Federal Policy

News, analysis, and opinion about federal education laws, regulations, and proposals—and their impact
President Joe Biden speaks about gun safety on Sept. 22, 2023, from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., applauds at left.
President Joe Biden speaks about gun safety on Sept. 22, 2023, from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington. Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., applauds at left.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
Federal Biden Credits School Shooting Survivors as He Creates Gun Violence Prevention Office
President Biden announced the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, fulfilling a long-time goal of school shooting survivors.
Evie Blad, September 22, 2023
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5 min read
Illustration of a man pushing half of clock and half of a money coin forward on a red arrow
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Budget & Finance District Leaders Want More Time to Spend ESSER Funds—and More Money, Too
On Capitol Hill, superintendents pointed to big wins fueled by federal relief aid, from extended learning time to mental health support.
Mark Lieberman, September 21, 2023
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4 min read
School kids looking at a girl's mobile phone across the aisle of a school bus.
iStock/Getty
Ed-Tech Policy Proposal to Use E-Rate for Wi-Fi on School Buses and Hotspots Runs Into GOP Opposition
Sen. Ted Cruz and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers asked the FCC to “rescind this unlawful plan to vastly expand the E-Rate program.”
Lauraine Langreo, August 23, 2023
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5 min read
Robert Hill, Head of School at Alice M. Harte Charter School, talks with students in New Orleans on Dec. 18, 2018.
Robert Hill, Head of School at Alice M. Harte Charter School, talks with students in New Orleans on Dec. 18, 2018. Charter schools have taken a backseat in school choice debates to policies expanding private school choice.
Gerald Herbert/AP
School Choice & Charters Charter Schools Find Quiet Support in a World Focused on Private School Choice
As Republicans and Democrats fight over private school choice, charter schools are left in the middle.
Libby Stanford, August 21, 2023
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7 min read
Special Report Cybersecurity
Getty
Privacy & Security Biden Administration Announces Cybersecurity Initiative for K-12 Schools
K-12 schools have become a big target for hackers in recent years and the cyberattacks are more sophisticated than ever.
Lauraine Langreo, August 7, 2023
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4 min read
Nina Rees walks on stage during the National Charter Schools Conference held from June 18 through June 21, 2023, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.
Nina Rees walks on stage during the National Charter Schools Conference held from June 18 through June 21, 2023, at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas.
Courtesy of McLendon Photography
School Choice & Charters Q&A Here's What's Next for Charter Schools, According to Their Chief Advocate
Nina Rees, head of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, sat down with Education Week to discuss the future of charter schools.
Libby Stanford, July 27, 2023
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7 min read
Conceptual: child and tutor with focus on tutor
Liz Yap/Education Week/iStock/Getty
Student Achievement A New Bill Would Pay Student-Teachers to Work as Tutors
The bill is part of a major push for tutoring as an academic recovery strategy as the extent of students' academic slide becomes clear.
Libby Stanford, July 20, 2023
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5 min read
Actor Matthew McConaughey holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a press briefing at the White House on June 7, 2022, in Washington.
Actor Matthew McConaughey holds an image of Alithia Ramirez, 10, who was killed in the mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, as he speaks during a press briefing on June 7, 2022, in Washington.
Evan Vucci/AP
School Climate & Safety How Matthew McConaughey Will Make It Easier for Schools to Get Safety Grants
The actor aims to cut the red tape for schools that could benefit from the federal grants, but lack the capacity to apply.
Evie Blad, July 20, 2023
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4 min read
Image of women in the workforce.
Ponomariova_Maria/iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Pregnant School Employees Now Have More Rights at Work. Here's What to Know
A new federal law strengthens pregnant workers' access to time off or accommodations to do their jobs, with major implications for schools.
Madeline Will, June 29, 2023
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6 min read
Seventh graders sit together in the cafeteria during their lunch break at a public school on Feb. 10, 2023, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. A 2010 federal law that boosted nutrition standards for school meals may have helped curb obesity among America’s children, even teenagers who can buy their own snacks, according to a study published Monday, Feb. 13, 2023, in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Seventh graders sit together in the cafeteria during their lunch break at a public school on Feb. 10, 2023, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. Changes to the national school lunch program in the last decade<ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="06/16/2023 1:11:26 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id=""> that cracked down on sodium and fat content in school meals and required more fruits and vegetables</ins> could have reduced children’s likelihood of becoming overweight, according to a new research paper.
Wong Maye-E/AP
Student Well-Being Healthier School Lunches May Have Curbed Childhood Obesity, New Study Finds
Efforts to make school meals healthier—while uneven in their implementation from Obama to Trump to Biden—could be paying off.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 16, 2023
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5 min read
Close up of a stop sign on a school bus. School children are blurred in the background. Focus is on the stop sign.
SDI Productions/E+/Getty
School Climate & Safety Lawmakers Call for National Crackdown on Drivers Who Pass Stopped School Buses
A new bill in Congress calls for more data collection on illegal school bus passings, to lay the groundwork for a public awareness campaign.
Caitlynn Peetz, June 13, 2023
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3 min read
A blue, monochromatic illustration shows an empty classroom chair in front of a chalkboard.
iStock/Getty
School Climate & Safety Biden Administration Asks Districts to Investigate Their Discipline Disparities
A new letter marks the latest salvo in a years-long debate over school discipline.
Evie Blad, June 9, 2023
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7 min read
Protesters fill the Ohio Statehouse corridor on April 19, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio in opposition to a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls sports at K-12 and collegiate levels. A House education panel voted the Republican-championed measure out of committee Wednesday, May 10, along partisan lines. The full House could put it to a vote as soon as next week.
Protesters fill the Ohio Statehouse corridor on April 19, 2023, in Columbus, Ohio in opposition to a bill that would ban transgender girls from playing in girls sports at K-12 and collegiate levels. The U.S. Department of Education's proposed Title IX rule change would challenge state-level bans on transgender athletes playing sports that align with their gender identity.
Samantha Hendrickson/AP
Equity & Diversity Federal Rule on Trans Athletes Is Delayed. Here's What That Means for Schools
The U.S. Department of Education announced it will not release its new Title IX rules until October, a five-month delay.
Libby Stanford, June 2, 2023
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5 min read
Image of a computer at a desk with "Job Search" in the search window.
Syuzanna Guseynova/iStock/Getty + EdWeek
Teaching Profession Summer Jobs Have Become an (Unwelcome) Tradition for Many Teachers
Many teachers rely on summer as a time to earn much-needed extra income.
Elizabeth Heubeck, May 31, 2023
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4 min read
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