Middle-school teacher Sarah Wysocki emphasizes the importance of maintaining parent communication, even as students are encouraged to take more responsibility in the middle grades. She suggests three strategies: student-led updates, parent reflection prompts and a "picture of the week" to help bridge the communication gap, providing parents with insights into their children's school experiences.

Megan Johnson, a fourth-grade teacher at Central Elementary in Plainfield, has been honored as Indiana's 2026 Teacher of the Year. Johnson, who has taught for 19 years, was recognized for her commitment to building strong relationships with students and for her leadership in promoting effective literacy instruction. She expressed gratitude for the award and looks forward to connecting with educators statewide to celebrate their dedication and highlight innovative classroom practices.

The Livingston Union School District in California has significantly reduced chronic absenteeism and suspensions by investing in comprehensive school counseling, according to a UCLA Center for the Transformation of Schools study. The district's approach includes regular meetings between counselors, students and families, as well as targeted interventions for academic and personal challenges, all of which has improved student well-being and outperformed state averages in post-pandemic recovery.

Suzanne Simons and Megan Jensen from the Literacy Design Collaborative emphasize the importance of assigning grade-level texts and tasks in English language arts to improve student outcomes. They cite a study showing that students who received grade-level assignments gained four to nine months of learning compared to their peers. The authors advocate for better professional development for teachers and highlight the need for equitable access to grade-level content.

Jessica Pack, a sixth-grade language arts teacher at James Workman Middle School in California, is using AI to enhance reading comprehension among her students. Using Adobe Express, students generate images based on prompts related to what they've read, which is especially helpful for English language learners and students of varying reading levels.

The Center on Reinventing Public Education reports a significant increase in school districts adopting generative AI, with the number of early adopters nearly doubling to 79, particularly in urban areas. Districts like Denver Public Schools and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools are developing comprehensive AI strategies, focusing on teacher professional development and student-centered resources.

Foundational computer science education is critical to ensure every student thrives in a world increasingly shaped by AI, Jake Baskin of the Computer Science Teachers Association asserts. While past approaches focused on software use, the current movement stresses computational thinking, problem-solving and the principles of AI and technology. Teacher training is crucial, Baskin writes.