We open this week’s edition with a note on ASU+GSV from W/A’s Head of K-12 Communications, Thomas Rodgers.

The W/A team will be back in San Diego next week for the ASU+GSV Summit, one of the world’s most impactful gatherings of education leaders and innovators.

If you'll be in San Diego, let us know—we'd love to connect!

We’re excited to share that Penny Schwinn, former Tennessee education commissioner, is W/A’s newest senior advisor.

Widely regarded as one of the nation’s most dynamic and effective education leaders, Dr. Schwinn led major statewide reforms during her tenure, including modernizing the state’s school funding formula and spearheading a comprehensive literacy initiative, which drove record gains in early reading. 

Her experience leading a large, complex state system—and then helping shape national education strategy as a recent federal appointee—gives her a rare vantage point that will be invaluable to our clients and our team. 

This week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released its initial proposed regulatory reforms for the U.S. higher education accreditation system. The proposal will serve as the starting point for the Accreditation, Innovation, and Modernization (AIM) negotiated rulemaking (Neg Reg) committee which will convene for a first set of negotiations next week.

The proposed changes are extensive; with the initial draft regulatory changes stretching just over 150 pages with only two weeks worth of Neg Reg meetings to try to reach consensus. The proposal is consistent with President Trump’s April 2025 executive order on accreditation and has five broad focus areas:

It’s worth noting that the AIM Committee is only the latest action the Trump administration has taken on the issue of accreditation. In fact, during President Trump’s last term, ED promulgated new regulations on accreditation that remain active today. This Trump administration issued new sub-regulatory guidance in May 2025 focused on easing the pathway for institutions to change accreditors. The Trump administration also announced this past December that it would be updating the Accreditation Handbook, a document maintained by ED that provides guidance to accreditors on how to comply with ED’s requirements for recognizing accrediting agencies.

The AIM committee will convene its first week of negotiations April 13-17, 2026 and will convene a second, and final, week May 18-22, 2026. Assuming that ED finalizes the regulation by November 1, 2026, the regulations can go into effect as soon as July 2027, though ED will have discretion to provide additional time for implementation.

Hosted by ISTE+ASCD and Whiteboard Advisors, the Solutions Summit is a one-day, exclusive event that convenes leaders from across the education ecosystem. This year’s Summit will be held on Sunday, June 28, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will feature a mix of interactive panels and small-group activities focused on real-world decision-making, product impact, and the future of learning.

On Thursday, the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI) released its Blueprint for the Federal Role in Advancing Early Learning Research & Development. Despite widespread agreement about the importance of early learning to a child’s development, education R&D has largely overlooked these consequential years. Informed by the expert perspectives of 25 practitioners, policymakers, industry leaders, and researchers, ALI’s blueprint outlines how the federal government can properly invest in our youngest learners.

According to a new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), full-time enrollment in public higher education increased in 2025 after more than a decade of declines, reaching 10.8 million students. While this doesn’t clear prepandemic enrollment levels, it stands in contrast to recent public sentiment surrounding higher education value. But despite record state and local government higher education appropriations totaling $130.7 billion in 2025, per-student funding dipped (-1%) for the first time since 2012. Combined with a continued decline in net tuition revenue, SHEEO anticipates public institutions will face greater financial pressures in the coming years.

A new Gallup survey from the Walton Family Foundation and GSV Ventures found Gen Z's excitement about artificial intelligence has cratered—down from 36% to 22% in a single year—while the share who say AI makes them angry jumped to 31%. Yet, their usage hasn't budged, which Gallup's researcher calls "reticent acceptance." Schools are also increasingly adding guardrails to AI use: 74% of K-12 students now say their school has AI rules, up from 51% last year, and 56% believe they'll have the skills to use AI after graduation—a 12-point jump.

The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools is looking for innovative, equity-driven education leaders and districts to join its newest cohort.

Do you know a superintendent, district leader, or district who is at the forefront of innovation in education? Nominate them for the League! 

Check out W/A Jobs, which features 4,014 career opportunities from 316 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week: