Federal Policy

News, analysis, and opinion about federal education laws, regulations, and proposals—and their impact
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
Federal Opinion Here's What the Blue Wave Could Mean for Education
Rick Hess and Andy Rotherham analyze how the midterms will shape school choice, sports, and more.
Rick Hess, November 4, 2026
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9 min read
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gives encouragement to volunteers at a phone bank at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., gives encouragement to volunteers at a phone bank at a hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Democrats are on track to be back in charge in the lower chamber, giving them leverage to push their own K-12 agenda and resist President Donald Trump's.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal Democrats Will Control Congress. What Educators Can Expect
Democrats won key races across the country, with implications for K-12 policymaking in Washington.
Alyson Klein, November 4, 2026
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6 min read
Education Secretary Linda McMahon prepares for an interview at the Republican convention Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon prepares for an interview at the Republican convention Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. The American Federation of Teachers says in a new lawsuit that the U.S. Department of Education is delaying loan forgiveness decisions for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, for which teachers qualify.
Alex Brandon/AP
Federal Teachers' Union Sues Trump Administration Over Student Loan Forgiveness
The American Federation of Teachers and nine student loan borrowers allege the agency is delaying Public Service Loan Forgiveness decisions.
Cris Tolomia, Quartz, November 2, 2026
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2 min read
Image of a funnel with money slices flowing through onto student desks
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
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, October 30, 2026
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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 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, October 29, 2026
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6 min read
Image of a neighborhood of school buildings, house, government buildings, and a money symbol in the middle.
Trodler/iStock/Getty
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, October 29, 2026
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9 min read
Mayor Michelle Wu and Gov Maura Healey arrive at the Otis Elementary School after Wu endorsed Healey in her reelection bid.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey appears in Boston on Oct. 1, 2026, as part of her reelection campaign. Healey is one of five Democratic governors who sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent seeking more clarity on the new federal school choice program before deciding whether to opt her state in.
Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald
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, October 26, 2026
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5 min read
Collage-style illustration of tall vertical clippings of green lockers, a school bus and a wooden desk, all split apart. In between the images are clippings of text from the IRS webpage that has information about the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
School Choice & Charters Opinion Don’t Be Fooled by Claims That Tax-Credit Scholarships Can Help Public Education
The latest federal school choice scheme is a Trojan horse, argue Miguel Cardona and Robert Kim.
Miguel Cardona & Robert Kim, October 23, 2026
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5 min read
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas.
Maria Contreras, right, opens the door for her son, Ian Contreras, before taking him to school on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Fort Worth, Texas. Private school choice programs—such as Texas' education savings accounts—are shaping debates in close races in a handful of states.
Julio Cortez/AP
School Choice & Charters School Choice Could Prove Pivotal in Some Midterm Races This Fall
"The politics of school choice are being scrambled in real time," says one advocate.
Arianna Prothero, October 20, 2026
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8 min read
Federal tax dollars flow into a public school. Federal school choice funding.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School Choice & Charters Q&A How Much Will Federal School Choice Benefit Public Schools?
"The money is there," says a researcher trying to project how much is there for public school students.
Arianna Prothero, October 15, 2026
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5 min read
Image of a computer and money
Collage with Getty
Artificial Intelligence We Need Research on AI in Schools. The Feds Should Fund It, Report Says
More research would help schools make better decisions about AI use in classrooms, educators say.
Lauraine Langreo, October 15, 2026
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5 min read
Elaine Wilson, left, and Lois Curtis are shown in this April 10, 1999 file photo. States may have to place people with mental disabilities in homelike settings if they can fare just as well there as in state hospitals, the Supreme Court said Tuesday, June 22, 1999. The decision did not provide the final word in the legal battle of the two Georgia women who sued Georgia to get out of a state mental hospital in Atlanta. Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis had been approved for community-based care but faced long waiting lists. Now in group homes, both women attended the Supreme Court arguments for their case in April.
Plaintiffs Elaine Wilson and Lois Curtis, shown here on April 10, 1999, during their Supreme Court battle, were the two Georgia women whose lawsuit established the landmark <i>Olmstead</i> decision requiring community-based care for adults with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Justice in July issued new guidance that said it will no longer rely upon the <i>Olmstead</i> decision in its enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
John Bazemore/AP
Special Education Q&A How New Federal Guidance on Disability Could Impact K-12 Special Education
New federal DOJ guidance deemphasizing independent living skills could affect special education transition plans.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, October 14, 2026
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4 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
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5 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
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5 min read