Council of the Great City Schools

08/25/2026

The school year is off to a great start in Oakland! 📚☀️
Oakland Unified School District welcomed students back to classrooms on August 10, and we’re excited to spotlight their return as our Back-to-School Series continues. Take a look at how the OUSD celebrated the first day back! 🎥✨

Wishing OUSD students, educators, staff, and families continued success throughout the 2026–2027 school year. Here’s to a great year ahead!

08/24/2026

The School District of Palm Beach County is signing up for a great school year! Students are putting their names on it and starting the year with excitement, big goals and plenty to look forward to. 📚✨

🎥 Watch the video to see Palm Beach County students sign on for an amazing year ahead!

https://youtube.com/shorts/oaVxopdlsxA?si=7fJxK2wkTkYATecb

08/23/2026

📚 School is back in session in San Antonio!

Last week, San Antonio ISD welcomed students back to campus for the start of the 2026–27 school year. From warm welcomes and smiling faces to the excitement of returning to classrooms, campuses across the district came alive for a new year of learning and growth.

Board members, district leaders, and staff also joined in the celebration, visiting schools across SAISD to welcome students back.

🎥 Watch the highlights and see how SAISD kicked off the new school year!

08/22/2026

⏰ Last chance to vote! SXSW EDU PanelPicker voting closes this Sunday, August 23.

Our session, “Urban Budgeting: Tough Choices, Clear Priorities,” is live, and we’d love your support!

The session will bring together leaders from Saint Paul Public Schools, Phoenix Union High School District, and Tulsa Public Schools to discuss a challenge facing many large urban school districts: significant enrollment declines. Since enrollment is critical for district funding, these declines have led to financial pressures and tough budgeting decisions. The session will explore how these three urban districts are making budgeting decisions in response to changing enrollment trends.

Cast your vote by Sunday: https://participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sxsw27/community-voting-edu/page/community-voting/session/1783978253765001YE1D

Create a free SXSW PanelPicker account, click the ❤️ icon, and help us bring this important conversation to SXSW EDU in Austin!

08/18/2026

Four of the nation’s top 10 high schools are in Council of the Great City Schools member districts! 🎓🏆

U.S. News & World Report has released its 2026–2027 Best High Schools rankings, recognizing outstanding schools across the country.

Congratulations to these four schools:

🏅 #3 — Julia R. Masterman Secondary School | The School District of Philadelphia
🏅 #5 — School Without Walls High School | DC Public Schools
🏅 #8 — The School for the Talented and Gifted (TAG) | Dallas ISD
🏅 #10 — Science Academy STEM Magnet | Los Angeles Unified School District

We’re proud to see our member districts represented among the nation’s very best. Congratulations! 👏

08/18/2026

Two weeks down and the 2026–2027 school year is in full swing for Atlanta Public Schools! 🎒📚

As APS wraps up week three, we’re looking back at the excitement, smiles, and energy that kicked off a brand-new school year.

Check out highlights from the start of the school year and join us in wishing APS students, educators, staff, and families continued success in the year ahead!

08/18/2026

What is the real lesson to be learned from the Common Core?

In a new Chicago Tribune op-ed, Michael Casserly, former longtime executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools, reflects on what the experience of Common Core can teach us about raising student achievement.

At a time when academic expectations remain a national conversation, the piece makes the case for maintaining high standards and doing the work to make them meaningful in classrooms.

Read the full op-ed. ⬇️

Education standards make a difference when districts use them to raise expectations and create more rigorous and coherent curriculum.s

08/17/2026

The excitement of a new school year is in the air! 🎒✨

Our Back-to-School Series heads to Florida as we celebrate Hillsborough County Public Schools and the start of the 2026–2027 school year.

Take a look at how Hillsborough County Public Schools kicked off the new school year! ⬇️

It's a Brand-New School Year at Hillsborough County Public Schools!...

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

The Council is excited to welcome our member school districts back for the 2026–2027 school year! 🎒📚

We’re kicking off our Back-to-School Series with Jefferson County Schools! Wishing students, educators, staff, and families a successful year filled with learning, growth, and new opportunities.

Welcome back, Jefferson County Public Schools! ✏️🍎