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| April 21, 2026 |
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| (Andrii Yalanskyi/Getty Images) |
ISTE+ASCD CEO Richard Culatta writes that the growing number of school and legislative policies across the US backing away from AI and edtech are coming at the same time that 92% of all jobs require digital proficiency and while other countries are doubling down on teaching students to use technology. He doesn't dispute the need for guidelines and guardrails for children using consumer technology. "But by treating math software the same as Netflix, and assistive technology the same as TikTok, the edtech bans gaining momentum in statehouses around the country guarantee that the students who can least afford to fall behind will be the ones hurt most," he writes in this commentary.
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Food for thought"Banning technology for learning doesn't make us principled -- it makes us negligent."
-- Richard Culatta, CEO, ISTE+ASCD
SmartTake: It's only Tuesday, but a host of education websites already have published articles this week related to the AI divide, including at least one about the legislative efforts. The mixed approaches across districts, states and the country make it hard for edtech developers to know how to adjust their products or develop new ones -- especially since the guidance or regulations differ (and sometimes contradict) while also being moving targets. However, focusing on areas of agreement, doubling down on proving efficacy through unbiased studies and seeking constant feedback from end users can help.
Some other articles this week include:
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Learning gaps are growing—but there's help. On April 30 at 2PM EST, hear from experts who share real-world tactics for data-driven instruction, differentiated support, and tiered interventions that help every student succeed. Register today!
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Panelists at the CoSN 2026 conference this week stressed the need to distinguish different types of screen use in schools, with elementary-school teacher Cooper Sved suggesting three categories: distracting smartphone and social media use; purposeful educational technology; and entertainment-based screen time such as video games. The panel argued that policies should focus on the quality of screen engagement by distinguishing structured, intentional use for learning from unstructured, passive consumption, which can help districts, families and lawmakers create better-informed tech policies.
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The Los Angeles County Office of Education is investigating a potential data breach involving fraudulent tax filings using employees' information. Employees in multiple school districts reported receiving letters about fraudulent tax returns, prompting the office to disable access to electronic W-2 forms. W2Copy, the vendor for electronic W-2s, has not found any security breaches but has involved a cybersecurity firm to investigate.
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IT leaders in several school districts shared at the 2026 CoSN conference how their districts are crafting comprehensive AI policies and guardrails. Alexandria City Public Schools, for example, chose not to rush a standalone AI policy, instead developing guiding principles that align with district values such as academic integrity and data security. These evolving policies are designed to balance innovation with caution, ensuring that both teachers and students have clear expectations and protections when working with AI technologies.
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| (Getty Images) |
One in 6 students globally and students at 37% of US middle schools and 25% of US high schools are victims of cyberbullying, which has increased due to more online activity and the ease of creating AI deepfakes. Experts urge schools to teach digital citizenship and collaborate with parents to address the issue rather than banning technology.
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Following staff reductions, the US Education Department has shifted its focus from equity initiatives to state-led workforce readiness, teacher apprenticeships and literacy in high-need areas. This transition includes moving key programs to the Labor Department to better align education with local economic needs. Meanwhile, a new rule effective May 13 prioritizes discretionary grant applicants who integrate AI literacy and computer science into their curricula. This funding shift specifically incentivizes projects using AI for personalized learning, teacher training and administrative automation to boost student outcomes.
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The Department of Education was established in 1979 to consolidate a patchwork of federal education programs handled by multiple agencies, with a goal of streamlining and overseeing the use of federal education dollars and enforcing compliance with congressional intent. Critics, however, say an overabundance of complex rules have created burdens, prevented innovation and/or overstepped the department's original goals. Journalist Linda Jacobson offers more detail on the views from each side of the ongoing effort to dismantle the department.
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Google is increasing NotebookLM's educator and student limits on sources, notebooks and outputs if they're using Teaching and Learning or Education Plus add-ons, and the company also is integrating Gemini into Moodle. This announcement comes on the heels of the ISTE+ASCD and Google partnership that will bring free AI literacy training to 6 million US educators.
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More than 370 students from elementary and middle schools in North Carolina's Twin Counties region participated in this year's STEM competitions, such as the STEM Design Challenge and BrickCity Engineering Challenge, organized by the Strategic Twin Counties Education Partnership. Students solved real-world problems through teamwork, creativity and hands-on engineering. Community and corporate support from companies such as Pfizer helped with funding and volunteer mentors.
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Top stories from last week's newsletter
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| About ISTE Solutions Network |
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| The Solutions Network a member-based community that aims to 1) connect innovative solution providers to one another to learn, explore, and share best practices, 2) engage with the ISTE/ASCD member community to gather feedback and increase the impact of high-quality learning solutions, 3) engage in thought leadership conversations and 4) provide benefits for the annual ASCD + ISTE conference, where approximately 16,000 educators, decision-makers, and vendors convene. This community is made up of edtech companies of various sizes that are interested in engaging with each other and with ISTE to discuss Edtech’s role in teaching and learning, industry trends, and solve common challenges. Members of this network can benefit from connecting with industry experts and thought leaders, as well as from gaining key buyer information and insights.
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| Product announcements appearing in SmartBrief are paid advertisements and do not reflect actual ASCD + ISTE endorsements. The news reported in SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the official position of ASCD + ISTE.
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| Existentialism means that no one else can take a bath for you. |
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