School Technology

Schools are buying AI fast, but their contracts still can’t show it helps

District AI spending is rising, while Utah and LAUSD push screen-time rules that force a harder question: which tools measurably improve learning?

Education Department’s 5-question edtech check is now the fastest way to buy

New federal guidance turns screen time into a procurement question: prove instructional impact, set usage rules, and show evidence before renewals.

K-12 AI spending is moving from classroom apps to vetting, policy, and proof

Districts are spending more on AI tools, but the operational bottleneck is vetting, policy, and outcomes proof.

The Education Department’s 2026 guidance and rules are forcing edtech contracts to carry explicit “purpose, proof, and process” language

Three Education Department moves in summer 2026 are changing how districts and colleges document edtech value, civil-rights compliance, and student-debt risk.

Districts weigh AI procurement rules as a retail shopping-agent test hints at what's coming

A pair of August 2026 signals, a district buyer’s framework and a consumer AI-agent test, point to new requirements for K-12 AI purchasing and governance.

Teacher Stress Is Still at Crisis Levels in 2026. EdTech Vendors Selling Into Schools Need to Understand Why That Matters.

More than half of US teachers still experience frequent job-related stress in 2026, according to new RAND research published today. For EdTech vendors and enterprise L&D teams selling into school districts, that is not background noise. It is the primary adoption barrier their products need to solve.

How Raptor's StudentSafe tackles behavioral threat assessment and student well-being

Raptor Technologies built its reputation on visitor management, but the company's expansion into student well-being reflects a deliberate response to what its school district customers were already asking for. The result is StudentSafe, a platform designed to support behavioral threat assessment, ca

NYC Council members demand two-year moratorium on AI in city schools

From NYC's two-year AI moratorium push to cognitive development fears, educators and policymakers are rethinking how, and whether, AI belongs in classrooms.

NYC Council members demand two-year pause on AI use in city schools

From NYC council moratorium demands to California bias-audit mandates, AI's role in schools and hiring is triggering a wave of regulation and rethinking.

Just Thinking… About How Multilingualism and Language Development Belong at the Center of Student Learning

For millions of students in America, learning English is only one part of a much larger academic story. A 2024 GAO report found that English learners in U.S. public schools grew from 4.5 million to 5 million students between fall 2010 and fall 2020, and that they speak more than 400 languages. That diversity…

How Rural Schools Are Redefining School Safety Through Relationships and Proactive Systems

On Principles of Change, a podcast by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso sits down with Dr. Miguel Salazar, principal of Sundown Middle School in Sundown, Texas, to explore how one rural district is redefining school safety through culture, systems, and human connection. Together, they unpack how proactive frameworks, community values, and intentional relationship-building can…

Understanding Raptor StudentSafe

In this episode of School Safety Today, host Dr. Amy Grosso speaks with Chris Noell, Chief Product Officer at Raptor Technologies, and Will Durgin, Director of Student Well-Being, about the vision behind StudentSafe and how it helps schools move from reactive responses to proactive student support. Together, they emphasize that safer schools depend on giving staff…

How Business Schools Can Scale Co-op Without Losing the Student Experience

Experiential learning has shifted from a differentiator to an expectation in higher education, especially as employers place more value on job-ready graduates who can adapt quickly to changing workplace demands. At the same time, AI is reshaping entry-level work, making durable skills like judgment, communication, and adaptability more important than routine task execution. In that…

Rethinking Leadership: Why “Doable” Might Be the Most Powerful Strategy in Education Today

At a time when educator burnout is rising and schools across the U.S. are facing ongoing teacher shortages, leaders are being forced to rethink what sustainable success actually looks like. Research shows that teacher attrition is closely tied to working conditions, job-related stress, and workload demands. As districts push for innovation, data-driven instruction, and…

Why Student Visibility Matters in Today’s Schools

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of School Safety Today by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso interviews SRO Todd Brendel of Dayton Independent Schools (KY), who shares frontline insights on the importance of knowing where students and staff are throughout the school day. He explains how they manage…

Beyond Drills: Building a Culture of Safety in Schools

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of Principals of Change, host Dr. Amy Grosso sits down with Jeff Bryant, Principal of Jefferson Middle School, and David Sally, Associate Principal of West Aurora High School, to explore how effective school safety goes far beyond drills and locked doors. Drawing on…

Inside SchoolSAFE: Takeaways from Education Leaders

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this special episode of School Safety Today, host Dr. Amy Grosso interviews several education and safety leaders live from the Raptor 2025 SchoolSAFE Conference. Rachael Freeman (Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD), Jason Overbay (Sarasota County Schools), Marti Neahring (West Aurora School District), Dr. Penny Schultz (Chesapeake City…

Gamifying College Readiness: How Loper Makes the Enrollment Journey More Engaging!

High schoolers are overwhelmed — and not just by homework. The path to college can feel like a maze of forms, essays, and deadlines, with little guidance on where to begin. A recent survey found that nearly three-quarters of students describe the college application process as “difficult.” For many, that difficulty isn’t academic; it’s…

Shaping the World of Education: The Broadband Industry’s Impact on Academia, Part 1

In this episode of Wavelengths, the Amphenol Broadband Solutions podcast, host Daniel Litwin sits down with Chuck Girt, Chief Technology Officer at FiberLight, to explore how broadband innovation is shaping the future of education. As schools embrace 1:1 devices, cloud-based curriculum, and even emerging AI-driven learning tools, their networks are under more pressure than ever….

Closing the Gap Between Lockdowns and Live Visibility

In this episode of Secured, Mike Monsive, CEO of ASAP Security, sits down once again with Idan Koren, CMO of Verkada, for a deep dive into how cloud-native technology is transforming school security across the U.S. with live visibility. With Verkada now protecting over 20 million students nationwide, Idan shares why the company’s integrated…

Smart Safety: How Technology is Transforming School Event Security

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of School Safety Today by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso talks with TJ Markland, General Manager of Payments at Raptor Technologies, to discuss the often-overlooked safety challenges of school events—from daytime assemblies to Friday night football. As schools work to balance hospitality…

Stride at 25: Redefining the Digital Learning Ecosystem for Today’s K–12 Learners

As virtual learning matures and school choice accelerates across the U.S.,the 25th anniversary of Stride Inc. offers a moment to reflect on how far the digital learning ecosystem has come and where it’s headed.. Once known as K12 Inc., the company helped pioneer online education at scale. But in a landscape shaped by evolving…

Educational Choice Isn’t Enough—Implementation Will Make or Break It

The U.S. education landscape is undergoing a seismic shift as more states adopt education savings accounts (ESAs), signaling a broader push toward personalized, parent-directed learning and broader educational choice. With over a dozen states now offering universal ESA programs, debates around school choice have reached a new level of urgency. Throughout 2024, enthusiasm for…

Restoring Safety: A Holistic Approach to Threat Assessment

School Safety Today podcast, presented by Raptor Technologies. In this episode of School Safety Today by Raptor Technologies, host Dr. Amy Grosso speaks with Ray Fuller about how threat assessment can be deeply rooted in empathy, structure, and restorative practices. Fuller shares his journey from educator to districtwide safety leader, offering a look into…

AI in Education Can Democratize Expertise—But Only If Systems Evolve

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our everyday lives, AI and education are becoming more tightly intertwined. Many teachers and students are experimenting with AI in education, from personalized tutoring tools to automated lesson planning. While traditional edtech tools struggled to deliver on the promise of personalized learning, today’s generative AI appears poised to…

Classroom AI: Who Should It Serve First—Teachers or Students?

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming nearly every sector, and education is no exception. As AI capabilities evolve, tech giants like OpenAI, Google, and Meta have increasingly showcased education as a core use case in product rollouts. But the tools being created often split along a critical divide: are they meant for teachers, or for…

Reboot Business Education: Make Lifelong Learning the Default

Business schools must shift from credential factories to continuous learning ecosystems as AI and digital transformation accelerate workforce demands

Career Planning Beyond the College Track: How Work-Based Learning Expands Career Options for Students

Students are discovering viable career pathways that skip the traditional four-year college route and lead to six-figure earning potential

ESA Success Requires Strategy, Infrastructure, and Support Beyond Legislation

Implementation of education savings accounts hinges on operational readiness that extends well beyond passing new laws

AI for Teachers Designed to Untether and Empower—Never Replace

Administrative burden is forcing teachers away from students, but targeted AI tools could reclaim classroom time by handling repetitive tasks