Some progress has been made in addressing the national bus driver shortage but K-12 schools are still impacted, according to an analysis by the Economy Policy Institute.
Updates on the school bus driver shortage
Author: Heather Kemp
California receives D- for its open enrollment laws
Open enrollment, a policy widely supported by parents, allows students to transfer to K-12 public schools outside of their residentially assigned campus if space is available. In practice, this can allow students to find the right educational setting for them to thrive.
Report highlights growing funding advantages in some basic aid districts
In the first major study on basic aid since California’s Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) was enacted in 2013, researchers determined that 139 districts, which serve 5.5 percent of the state’s TK-12 students, benefit from growing funding advantages.
AI, cybersecurity are top edtech priorities for states
Artificial intelligence (AI) was a top education technology (edtech) priority for states during the 2024–25 academic year, surpassing cybersecurity for the first time, according to the 2025 State EdTech Trends Report by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA) in collaboration with Whiteboard Advisors.
Incorporating the science of learning and development in teacher prep programs
A report by the Learning Policy Institute and EdPrepLab builds on recent research about how people learn and insights gained from leading-edge preparation programs. The report recommends changes that may benefit both educator preparation programs and the schools they will serve.
Online experiences can impact boys’ development
Common Sense Media’s recent report Boys in the Digital Wild: Online Culture, Identity, and Well-Being summarizes the findings of a nationally representative survey of 1,017 boys ages 11-17 to get a sense of “how digital environments shape masculine identity development during adolescence.”
Strengthening home-school relationships this Family Engagement Month
November is Family Engagement Month and the California Family and Community Engagement Initiative has resources to assist local educational agencies in building connections with students and their loved ones year-round.
Native American Studies Model Curriculum launches
The long anticipated Native American Studies Model Curriculum launched in September — just ahead of Native American Heritage Month, which is observed each November.
The state of book censorship in US schools
The 2024–25 academic year was the fourth in a row to be impacted by the “contemporary campaign to ban books” that has swept the U.S., according to a recent report from PEN America on the subject.
Setting policy around cellphones in schools: What states are doing
While cellphones seem to have a permanent place in society, their position on TK-12 campuses is still being established.