The latest federal cuts could leave some kids in the digital dark

[Emily Tate Sullivan, EdSurge]

View in browser     View in browser |  No. 705  |   10/23/25   |   Subscribe to this newsletter This issue is sponsored by It can be easy to discount the challenges of rural schools and communities as rare and unusual. But I hail from a part of Tennessee that is only about 35 miles outside of Nashville yet still rural enough that my hometown is unincorporated and my childhood home didn’t get Wi-Fi access until 2021.    Fortunately, I was in school a few years before technology use really took off, so I didn’t much suffer from the lack of internet access. But that personal experience helped spark my professional interest in efforts to close the digital divide, including projects under the federal E-Rate program that have equipped school buses with Wi-Fi and outfitted libraries and schools with mobile hot spots. Such programs can seem niche, sure, but I know exactly the kind of communities — and kids — who can benefit from them.   Now, it seems, both the school bus connectivity and hot spot rebate programs are in jeopardy, following a vote from the Federal Communications Commission earlier this month to cut their funding.  Reporter Lauren Coffey has all the details in a story we published this week.    — Emily Tate Sullivan, senior reporter 📣 TOP STORIES   DIGITAL DIVIDE: A long-standing federal program intended to help rural and urban communities more easily access Wi-Fi has been cut, leaving schools and libraries to consider alternatives for their hot spot lending programs. Librarians and educators worry some kids will be left in the digital dark.    EVERY STEP YOU TAKE: Companies that use AI to monitor student messages through school tech tools are controversial. Studies have increasingly raised potential issues with these services. Here’s why some students, families, and experts have concerns about the trade-offs these practices bring.   Sponsored by Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools GLOBAL CLASSROOMS, LOCAL IMPACT: Global study tours are helping U.S. district leaders rethink how they approach innovation, equity and student well-being. By observing education systems abroad, from Finland’s whole-child model to Uruguay’s national edtech efforts, leaders gain practical insights they can adapt locally to strengthen learning and make the most of limited resources.   The following is a message from our sponsor   Support every student's path to success in AP. One-day Readiness Workshops help grades 6-12 teachers learn strategies to strengthen their instruction and help students build the skills needed to thrive in AP courses.   Learn more today!.  📺 EYES AND EARS OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE? Due to federal policies aimed at limiting “diversity, equity and inclusion,” some schools are restricting displays in teachers’ classrooms related to gender, sexuality and race. But do teachers have the right to showcase pride flags and anti-bullying signs? Find out in this new EdSurge video.      🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS   PROMISING START: Many high school graduates can’t afford to go to college without community plans that offer free tuition, but across the country dozens of promise programs are faltering or have disappeared. Yet the Kalamazoo Promise in Michigan — one of the oldest such initiatives — is thriving, helping to make free college an option for students for up to 10 years after high school. What’s the secret to the program’s success?    BRIDGING THE GAP: Transition planning for students with disabilities is too often reduced to paperwork rather than a real opportunity for growth. In this powerful essay, Voices of Change fellow Melinda Medina shares how intentional partnerships with community-based organizations provide meaningful, career-connected learning experiences for students with disabilities, helping them to discover their strengths and envision brighter futures. 🔗WHAT WE'RE READING   Big Tech is paying millions to train teachers on AI, in a push to bring chatbots into classrooms. (The Associated Press)   Many rural schools rely on international teachers. Trump’s visa changes threaten that. (NPR)   Many districts will lose federal funds until the shutdown ends. (Education Week) 📈 STORY IN A STAT 65,152 That’s the number of children at risk of disrupted early care and education services from Head Start due to the ongoing government shutdown, according to the National Head Start Association. Six programs serving 6,525 children are operating without funds and pulling from emergency resources to remain open, while another 134 programs serving 58,627 children will be in the same situation if the shutdown does not end by Nov. 1.   Post a job | See all jobs   Strategic Partnership Specialist | IXL Learning | Los Angeles, CA  ​IXL Learning, a developer of personalized learning products, is seeking a Strategic Partnership Specialist to join our Professional Learning team and support Los Angeles Unified School District.   Curriculum Specialist | CodeHS | Chicago, IL As a Curriculum Specialist at CodeHS, you’ll help support the development and maintenance of engaging, high-quality computer science curriculum for middle and high school students.   Events See all events and meetups   No Tricks Required: How Clear Communication Builds Calm in Spooky Season | October 30 | Online Principal Tracey Widmann and Assistant Superintendent Amy Dowdle will show how McDowell County Schools transformed districtwide communication—building stronger relationships, reducing friction, and creating calmer, more connected campuses.   Elevating Innovation: Thinking in an AI World | November 4 | Online Elevating Innovation: Thinking in an AI World, presented by Digital Promise and Verizon Innovative Learning, is a free virtual event for educators exploring how AI and technology can amplify powerful learning and reimagine the future of education.   ISTE+ASCD Instructional Leaders' Summit | January 16-19, 2026 | San Diego, CA Join a cohort of top educational leaders at the ISTE+ASCD Instructional Leaders’ Summit 2026 in San Diego, January 16–19. More than 2 days of Problem of Practice workshops, collaboration in focused tracks for school and system leaders, and valuable networking opportunities with a personalized peer advisory board to fuel your professional growth throughout the year.   THANKS FOR READING   ➔ Got any feedback? We love hearing from readers. Shoot us a note, critiques, a joke—whatever you’ve got! ➔ Interested in reaching our readers? Sponsor this newsletter. EdSurge is an editorially independent project of ISTE+ASCD reporting on the powerful forces, fascinating people and innovative practices shaping teaching and learning. International Society for Technology in Education 2111 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300, Arlington, Virginia, 22201, United States To update your email preferences or unsubscribe, click here.