This issue is sponsored by
I’m watching plenty of news in the early childhood world, including splashy state programs and new funding possibilities. But I would be remiss to not mention one of the biggest stories in the nation right now, which is the recent raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE. Like most political issues, it has trickled its way down to early childhood.
More than 1 in 5 early childhood workers are immigrants, totalling close to half a million people. In some places, like California, New York and Washington, D.C., that number bumps up to 40 percent.
In November, ICE detained a teacher in Chicago within a child care center, and while she later was released, the event began a domino effect of many other teachers feeling fearful of coming to work. That has caused a particularly tough strain on the industry, which struggled in recent years to recruit and maintain its workforce given the typical low pay and long, unpredictable hours.
Some states, like Washington, are working on legislation declaring ICE cannot enter protected areas including child care centers without a warrant. Others have specific guidelines informing teachers of their rights, and what to do, should an officer come to the center. Child care workers themselves have created a loose network of group chats detailing protection plans.
We will continue to watch this developing story. If you have tips on this, or anything else in the early childhood sector, drop me a line at lau...@edsurge.com.
— Lauren Coffey, EdSurge reporter |
📣 TOP STORIES
GETTING IT WRONG, THE RIGHT WAY: For education, AI has so far conspicuously failed to make a dent in math classrooms. But a number of researchers are plugging away at sophisticated uses of the technology that they hope will streamline math for teachers and students. One of those approaches stresses teaching machines to predict how humans get math problems wrong.
PLUGGED IN: A third of preschool teachers are using generative artificial intelligence in the classroom, but many still have concerns with screen time and lack of guidelines from their schools. Read more here.
Sponsored by BetterUp
RECOVERY, NOT RESILIENCE: Teacher burnout has reached crisis levels, and familiar fixes like self-care workshops and grit training are missing the point. Insights from organizational psychology suggest a different path: Sustainable teaching depends on conditions that allow recovery, protect attention and support educators as whole humans — not on asking them to do more. |
The following is a message from our sponsor |
Find. Compare. Decide.
Since 2012, educators have trusted the EdTech Index to find the most complete, reliable, and up-to-date information available for learning technology products, including quality indicators from trusted sources. Explore the EdTech Index today. LEARN MORE!
edtechindex.org
|
LOW SCORES: Exasperating. Depressing. Predictable. That’s how experts described the latest results from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the “nation’s report card.” Learn more about what it all means in the latest EdSurge video short. |
🗞️ IN OTHER NEWS
FEELING THE PINCH: Would you wager that child care for two kids or rent for a two-bedroom apartment is more expensive in your metro area? If you picked child care, chances are high that you would be correct, according to a recent analysis.
RETHINKING BIG DATA: In an era of dashboards, assessments and constant measurement, former EdSurge Voices of Change fellow Sachin Pandya asks whether schools are collecting the right data — or simply too much of it. Drawing on classroom and administrative experience, this essay explores how information overload can distort teaching priorities and why meaningful, human-centered measurement matters more than ever.
|
🔗WHAT WE'RE READING
The number of homeless infants and toddlers is sharply increasing, and the official numbers may be undercounts. (The Hechinger Report)
Can American students pick out the United States on a map?
(The New York Times)
YouTube now lets parents limit the amount of time that teens can spend scrolling short-form videos. (CNN) |
📈 STORY IN A STAT
$12 billion
The amount of school “funding disruptions” caused by the first year of Donald Trump’s second term of office, according to an analysis by Education Week. That’s the term of art for funding freezes and delays, grant cancellations, and other attempts to slow, or even choke off, the flow of federal money to the education apparatus. Supporters of the president have argued that the administration is eliminating waste and preventing use of the funds to support “far-left” ideological indoctrination. And some of these funds have since been reinstated. Nevertheless, the administration’s actions have contributed to what critics argue is an “unconscionable” denial of funds to the country’s schools, meant to push its own education agenda.
|
CodeHS is looking for an Account Manager to help manage and renew customer accounts. You will get a chance to work closely with educators and schools to facilitate teaching coding to students all over the world.
Events
See all events and meetups
The 2026 District Communications Playbook: What Every K12 Leader Needs to Know | January 27 | Online
60-minute Learn with Leaders webinar hosted by ClassDojo for Districts, designed for district and school leaders navigating rising expectations for trust, visibility, and consistency in school-to-home communication.
CEC 2026 Special Education Convention and Expo | March 11-14 |
Salt Lake City, UT
Attending the CEC 2026 Convention & Expo in Salt Lake City is a can't-miss opportunity for educators dedicated to supporting students with exceptionalities. No matter your role, you can drive educator and student success by attending CEC 2026.
|
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.
|
|
