School Climate

Get insights into improving school culture and the experiences of students and staff
School Climate & Safety Webinar Strategies for Improving School Climate and Safety
Discover strategies that K-12 districts have utilized inside and outside the classroom to establish a positive school climate.
January 29, 2026
Human hands connected by rope, retro collage from the 80s. Concept of teamwork,success,support,cooperation.
iStock/Getty
Student Well-Being & Movement Opinion Doing the Nearly Impossible: Teaching When the World Delivers Fear
Videos of Renee Good and Alex Pretti's killings are everywhere. How should teachers respond?
Marc Brackett, Robin Stern & Dawn Brooks-DeCosta, January 26, 2026
5 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Ninth grade teacher Tracy Byrd helps student Avi Veeramachaneni, 14, with his final essay on the last day of the semester at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Tracy Byrd helps students with essays on Jan. 22 at Washburn High School in Minneapolis. As immigration raids and protests have played out across the city, he and fellow educators have sought to create a stable environment for students.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
Teaching In Their Own Words ‘Normal Looks Different’: Teaching Through Fear in Minneapolis
Tracy Byrd, a 9th grade English teacher, shares what teaching entails as federal agents patrol his city.
Ileana Najarro, January 22, 2026
8 min read
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Student Well-Being & Movement Whitepaper
The Chronic Absenteeism Today Guide
Address the root causes of chronic absenteeism, boost student success, and build belonging across campus with the Chronic Absenteeism Tod...
Content provided by Wayfinder
A Somali flag, right, flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt.
A Somali flag, right, flies alongside the United States and Vermont flags outside the Winooski School District building, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Winooski, Vt. The district's effort to show support for Somali students drew intense backlash.
Amanda Swinhart/AP
School & District Management Q&A Why This Leader Is Willing to Risk Losing His Job to Support Immigrant Students
This small Vermont district defies backlash to support immigrant families.
Ileana Najarro, January 14, 2026
6 min read
Phil Dreste provides roaches, beetles, isotopes and other insects for his students to study at Kenwood Elementary in Champaign, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2026.
Phil Dreste's 4th graders handle a giant African millipede, part of a rotating cast of class pets. Dreste also provides exotic roaches, spiders, and isopods for his students to study at Kenwood Elementary in Champaign, Ill., on Jan. 12, 2026. Invertebrates can make great pets that cost less and require less attention than more common class animals.
Kaiti Sullivan for Education Week
Teaching Forget About Hamsters. Make Bugs Your Classroom Pet
Beetles, spiders, and millipedes? These nontraditional class pets may ease students' stress.
Sarah D. Sparks, January 13, 2026
5 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Survival Mode': A Minnesota Teacher of the Year Decries Immigration Crackdowns
Federal agents are creating trauma and chaos for our students and schools in Minneapolis.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 13, 2026
5 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion 'Fear Is a Thief of Focus.' A Teacher on the Impact of ICE and Renee Nicole Good's Death
At a time that feels like a state of emergency, educators are doing their best to protect students.
Larry Ferlazzo, January 12, 2026
4 min read
Collage of a podcast playing on a phone and a studio session screened behind that image.
Collage: Getty and an image courtesy of Amanda Salgado
English Learners How a Podcast Gives Newcomer Students a Platform, and a Path to Belonging
Six immigrant teenagers share their experiences of adjusting to life in a U.S. high school.
Olina Banerji, December 11, 2025
6 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
Equity & Diversity Opinion Scrubbing Critical Conversations About Racism Isn't Helping Your Students
Five ways to create "brave spaces" for your classroom while also embracing humanity.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 1, 2025
4 min read
Illustration of crossed out cellphone, equal sign and happy face.
F. Sheehan/Education Week + Getty
Teaching Profession Do Cellphone Bans Curb Teacher Burnout?
Researchers examined the impact on teachers in two middle schools.
Arianna Prothero, November 25, 2025
4 min read
A photo illustration of an autumn heart wreath from dry colored leaves, cones, pumpkins, squash, black berries on beige background.
iStock/Getty
School & District Management The Wacky Thanksgiving Traditions Bringing School Communities Together
Principals encourage their students and staff to find new ways of giving back and showing gratitude.
Olina Banerji, November 25, 2025
4 min read
Tending to a blooming neurological garden. Neuroscience.
Changyu Zou for Education Week
Teaching Opinion Has ‘Brain-Based’ Education Gone Too Far?
There is a subtle danger in allowing neuroscience to dominate our understanding of learning.
Jessica Solomon, November 25, 2025
5 min read
Middle school girl student playing a hand game with her friend on a school bus.
E+
Student Well-Being & Movement What the Research Says Don't 86 the Six-Seven: Those Annoying Kid Trends Actually Have a Purpose
Children's culture can seem bizarre, but these fads can boost their social development.
Sarah D. Sparks, November 20, 2025
5 min read