🛝 PBS Cuts, Cyberattacks Getting Smarter, Ohio AI Policies

Welcome to Playground Post, a bi-weekly newsletter that keeps education innovators ahead of what's next.

This week's reality check: Federal cuts to public media are leaving families with ad-driven content algorithms, cybercriminals are organizing like tech startups, and Ohio just became the first state to require AI policies in every school. The infrastructure is shifting fast.

💎 Data Gem

Chronic absenteeism is still more than 50 percent higher than it used to be pre-pandemic. There are about 48 million public school students, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Almost 1 in 4 of them, or 11 million students, are missing a lot of school.

Federal Cuts to PBS Create Early Learning Content Vacuum

Federal funding for PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been eliminated, removing one of the few trusted sources of children's educational media.

The timing couldn't be worse. 

Recent studies show infants and toddlers under 2 spend more than an hour daily on screens, while 2-4 year olds use screens over two hours daily. 

For 95% of families with children under 3, screen use now begins in infancy.

What's filling the gap? 

Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and AI bots like Baby Grok, all driven by algorithms designed for engagement, not development.

The market opportunity is massive, but comes with responsibility. 

As one expert notes, we risk creating "a two-tiered system: premium, voice-based tools for the wealthy; and game-heavy, ad-driven distractions for everyone else."

Early childhood media expert Michael Levine proposes six coordinated actions, including new funding streams modeled on public-private partnerships and shared standards for responsible AI design in early childhood.

The most promising innovations prioritize three principles: connected learning, personalized choice, and family co-viewing. 

Companies that can blend the trusted legacy of public media with modern AI and personalization technology have a clear runway.

The federal cuts represent both crisis and opportunity - but only for companies willing to prioritize child development over pure engagement metrics.

Schools Face More Sophisticated Cyber Threats as Attacks Become Service-Based

Cybersecurity expert James Turgal from Optiv predicts that the 2025-26 school year will bring both persistent current threats and more attack models.

The main problem?

Cybercrime is becoming more organized and accessible through service-based models. 

This means schools face higher volume and frequency of attacks with less time to respond between incidents.

The preparation gap is significant. 

Most districts still aren't fully prepared for significant cyber incidents, often due to budget limitations, staffing shortages, and competing priorities.

But the fundamentals remain achievable: strong passwords, reliable data backups, multi-layered defense strategies, cybersecurity training, and tested incident response plans.

The business opportunity lies in solutions designed specifically for education environments - tools that work within school budgets and can be managed by non-technical staff.

The evolving threat landscape suggests that cybersecurity for education will become a specialized vertical, not just general IT security applied to schools.

Ohio Becomes First State to Mandate AI Policies for All K-12 Schools

Ohio just made history by requiring all public K-12 schools to adopt AI usage policies by July 1, 2026.

Here's how it works: 

1. The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce must release a comprehensive model AI policy by the end of 2025. 

2. Districts can either follow the state model or develop their own, as long as it aligns with the state's blueprint.

The mandate covers critical areas like academic integrity, data privacy, and equity issues, but doesn't require districts to teach AI or use AI tools.

As one state senator from Utah observed, "We are inevitably moving in that direction, into a world where AI is significantly integrated into all parts of society."

For ed-tech vendors, this signals a new level of state oversight in evaluating AI tools.

Companies will need to demonstrate commitment to responsible practices that support student learning.

The market signals are strong: states want local control over AI implementation. Ohio's mandate creates opportunities for policy development frameworks, compliance tools, and professional development platforms that help districts navigate these requirements.

⚡️More Quick Hits

This week in education:

States create early childhood trust funds — New Mexico, Connecticut, Montana, Louisiana and Kentucky establish stable funding for child care as pandemic relief expires

Tech innovation conference announced —  The September 25 virtual event covers AI policies, cybersecurity, and evidence-based ed-tech development; registration is free

Miami-Dade develops AI guidelines — School board directs staff to create tiered framework for teacher AI use ahead of new school year

Students already using AI for schoolwork — Nearly half of U.S. students aged 14-22 use AI tools, highlighting need for "AI-literate" education rather than bans

Federal education funds unfrozen — Nearly $5 billion in Title I-C, II-A, III-A and IV-A funds released after months-long freeze

📚 Weekend Reads

Monthly roundup of resources you might like:

• Education Cannot Wait – Global Estimates 2025 — Data insights beneficial for understanding global education technology needs

• RAND: Teacher Well-Being and Pay Study — 2025 analysis of teacher satisfaction, compensation, and retention intentions with implications for education workforce solutions

• Carnegie Learning: State of AI in Education 2025 — National educator survey revealing AI adoption patterns and identifying remaining product opportunities

• Brookings: Post-COVID Recovery Analysis — Five-year analysis showing divergent math and reading recovery patterns, highlighting ongoing academic support needs

To stay up-to-date on all things education innovation, visit us at playgroundpost.com.