Southern Regional Education Board

08/18/2026

Districts are spending billions on AI tools for classrooms, but most are left to vet products largely on their own.

In this Stateline article, SREB's Leslie Eaves, who co-led the organization's AI commission, weighs in on how schools should approach these decisions. She says districts should let adults test AI tools before putting them in front of students, and that teachers should always review AI-generated material before using it in the classroom.

As school districts make decisions on which artificial intelligence tools are safe and worth spending thousands or millions of dollars on, some officials feel overwhelmed by the array of choices. Some states and districts have begun offering guidance for vetting AI purchases, but educators and exper...

08/12/2026

More than 30 school counselors from across Texas gathered in Waco this week for training with SREB's Crisis Recovery Network — a regional initiative preparing first-responder counselors to support students and staff after a crisis.

"We can't take away someone's pain, but we can lessen the traumatic impact if we respond appropriately." — Linda Tyree, SREB

Learn more or apply to be a counselor at sreb.org/crisis-recovery-network.

More than 30 school counselors representing school districts across Texas gathered in Waco on Tuesday to begin intensive training for a new regional crisis response network.

07/15/2026

Scenes from around the conference. How are you spending your Day 2?

07/10/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

One person can determine whether a teacher stays or leaves. And that person is the principal.

School leadership has a significant impact on an educator’s teaching experience and their willingness to stay in the profession. Principals, for instance, shape school culture, protect teachers and set the bar for what students can achieve.

When districts and states invest in building a pipeline of strong, well-trained school leaders, they’re making a direct investment in keeping great teachers in the classroom.

Education needs great leaders, and it needs strong systems that develop them.

Hear more from educators on this topic in the video below and explore SREB's workforce policy resources at sreb.org/educator-workforce-policy.

07/09/2026

SREB has spent nearly 80 years improving education across the South. As we prepare for our next strategic vision, we are expanding our team with two critical hires who will directly support our leadership and growth.

Director of Marketing and Strategic Communications: We are looking for an entrepreneurial, forward-looking leader to shape our brand strategy, grow our digital audience and manage our external agency partners.

Executive Assistant: We are seeking a highly organized career administrative professional to serve as the steady hand behind the scenes, managing operations, travel and complex scheduling for senior executives.

Both roles offer the opportunity to work within a stable, mission-driven organization. If you are a collaborative professional ready to make an impact, we want to hear from you.

🔗 View qualifications and apply at sreb.org/careers.

07/09/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

If teachers do not respect themselves or find joy in their work, why would their students consider becoming one?

As one educator shared, "No one is going to respect us until we respect ourselves, and no one is going to think that we are worth putting money into until we know our own worth."

Job satisfaction is a critical component of growing the educator pipeline. When the profession learns to value itself, the next generation of teachers will follow.

Learn more in the clip below and here: sreb.org/teacher-shortages.

07/09/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

What happens when teachers go to a conference, learn something valuable and come back to a school that does not have the resources to put it into practice? That is one challenge educators across the south are experiencing.

As one educator said, “Right now the role is sort of, choose your own adventure. You're making it up as you go along. That's sort of where teachers are right now."

Professional development only works when teachers have the tools needed to act on it. Right now, too many do not, and that is a gap that districts and states have the power to close.

Watch the video below to learn more about insights on saving the teaching profession.

Explore SREB's workforce policy resources at sreb.org/educator-workforce-policy.

07/08/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

If we expect it of our schools, we have to fund it. That is what educators across the south are saying—and they’re not wrong.

Educators are calling attention to the gap between what schools are required to deliver and the funding they actually receive. Personalized learning. IEP testing. Free school lunches. Basic classroom resources. These are mandates, and without the resources to carry them out, educators are left to fill the gap on their own.

When we ask more of our schools, we have to be willing to invest more in them.

Watch the clip below to learn more about how SREB is raising awareness for investing in education resources across the south.

Explore SREB's workforce policy resources at sreb.org/educator-workforce-policy.

07/08/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

Teachers across the South are mentoring colleagues, leading professional learning communities, and developing peers without any additional pay or support. However, many are also advocating for this to change.

In this clip from SREB's video series, education professionals make the case for paying teachers to provide professional development for other teachers and increasing access to quality instructional coaches to support educators at every stage of their career.

Keeping great teachers in the classroom means investing in them long after the hiring process ends. Paid professional development and instructional coaching are critical parts of that equation.

In this video, listen to education professionals make the case for paying teachers to provide professional development for other teachers and bringing back quality instructional coaches to support educators at every stage of their career.

Learn more about creating strong professional support systems here: sreb.org/educator-effectiveness.

More on the educator workforce is coming at SREB's Making Schools Work Conference, July 14–17. See you there.

07/07/2026

Strengthening the Teaching Profession: An Educator Insights Series

Education professionals have repeatedly made the case for extending teacher residencies to a full year, and for making that year financially feasible through a stipend.

Why? When aspiring teachers can spend an entire school year learning in the classroom without the pressure of juggling multiple jobs to cover bills, they see the full scope of the profession and are more likely to remain.

Preparation and pay are not separate conversations. They are two sides of the same pipeline problem, both requiring structural solutions at the district and state level.

Hear more from educators on this topic in the video below and dive deeper on teacher preparation here: sreb.org/teacher-preparation.

More on the educator workforce is coming at SREB's Making Schools Work Conference, July 14–17. See you there.