncertain. What to know, Education Week
With ESSER funding expired, school districts face tough choices for fall, The 74
Back to School Is Different This Year, Real Clear Education
“Families are entering an education landscape that has changed dramatically. Parents have more power and more options than they did even five years ago. States are expanding education savings accounts, scholarships and other ways for families to direct their children’s education. New federal scholarship opportunities are approaching. At the same time, educators and entrepreneurs are creating microschools, hybrid schools, classical academies, outdoor programs and learning models that did not fit neatly into yesterday’s system.”
See the School Supplies Teachers Buy for Students, Education Week
Back-to-school spending could be ‘moderate at best,’ Retail Dive
Back-to-school costs hit families with sticker shock, The 74
“A basic school supply bundle now costs around $173.45 — up 7.7% from last year. That, plus the soaring cost of popular school lunch items, like berries and juice boxes, means families are looking at a $4,000 annual price tag for meals and supplies. The 74’s video team breaks down the data sourced from 50,000 retailers, originally reported by The 19th.”
School districts face a back-to-school math problem: The high price of diesel, NPR
AI, screens, and technology
Back to school: Technology changes for the coming school year, Agora Education Research
Schools brace for growing backlash to classroom screen time, Education Week
5 ways AI can strengthen your teaching this school year, E-School News
Policies
Districts buckle on LGBTQ+ policies under Trump administration pressure, K-12 Dive
Education Department’s latest civil rights data redacts hundreds of LGBTQ+ entries, K-12 Dive
Inside school investigations frozen under Trump: Racial slurs, sexual harassment and more, Washington Post
Nearly 52 million kids eligible for new federal scholarship tax credit, The 74
See which Education Department programs are moving to new agencies: A tracker, Education Week
The K-12 policy shifts we’re watching this year, Bellwether
“Funding Portability and Provider Expansion: Letting public education dollars follow students across settings, making it easier for new kinds of schools to open, and expanding choice options for students and families. Credentialing and Postsecondary Pathway Flexibility: Redefining what counts as learning and widening the routes students can take through school. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance and System Modernization: Setting the rules for how schools use AI and student data.”
Tracking Trump: His actions on education, Hechinger Report
Trump administration touts Education Department’s help for states as it tries to shut it down, Education Week
Trump’s order on vaccines sows confusion as schoolsStarts, Education Week
Vast majority of students could qualify for federal choice program, Education Week
Which states are overhauling math education? Education Week
Which states ban or restrict cellphones in schools? Education Week
States & Cities
California
Back to school in Oakland: cellphone ban, new construction, and early learning expansion, Oakland Side
California phone-free schools act: Bay Area schools are enforcing cellphone bans on campus amid new law, ABC News 7
LA school year begins with limits on screens, K-12 Dive
LAUSD restricts all students from using AI tools, K-12 Dive
LAUSD first-day attendance falls slightly amid immigration, environmental concerns, EdSource
Michigan
Back to school in Michigan: New cellphone rules, a fitness test, and more, Chalkbeat Detroit
Parent engagement and more resources to get kids to school: What to expect this school year in Detroit, Chalkbeat Detroit
“City employees will monitor routes to school to keep students safe…There will also be a pilot ride share program for high schoolers.”
New York
As NYC schools open, 5 big questions about Mamdani’s education agenda, Chalkbeat New York
Cost savings, first-day jitters, payment delays: NYC launches 2-K for 2,000 toddlers, Chalkbeat New York
From mandatory financial literacy and phased-out Regents to virtual OMNY cards, here are 7 changes coming to NYC public schools for the 2026-27 school year, Chalkbeat New York
New York students enter second year of cellphone ban. What to know, LoHud
Yellow bus shortage could impact special-needs students as NYC school year starts, Daily News
7 key changes shaping NYC schools for the 2026-27 academic year, Chalkbeat New York
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia’s school asbestos problem is already derailing back-to-school, Chalkbeat Philadelphia
“District officials say asbestos remediation should be complete by the end of 2026. Philadelphia schools have had asbestos problems for years, and in 2025 they led to federal criminal charges.”
Washington
No Seattle teachers strike: 50,000 students head back to school Wednesday as planned, My Northwest News
Satire
New school year drop-off and pick-up rules, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency
“Welcome back, families! There have been some changes to the pick-up and drop-off procedures, so make sure you familiarize yourselves before the first day. Remember, when in doubt, simply CIRCLE THE BLOCK. DROP-OFF This year, we will be dropping off by grade. Please drop off only at your student’s grade level’s time. If you have multiple children, please simply CIRCLE THE BLOCK until their designated drop-off time. This ensures a smooth process for all…”
International Education News 