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New laws require state education departments to develop guidance for using AI safely and responsibly in schools. These states have moved beyond issuing AI guidance to take concrete actions requiring schools to apply new standards in the classroom.

4 more states require districts to adopt AI policies

At least one state has gone as far as to prohibit artificial intelligence’s use for grading, discipline or other high-stakes decisions.

k12dive.com

WATCH: @texastribune.org gathered public school teachers from across Texas to answer the question: “What makes a great school?” Teach Plus Texas teacher leaders Dani Boepple, JoMeka Gray, Dr. Cynthia Hopkins, and Stephanie Stoebe took part in the conversations.

Tribune convenes Texas educators for event on “What makes a great school?”

On Wednesday, July 1, we convened public school educators from around the state to explore that question and the realities shaping schools today.

texastribune.org

As New Mexico faces being ranked last in education, Teach Plus NM Executive Director Hope Morales explains the impact of education: “Education, or lack thereof, can create barriers to high-quality careers. This impacts our health, crime and overall well-being as citizens.”

New Mexico battles low education ranking as the new school year approaches | City of Albuquerque | Open Governance

New Mexico has ranked last in education since 2016, deterring families and businesses. Experts Amanda Aragon-Bernabe and Hope Morales say COVID-19 is no longer

opgov.news

Check out Humanities Texas's feature on 2025 Outstanding Teaching Award recipient Teach Plus Texas Fellow Karla Guevara: "My teaching creates a bridge between language learning & the humanities, fostering curiosity & appreciation for cultural knowledge."

Teacher Feature: Three Award-Winning Educators

humanitiestexas.org

Thorough literacy efforts must also include older students. “I’d like to see a future ... where not only have we gotten literacy supports for elementary students but we’ve put supports in place for students through 12th grade.” – Teach Plus MI Exec. Director Ben Locke

Michigan must focus literacy efforts on older students, too, experts say - Bridge Michigan

Many raise concerns with Michigan’s reading scores. Elementary school kids are often the focus. But what about older students who still struggle to read?

bridgemi.com

WATCH: Teach Plus Illinois Policy Director Bill Curtin shared his perspective on Illinois's new AI guidelines for K-12: “We must make sure teachers are at the table in the implementation phase. Written guidance alone doesn’t change classrooms.”

New Illinois guidelines for how schools should navigate AI written by AI

Illinois State Board of Education put together new guidelines for how schools should navigate AI use amid concerns of students using AI to do school work. Illinois Policy Director Bill Curtin from…

fox32chicago.com

Illinois recently released guidelines for AI use in education, a step that Teach Plus Illinois advocated for. Parts of the guidelines were created using AI. Teach Plus IL Policy Director Bill Curtin explained why that disclosure is necessary & builds trust.

Illinois State Board of Education issues AI guidance, written with help from AI

Illinois issues AI guidance for schools, including recommendations for ethical classroom use and transparency.

capitolnewsillinois.com

“When students feel that something is personal to them, they come alive.” In this week’s Newsblast: Teach Plus Leading Edge Fellow Ashley Kannan on focusing on his students' authentic learning while using AI in the classroom. Learn more and subscribe: cm.teachplus.org/t/r-9EE074E4...

The accessibility of AI has led educators like Leading Edge Fellows Al Rabanera and Ashley Kannan to change their approach. Now, when Rabanera gives homework, it's often having students write their own word problems to prove they understand concepts.

The End of Homework? Teachers Grapple With Cheating in the Age of AI

Teachers say generative AI is forcing them to rethink one of school's oldest institutions.

the74million.org

Pennsylvania’s new state budget includes another $10 million investment in early literacy programs. “We are encouraged to see the Legislature reaffirm its bipartisan commitment to early literacy,” said Teach Plus PA Literacy Coalition Director Rachael Garnick. www.phillytrib.com/news/state_a...

Pa.’s early literacy programs get $10M boost, again, from state budget

Pennsylvania’s new state budget includes another $10 million investment in early literacy programs, a move advocates said will help schools prepare for reading reforms aimed at improving academic outc...

phillytrib.com

Too many students are graduating without knowing what comes next. Teach Plus Michigan Fellow Rhonda Pierce shares 3 steps Michigan can take to help. "We must close opportunity gaps so every student can claim the future they don’t always realize is within reach."

Michigan's students deserve more than a blank future • Michigan Advance

To be successful, students have to navigate a system built on inherited knowledge—like Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) deadlines and enrollment deposits—that families, especially…

michiganadvance.com

WATCH: “Nothing is better than watching [a Policy Fellow] go into a room and talk about the work they do with students and how it directly ties to a policy impact.”— Teach Plus Colorado Executive Director Dr. Jamita Horton Listen to the full conversation here:

Pressing the Rest Button with Dr. Jamita Horton

What happens when the system tells you that you "care too much"? For Jamita Horton, Ed.D Horton, that moment in a Milwaukee principal's office was the beginning of a decade-long journey of pressing…

youtube.com

Mississippi, like many other states, is experiencing a teacher shortage, but high-quality teachers are key to helping students learn & thrive. Teach Plus MS Policy Fellow Keyana Hawthorne shares three ways MS can invest in and support teachers long term.

Opinion | There Are Ways to Keep Mississippi’s Best Educators

Keyana Hawthorne writes about her ideas on how to keep teachers in Mississippi classrooms and how to help make teaching more effective.

mississippifreepress.org

Teach Plus Michigan alum Kelsey Wiley has become a "teacher therapist" to meet her students' needs and is advocating at the state for expanded support for them. “I’m happy to be a safe space for my students because building those relationships goes a long way.”

‘Our kids need support’: Michigan teacher fights for mental health funding and resources in local schools

Kelsey Wiley, a high school English teacher in Metro Detroit, discusses how she’s fighting for expanded mental health support in schools across Michigan.

gandernewsroom.com

When people think about computer science class, they likely conjure up images of ones and zeros—not mindfulness. But there are many ways computer science can support student mindfulness and social-emotional learning, and vice versa.

Yes, Computer Science Can Teach Social-Emotional Skills. Here's How

Though seemingly disparate, computer science and student mindfulness can mutually reinforce one another.

edweek.org

Teachers in states that have enacted limits on students’ use of cellphones and other digital devices during school time say while the policies help, but it takes a schoolwide culture shift to help students adapt to phone-free campuses.

‘It Turns the School Community Around’: Teachers Reflect on Phone-Free Campuses

Teachers in states with cellphone bans say implementation means more than policy.

edweek.org

Teach Plus Pennsylvania applauds the final state budget passed, which includes investments aligned with many of the organization’s education priorities: adequacy funding, student teacher stipends, early literacy, and child care recruitment and retention. Read more:

Pennsylvania's New Budget Bets Big on the Basics: Funding, Teachers, and Literacy - Teach Plus - Leadership Opportunity

Teach Plus PA Applauds State Budget That Boosts Adequacy Funding, Literacy, and the Educator Workforce Harrisburg, PA, July 12, 2026—Teach Plus Pennsylvania today issued the following statement in…

teachplus.org

Michigan must focus literacy efforts on older students, too, experts say - Bridge Michigan

Many raise concerns with Michigan’s reading scores. Elementary school kids are often the focus. But what about older students who still struggle to read?

bridgemi.com

Illinois recently implemented a statewide definition for play-based learning, after advocacy by Teach Plus Illinois ECE Policy Fellows. Policy Manager Aubry Stapleton shares why having a definition is important to ensure that all students can thrive in their learning.

Illinois passes law defining play-based learning

The state is among a handful to officially adopt such a definition, delineating both guided play and student-initiated play for young learners.

k12dive.com

For the first time since the start of COVID-19, English learners’ average English-language proficiency test scores did not decline. Instead, they held steady or ticked up in most grades. But researchers warn that work remains to improve student outcomes.

English Learners Show Growth Gains, Still Below Pre-Pandemic

A new WIDA report found signs of English-learner growth in language proficiency on a rebound.

edweek.org