Anna Merod

House panel weighs AI’s pitfalls, potential as Education Dept cuts loom large Innovating with artificial intelligence in schools remains exciting to some lawmakers, while others fear deepening inequities.

Some Democratic lawmakers also voiced similar concerns during an April 1 House subcommittee hearing on AI in schools.

Will end to federal Office of Ed Tech mean an end to equity? Former employees fear a loss of progress now that the Trump administration has shuttered the office.

Congress established the Office of Educational Technology three decades ago within the U.S. Department of Education.

Now that OET has been “abolished” by the Trump administration and AI continues to grow at a rapid pace, there's a lot of fear that inequities in ed tech use will worsen.

#edtech #AI

‘Families are really scared’: What will Durham public schools do if ICE shows up? “How can we truly feel safe?” one student asked this week amid Trump’s mass deportation push.

‘Families are really scared’: What will Durham public schools do if ICE shows up? Administrators have been appointed to serve as liaisons between principals and the district’s attorneys when ICE shows up on campus. (Via Mary Helen Moore) #nced #ncpol www.newsobserver.com/news/local/e...

Reading, math continue slide in 2024 NAEP results Average reading scores dropped 5 points for both 4th and 8th graders from 2019 to 2024. Math scores also saw significant declines.

The 2024 Nation’s Report Card results are in, and the national average scores in reading and math are … not good.

Some bright spots though include two states — Louisiana saw improvements in 4th grade reading and Alabama made gains in 4th grade math between 2019 and 2024.

#NAEP #math #reading

Schools take proactive steps to protect immigrant students Threatened changes to U.S. immigration policies are leading some schools to share resources and offer support to staff, families and students.

Here’s some helpful background info on this issue before today’s news.

Schools no longer protected from immigration raids The U.S. Department of Homeland Security lifted the practice of avoiding immigration enforcement at locations where students gather.

BREAKING: ICE can enter schools after Trump announces he’s rescinded a U.S. Department of Homeland Security policy.

6 trends that will shape K-12 in 2025 Strained budgets, cybersecurity threats, book bans and artificial intelligence are among the bevy of challenges for school leaders to navigate.

Here are the 6 trends we expect to see unfold in K-12 education this year. Some of our outlooks include topics on curriculum restrictions, AI, and special education. #edusky

PowerSchool still hasn’t confirmed the number of school districts, students, or teachers affected by a Dec. cybersecurity incident.

But from scanning local news reports this week, it seems more and more districts have been impacted — including San Diego Unified School District.

PowerSchool data breach possibly exposed student, staff data The cloud-based K-12 software provider confirmed a compromised credential was used to access its PowerSource customer support portal.

The PowerSchool data breach comes at a time when schools are increasingly on edge about protecting networks that hold the sensitive information of students and staff. #edtech #k12 #cybersecurity

Here’s part of US Ed Secretary Miguel Cardona’s statement on Carter’s passing.

Jimmy Carter, who enacted the creation of the Education Department, dies at age 100 Before a private interment in Plains, Georgia, there will be public observances in Atlanta and Washington, D.C., according to The Carter Center.

While Trump now calls for the elimination of the U.S. Education Department, Carter is remembered for his role in creating the federal agency in 1979.

Test yourself on this year’s K-12 news In an expanded version of our weekly feature, here's a chance to show what you learned from some of 2024's biggest stories.

Every Thursday, I look at K-12 Dive's latest coverage from the week and turn it into a current events quiz.

Well today, we made it into a quiz covering the top education stories we did in 2024.

Give it a whirl and see how you do! Bonus points if you share your score with me ✨

Where could Trump tariffs hit school budgets? An economist says the president-elect’s proposed import taxes could drive up material costs and impact K-12 capital projects.

Ever wonder as a school leader what Trump's proposed tariffs could mean for school operations? (Hint -- construction projects are likely to take a hit).

My latest for K-12 Dive is on what to expect and how to navigate the issue now.

The OCR scenarios include a wide range of AI use cases, like:

- AI plagiarism detectors in the classroom
- Anonymous social media posts of deepfake nude images of students
- AI-based software used to gauge appropriate measures for student discipline

As many schools continue to use AI for instructional and school safety purposes, school leaders might want to keep in mind the latest OCR resource -- which outlines 21 examples of potential violations of federal civil rights laws when using AI.

This resource is a big deal, per technology civil rights advocates.

The new Office for Civil Rights document puts school districts and education agencies “on notice now,” said Kristin Woelfel, of @cendemtech.bsky.social.

How do civil rights laws apply to AI in schools? A new resource from the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights outlines 21 examples of how the tech could contribute to discrimination.

The U.S. Department of Education this week released its first-ever resource clarifying for school leaders how existing federal civil rights protections apply to #AI use in schools and colleges.

Went for a stroll this weekend at the local marsh with my fam, and I showed my husband the NOVA wonders of eating a Milano sandwich from The Italian Store.

That’s it for now 👋 I’ll try to post other stories as I work on them. I wanted to be better about that on Twitter/X, so this feels like a fresh restart. 😌

Reach out with story ideas or tips anytime — amerod@industrydive.com

K-12 cyber incident reporting is coming. Here’s what we know. Questions — like what CISA will do with districts' information — remain for K-12 cybersecurity experts as the federal agency finalizes reporting requirements.

Another story of mine in “Education Extortion”: A look at a Biden administration rule that’s being finalized, which would require school districts with 1,000 or more students — along with all state education agencies — to report when they face a disruptive cyber incident.

How to navigate the rising cost of cyber insurance for schools As districts face increased premiums for covering ransomware threats, cybersecurity experts suggest leaders read the fine print of insurance policies.

As a part of our “Education Extortion” ransomware series last month: I covered why schools are facing higher costs to get cyber insurance. I explore how other K-12 leaders can better navigate those costs, as some ponder if it’s even worth getting cyber insurance anymore. 🤔

Majority of states see decrease in student-teacher ratios post-COVID Just eight states had more students per teacher post-pandemic, per a K-12 Dive analysis of NCES data. What does that say about teacher shortages?

In this piece I explore how federal data on student-teacher ratios in each state may illuminate whether states are facing teacher shortages post-pandemic.

The data hints that, big picture, most states might not have shortages anymore.

It’s got some charts 📊 too!

How school leaders can tap into the Education Department’s AI toolkit The 74-page document offers implementation resources for K-12 leaders on student data privacy risks, rollout strategy and more.

In October, the U.S. Department of Education released its 74-page toolkit to help K-12 leaders figure out how to implement AI in their schools. I asked several experts in the field how school leaders can actually apply the guidance to their own AI policies.

Hi, I’m Anna! Thought I’d share a thread of my latest education coverage at K-12 Dive. I often write about ed tech, AI, cybersecurity, staffing issues/solutions, student data privacy among other things in education.

Take a look ⬇️