Students across the nation are now fully immersed in their 2025-2026 classrooms—and I am, too, as a guest in the classrooms I visit every month.
Every school year, I make monthly classroom visits, observing, listening and learning from students and teachers in school districts from rural Indiana to the bustling Greater Miami area. Last year, I clocked more than 100 hours. These visits give me a front-row seat to what’s working in education—and what still needs attention—and they guide how I approach decision-making.
In these visits, I’ve noticed three growing trends that have been shaping schools’ current efforts.
Career-connected learning is going mainstream
For too long, when we’ve discussed college and career readiness, we’ve only emphasized college. In fact, Gallup recently announced a study that found students have little awareness of pathways other than four-year degrees and receive limited guidance about alternative options from parents and teachers. But this is changing.
In Decatur County, Ala., where 76% of students live in poverty, students are graduating with certifications that lead to middle-class wage jobs in welding, HVAC, and healthcare. These programs connect learning to real-world outcomes, and students show up excited to learn because they can see the path from the classroom to a career.
At the Career Academies of Decatur, 270 students enrolled across grades 9-12 in the 2024-2025 school year, the first year of operation. All 65 seniors in the Class of 2025 graduated on time or ahead of time. They are now all employed. The supervisor of curriculum told me about one of the graduates who lived with his grandparents. “He finished all his senior coursework early … and now he’s working and earning $35 an hour. His grandmother called, crying, thankful someone believed in him,” the supervisor said.
In addition, the academy saw 94% attendance across all grades while the rest of the state experienced 14% chronic absenteeism. And students scored between 22-25 on ACT, the 71st-83rd percentile nationally.
This shift is happening nationally, too. Policymakers in 39 states enacted more than 292 policies last year to expand work-based learning and strengthen career pathways. Even large districts are reimagining what career readiness looks like. In Broward County, Fla.— one of the largest districts in the nation—leaders are turning underused buildings into dedicated career academies and expanding flexible online learning options to meet both employer demand and family interest.
Career-connected learning isn’t a niche initiative anymore. It is part of the mainstream high school experience, and that’s good news for students and employers alike.
Classrooms are approaching AI thoughtfully, not rapidly
When ChatGPT first made headlines, schools scrambled to ban it, and for understandable reasons. Educators were worried about cheating and academic integrity, many districts didn’t yet have policies in place and weren’t sure where to turn to develop them and the technology itself represented a host of unknowns. Without clear guardrails or guidance, hitting pause felt like the safest option at the time.
Today, the conversation has matured. The teachers and leaders I’ve spoken with are asking better questions: How can we help students become AI-literate? What are the safest, most equitable use cases? How do we use this technology to support, not replace, the human connection at the heart of teaching?
Many districts are starting small, and learning what works before putting tools directly in students’ hands. Some districts are using AI to help teachers save time on lesson planning or administrative task, or communicate with parents more easily. Others are implementing tools that speed up existing, critical processes, such as ensuring the curriculum is aligned to state standards to stay in step with evolving requirements. This thoughtful approach is a sign that schools are balancing innovation with responsibility.
The needs of students are more urgent — and more diverse
Every classroom visit reminds me that students’ needs are wide-ranging—and growing more complex.
National data backs this up: the latest Nation’s Report Card shows that reading and math performance is lagging across all grades, with the gaps between the highest- and lowest-performing students continuing to widen.
Districts are responding with targeted interventions. High-dosage tutoring is one of the most promising strategies I’ve seen. Rather than treating tutoring as an “extra,” districts are seeing tutoring for what it is: good, differentiated instruction. They’re weaving it into the school day. In Madison County, Fla., a school that had no third graders reading proficiently midway through the last academic year saw 60% of students reach proficiency after just eight weeks of virtual tutoring. Students there were grouped based on achievement data and engaged in tailored virtual lessons, led by a qualified educator, three times a week for 45 minutes each session.
With the right support, students can catch up and thrive, but the work is urgent.
This urgency makes it tempting to get overwhelmed; there are many issues facing our American education and workforce systems. But getting into schools and seeing the bright spots has given me a grounded optimism. Despite funding challenges, enrollment shifts, and the rapid pace of technological change, I’ve seen students who are engaged, educators who are deeply committed, and leaders who are willing to rethink how school works.
In Clarksville, Ind., one of the smallest districts in the state, I saw firsthand how a community with limited resources can still create a high-quality learning environment that rivals larger, wealthier districts. The district set up a virtual school to expand access to a variety of learning options and give students flexibility. The virtual school has even attracted enrollment from students who live outside the district, demonstrating a high demand for these programs. Innovation like this is possible anywhere, and students everywhere deserve the same opportunities to thrive.
As leaders, we have a role to identify and accelerate the good things that are happening across the country. That’s why I’ll keep showing up this school year and why I’m already looking forward to my next 100 hours.
Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.
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