The Lens

CRPE’s blog: A space where we look around the corner, comment on relevant issues, and propose new ideas.

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Lydia Rainey, Robin Lake

State education agencies (SEAs) are being asked to do something they have rarely been asked to do before: lead. As the federal government’s influence over education recedes, leaving confusion in its wake, calls for guidance, clarity, and strategic direction are shifting to states. And they are shifting fast, to agencies that are often understaffed, under-resourced, and themselves uncertain about what comes next.

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Maddy Sims

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how we work, communicate, and create. In education, however, the conversation is stuck. Sensational headlines make it seem like AI will either save public education (“AI will magically give teachers back hours in their day!”) or destroy it completely (“Students only use AI to cheat!” “AI will replace teachers!”).

Latest Publications

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Small Changes, Big Relief: How States Can Support School Districts While They Work Towards Strategic Leadership

Lydia Rainey, Robin Lake

State education agencies (SEAs) are being asked to do something they have rarely been asked to do before: lead. As the federal government’s influence over education recedes, leaving confusion in its wake, calls for guidance, clarity, and strategic direction are shifting to states.

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Webinar: CRPE’s AI Early Adopter Research, 2026

Shira Haderlein, Bree Dusseault, Dana Harrison, Michael Berardino

https://youtu.be/ZbbQ0kRoLcg As AI adoption accelerates across K–12 education, leaders are navigating a rapidly evolving and often fragmented landscape. This webinar, held on May 27, 2026, shares early insights from CRPE’s research on AI in school systems, state agencies, and the broader education ecosystem.

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Two Connected Paths for School Districts to Thrive in an Era of Enrollment Decline and Heightened Competition

Robin Lake, Travis Pillow

America’s school districts are serving a shrinking share of a shrinking market. The K–12 population is declining overall, families are leaving high-cost cities, homeschooling has expanded since the pandemic, private school enrollment has rebounded, and charter school enrollment continues to grow.

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Precision Learning Has the Potential to Do What Personalized Learning Could Not

Robin Lake

Driving past Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, I noticed a billboard that reads something like, “We treat your cancer like it’s YOUR cancer.” The message is more than a slogan.

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