Author Archives: Marge Piercy

Public libraries have become practical homes for early childhood STEM because they already welcome babies, toddlers, preschoolers, caregivers, and educators in the same place. A library program does not need to look like a school lab to be serious science learning. For children from birth through age six, sorting shells, testing ramps, noticing shadows, listening to a story about weather, or programming a small screen-free robot can build the habits … Read the rest

AI Privacy Standards became a sharper concern for STEM educators after Microsoft, the American Federation of Teachers, and the United Federation of Teachers announced a new national school agreement on September 9, 2026. The announcement matters because many science, math, engineering, and computer science teachers are already being asked to use AI-supported tools for planning, feedback, productivity, and student support, while families are asking fair questions about student data, safety, … Read the rest

West Virginia’s AI entrepreneurship pilot offers a practical case for high schools trying to connect artificial intelligence, student app design, and local problem-solving. The pilot concluded on September 10, 2026, and the research notes report that about 120 students in grades 9 through 12 took part across four schools in Monongalia, Kanawha, and Berkeley counties. Students used a no-code platform and produced roughly 80 mobile applications, giving educators a useful … Read the rest

The University of Texas at Austin launched its National Center for STEM Education on August 11, 2026, in response to STEM teacher shortages and the need for stronger preparation in science, mathematics, and technology teaching. The Center was formerly the UTeach Institute, and it builds on three decades of UT Austin work in teacher preparation. For schools, families, and community partners, the launch is not just a university announcement. It … Read the rest

NASA State Hubs give schools a timely reason to connect science, mathematics, career and technical education, and community partnerships with real aerospace workforce needs. In August 2026, NASA selected seven states—California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Texas, and Utah—to host State Hubs for Skilled Technical Workforce, an effort meant to better align education with aerospace industry needs. NASA’s public update also reported that awardees and partners met on September 15, 2026, … Read the rest

Literacy teacher preparation has become a practical reform issue for schools, colleges, families, and community partners who care about whether new teachers enter classrooms ready to teach reading. The strongest recent signal is not that every program has solved reading instruction. The signal is more measured: more programs are aligning coursework with scientifically based reading instruction, while many still need closer attention to practice, phonemic awareness, and program oversight.

For … Read the rest