Beyond the Headlines: What Civics Education Looks Like Right Now
As the United States prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday in 2026, debates over democracy, rights, and free speech dominate headlines. At the same time, school districts face growing pressure to decide what kinds of civic learning opportunities to offer. Do districts consider a foundational understanding of the U.S. government and its functions enough for […]
It’s Time for the Left To Come to the School Choice Table
Our Phoenix Rising series aims to elevate diverse perspectives and enable informed debate on urgent topics. For too long, the political Left has allowed the debate over school choice to be defined and dominated by conservatives. In doing so, we’ve neglected the most dynamic lever for equity and innovation in American education while alienating the […]
Pension Costs Are Draining School Budgets. Here’s What States Can Do.
Student enrollment is falling at public schools across the country, impacting funding streams and threatening financial solvency, as schools continue to be on the hook for considerable fixed costs like loans or debts. Having to pay out teacher pensions (mostly using current revenue to pay retired teachers) is contributing to this growing problem. But even […]
CRPE and the Walton Family Foundation Support $2.6M in Grants to Study Pandemic Recovery
TEMPE, AZ — Over the past four years, CRPE’s Evidence Project has tracked the pandemic’s impact on students and school system recovery efforts. These collective efforts are far from complete—and face persistent challenges. In August 2024, with generous support from the Walton Family Foundation, CRPE made a public call for proposals to help accelerate the […]
Managing Through the Noise: How Superintendents See Shifts in the Federal Role in Education
In May 2025, we spoke with about a dozen superintendents across the country—and others who work closely with them—about challenges stemming from recent national events, including a much smaller United States Department of Education (ED), likely changes in federal Title I funding and oversight, and the various executive orders aimed at shifting more responsibility to […]
Families Deserve a Seat at the AI Table
As AI rapidly reshapes the classroom, families are hopeful but uncertain. While the majority of families surveyed by the National Parents Union (NPU) in 2023 agreed that the potential benefits of AI in K-12 education either outweigh or are equal to the possible downsides, only a fraction feel confident in their understanding of the technology. […]
Remaking Ed Schools from the Ground Up
One of us (Carole) was recently asked what a world without colleges of education would look like. Carole’s response: “I’m not sure the world would miss us.” And she spoke as the dean of one of the largest colleges of education in the country. There has been no shortage of documentation of how schools of […]
From Tool to Transformation: Rethinking AI for Teacher Education
Each time teacher educators introduce a new tool into teacher preparation—whether it’s video coaching, micro-credentials, or simulation—we’re redefining what it means to become a teacher. These tools don’t just change how we train educators. They signal what we value in the profession, what we believe good teaching looks like, and how future teachers should be […]
Red State Metro Districts Hit by Private School Choice Plans
I was shocked recently when I read about school enrollment declines in Salt Lake City. Both the public elementary schools I attended are among the many slated for closure, and the district is slowly losing about 3% of its enrollment every year. These trends preceded the state’s commitment to ESAs, which threaten to accelerate the […]
Retooling Educator Preparation for the Future of Learning
The United States faces a serious workforce challenge—not just in raw numbers, but in how we prepare and support talent across sectors. As economist Tony Carnevale has emphasized, our economic future depends on a nimble, adaptive workforce. But the systems designed to develop that workforce—including our education system—remain rooted in outdated models. This is especially […]