https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/ en https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/beyond-browser-how-artificial-intelligence-boosting-school-security For over a decade, K–12 schools have relied on artificial intelligence on school-issued devices to manage digital safety: filtering harmful content, analyzing online activity and identifying students in crisis by surfacing concerning online patterns. These tools have become table stakes in education technology, woven into the daily fabric of classroom management and student protection. But AI in schools is evolving beyond the browser. Driven by the critical need to secure physical spaces against rising threats and violence, we’re entering a phase in which AI is being applied to physical… Wed, 27 May 2026 12:25:32 -0400 Tyler Shaddix https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/beyond-browser-how-artificial-intelligence-boosting-school-security https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/cloud-security-schools-requires-all-hands-deck School districts are facing a growing reality: With K–12 environments increasingly dependent on cloud-based systems, small mistakes can quickly become major security incidents. Ransomware attacks against K–12 institutions jumped 92% in between 2022 and 2023, while phishing attempts continue targeting students, teachers and administrators through email, collaboration platforms and classroom applications. Technical defenses remain essential, but many districts are finding that firewalls and endpoint protection alone cannot stop attacks rooted in human behavior. Cybersecurity awareness training… Tue, 26 May 2026 15:02:27 -0400 Nathan Eddy https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/cloud-security-schools-requires-all-hands-deck https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/districts-rely-training-and-implementation-support-google-gemini-adoption As K–12 school districts consider and implement artificial intelligence technology solutions, they often need guidance and answers. Unlike a typical tech tool implementation, AI solutions have the potential to completely overhaul the way that teaching, learning and administrative work happen.  “Avoid approaching AI like just another tech purchase,” says Jaraun Ransome, principal of Ella Fitzgerald Middle School in Newport News, Va. “It’s important to understand the problems we’re trying to solve and invest in staff training. The investment in AI solutions will be more meaningful when you… Fri, 22 May 2026 12:14:00 -0400 Nancy Mann Jackson https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/districts-rely-training-and-implementation-support-google-gemini-adoption https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/what-k-12-districts-should-know-about-multicloud In some K–12 districts and schools, multicloud environments are the result of many years of ed tech adoption, specific grants or department-level (often, personnel-level) decisions. No matter how they got there, the result is usually fragmentation: Multiple clouds host identity systems, learning management systems, classroom applications and more, all with inconsistent security controls and unpredictable costs. Bringing order to the chaos doesn’t require eliminating a multicloud environment that may offer a strong foundation for districts embarking on other modernization projects. Rather, to… Thu, 21 May 2026 14:28:12 -0400 Tara E. Buck https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/what-k-12-districts-should-know-about-multicloud https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/how-artificial-intelligence-boom-disrupting-k-12-device-buying If you have browsed devices recently, you might have faced some sticker shock. Or maybe you placed an order and found yourself waiting longer than expected for inventory to arrive. K–12 IT leaders across the country are navigating the same reality: Devices cost more, lead times are stretching, and the budget that worked two years ago no longer covers a district’s needs today. I’ve spent years working with districts on device strategy and watched supply chain disruptions ebb and flow. First, it was the one-to-one adoption surge of the early 2010s, then the COVID-19 pandemic when virtually… Wed, 20 May 2026 11:16:38 -0400 Chris Hanson https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/how-artificial-intelligence-boom-disrupting-k-12-device-buying https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/hybrid-cloud-compliance-meeting-ferpa-hipaa-and-state-data-privacy-laws K–12 environments have shifted from centralized IT to highly distributed ecosystems, with districts now operating dozens of Software as a Service platforms, devices and third-party integrations — each introducing its own data flows, identities and risk surface. From a compliance standpoint, the challenge is not just where data lives but also how it moves and who accesses it. For example, student data is continuously shared across learning apps, vendors and cloud services. Meanwhile, visibility into that data flow is often incomplete and responsibility is fragmented across providers, making… Tue, 19 May 2026 14:39:22 -0400 Nathan Eddy https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/hybrid-cloud-compliance-meeting-ferpa-hipaa-and-state-data-privacy-laws https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/chicago-public-schools-minecraft-education-event-readies-students-quantum-future A new quantum computing technology campus is on its way to Chicago’s South Side, and local K–12 students were recently given the chance to design their own versions.  When completed, the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP), currently planned for construction in the city’s South Chicago neighborhood, will be a 128-acre campus that serves as a global center for quantum-enabled research and technology development. The campus will bring jobs in quantum computing to the region, and Chicago Public Schools leaders are already thinking about how to prepare their students for the… Tue, 19 May 2026 14:30:47 -0400 Amy McIntosh https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/chicago-public-schools-minecraft-education-event-readies-students-quantum-future https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/put-more-positive-spin-k-12-disruptors-and-change-management As K–12 districts and schools grapple with the growing challenges of building consolidations, changing neighborhood demographics and shifting student enrollments, there's a feeling that more is on the line when leaders and school boards approach budget planning season and priorities for spending. Without a crystal ball, it's difficult to forecast precisely where funding shortfalls may occur, what supply chain challenges may arise or which neighborhoods may see student populations spike or collapse.  Working with a third-party consulting partner to smooth out the wrinkles of planning and… Thu, 14 May 2026 12:56:22 -0400 Jason Cronister https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/put-more-positive-spin-k-12-disruptors-and-change-management https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/5-ways-k-12-it-leaders-can-prepare-enrollment-declines The National Center for Education Statistics projects that about 40 states will see K–12 enrollment declines between 2022 and 2031, with total enrollment projected to decrease by 5% in that period. For IT leaders, such dramatic shifts mean tighter per-pupil funding, potential school consolidations and difficult infrastructure decisions.  Three K–12 educational technology leaders shared five tips on how to approach planning and get more from every classroom technology dollar spent. Their insights serve as a strong starting point for conversations with building and district leadership,… Wed, 13 May 2026 13:40:01 -0400 Tara E. Buck https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/5-ways-k-12-it-leaders-can-prepare-enrollment-declines https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/canvas-breach-what-k-12-leaders-need-know-about-third-party-saas-risk Cybercriminal group ShinyHunters has executed one of the largest educational data breaches on record, targeting Instructure, the company behind learning management system Canvas. Instructure detected unauthorized activity on April 29. On May 2, the company reported that it had “revoked privileged credentials and access tokens associated with affected systems, deployed patches to enhance system security,” rotated certain keys and increased monitoring efforts across all platforms. On May 7, a second wave of activity occurred when some users reported seeing extortion messages when logged in to… Tue, 12 May 2026 15:45:11 -0400 Amy McIntosh https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2026/05/canvas-breach-what-k-12-leaders-need-know-about-third-party-saas-risk