Elements like soft and flexible seating can transform a media center into a space that engages the whole school community.

This may come as news to some superintendents and district leaders: Book bans and pride flags are not the main topics of discussion at every school board meeting in the country. Still, school boards are grappling with some complicated topics.

Advocates are warning that schools' efforts to detect dangerous online activity increasingly threaten both academic freedom and the privacy of students—particularly those from the LGBTQ+ community, Title I schools and other marginalized groups.

"I don't see us moving back to publisher provided resources except for specialized classes," said one high school math teacher featured in a new report. Instead, educators are leveraging digital tools and resources to get the job done.