Parents

Education news, analysis, and opinion about how parents and other family members interact with schools and their children’s education
Students follow along in their copies of “Among the Hidden” by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a seventh grade reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Seventh graders follow along in their copies of <i>Among the Hidden</i> by Margaret Peterson Haddix in a reading class at in Bow, N.H., on Oct. 29, 2025.
Sophie Park for Education Week
Reading & Literacy How Family Reading Time Can Help Older Students Thrive
EdWeek readers offer suggestions about how to get older students reading more.
Marina Whiteleather, June 5, 2026
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1 min read
Contemporary art collage of human hand holding dialogue bubble. Concept of communication, news, chat. Dialog importance.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + iStock
Families & the Community Quiz QUIZ: Teachers, How Ready Are You for Difficult Parent Conversations?
Test your knowledge of how to approach challenging academic or behavior issues with families.
Sarah D. Sparks, June 2, 2026
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1 min read
Gabriela Durham, 17, uses her phone to listen to music inside her room on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in New York. Concerns about children and phone use are not new. But there is a growing realization among experts that the COVID-19 pandemic fundamentally changed the relationship kids have with social media. As youth coped with isolation and spent excessive time online, the pandemic effectively carved out a much larger space for social media in the lives of American children.
Gabriela Durham, 17, uses her phone to listen to music inside her room on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in New York. A report shows how parents feel about their teens' social media use and an expert comments on what schools can do with the information.
Andres Kudacki/AP
Families & the Community Q&A How Parents See Students' Social Media Habits: Why it Matters for Educators
The Pew Research Center shows parents have increasing concern over their teens' social media usage.
Jennifer Vilcarino, June 2, 2026
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5 min read
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A teacher participates in a pilot project aimed at improving parent-teacher communication through AI-based simulations. Parent avatars respond to educators in real time through speech and body language.
Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity
Families & the Community Teacher-Parent Meetings Can Be Tense. Can AI Simulations Help?
Rehearsals on how to talk effectively with parents can ease a major pain point for teachers.
Sarah D. Sparks, May 31, 2026
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7 min read
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), are seen monitoring a football game between Bell Multicultural and Archbishop Carroll on Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in the Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
Officers from the Metropolitan Police Department, FBI and Homeland Security Investigations monitor a high school football game Sept. 12, 2025, at Cardozo High School in Washington. Heightened immigration enforcement activity has raised concerns about its impact on students’ attendance and well-being.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
Student Absenteeism Immigrant Students Fear Enforcement and Stay Out of School
An April working paper found that immigration enforcement increased absence rates.
Ileana Najarro, May 20, 2026
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4 min read
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
A kindergartner, 5, stands with her arms crossed as she waits for classmates to use the restroom before they can return to the classroom, on Aug. 14, 2014, at an elementary school in Beecher, Mich.
Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
Early Childhood Who’s Responsible for Toilet Training? Schools or Families?
Districts grapple with how to respond when students aren't toilet-trained.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 15, 2026
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4 min read
High school students wearing black graduation gaps and gowns line up on a football field as they prepare to receive their diplomas at an outdoor high school graduation ceremony.
La Porte High School graduates wait in line to receive their diplomas during commencement exercises on June 12, 2025 in La Porte, Ind. Now, a small but growing number of high schools have adopted AI platforms to pronounce students' names at graduation ceremonies.
Amanda Haverstick/La Porte County Herald-Dispatch via AP
Families & the Community A New Use for AI: Pronouncing Students' Names at Graduation
High schools adopt AI platforms to pronounce students' names at graduation ceremonies, sparking pushback.
Evie Blad, May 15, 2026
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5 min read
A pencil leaning against the wall. The shadow of a ladder shade reflected on the wall.
Education Week + E+/Getty
Federal Opinion Trump's K-12 Leader: Let’s Improve Assessment Without Sacrificing Accountability
The Ed. Dept. is shrinking the federal footprint but raising academic expectations, says Kirsten Baesler.
Kirsten Baesler, May 15, 2026
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4 min read
Colorful overlapping silhouettes of families and children. family, children, father, mother, parent, protect,
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Families & the Community Opinion Why Those Disengaged Parents in Your School Deserve a Second Look
An assistant principal outlines four ways to foster greater family involvement.
Collin Haynes, May 7, 2026
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5 min read
Four-year-old Ethan Quinn leaves home for his daycare center in Concord, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2023. Ethan's parents opted to keep him in a private daycare center instead of enrolling him in “transitional kindergarten” — a program offered for free by California elementary schools for some 4-year-olds. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A four-year-old prepares to leave home for his daycare center in Concord, Calif., on Nov. 1, 2023. His parents chose private daycare over California’s free “transitional kindergarten” program for some 4-year-olds—a decision that reflects how families often navigate limited time, work demands, and early education options in shaping school readiness.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Early Childhood Teachers Blame Parents for Young Learners' Deficits. But There's a Bigger Story
Teachers and parents are experiencing similar levels of stress caring for and educating kids.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 30, 2026
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5 min read
Photo collage of a young English learner student working at his desk. His photo is inside a circle and on a blue background. The blue background is split if 4 quadrants with a subtle brick wall texture. Inside the 4 quadrants are silhouettes of a woman writing on a clipboard, a parent holding the hand of a young girl, a police officer, and two speech bubbles.
Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
English Learners From Our Research Center What Educators Say English Learners Need Most
Educators spoke of the need for more training in a national survey on English-learner instruction.
Ileana Najarro, April 23, 2026
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3 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Families & the Community Opinion 'Easy, Positive, and Judgment Free.' How Families Can Support Their Children
Educators share their best advice for working with parents and guardians on student learning.
Larry Ferlazzo, April 22, 2026
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12 min read
A class portrait session at a New York City middle school.
A New York City middle school holds a class portrait session on May 5, 2021. The school photo giant Lifetouch this past winter found itself swept up in viral social media rumors about an alleged connection to the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Michael Loccisano/Getty
School & District Management Q&A How a School Photo CEO Dealt With a Jeffrey Epstein Conspiracy Theory
Lifetouch's CEO discusses the company's response to social media rumors alleging ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, April 21, 2026
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7 min read
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Students in a history class at Sapulpa Middle School in Oklahoma take a break from using technology, focusing instead on group activities involving worksheets and discussion on April 7, 2026. A growing number of schools across the country are using approaches to cut back on screen time in classrooms.
September Dawn Bottoms for Education Week
Classroom Technology The Ed-Tech Backlash Is Here. What It Means for Schools
Many educators and parents are worried that overuse of tech in schools is hurting learning.
Alyson Klein & Lauraine Langreo, April 20, 2026
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12 min read