Think Twice Weekly Report

MAY 9, 2026 - MAY 15, 2026

The Think Twice Weekly Report compiles public education-related policy reports, research and articles of interest to policymakers, educators and stakeholders. This list is not exhaustive but is meant to highlight recent reports that may be used to support or undermine the work of our subscribers in supporting public schools. We encourage you to take a moment to scan these reports and determine if they may be used by policy makers to assist or erode your mission.



Policy Reports


Education and the Workplace

Source: CEPR-Harvard
Date: 5/15/26
Building College and Career Readiness: A Cross-State Policy Landscape Analysis in Arkansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma

In early April, we launched the first of two teacher surveys we have planned for 2026. We've put together a wide array of questions to learn more about teachers' experiences and perspectives, including topics like AI, durable skills, and general feelings about the teaching profession. In partnership with Morning Consult, EdChoice surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,030 teachers from April 1 through April 9, 2026.

Enrollment

Source: Manhattan Institute
Date: 5/12/26
What to Do About NYC's Empty Schools

This brief aims to inform the public and policymakers about under-enrolled schools and explore potential solutions. It provides descriptive statistics on enrollment trends, particularly focusing on New York City, including which of the city's schools are losing the most enrollment, which are underperforming, and which are now too small to be financially viable.

Immigration

Source: Bellwether
Date: 5/15/26
Equal Protection and Public Education Access for Immigrant Students: A 50-State Review

The focus on immigrant students and their families dates back more than four decades to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Plyler v. Doe (1982), which determined that undocumented immigrant students are entitled to the equal protection of laws that allow other children to attend K-12 public schools free of charge. Since 1982, there has been opposition to Plyler, with at least three states directly challenging the decision. This legal precedent is increasingly under threat. In the most recent legislative session (2025-26), five states introduced measures to restrict access protected by this decision, setting up a legal confrontation. In February 2026, the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank, encouraged more states to take steps to challenge the decision. And in March 2026, Congress held a hearing to examine arguments against Plyler. This resource introduces the Plyler case and its related principles, and it provides an overview of the Court's decision and its reasoning. It summarizes the current state of legislation and other public signals of potential state action, using maps that illustrate the current national landscape of activity advancing or challenging the principles of Plyler. It also summarizes research on expanding and restricting access to public schools - a proxy for the potential impacts of overturning Plyler.

School Choice

Source: Cato Institute
Date: 5/11/26
Let 1,000 Flowers Bloom: Best Practices for Advancing Educational Freedom

The growth of educational freedom in America has been dramatic, with more than 70 programs now operating in over 30 states. While this is welcome news for many families in need of school choice, the rapid expansion has also revealed weaknesses with program design, particularly in funding stability, administrative structure, expenditure approval processes, and family access.


Tuition Tax Credits

Source: Commonwealth Foundation
Date: 5/13/26
Pennsylvania's Education Tax Credit Scholarships: How EITC Serves Children and Families In the Commonwealth | 2nd Edition

Tax credit scholarship programs fulfill a core need for low- to middle-income students in Pennsylvania. The data in this report demonstrates the unmet demand for the EITC and OSTC programs. Expanding tax credit scholarships, along with other new state and federal scholarship programs, are vital to improving access to educational opportunity for the children and families of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.





Reports Reviewed


GLC seeks to ensure that policy briefs impacting education reform are based on sound, credible academic research. Below are reviews conducted with GLC support.



Review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap

Source: Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty
Reviewed by: Will Flanders

A recent report from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) highlights stark achievement gaps between White and Black students in Wisconsin, particularly in elementary-level English language arts and reading. While the report deserves credit for bringing attention to this important issue, its analysis is incomplete and misleading.

In his review of Beyond Race: What Really Drives Wisconsin's Achievement Gap, University at Buffalo distinguished professor Jaekyung Lee finds that the report offers an overly simplistic account of the causes of these disparities, attributing them to factors framed as separate from race. Professor Lee is the author of the book, The Anatomy of Achievement Gaps: Why and How American Education is Losing (But Can Still Win) the War on Underachievement.



What We're Reading


Research and articles that we want to highlight for subscribers as potential resources:



Vouchers fund discrimination
By: Illinois Families for Public Schools

Public schools in Illinois can't discriminate on the basis of disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation, language, pregnancy or parenting status, marital status, or religion. But under the Invest in Kids voucher program, public dollars are now going to private schools in Illinois, many of which do discriminate against students in all these protected categories.

CO: Polis Says Legal Discrimination Is Okee Dokee
By: Peter Greene, Curmudgucation

What does it take to a nominally Democratic, openly gay governor to vote for taxpayer-funded discrimination? Apparently just some "free" federal money and a legal baloney excuse.

Send a Letter to Your Governor: No Federal Private School Vouchers in My State!
By: Advancement Project

Your governor can choose to side with the Trump-Vance agenda for the wealthy and opt-in to this harmful scheme, or choose to invest in high quality public schools for ALL and opt-out. Use this template to send a letter to your governor urging them not to opt-in to the Trump-Vance private school voucher agenda.

New Caps on Federal Student Lending Could Impact Schools of Education
By: Preston Cooper, Education Next

Loan limits may prevent excessive debt accumulation, but might they also block some students from even seeking education degrees? Moreover, education doesn't exactly have a reputation for lucrative pay. Might the accountability system knock some education degree programs out of the student loan program entirely?

Districts Are Investing Billions in School Safety: Here's What Actually Keeps Students Safe
By: Jennifer DePaoli, Learning Project Institue

This blog is part of the Transforming Schools series, which shares effective practices and foundational research for educators, students, families, and policymakers who are reimagining schools as places where students are safe and can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally.