April 14, 2026

AESA member and 2025 award winner Dwight Levens, Jr. (Oakland Schools ISD, MI) was recently elected to the CoSN Board of Directors. After the ceremony, he sought out Joan to congratulate her and AESA on the award.

AESA has been honored to be named a recipient of CoSN’s 2026 Partnerships That Matter Award, recognizing organizations that are making a real difference in transforming learning through technology.

As a proud strategic partner to CoSN, AESA has had the opportunity to collaborate on impactful work like the Building Capacity for Generative AI in K-12 Education Project, supporting school districts as they assess their readiness and plan for thoughtful, future-focused use of AI.

This recognition also reflects our continued partnership with CoSN on important advocacy efforts, including support for E-Rate and expanding equitable access to technology for schools across the country. The award was presented at CoSN’s annual conference, Building What’s Next, Together, held this week in Chicago.

Read the full press release.

The AESA Leadership Academy global experience continues to grow.

The April 2027 international study trip will now include both Hungary and Austria. This expanded experience will deepen participants’ understanding of global education systems, highlight innovative practices across international contexts, and create opportunities to build meaningful cross-cultural connections. Additional itinerary details will be shared soon. 

While this experience is a highlight of the Academy, it is just one part of a powerful, yearlong leadership journey. Now in its third year, the Academy continues to receive outstanding feedback from participants:

“I cannot say enough about how much this year has meant to me personally and professionally… one of the greatest experiences of my life… It is impossible to quantify the return of the investment.”

The Leadership Academy has been expanded to include both ESA CEOs and cabinet-level leaders, while maintaining a selective, intentionally limited cohort.

If you are in one of these leadership roles, we strongly encourage you to apply by the April 30, 2026 deadline. 

Through AESA Global, U.S. high schools have the opportunity to participate in the 2026 Global Research & Education Project, an international, United Nations SDG–aligned collaboration with KOSAC, South Korea’s national STEM leader.

From May–November 2026, student teams will work virtually with peers in South Korea and other countries to conduct research, share data, and present findings on topics such as clean water, climate action, renewable energy, food security, and biodiversity. The project’s timeline also reflects the realities of global collaboration, as South Korean schools are in session when many U.S. schools are not—giving students experience working across different academic calendars. 

Schools may register one or more teams (up to 10 students each) with a supervising educator, and an optional Korea exchange is available in November 2026.

Due to the short timeline, interested schools should contact Meimei Zou, AESA Global Director of Projects, to coordinate participation.

We're less than a month away from the virtual roundtable with Dr. Eric Solomon focused on a question many leaders are navigating right now:

How does leadership evolve when AI begins to shape not just what we know, but how we think, decide, and lead?

This will be a candid, peer-level conversation with leaders across the AESA network exploring judgment, decision-making, and leadership in an AI-enabled world.

Mindset Over Machines Roundtable
May 12, 2026
3:00-4:00 PM ET
Virtual | $79

AESA is pleased to welcome the Grundy/Kendall Regional Office of Education #24 in Morris, Illinois, as our newest member. Under the leadership of Regional Superintendent Meghan Martin, ROE #24 serves its local schools and communities with a strong commitment to educational excellence and support.

We look forward to their engagement and partnership in the AESA network!

Last week, we highlighted the Administration’s FY2027 budget request for the Department of Education, which closely mirrors last year’s proposal. Once again, it includes funding cuts, program eliminations, and consolidation into block grants—approaches Congress ultimately rejected in the final FY2026 bill. Visit the link above to view charts that break down the proposal in a more visual and accessible way. 

The School Superintendent Association School District Locator Tool is an interactive resource which allows school superintendents and their representatives to easily locate the boundaries of their school districts within the context of their Congressional district boundaries. This resource features over 13,000 school districts and all 435 voting Congressional districts, as well as the nonvoting districts of Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S Virgin Islands, Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa, with the most recent publicly available data from the National Center for Education Statistics. 

Chalkbeat investigates an increasingly viral theory that education technology leads to decreased learning. The article reviews the relevant research and, while finding weak causal evidence, raises important questions for schools and educators to consider before adopting new technology or adjusting guidelines around existing uses.

While AI tools are helping school districts review library materials more efficiently, free speech and education advocates warn the technology could accelerate the book banning movement.

The74 examines how immigration enforcement is driving declining school enrollment and straining district finances through both lost enrollment funding and the increasing costs of educating undocumented students.

As the final ESSER dollars are spent down this month, K-12 Dive examines the historic funding’s overall impact, including how it was used across programs, activities, and resources, and the uncertain financial landscape some districts now face.

Project Unicorn’s annual School System Data Survey (SSDS) helps the education sector better understand K–12 data capabilities and infrastructure, providing critical insights to policymakers, EdTech providers, and school leaders. Using only aggregate, non-identifiable data, the survey informs national efforts to improve interoperability, privacy, cybersecurity, and digital access and shapes Project Unicorn’s annual State of the Sector Report (2025).

Why participate?

• Personalized support: Free 1:1 technical assistance with a Project Unicorn expert
• Early insights: Advance access to the State of the Sector Report and pre-release briefing
• Incentive: Complete the survey by June 30 to receive a $15 gift card

Your participation helps strengthen a modern, secure, and effective EdTech ecosystem nationwide.

The National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement (NCSCB) has released timely resources to help schools support students who may be struggling during these holidays. Designed to foster compassionate, understanding environments, the toolkits include background context, ready-to-use social media graphics and captions (with Canva links), sample messaging for staff, and downloadable guidance documents. Access the full toolkits and guidance materials through the links below to help your school community respond with care and empathy.

Download the full Social Media Toolkits:

• Mother’s Day May Not Be Easy for Some Grieving Students- Social Media Toolkit
• Father’s Day May Not Be Easy for Some Grieving Students- Social Media Toolkit

Access the Guidance Documents:

• Mother’s Day May Not Be Easy for Some Grieving Students
• Father’s Day May Not Be Easy for Some Grieving Students