Bellwether

Can you spot an effective AI-powered ed tech tool? We have the #SXSW session for you! Vote for Marisa Mission's panel at #SXSW2027 for a timely conversation about identifying effective AI-powered tools (and maybe more importantly, identifying those that aren't). This session will help education leaders at all levels identify “signals of quality” in AI tools for the classroom and to prioritize efficacy and learning in procurement. Vote here: https://lnkd.in/dMgdw7Fq

When the Eagles won the Super Bowl, Philadelphia schools closed for the parade. When the Chiefs won, so did Kansas City-area schools (twice). Absenteeism gets the headlines, rightfully so. But Bellwether’s new report on the Shrinking School Year also points to something districts have more control over: the calendar itself. Teacher strikes, wildfire smoke, crowded testing calendars, championship parades — none of it shows up in absenteeism stats, but it all adds up to a shorter school year.

Are you eager for a candid discussion of the strategic tradeoffs behind resource allocation, grounded in real examples from districts across the country? Bellwether's Carrie Hahnel wants to discuss with you at #SXSW2027. Attendees will participate in a real conversation about how education leaders can make difficult decisions amid tightening state budgets, rising costs, enrollment declines, and uncertainty around federal funding. Vote for her session here: https://lnkd.in/g8k3K_2e

Nearly 1,900 U.S. public schools sit within a mile of a data center. That's a school funding story, an AI story, and a community story all at once — and it's one of several threads we're following in the Leading Indicator, Bellwether's monthly AI newsletter. Also in this issue, Alex Spurrier digs into the back-to-school question a lot of district leaders are facing right now: with dozens of AI ed tech tools being pitched, how do you tell what's effective from what's just sizzle? Plus AI-generated "edu-slop" on Teachers Pay Teachers, and one district's very short-lived robot teacher. Get the latest issue straight to your inbox, and subscribe at the link below 👇

AI tutoring is one of the most debated ideas in education right now — and we want to know where you land before we bring the debate to you. On August 18, Reed Hastings and Michael Goldstein join Bellwether's Andrew Rotherham for a live conversation on what we should really expect from AI tutoring. They see it a bit differently, which is exactly why we want you to weigh in with your questions ahead of the conversation. Vote below on what you most want the conversation to cover, and leave any questions you have in the comments. Then, join us live: 🗓️ Tuesday, August 18, 12:00–12:45 PM ET 🔗 Register: https://lnkd.in/dUQquxqt #AIinEducation #EdTech #Tutoring

American kids are missing more school than at any point in recent memory. Chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled since before the pandemic. Nearly 1 in 4 students — about 12 million kids — are now chronically absent. Add it up nationally, and U.S. students are collectively missing 200–300 million more school days every year than before the pandemic. Bellwether's Kelly Robson Foster, Hailly Korman, and McKenzie Maxson dug into what's driving the drop, and what it means for a generation of students. 🔗 Explore the full report at the link in the comments👇