The Weekly Connect 8/17/2026

K-12 Dive: Students Miss Over 200M More School Days Annually Since COVID
An analysis from Bellwether, an education nonprofit, found that students are missing a total of 200 million more school days annually compared to attendance rates before the COVID-19 pandemic. When students miss several school days a year, it can quickly impact their education; for example, a student who misses ten school days every year will lose over half a year of instruction by the end of high school. This data, coupled with other recent findings of low math and reading achievement compared to scores before the pandemic, indicates that more work needs to be done to improve student attendance rates and overall educational outcomes. Another report from the assessment and research company, NWEA, found that districts with high absenteeism rates post-pandemic continue to experience significant challenges in returning to their pre-pandemic academic achievement rates. The report advises school board members and district administrators to develop plans to address chronic absenteeism by reviewing student attendance data and making changes to the academic calendar to limit prolonged absences. 

The National Military Family Association: The Military Teen Experience in 2026: A Data-Driven Understanding of Our Military-Connected Teens and How We Can Help 
The National Military Family Association released a report on life experiences of teens in military families. Children surveyed reported experiencing four parental deployments, five permanent moves, and four different schools. They are also likely to live with at least one wounded parent and take care of them. Twenty-two percent of teens surveyed reported low mental well-being in the past six months, with two percent of respondents reporting making a suicide plan in the past three months. Teens in military families also face higher food insecurity rates than their peers, with a higher percentage of families compared to data from the 2023 report. Experts recommend creating more supports for these teens, such as opportunities to build relationships with peers, participate in extracurriculars, and receive preventative mental health services before a mental health crisis may occur. School districts should work with military families to ensure these programs are aligned with needs and effective. 

K-12 Dive: HHS Proposes Sweeping Head Start Changes
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced changes to the Head Start program, which provides educational services and health support to 700,000 low-income young children each year. The government agency proposed removing federal rules for class sizes and changing curriculum and staffing requirements. Administrative costs would be reduced from 15% to 5% of total approved program expenses, and discipline policies would be removed, including restrictions on corporal punishment. All instruction must be in English. According to the assistant secretary of HHS’ Administration for Children and Families, the reforms would add 236,000 Head Start slots and reduce financial costs by $2.2 billion, while maintaining all of the key components of the Head Start program. Early childhood advocacy organizations are alarmed by the changes, saying that they will impact many ways that Head Start provides a foundation for early learning and developmental success, including children’s health services, staff quality and working conditions, and safety regulations. 

CommonWealth Beacon: Nearly 15 Years After Student Discipline Reform, School Suspensions in Mass. Are Falling. Are Emergency Removals Taking Their Place? 
In 2012, Massachusetts legislators passed Chapter 222, which reduced school discipline methods and established due process and data-reporting requirements for suspended students. In 2022, the state passed Chapter 177, which encouraged school districts to use alternative methods like restorative justice and counseling before resorting to exclusionary discipline. Fifteen years after the initial 2012 ruling, out-of-school suspensions dropped significantly, as did the number of students receiving any form of disciplinary action. However, emergency removals—when school administrators remove a student from school due to severe behavior before having a legally mandated hearing—have more than doubled between 2018 and 2025. Advocates suggest that school staff may be using emergency removals to address behavioral issues. Others suggest that the continued disruptions from the pandemic and high rates of social isolation have contributed to more emergency removals. There is broad recognition of the need for more robust supports and practices to help educators reduce exclusionary discipline.

The New York Times: The U.S. Relies on Family Caregivers. Millions of Them Are Kids.
A 2025 report found that four million children in the United States are caring for an adult family
member with an illness or disability. Children who grow up as caregivers lack access to state or federal resources available to adults in a caregiving role, which negatively impacts them. Teen caregivers are about eight percentage points less likely to be enrolled in school. Two-thirds of children caring for an adult miss school-related activities, fail to complete their homework, or have disrupted schooling. Most schools lack the knowledge and resources to support their students who are caring for a family member. The American Association of Caregiving Youth has provided direct services to 3,000 children in Palm Beach County schools in Florida. The organization creates opportunities for children to connect with others who are caring for family members, conducts home visits, and provides other essential services. 

CalMatters: CA Expands Lunch Program Pairing Schools With Local Farms
Five hundred school districts across California get their food through the state’s Farm to School program. The initiative began in 2021 and is now a permanent part of the Department of Food and Agriculture. Local farmers, ranchers, and other food producers are paired with school districts to provide fresh meals to students. Contracting with a school also allows farmers to have reliable consumers, which lets them plant crops more efficiently and hire more employees. As a result, the state estimates that every dollar spent on the Farm to School program results in $2.10 in local economic growth. The government funding also provides opportunities for students to go on field trips to the farms and for school cafeteria workers to attend culinary academies to further their skills. The director of nutrition services at a school in Lincoln shared that, “It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to school food service. The staff is happier, the farmers are benefiting. And the kids are actually eating the food.”