The increasingly popular STEM strategy "socio-scientific instruction" integrates social and ethical considerations into the curriculum, which gives students the chance to apply the skills they're learning to address weighty issues.

Teachers and students are engaging with fewer edtech tools but the diversity of options is forcing CIO and other educators to manage even more applications than last year.

Maryland State Superintendent of Schools Mohammed Choudhury explained in a Zoom call announcing the program that he wanted the focus on secondary math "because mathematics has taken a huge hit. We have single digits, for example, in our middle school proficiency rates."

Citing fears of possible slashes to Title II funds, these education leaders explain why districts need the most support possible to implement successful professional development in their schools.