News

What does Trump have in mind for K12 education?

Will the U.S. Department of Education be dismantled? Or does Trump's proposal ring hollow? Tune into this story as we provide updates in the months leading up to his first day in office.

These are the nation’s best elementary and middle schools

U.S. News & World Report updated its rankings of the best elementary and middle schools nationwide. Do you recognize any on this list?

3 reasons students are confident voters this election

Gen Z has been doing their research, and they've identified three of their top concerns this election season.

These are the 10 best school districts in the country

According to Niche rankings, the top school district in the country has an average graduation rate of 96%, and 72% of students are proficient in reading and math.

Predicting what lies ahead—and what doesn’t—for K12 this election

The elephant in the room, Project 2025, has experts fearful of its impact to education funding and school choice options.

How politics are shaping high schoolers’ college choices

The political makeup of a college can determine your graduates' college choice. Here's how to guide them on their search.

Southern California school district sues Gov. Newsom over new transgender law

The Chino Valley Unified School District, involved in an ongoing legal battle with the state over the district’s gender-identity policy, sued Gov. Gavin Newsom over a new law banning districts from requiring that parents be notified of their child’s gender identification change.

Hurricane Beryl makes landfall. How are Texas districts responding?

More than 1.5 million customers lost power in Houston, Texas early Monday morning. In preparation, these school districts chose to remain closed.

Indoctrination? Ditch public schools, Colorado GOP tells parents

The Colorado Republican Party also encouraged families who feel their rights are being stripped to identify religious exemptions that may serve as a case against the new state policy on preferred pronouns.

TGIF time-saver: A partnership, cultural preservation and a footrace? Oh my

In this new series, "TGIF Timesaver" aims to bring you pressing—and sometimes lighthearted—straight to the point news from the week to help bring you and your cabinet up to speed.

Anti-LGBTQ+ policies are now taking a bigger toll on young people

The record number of anti-LGTBQ policies enacted in the past year have become so disruptive that young people and their families are considering leave their homes, a new study warns. 

School boards: The four keywords that keep coming up in the biggest districts

Do school boards share the priorities of their district's superintendents? Do they share the same priorities across the country? Burbio has been providing regular updates on the hot-button topics that are priorities at meetings right now.

State ranks No. 1 for education despite years of controversy

Florida has stirred up plenty of controversy around K12 and higher education in recent years. But it still tops this influential list.

Education won’t suffer if TikTok is banned. Here’s why

It's been great for outreach and culture-building, but educators will simply turn elsewhere, says one former principal whose viral TikToks kept students engaged and in-the-know.

Superintendent turnover: Dozens of new hires and 6 departures

A handful of district leaders found new homes while school boards hired first-time superintendents at a rapid clip and a few systems are suddenly looking for replacements.

Title IX: States line up to defy new K12 LGBTQ protections

Governors and education leaders of several states are ordering schools not to comply with Biden Administration Title IX update that outlaws harassment based on gender identity or sexual orientation

New leader tops list of best high schools in the U.S.

A new No. 1 high school has soared to the top of the list of the best in the U.S. According to U.S. News & World Report, the best high schools are those that educate students from all social and economic backgrounds by exposing them to rigorous coursework.

Book bans are hitting new heights this school year

Books about women, sexual violence and rape that have are being challenged based on obscenity while race, LGBTQ and transgender identities continue to be frequent targets.

New Florida bill limits book objections in school libraries

Folks without children are limited to one book challenge per month, the new law declares. Parents—including those who home-school children—are allowed unlimited objections.

4 ways to compare how school climate is recovering

New research shows how school leaders are faring with teacher shortages, political polarization, curriculum restrictions and their financial futures.

How are two years of teaching restrictions impacting classrooms?

“Students do not feel comfortable asking honest questions and teachers do not feel comfortable about giving honest answers," one teacher told researchers examining curriculum restrictions.

Chaplains in public schools? What’s behind a new push

Lawmakers proposing the bills are pointing to counselor shortages but are not completely playing down the religious aspects of putting chaplains in schools.

You can now say—but not teach—gay in Florida classrooms

LGBTQ issues—namely, sexual orientation and gender identity—can be discussed but not taught in Florida classrooms, according to a settlement over the state's "Don't Say Gay" law.

‘Talking Out of School’ podcast: Here comes the 100 Superintendent March

In this episode, three superintendents describe how they will "represent marginalized communities as well as all communities across the U.S." when they make their voices heard at the White House and in Congress next week.

3 ways education shined in Biden’s State of the Union address

President Joe Biden made it clear in his State of the Union address Thursday that K12 education is on his radar. Here's what we learned.

Leaders forced to close more schools by 2 big concerns

Wichita Public Schools in Kansas will close six schools to cover a $42 million budget shortfall as San Francisco's superintendent declares "We must have fewer schools than we do now."

What’s new in your governor’s priorities for K12 education?

The teaching profession got much more attention than school safety did in the "State of the State" addresses delivered by governors so far this year. And early learning was a far more frequent topic than the culture wars.

Schools in one state might get big incentives to ban cellphones

Larger Oklahoma districts could get an extra $1 million in state funding under a new proposal while another measure would cover the costs of banning cellphones.

States with the highest support for public schools: No. 1 may surprise you

Support for public schools means more than just funding. A new ranking also considers vouchers, curriculum restrictions and other factors.

Superintendents, get excited. Here’s how to teach about the eclipse

If your school district is in the "path of totality" for this spring's solar eclipse, you and your community are in line for a once-in-a-liftetime learning experience.

Supreme Court clears way for elite high school’s race-neutral policy

Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology's policy is allowed to stand by same Supreme Court that found affirmative action unconstitutional last year.

Here are the brightest spots in enrollment’s rocky recovery

Public school enrollment rebounds in higher grades but continues to lag among younger students, and remains behind 2019 levels, newly released data shows.

Black students are most common targets as school hate crimes double

Schools trailed only homes and roads as the most common locations for reported hate crimes over a five-year period that includes the pandemic, according to an FBI study that also looked at the ethnicity and religion of the victims.

More than a dozen districts just selected new superintendents

The Boise School District in Idaho has promoted Deputy Superintendent Lisa Roberts to serve as the district's first female leader. District elsewhere are also giving administrators their first shots at the superintendency.

Here comes a monumental eclipse. Are you closing school or out of luck?

Students in a growing number of districts will have the day off on April 8—that's if the solar eclipse will be visible over their hometowns.