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Arianna Prothero

@ariannaprothero.bsky.social

2.1K followers 485 following 147 posts

I'm an education reporter on the best beat: tech, youth well-being, and the intersection of the two at Education Week. I'm also a proud public radio alum of WLRN Miami & WFIU Bloomington, Ind. Say hi! Stories: www.edweek.org/by/arianna-prothero

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

What kids do on screens at home—whether it's losing sleep or cyberbullying one another—affects how prepared they are to learn at school the next day. Here's how schools can help support parents in setting screen time limits: www.edweek.org/leadership/h...

How Schools Can Help Parents Manage Kids' Screen Time

From bullying to losing sleep, what kids do at home on screens affects their learning.

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

A case in Texas has surfaced a potential fault line in the private school choice movement over whether all types of schools should be able to receive public funds. I explored whether the coalition that's made school vouchers so successful will hold: www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #edusky

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 20/05/2026

Teachers think students need #SEL but struggle to incorporate it into the school day. What gets in their way? - Student need - Lack of bandwidth - Difficulty integrating the concept into academic subjects - Insufficient training and instructional resources www.edweek.org/leadership/6... #edusky

6 Reasons Teachers Don’t Feel Equipped to Teach SEL

Lack of time and limited resources make it hard for teachers to emphasize social-emotional skills.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Mark Lieberman @marklieberman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

New: Trump's OMB is withholding more than $2 billion Congress approved in February for K-12 and higher education. Advocates and experts weigh in on what this means and whether it's time to panic: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

Trump Holds Back $2 Billion for Education Grants. What Will Happen Next?

The White House is keeping congressionally approved money locked up through a little-known process.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Have cellphone restrictions had a positive affect on students? Majorities of educators say that limits have improved: - behavior - engagement - learning - social-emotional development - well-being and mental health More on the survey findings here: www.edweek.org/technology/w... #edtech #edusky

What Happens When Schools Restrict Cellphone Use

New survey sheds light on how cellphone restrictions are improving student behavior and engagement.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

“AI is billed as something that’s going to save us time. It’s going to be an assistant for us. Well, that same thing applies to hackers. It’s going make their jobs easier.” -Don Ringelestein, head of technology for Yorkville 115 schools in Illinois. www.edweek.org/technology/w... #edtech #eduksy

Why AI Is a Big Problem for School Cybersecurity

Many school districts are ill-prepared to defend themselves against AI-powered cyberattacks.

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

“They could have lived a thousand lives, hopefully by the time they graduate high school, having read different stories and learned from different characters." -Rex Ovalle, English teacher, Oak Park & River Forest High School www.edweek.org/teaching-lea... #SEL #schoollibrarian #edusky @edweek.org

How English Class Improves Students' Social-Emotional Skills

When students dissect the motivations of a character in a book, they're learning key competencies.

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Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Larry Ferlazzo @larryferlazzo.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Reading Is a Vice www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

The problem with these kinds of arguments isn’t that they are wrong; it’s that they don’t actually persuade anyone to read more, because they misunderstand why people become readers in the first place. Telling someone to love literature because reading is good for society is like telling someone to believe in God because religion is good for society. It’s a utilitarian argument for what should be a personal passion.

It would be better to describe reading not as a public duty but as a private pleasure, sometimes even a vice. This would be a more effective way to attract young people, and it also happens to be true. When literature was considered transgressive, moralists couldn’t get people to stop buying and reading dangerous books. Now that books are considered virtuous and edifying, moralists can’t persuade anyone to pick one up.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Kids who own a smartphone by age 12 have higher rates of depression, obesity, and poor sleep when compared with their peers who don’t have a smartphone. www.edweek.org/leadership/i...

Is Owning a Smartphone Before High School a Health Risk? What to Know

Smartphone ownership before high school can lead to difficulties in school.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Mark Lieberman @marklieberman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Federal grants for community schools help expand instructional time for children and stand up social services like health care and meals in low-income communities. The Trump administration just cut tens of millions of dollars in grants for these programs: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

Federal Funds for Community Schools Fall Victim to a New Round of Trump Cuts

The latest round of grant cuts hits a program that helps schools provide more social services on site.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

AI can be a lifeline for new career and technical education teachers, many of whom come from industry instead of traditional educator prep programs. Read on for more on the opportunities and challenges AI creates for CTE teachers: www.edweek.org/teaching-lea... #edusky #CTE #AIineducation #edtech

Classroom View: How AI Is Influencing Teacher Approaches to Career and Technical Ed.

Teachers share examples of how the technology is playing a bigger role in their lessons.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

The moves would mark the most significant step the department has taken to follow through on Trump’s March executive order, which directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “facilitate” the closure of the 45-year-old agency. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... @marklieberman.bsky.social #edusky

U.S. Department of Education Poised to Announce Significant Downsizing

Many of the department's biggest programs could move to other agencies, advocates say.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Researchers may have found a connection between heightened immigration enforcement arrests and a decline in test scores among Spanish-speaking students, both U.S.-born and foreign-born, according to a new working paper. www.edweek.org/leadership/w... #edusky #edchat

When ICE Arrests Rise, Student Test Scores Fall, New Study Suggests

The working paper focused on a Florida district where both foreign-born and U.S. born students saw test scores drop.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

"What happened? The answer is simple, if dispiriting: For tech companies, courage doesn’t scale." This piece argues that public trust in big tech is important for not only Silicon Valley's future, but also for the rest of us. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/12/o...

Opinion | I Worked All Over Silicon Valley. This Is How It Lost Its Spine.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 31/10/2025

Schools Scramble as SNAP Lapse Nears, Affecting Students and Staff: Schools prepared by partnering with food pantries to provide food for families.

Schools Scramble as SNAP Lapse Nears, Affecting Students and Staff

Schools prepared by partnering with food pantries to provide food for families.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

How teachers are dealing with the very weird and disruptive 67 trend among students. Love this quote: “I haven’t heard them say it since,” said Anderson. “As soon as I showed the buy-in to it, it was not cool anymore.” www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...

Six Seven! The 2025 Dictionary.com Word of the Year Causes School Chaos

As the new trend spreads, teachers are left to wonder—should they stop it or embrace it?

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

This is a really important issue, and my coworker @evieblad.bsky.social explains it perfectly: www.edweek.org/teaching-lea... #EDUsky #EduSkyAI #edtech #AIineducation #SPED #SpecEd #SpecialEducation

Teachers Are Using AI to Help Write IEPs. Advocates Have Concerns

Experts call for guardrails around the ethical, legal, and instructional concerns.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

This right here, from the article: "It bothers me because I think it says something about the character of our culture,” said Regina Musicaro, a licensed clinical psychologist who practices in New York City and specializes in trauma.

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Schools’ heavy reliance on the services of major technology companies comes with significant risks. Those risks became a reality this week when an outage at Amazon Web Services led to widespread internet disruptions. Story by @laurainegl.bsky.social www.edweek.org/technology/a... #edtech

AWS Outage Hit Schools Hard. How to Prepare for the Next Tech Meltdown

Schools need continuity plans that feature teaching without the help of technology.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

AERA @aeraedresearch.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Teaching students social-emotional skills, such as emotional regulation and perspective-taking, can substantially boost students' grade-point averages and standardized test scores in reading and math, via @edweek.org @ariannaprothero.bsky.social www.edweek.org/leadership/s...

Social-Emotional Learning Linked to Higher Math and Reading Test Scores

A Yale study finds that explicitly teaching students SEL skills can have big academic payoffs.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Evie Blad @evieblad.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

As secretary, Hegseth has railed against “woke garbage” and purged materials of any mention of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a masters student, he advocated for creation of a high school that would “emphasize equity” and prioritize a “diverse student body.” www.thecrimson.com/article/2025...

Before Pete Hegseth Joined Trump’s War on DEI, He Advocated for Educational Equity as a Harvard Student | News | The Harvard Crimson

In his first nine months as Secretary of War, Pete B. Hegseth has railed against “woke garbage” and diversity programs. But in 2013, as a Harvard Kennedy School master’s student, Hegseth advocated for...

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

16% of educators said in a survey that their school or district in the past year has tried to limit controversy by referring to social-emotional learning by another name while continuing to teach the concepts and skills associated with it. www.edweek.org/leadership/s... #SEL #EduSky #teachers

SEL by Another Name? Political Pushback Prompts Rebranding

Some districts are still teaching social-emotional learning, but they are calling it something else.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Parent complaints written with AI can have a very legalistic tone and indiscriminately reference a litany of potential legal issues. This causes school and district staff (and their lawyers) to sink hours of time into responding. www.edweek.org/technology/d... #EduSky

Did This Parent Hire a Lawyer? Schools Face a New Challenge With AI

Complaints written with AI can have a very legalistic tone, costing schools extra staff time and money to respond.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

An example of how AI technology can work in a seamless, practical way that could benefit lots of people: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/t...

The New AirPods Can Translate Languages in Your Ears. This Is Profound.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 18/09/2025

The U.S. Department of Education unveiled plans to promote “patriotic education” in the nation's civics and history classrooms. edw.link/iac

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

EdWeek Union @edweekunion.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

Hi! We're the EdWeek Union - roughly 50 people who work tirelessly to make our nonprofit news organization a key destination for educators and the general public. We wanted to share an update on our efforts to bargain with management for a fair contract that protects all of us. 🧵 #union #solidarity

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

The guidance would come as some Republican-led states have sought to increase the presence of Christian teachings in schools. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #educhat

Trump Says Ed. Dept. Will Release New Guidance on School Prayer

The federal agency will wade into an intensified debate over the place of religion in schools.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

The Ed Department cancelations jeopardize more than $30 million worth of federally funded efforts in 14 states to help educators better serve students with disabilities. 1/2 www.edweek.org/teaching-lea... #edusky #specialeducation #teachers Story by @marklieberman.bsky.social

Trump Canceled Millions for Special Education Teacher Training. What's Next?

More than $30 million for teacher training and parent resources will no longer flow as scheduled.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

New results from the 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress show that more students than ever are scoring below the threshold for mastery of “basic” skills. It’s the first time the tests have been given to 12th graders since before the pandemic. www.edweek.org/leadership/s... #edusky

Struggling High School Seniors Fall Even Further Behind on 'Nation's Report Card'

More 12th graders than ever before are scoring below the test's threshold for mastery of “basic” skills.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Cara Jackson @carajackson.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

"...embrace opportunities for quick and meaningful wins. These are the common-sense education initiatives that share three critical features: evidentiary support, low financial costs, and scalability." - @tomdee.bsky.social www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

High Quality Research Rarely Informs Classroom Practice. Why? (Opinion)

The connection between education research, policy, and practice is broken. Here’s what it would take to fix it.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Mark Lieberman @marklieberman.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

New: House lawmakers yesterday advanced a federal budget that cuts billions of dollars from Title I and other K-12 education programs. School districts would feel the hit in a matter of weeks--if this bill becomes law by Oct. 1, which is a BIG if. www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

House Lawmakers Endorse Some—But Not All—of Trump's Education Cuts

House budget writers are proposing to cut Title I funding by nearly $4 billion.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Nearly 6 in 10 teens don't know how strong the scientific consensus on climate change is. Just over half could correctly identify emissions from human activity as the primary driver of it. www.edweek.org/teaching-lea... @edweek.org #climatechange #edusky #schools #teachers

Nearly Half of Teens Can’t Identify What Causes Climate Change. Why That Matters

Climate change is affecting many industries and students need a basic understanding of the concept to succeed in those fields, experts say.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 28/08/2025

Nearly one-third of K-12 public schools in the United States now require mental health screenings for students. But according to a new study, ensuring that they receive adequate follow-up care after a diagnosis has been more difficult.

A Third of Public Schools Require Mental Health Screenings. Then What Happens?

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Jennifer Shutt @jennifershutt.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

Senate HELP Chairman Bill Cassidy calls on Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to indefinitely postpone its September meeting, but doesn't say what he'd do if the panel meets as scheduled.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 26/08/2025

After years of allowing middle school students to have cellphones in class, this district decided to change its tune. #EWArchive

What Happened When This District Did an About-Face on Cellphones

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 27/08/2025

Public schools reopened Monday in the nation’s capital, with parents on edge over the presence of thousands of National Guard troops in their midst.

Schools Reopen in D.C. With Parents on Edge Over Trump's Armed Patrols

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

This is the first school shooting of the academic year and the 7th since January, according an Education Week analysis. www.edweek.org/leadership/t... @edweek.org

Two Children, Ages 8 and 10, Killed in Minneapolis School Shooting

Seventeen people were injured in the new academic year's first school shooting.

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

The Trump administration must restore centers that help state education departments and schools with improvement strategies and the use of education research. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... via @edweek.org #edusky #politics

Judge Tells Trump Admin. to Restore Some Education Research Programs

The federal judge found the termination of contracts for the Comprehensive Centers and Regional Educational Laboratories was illegal.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Takeaways from the latest PDK poll on American's attitudes toward public education: - Most Americans think teachers should be paid more - A majority oppose shutting down the US Dept. of Ed - Parents are growing more open to private school choice programs www.edweek.org/leadership/w...

What Americans Really Think of Public Schools

Americans continue to give a higher grade to their local schools than to the nation's education system as a whole, a new poll finds.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 15/08/2025

Federal funding cuts are starting to hit U.S. classrooms through the loss of grants from cultural and library institutions that quietly support K-12 education.

How Schools Will Feel the Federal Funding Cuts to Libraries and Museums

Cuts to library and museum grants threaten school databases, field trips, and teacher training programs nationwide.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

NPR @npr.org · 14/08/2025

The law requires all users to verify their ages before using common social media sites ranging from Facebook to Nextdoor.

Supreme Court allows Mississippi social media law to go into effect

The law requires all users to verify their ages before using common social media sites ranging from Facebook to Nextdoor.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

Is it legal for Trump to withhold $6.8 billion in school funding? My colleagues @marklieberman.bsky.social and Maya Riser-Kositsky asked spokespeople for 271 members of Congress. Most didn't respond. But a handful did: www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #edusky

We Asked Congress Whether Trump Withholding School Funds Is Legal. Here's What They Said

All but a few members who voted in March to allocate now-withheld funding didn't respond to the question.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

Both shifting political winds and public attitudes toward vaccines are poised to make it harder for many kids to show up to school healthy and ready to learn, public-health experts warn. www.edweek.org/leadership/w... #edusky #vaccines #learners

Why RFK Jr.'s Vaccine Views Matter for Schools

This year could bring significant changes to how school-age kids are protected from many viruses.

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

The Education Department is setting new priorities for roughly $1 billion in school #mentalhealth funding after the agency abruptly told former grant recipients their awards would end because they reflected Biden administration policies. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #edusky #teachers

No 'Gender Ideology': Ed. Dept.'s New Focus for Mental Health Grants It Yanked

The Trump administration abruptly canceled $1 billion in mental health grants in April that it said reflected Biden-era priorities.

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Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Mark Lieberman @marklieberman.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

New: Ten Republican senators wrote to the Trump admin. today urging the restoration of $6.8 billion for education Trump impounded earlier this month. Cutting federal education funding with no notice runs counter to "returning education to the states," senators say. www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

Republicans Urge Trump to Release $6.8 Billion in School Funding He's Held Back

The funds that were supposed to go out July 1 pay for teacher training, English learner services, after-school programs, and more.

Reposted by Arianna Prothero

Education Week @edweek.org · 11/07/2025

Oklahoma announced that it is partnering with the conservative media company PragerU to develop a new certification test for teachers relocating to the state from other states with “a history of promoting anti-American narratives.”

Want to Teach in Oklahoma? You May Have to Prove You're Not 'Woke'

The state is partnering with PragerU to develop an assessment for incoming educators.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

I just got a PR email about AI Appreciation Day. I'm sorry, but what? Please folks, share your jokes about this. (Or serious thoughts, I'll take those, too)

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Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

“[T]here’s a realization that the focus on one party is not accomplishing everything that they would like to do, particularly in so many red states,”- David Kinsella, NEA Republican teacher caucus chairman.

Can the National Education Association Win Over Republican Members?

Union leaders seek common ground with conservative teachers while managing an active, mostly liberal membership.

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

The ruling is significant for schools across the nation as it could give families the right to raise objections on religious grounds to a wide range of learning materials and curricular choices. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #Edusky #schools #education

Supreme Court Sides With Parents in LGBTQ+ Curriculum Opt-Out Case

The justices ruled in a case on whether parents with religious objections may excuse their children from some curriculum materials

Arianna Prothero @ariannaprothero.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Billions of dollars were at stake to pay for internet in schools and libraries. In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday spared the federal E-rate program. www.edweek.org/policy-polit... #edtech #Edusky

Supreme Court Upholds School E-Rate Program

The justices weighed a constitutional challenge to the funding mechanism for the $4 billion E-rate program for school internet projects.