Federal Policy

News, analysis, and opinion about federal education laws, regulations, and proposals—and their impact
Chief Leschi Schools senior Gerald Dillon, 18, who spends time as a teaching assistant for a second grade class through the school's career and technical education program, look son Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup, Wash.
The Education Department just withdrew 60-year-old regulations holding school districts responsible for "disparate impact" of their policies across racial and ethnic student groups. It also rescinded similar regulations for career-technical education programs. A March 18, 2026 photo shows a senior who works part time through the career's CTE program at Chief Leschi Schools in Puyallup, Wash.
Lindsey Wasson/AP
Equity & Diversity Education Department Scraps Longstanding Discrimination Rules
Districts will no longer be liable for "disparate impact"—in discipline, course access, or CTE programs.
Mark Walsh & Stephen Sawchuk, July 23, 2026
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7 min read
Attorney Eshé Collins at her office in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia on June 25, 2026.
Attorney Eshé Collins at her office in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia on June 25, 2026.
Dustin Chambers for Education Week
Equity & Diversity Federal Equity Centers Protecting Students' Civil Rights Fight to Stay Open
Four centers that support schools' efforts to expand student opportunity are fighting for their existence.
Mark Lieberman, July 23, 2026
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12 min read
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought testifies during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, June 30, 2026, in Washington.
Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought testifies during a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, on June 30, 2026, in Washington. Proposed changes to federal administration of grants have raised concerns among school groups.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Federal K-12 Community Urges Trump Administration to Rethink Grant Rule Changes
About 500,000 public comments, including those from school districts, have poured in about proposed rule changes.
Mark Walsh, July 21, 2026
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8 min read
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
College & Workforce Readiness Opinion There's a Lot of Talk About 'Career Readiness.' Have We Thought It Through?
Just because you promote opportunities for career pathways doesn’t mean students are learning.
Rick Hess, July 21, 2026
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5 min read
Collage of a school building, files, maps, and pinpoints on the map.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
Federal The Ed. Department Calls for a Crackdown on Teacher Sexual Misconduct
The agency released new guidance for schools and launched 20 new probes into school districts.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens & Olina Banerji, July 17, 2026
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5 min read
A collage showing the dome top of the U.S. Capitol building and the facade of a high school building. An image of a hand holding a magnifying glass over a stack of documents is emerging between the two buildings.
Illustration by Emily Wright for Education Week + Getty
Federal Opinion Why Local Control Over Education Won't Work Without Federal Support
The Trump administration's retreat leaves local education leaders vulnerable.
Dan Goldhaber & Vivian Wong, July 16, 2026
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6 min read
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Children look at the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that inspired the lyrics of the American national anthem, at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History on June 10, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo
Social Studies Trump Admin. Calls Popular Smithsonian History Teaching Materials 'Radical'
The White House criticized the Smithsonian's classroom lessons. But some teachers say the materials are invaluable.
Sarah Schwartz, July 14, 2026
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5 min read
APTOPIX America 250 26184689017796
A flight of fighter jets fly past a picture of President Donald Trump hanging on the U.S. Department of Labor near the Great American State Fair on the National Mall on July 3, 2026, in Washington. The Labor Department has assumed day-to-day management of many K-12 programs as the Trump administration dismantles the Education Department.
Nathan Howard/AP Photo
Federal New GOP Bills Would Permanently Shift Ed. Dept. Programs to Other Agencies
The bills represent the most significant step so far among Republicans to nix the Education Department.
Alyson Klein, July 10, 2026
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5 min read
Commencement Ceremony 25353687159009
Graduates of Maryland's Towson University celebrate their commencement during a ceremony on Dec. 17, 2025. A new analysis finds that educators studying to become administrators could be hit hardest by new federal caps on student borrowing for graduate students.
Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa via AP Images
Federal The Principal Pipeline Could Contract Under New Federal Borrowing Caps
A new analysis finds that new student loan limits would hit prospective administrators hardest.
Mark Walsh, July 9, 2026
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4 min read
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building is seen from the Washington Monument, on May 26, 2026, in Washington.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which houses the White House Office of Management and Budget, is seen from the Washington Monument, on May 26, 2026, in Washington. OMB has proposed a sweeping set of regulatory changes would add new restrictions on grant-funded efforts that clash with Trump administration policy positions and give political appointees new powers in federal grantmaking.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Education Funding Explainer Big Changes to Federal Grants Are Coming: What They Could Mean for Schools
The White House is proposing sweeping regulatory changes for federal grantmaking.
Mark Lieberman, July 8, 2026
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11 min read
A group prays outside of the Supreme Court ahead of the court's ruling on whether transgender girls and women can play on school athletic teams, on June 30, 2026, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
A group prays outside of the U.S. Supreme Court ahead of the court's ruling on whether transgender girls and women can play on school athletic teams, on June 30, 2026, in Washington. The court upheld two state laws barring transgender girls from joining girls' school sports teams.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Law & Courts What Schools Need to Know About the Supreme Court’s Transgender Sports Ruling
The justices upheld two state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in female sports.
Mark Walsh, July 2, 2026
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10 min read
West Bloomfield team members huddle as defensive line coach Justin Ibe leads a team prayer before the game against Eisenhower, Friday, Oct. 21, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich.
West Bloomfield team members huddle as defensive line coach Justin Ibe leads a team prayer before a game Oct. 21, 2022, in West Bloomfield, Mich. A federal religious liberty commission recently called for "know your rights" posters to inform public school students of their rights to prayer and religious expression.
Carlos Osorio/AP
Federal See What's in Trump Commission's Religious Freedom Agenda for Schools
Panel recommends federal guidance on parents' opt-out rights, Ten Commandments displays, and other features.
Evie Blad, July 2, 2026
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8 min read
Graduates of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley attend their commencement ceremony at the schools parking lot on Friday, May 7, 2021, in Edinburg, Texas. Graduate degrees, once touted as the new bachelor’s degrees, are becoming less crucial to get jobs. Today, more college graduates than ever hold advanced degrees, and graduate programs are the only area of higher education that saw enrollment increases during the worst of the pandemic.
Graduates of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley attend their commencement ceremony in Edinburg, Texas, on May 7, 2021. The Trump administration has expanded its list of graduate degrees it considers "professional" for purposes of determining how much students can borrow to fund their studies.
Delcia Lopez/The Monitor via AP
Federal Ed. Dept. Leaves Most K-12 Fields Off Expanded List of 'Professional' Degrees
Whether a degree is considered "professional" now determines how much graduate students can borrow.
Matthew Stone, July 1, 2026
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4 min read
An empty Chicago Public Schools classroom is seen on Dec. 15, 2025 .
An empty Chicago public school classroom is seen on Dec. 15, 2025. Schools in Illinois are preparing to lay off staff as fallout from federal grant cuts continues.
Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune via TNS
Education Funding Schools Lay Off Staff as Lawsuits Challenging Federal Grant Cuts Continue
Recent lawsuits have challenged federal grant cuts affecting special education and English-learner teachers.
Mark Lieberman, July 1, 2026
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6 min read