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States and Educational Publishers Shift Focus and Rebalance Priorities

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2 years ago

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Workforce development, Career and Technical Education (CTE), teacher training and early literacy programs take center stage as K-12 education continues to be transformed

ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A set of economic, demographic, social, and industry forces are making less traditional forms of education new priorities for states and school districts, and some educational publishers and edtech companies are responding by revising their texts and digital teaching products.

According to Publishing for the Prek-12 Market, 2024-2025, a just released report by Simba Information, the leading provider of market information on the educational instructional materials market, several developments are driving these trends. These include actions taken by states to prioritize programs that prepare students for the job market, and other initiatives to recruit, retain, train and fairly compensate educators to address teacher shortages and improve the quality of education. At the same time, there is a rise in homeschooling, virtual schools and charter schools, which reflect a growing preference for alternative educational pathways that are flexible and more personalized.

These changes are taking place against a backdrop of an education sector that is financially stable but remains vulnerable going forward. The good news is that enrollment numbers have stabilized and current funding for schools is secure. However, enrollment has still not recovered to its pre-pandemic levels, and although school finances are doing well, worries about the future remain, stemming from the end of the special pandemic (ESSER) funding, and a still uncertain future economy going into 2025.

As for the state of the instructional materials market itself, Simba has calculated that total sales reached $10.6 billion in calendar year 2023, up 3.83% over 2022; however, sales are forecast to slow in 2025. The report breaks down the size of that market by type of materials, such as basal curriculum, courseware, digital and other key segments. Simba reports that digital materials continue to grow vis a vis print, but at a slower rate than in the past

The report also examines how governments, school districts and publishers are responding to continuing problems with learning loss by providing more access to preschool and childcare services and giving extra attention to early literacy programs.  Other trends identified by Simba include a rise in interest and new required courses on financial literacy, media literacy and civics, and how AI is playing a significant role in both teacher preparation and in the use of AI-enabled learning products. Also examines is the increased national attention on how a high quality and properly aligned curriculum, both core and supplemental, can play a significant role in stemming ongoing learning losses.

The report also provides an in-depth look at the forces impacting the K-12 instructional materials industry, exploring matters such as the increase in revenue among public companies, the decline in mergers and acquisitions, private equity investment, and the continuing reduction of publicly held firms.

Publishing for the Prek-12 Market, 2024-2025 also profiles the leading companies that make up this sector. Specific businesses whose products, strategies and financials are examined include: Boxlight; Cambium Learning; Cengage; Discovery Education; Goodheart-Wilcox; HMH, Kahoot!; McGraw-Hill; Pearson, PowerSchool; Renaissance Learning; Savvas Learning; Scholastic and Stride

About Simba Information
Simba Information, a part of The Freedonia Group, is widely recognized as the authoritative source for market intelligence in the media and publishing industries. The company’s extensive information network delivers thoughtful, objective perspectives on the people, events and alliances shaping the industry. In addition, Simba Information assists clients and the press with analysis of publishing and media industry trends.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/states-and-educational-publishers-shift-focus-and-rebalance-priorities-302253338.html

SOURCE Simba Information

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ATTOM ENHANCES RENTAL AVM WITH AI-POWERED MODEL COVERING NEARLY 100 MILLION U.S. HOMES

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53 minutes ago

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November 3, 2026

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Enhanced model expands coverage by about 40% and delivers a 5.9% median error on homes not yet listed for rent

IRVINE, Calif., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ATTOM, the leading provider of property data, AI-powered intelligence, and real estate analytics solutions, today announced enhancements to its Rental AVM, introducing an AI-powered model that estimates current monthly market rent for nearly 100 million U.S. single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses, an increase in coverage of about 40%. The model delivers a 5.9% median absolute error on homes before they are listed for rent, helping businesses evaluate rental potential and make more informed decisions.

“Estimating rental values is difficult because leases are private and many homes have no rental history,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “With these enhancements, we’re extending the same approach driving ATTOM Intelligence, combining trusted property data with advanced AI and analytics, to many more homes, so customers get more meaningful insights and can make better-informed decisions.”

Key Enhancements Include:

Expanded Coverage: Rental estimates for nearly 100 million single-family homes, condominiums, and townhouses across all 50 states and the District of Columbia, a coverage increase of about 40%.Improved Accuracy: A 5.9% median absolute error on homes before they’re listed for rent, with calibrated low and high values that tighten as the evidence behind an estimate grows.AI-Powered Modeling: Multiple machine-learning models evaluate property characteristics, property value, rental history, and recent rental activity, weighing each based on the available evidence for a property.Listing-Based Training: The model is trained and benchmarked on observed rental listings, cleaned to remove duplicates, placeholder rents, and unrealistic prices.

“Our enhanced Rental AVM evaluates multiple sources of rental information and adapts to the evidence available for each property,” said Aaron Wagner, Head of Data Science at ATTOM. “That adaptability is what allows us to estimate rent for homes with no rental history and extend coverage to nearly 100 million properties, while keeping the ranges calibrated to the strength of the evidence behind each estimate.”

Built for Real-World Applications
ATTOM’s enhanced Rental AVM supports a range of business needs, including:

Real Estate Investors and Rental Operators: Screen acquisitions, evaluate rental potential, compare rental income with property values, and support rent-setting decisions.Mortgage Lenders and Insurers: Assess rental income for investment-property and DSCR loans, monitor portfolio exposure, and support loss-of-rent analysis.Real Estate Portals and AI Developers: Integrate rental estimates into property listings, investment tools, and AI-powered applications through ATTOM’s MCP Server.

Updated monthly to reflect new rental activity and changing market conditions, the enhanced Rental AVM is available through ATTOM’s APIs, bulk data licensing, Snowflake, Databricks, and MCP Server.

To learn more about ATTOM’s enhanced Rental AVM, visit the Rental AVM landing page or download the Rental AVM White Paper.

About ATTOM
ATTOM delivers AI-driven property intelligence built on the nation’s most trusted property data repository, covering 160+ million U.S. properties—99% of the population. Our engineered, multi-sourced, semantically rich real estate data spans property tax, deeds, mortgages, foreclosure, environmental risk, property conditions, natural hazards, neighborhood insights, and geospatial boundaries, rigorously validated for advanced analytics. ATTOM supports analytics, AI applications, and AI agents through flexible delivery options including APIs, bulk licensing, cloud delivery, and the MCP Server for AI-powered, agentic access to engineered property data, enabling organizations to automate analysis, power intelligent workflows, and scale property intelligence across industries.

Media Contact:
Megan Hunt
megan.hunt@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
949.502.8313
datareports@attomdata.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/attom-enhances-rental-avm-with-ai-powered-model-covering-nearly-100-million-us-homes-302928177.html

SOURCE ATTOM

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Staypineapple to Donate to American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots™ in Honor of Veterans Day

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53 minutes ago

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November 3, 2026

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Hotel brand will donate a portion of November bookings to help veterans and retired first responders receive service dogs

KIRKLAND, Wash., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In recognition of Veterans Day, Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, is supporting American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots™ program. Throughout the month of November, Staypineapple will donate up to $5,000 on behalf of its guests from every Pineapple Pup Package booking and every booking made with military or government rates. The initiative supports the placement of specially trained service dogs with veterans and retired first responders living with post-traumatic stress (PTS) and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI), at no cost to recipients.

In recognition of Veterans Day, Staypineapple will donate a portion of November bookings to the Pups4Patriots program.

“Dogs have an incredible ability to bring comfort, connection and a renewed sense of purpose to our lives,” said Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple. “We’re proud to support American Humane Society’s Pups4Patriots program and help more of our nation’s heroes access the companionship and support of a service dog. We hope our guests will join us in making a difference through booking a stay this November.”

Pups4Patriots helps remove financial barriers to obtaining a specially trained service dog, matching eligible veterans and retired first responders with dogs trained to support their specific needs.

The impact of the program can be seen in the bond between Russell, a retired U.S. Army veteran and law enforcement officer, and his service dog, Nico. Through Pups4Patriots, Nico has become an important source of support in Russell’s life. As Russell shared, “Nico has brought me a renewed sense of living that I was very much struggling to find before meeting him.”

Through this initiative, Staypineapple hopes to help connect more of America’s heroes with life-changing canine companions to those who have served our country and communities.

To learn more or book a stay, visit Staypineapple.com.

About Staypineapple
Staypineapple is a brand of boutique hotels in urban markets across the U.S., managed by Staypineapple Hotels Inc., based in Kirkland, Wash. Known for personalized service and a warm welcome for people and pets alike, Staypineapple creates unique guest experiences that offer more than just a place to stay. It is a place Where Stays Become Stories. For reservations or more information, visit Staypineapple.com or call (866) 866-7977. Follow Staypineapple on Instagram, Threads, TikTok and Facebook.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/staypineapple-to-donate-to-american-humane-societys-pups4patriots-in-honor-of-veterans-day-302928180.html

SOURCE Staypineapple

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Terakeet’s Mac Cummings Named to ADWEEK Innovator 50 List

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53 minutes ago

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November 3, 2026

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Recognition honors Cummings’ leadership in transforming Terakeet and building a new model for enterprise reputation management in the age of generative AI

SYRACUSE, N.Y., Nov. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ADWEEK today announced that Terakeet CEO & Co-Founder Mac Cummings has been named to the 2026 ADWEEK Innovator 50 list, which recognizes leaders driving innovation and shaping the future of marketing, media and technology.

Cummings was recognized for his leadership and vision in anticipating how generative AI would reshape enterprise reputation and positioning Terakeet to address the emerging challenges facing the Fortune 100 and its executives.

Over the past year, Cummings has led Terakeet’s transition from enterprise search marketing to global reputation management. The shift expanded the company’s focus beyond search visibility to the ways brands and executives are represented across search engines, generative AI platforms and the broader digital ecosystem.

“AI has changed what’s at stake for the Fortune 100,” said Cummings. “Reputation risk now moves across search and AI at the same time, and most brands don’t have the infrastructure to manage it. We built the Reputation Operating System to give them the technology, intelligence and expertise to understand those risks and strengthen their position before issues escalate.”

To better serve these customers, Cummings directed investments in proprietary technology, expanded the company’s expertise in cybersecurity and reputation risk, and established new strategic partnerships.

The recognition comes as Terakeet celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking a quarter century of evolution alongside major shifts in technology and the digital landscape. Cummings co-founded Terakeet in 2001 and has led the company through each stage of its growth, from its origins in search to its current focus on enterprise reputation management.

“The responsibility of a leader isn’t to protect the business model that worked yesterday but to recognize where the market is going and build for it,” Cummings said. “For Terakeet, that has meant looking past short-term fixes and building the infrastructure enterprises need to understand risk and protect trust in the AI era.”

About Mac Cummings

Mac Cummings is the CEO and Co-Founder of Terakeet. He co-founded the company in Syracuse, New York, in 2001 and has led its evolution across search marketing, digital strategy and enterprise reputation management. Today, Cummings oversees Terakeet’s business strategy and the continued development of its reputation management capabilities and technology.

About Terakeet

Terakeet is an enterprise reputation management company that helps brands and executives understand and manage how they are represented across search engines, generative AI platforms and the broader digital ecosystem. Founded in 2001, the company combines proprietary technology, intelligence and strategic expertise to support enterprise reputation programs.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/terakeets-mac-cummings-named-to-adweek-innovator-50-list-302928186.html

SOURCE Terakeet, LLC

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