Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
States How Much Time Do Students Spend in School? It Depends on the State
State laws vary from 160 to 186 required school days per year.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Maya Riser-Kositsky
•
1 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion School Choice Champion Highlights K-12 Disruptors
Education advocate Jeanne Allen encourages reform that centers human flourishing.
Rick Hess
•
5 min read
School Choice & Charters Democratic Governors Have Questions About the Federal School Choice Program
A letter from five Democratic governors signals some movement as state leaders decide whether to opt in.
Arianna Prothero
•
5 min read
School Choice & Charters A Public School District Wants to Maximize Federal Choice Funds. Here's How
Indiana's largest district is laying the groundwork for big investments through the new federal tax credit program.
Mark Lieberman
•
6 min read
Image of a funnel with money slices flowing through onto student desks
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
School Choice & Charters Public Schools Are Prepping for Federal Choice Cash. They Still Might Not Get It
Educators in states that haven't opted into the new federal program are preparing for their students to benefit.
Mark Lieberman
•
6 min read
A photo collage of a 4 pane window on top of a ghosted road map. Each window pane shows a different scene. Clockwise from left: mother holding the hand of her young child as they cross a cross walk toward a school building, middle school boy working a tutor, back of school bus on a rural road, and the back of a young girl working with objects.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Canva
School Choice & Charters Explainer What Is the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, and How Does it Work?
The first national school choice program starts in 2027. Answers to frequently asked questions.
Arianna Prothero
•
9 min read
Image of a neighborhood of school buildings, house, government buildings, and a money symbol in the middle.
Trodler/iStock/Getty
Education Funding School Funding Is on the Ballot Across the Country. Here's How
Voters will confront questions over how much money schools get and where their funding comes from.
Mark Lieberman
•
1 min read
Collage of ballots and language from propositions from Arizona, Washington and Florida.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty

Events

Tue., November 03, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar From Exposure to Experience: Designing Accessible Work-Based Learning
Learn how schools can create meaningful experiences that help every student build skills, connections, and a clearer path to their future.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Register
Wed., November 04, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
School & District Management Webinar A Tale of Two School Districts: Forecasting Enrollment
Forecasting enrollment is hard. Here’s how two different districts are navigating times of change with data that considers the whole picture.
Content provided by Zonda Education
Register
Wed., November 04, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET
Reading & Literacy K-12 Essentials Forum Strategies to Create a Culture of Reading in Schools
Join this free virtual event to learn how teachers and school district leaders ensure students are reading enough.
Register
See More Events

More Policy & Politics

Resources

School & District Management Spotlight The New Enrollment Landscape: How Demographics, School Choice, and Competition Are Reshaping District Strategy
Explore strategies district leaders are using to adapt, rebuild trust, and make high-impact decisions.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Joy, Efficacy, and the Science of Reading for Secondary Students
Discover how research-informed literacy practices can foster joy, build on students’ strengths, and help adolescents become more confiden...
Content provided by Students Achievement Partners
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Closing the Comprehension Chasm: A Guide for District Leaders
Our free field guide gives district leaders five moves to make now.
Content provided by ANet
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: What's Driving the Early Childhood Education Market?
Test your knowledge of early childhood education funding, curriculum trends, purchasing decisions, and market opportunities.
  • Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026.
    Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker speaks at a Texas Democratic Party press conference ahead of the Republican Midterm Convention in Dallas on Sept. 9, 2026. Pritzker is among 16 governors who have yet to announce whether their states will participate in the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, the first national school choice program.
    Gabriela Passos/AP
    School Choice & Charters Democratic Holdouts Still Aren’t Committing to Trump’s School Choice Program
    Sixteen governors still haven't said whether they'll opt in to the first national school choice program.
    Matthew Stone & Arianna Prothero, October 14, 2026
    •
    6 min read
    An, " I Voted Today," sticker is stuck to an information sign at Olbrich Gardens, Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis.
    An "I Voted Today" sticker on a sign on Aug. 11, 2026, in Madison, Wis. The race for control of Congress is the highest-profile election battle underway this fall. But there's a lot on the ballot in every state that matters for schools, the policies they have to follow, and their budgets.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    States Which Education Issues Are on the Ballot? Look Up Your State in Our Guide
    Education Week reviews what’s on ballots in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
    Matthew Stone & Emily Wright, October 13, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Government research, State budgets, public education, back on track, Education Agenda
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    Federal Opinion Margaret Spellings and Arne Duncan: The Ed. Agenda We Can Agree On
    We need to get education back on track, write the former Ed. Secretaries. Let’s start at the top.
    Margaret Spellings & Arne Duncan, October 12, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    Becky Pepper-Jackson prepares to throw a discus Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, W.VA.
    Becky Pepper-Jackson prepares to throw a discus on April 7, 2026, at Bridgeport High School in Bridgeport, W.Va. Jackson's challenge of a West Virginia law barring transgender girls from girls' athletic teams ended up before the Supreme Court, which upheld the state's law. Now, the court could take on the question of whether Title IX requires that transgender athletes be excluded from teams that match their gender identity.
    John Raby/AP
    Law & Courts Trump Says Title IX Excludes Trans Girls. The Supreme Court Could Weigh In Next
    It's the flip side of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding state laws that bar transgender girls.
    Mark Walsh, October 9, 2026
    •
    7 min read
    Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., speaks during a prayer vigil held by the Chesapeake Coalition of Black Pastors at The Mount (Mount Lebanon Baptist Church) in Chesapeake, Va., Sunday, Nov. 27, 2022, for the six people killed at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Va., when a manager opened fire with a handgun before an employee meeting Tuesday night.
    Rep. Bobby Scott, D-Va., speaks during a prayer vigil in Chesapeake, Va., on Nov. 27, 2022. Scott is the ranking Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives' education committee and will seek the panel's chairmanship if Democrats win a House majority in next month's elections.
    Carolyn Kaster/AP
    Federal Q&A A Top Democrat Breaks Down His Party's Plans for K-12 in a House Majority
    If Democrats retake the House, Rep. Bobby Scott may be in a position to set his chamber’s K-12 agenda.
    Alyson Klein, October 9, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    Creative Minds students find their partners during daily family time in Wichita Kansas.
    Students find their partners during daily family time on Sept. 15, 2026, at Creative Minds, a microschool run by the public school district in Wichita, Kan. Interest in microschools has surged in recent years, and some school districts are starting their own. One example is in Indiana, where Superintendent George Philhower of the Eastern Hancock district has started the Indiana Microschool Collaborative.
    Melissa Lukenbaugh for Education Week
    School Choice & Charters Q&A To Compete With School Choice, This Superintendent Turned to Microschools
    More school districts have started microschools. George Philhower has started a network of them.
    Arianna Prothero, October 8, 2026
    •
    4 min read

EdWeek Market Brief

Meeting District Needs Exclusive Data When Districts Are Buying Academic Resources, How Do They Plan for the Long-Term?
How do schools pick textbooks, ed-tech tools, and other instructional materials while keeping long-range goals in view?
Michelle Caffrey
•
7 min read
Regulation & Policy Industry Insight North Carolina Gets Ready to Take the Next Step for Science of Reading — Middle School
North Carolina was among the early states to adopt the science of reading at the elementary school level, and now it’s setting its sights on expanding the framework to a new and potentially more demanding venue — middle schools.
Robin L. Flanigan
•
7 min read
Education Market Market Analysis Florida’s K-12 Market Faces New Pressures as Districts Lose Students
Many school systems in the state face declining enrollment, expanding options for private school choice, and tightening budget constraints.
Alexandria Ng
•
16 min read
Strategy & Operations K-12 Dealmaking IXL Acquires NoRedInk; PE-Backed Activate Scoops Up OER Provider
Activate and Open Up Resources will operate as a combined public benefit corporation.
Michelle Caffrey
•
3 min read
Read More