Pulse K-12
Top Education Headlines, Handpicked for School Leaders
Every Sunday, we deliver 7 essential updates to help you lead with confidence.
No paywalls, no fluff.
Curated from top sources. Quick 5 min read. Trusted by administrators.
Read the Latest Issues
Sep 21, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #21: What 9 Minutes of Exercise Can Do for Reading Scores
This week looks at moving past the idea of AI as a time-saver, how one district is using brain science to build resilience that lasts beyond high school, and why nine minutes of exercise before a test can give students a real boost.
Sep 14, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #20: The Problem With Quiet Math Classrooms
This week looks at ways schools are reducing bullying, the gap between how teachers and administrators define engagement, and why fear of immigration enforcement is still keeping some students out of school.
Sep 7, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #19: Student Daily Reading Drops 60%. What Changed?
This week covers schools resetting communication with families, how teacher autonomy boosts engagement, and new research on why fewer kids are reading for fun.
Aug 31, 2025
•
6 min read
Pulse #18: Is Grading Without Zeroes Fair or Lowering the Bar?
This week covers the no-zeroes grading debate, the quiet rollback of English learner guidance, and how schools can ensure meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities.
Aug 24, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #17: Who Pays for Pencils? and Rethinking Active Shooter Drills
This week covers a growing fight over school supply costs, how students feel about missing school, and new findings on AI tools that can make learning more accessible.
Aug 17, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #16: From Peer Tutoring to Career Prep in 5th Grade
This week covers strategies to strengthen learning environments and prepare students for what’s next. Plus: how biscuits and gravy are helping one school curb absenteeism.
Aug 10, 2025
•
6 min read
Pulse #15: From Lunch Lines to Absenteeism and How to Show Up This Year
From leadership moves to Illinois’ new mental health screening law, this issue covers what you need to know to start the year strong. Plus: how AI bias could impact your students.
Aug 3, 2025
•
6 min read
Pulse #14: Recovery, AI, and Steps Every District Can Take
This week’s issue looks at uneven pandemic recovery for kids, smart strategies for adopting AI, and how districts can protect student data without needing a big budget.
Jul 27, 2025
•
6 min read
Pulse #13: Integrating AI, Confronting Inequity
This week we’re talking about leadership in tough moments, new AI research on student learning, and alarming equity gaps for students with disabilities.
Jul 20, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #12: Teaching in a Time of Tech, Tension, and Transformation
From embracing mistakes at the start of the year to rethinking how we teach with tech and AI, schools continue to move away from rigid, old-school approaches. Many are also doubling down on engagement strategies that can make an impact on attendance and engagement from day one.
Jul 13, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #11: Crisis of Career Readiness and What Middle Schoolers Are Telling AI
What are middle schoolers revealing about stress in anonymous chats with AI? Why are so many teens feeling unprepared for life after graduation? And how are schools redesigning leadership, literacy, and language learning? Dive in for answers.
Jul 6, 2025
•
6 min read
Pulse #10: From AI Skepticism to a Surprising Screen-Time Solution
Why are middle schoolers skeptical about AI? Could podcasts be the secret to reducing screen time? What happens when central offices lead by serving? Explore how schools are rethinking leadership, instruction, and student engagement.
Jun 29, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #09: Purposeful AI, Stronger Engagement, and Lower Absenteeism
Explore how schools are addressing chronic absenteeism, rethinking teacher retention with team-based models and wellness strategies, and embedding AI in ways that foster connection and purpose.
Jun 22, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #08: Evolving strategies in AI, instruction, staffing, and policy
Learn how schools are rethinking AI training, boosting math engagement through real-world connections, easing teacher burnout with 4-day weeks, and navigating new state discipline policies.
Jun 15, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #07: Big Changes in How Students Learn, Lead, and Are Recognized
States go all-in on competency-based learning, immigration raids rattle schools, and the College Board ends race-based scholarships
Jun 8, 2025
•
4 min read
Pulse #06: What to Do Before a Crisis, Plus a Literacy Turnaround Story
From crisis response plans to purpose-driven mental health, we’re tracking what’s shaping school leadership this summer, including a literacy turnaround, career prep beyond college, and this year’s top edtech wins.
Jun 1, 2025
•
4 min read
Pulse #05: Phone Bans, Title III Cuts, and Summer Outreach
From deportation-driven absenteeism to Title III funding cuts, we’re tracking what’s shaping summer and fall. Inside: new research on PLCs, lessons from a strict phone ban, and practical tips for boosting math confidence and supporting student mental health.
May 18, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #04: 7 Big Moves in K–12: Edtech Cuts, Algebra Equity, and a Literacy Lawsuit
From districts rethinking edtech to teletherapy transforming student support, this issue covers what’s working, what’s changing, and where school leaders are focused now.
May 4, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #03: Mind the Gaps: STEM, Staffing, and Spending
AI's role in schools grows, but so are the concerns. The STEM gender gap is back, teacher shortages are rising, and tariffs are straining budgets. See how districts are adapting and why California’s new literacy bill matters.
Apr 13, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #02: Urgency and Opportunity: Inside K–12’s Most Pressing Challenges
From shifting DEI mandates and chronic absenteeism to teacher pipeline efforts and AI integration, school leaders are navigating urgency, equity, and long-term planning. Plus, updates on a Supreme Court case that could reshape parental rights in public education.
Apr 1, 2025
•
5 min read
Pulse #01: From AI to Accountability
From navigating AI in classrooms to tackling chronic absenteeism, this issue spotlights the latest challenges and solutions shaping schools. Plus, a look at state testing debates, career readiness trends, and what COVID-era predictions got right.