Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Law & Courts Opinion A Student Journalist's Plea: Stop Censoring Us (and Our Advisers)
High school newspaper staff deserve the same rights as professionals: to uncover wrongdoings and inform the public.
Serena Liu
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4 min read
Policy & Politics Opinion Are Cultural Clashes Over K-12 Normal?
An examination of education reform throughout the decades reveals that value-laden debates, not technocratic ones, seem to be the rule.
Rick Hess
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2 min read
Law & Courts Oxford Schools and Staff Have Immunity in Shooting Lawsuits, Judge Rules
A judge ruled that staff at Oxford High School cannot be sued for a shooting that killed four students and wounded seven others.
The Associated Press
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3 min read
Law & Courts After 50 Years, a U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Educational Equity Is Still Debated
In a school finance case from Texas, the justices held that the wealth of districts was not subject to extra constitutional scrutiny.
Mark Walsh
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12 min read
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen at near sunset in Washington, on Oct. 18, 2018.
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen at near sunset in Washington, on Oct. 18, 2018.
Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo
States Should Superintendent Salaries Be Capped? Some States Are Considering It
Superintendent pay is under constant scrutiny, and proposals come up occasionally to cap it. But they rarely gain traction.
Caitlynn Peetz
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6 min read
Photo of dollar bills frozen in ice.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
Law & Courts Florida Law Requiring Gun Buyers to Be 21 Is Upheld
A federal appeals court said the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act is consistent with the Second Amendment.
Mark Walsh
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4 min read
Audriana Lima, 14, a current freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visits a display of portraits of the 17 students and staff who were killed in a school shooting five years earlier, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla. Family members, neighbors, and well-wishers turned out to multiple events Tuesday to honor the lives of those killed on Valentine's Day 2018.
Audriana Lima, 14, a current freshman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visits a display of portraits of the 17 students and staff who were killed in a school shooting five years earlier, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at Pine Trails Park in Parkland, Fla.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Federal How Schools Fare in Biden's Proposed Budget
President Joe Biden released his fiscal 2024 budget, which calls for more money for preschool, Title I, and special education.
Libby Stanford
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7 min read
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
President Joe Biden speaks about his 2024 budget proposal at the Finishing Trades Institute, Thursday, March 9, 2023, in Philadelphia.
Evan Vucci/AP

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More Policy & Politics

  • Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks at his election night event in Chicago, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023. Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded defeat Tuesday night, ending her efforts for a second term and setting the stage for Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson to run against former Chicago Public Schools CEO Vallas for Chicago mayor.
    Chicago mayoral candidate Paul Vallas speaks at his election night event in Chicago, on Feb. 28, 2023. Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded defeat, ending her efforts for a second term. Cook County Commissioner Brandon Johnson, a former teacher, will compete against Vallas, a former schools chief in the city.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    Policy & Politics Chicago's Next Mayor Will Be a Former Educator
    Former Chicago schools CEO Paul Vallas and former teacher Brandon Johnson will face off in an April runoff.
    Libby Stanford, March 1, 2023
    •
    6 min read
    42 copycat bills limiting sexual orientation and gender identity education bills have been 22 states have been introduced since 2021, according to PEN America and EdWeek reporting.
    42 copycat bills limiting sexual orientation and gender identity education bills have been 22 states have been introduced since 2021, according to PEN America and EdWeek reporting.<br/>
    States Which States Are Considering 'Don't Say Gay' Bills and Where They Stand
    Over the past three years, legislative attacks on education about gender identity and sexual orientation have picked up momentum.
    Eesha Pendharkar, February 28, 2023
    •
    1 min read
    Student debt relief advocates gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023, as the court heard arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan.
    Student debt relief advocates gather outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023, as the court heard arguments over President Joe Biden's student debt relief plan.
    Patrick Semansky/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Will Decide Fate of Student Loan Relief: What Teachers Need to Know
    The AFT and NEA remind the justices in briefs that teachers carry significant student debt and the pandemic made things worse.
    Mark Walsh, February 28, 2023
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    6 min read
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education, aka the Don't Say Gay bill, flanked by elementary school students during a news conference on Monday, March 28, 2022, at Classical Preparatory school in Shady Hills, Fla.
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education, the so called "Don't Say Gay" bill, flanked by elementary school students during a news conference last March at Classical Preparatory School in Shady Hills, Fla. Forty two bills have been introduced in 22 states based on the controversial measure, with many mandating more excessive censorship.
    Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP
    States Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' Law Continues to Spur More Extreme Versions Nationwide
    Forty two bills have been introduced in 22 states based on the controversial measure, with many mandating more excessive censorship.
    Eesha Pendharkar, February 28, 2023
    •
    4 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Policy & Politics Opinion Tips and Cautions for Educators and Policymakers From Influential Scholars
    What some of the nation’s most influential education scholars have to say about practice, policy, and research.
    Rick Hess, February 27, 2023
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    4 min read
    Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is pictured Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2023, during an interview in Oklahoma City.
    Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond withdrew his predecessor's opinion that had fueled hopes the state might approve religious charter schools.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    School Choice & Charters A Major Reversal on Religious Charter Schools in Oklahoma
    The attorney general withdrew his predecessor's opinion that religious groups could not be excluded from the state charter school program.
    Mark Walsh, February 24, 2023
    •
    4 min read
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Resources

Classroom Technology Spotlight Spotlight on Online Learning & Integrity
This Spotlight will help you use tech to enhance student engagement, learn tips for creating assignments that outsmart ChatGPT, and more.

Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on Online Tutoring
This Spotlight will help you examine research outlining the benefits of online tutoring, identify best practices, and more.

Student Well-Being Spotlight Spotlight on SEL for Students
This Spotlight will help you understand what's classified as social-emotional learning, how much time should be dedicated to SEL, and more.
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Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Discover How to Put Reading Science to Work for Your Students
Learn what really works in teaching reading with this whitepaper from reading expert Dr. D. Ray Reutzel.
Content provided by Curriculum Associates
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  • Pastor Thomas Dixon speaks at a rally at the Richland County courthouse, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2015, in Columbia, S.C., asking prosecutors to drop charges against a 16-year-old South Carolina high school student who was videotaped being yanked from her desk and thrown to the floor by a police officer in her classroom at Spring Valley High.
    Pastor Thomas Dixon speaks at a rally at the Richland County courthouse, in December 2015 in Columbia, S.C., asking prosecutors to drop charges against a South Carolina high school student who was videotaped being yanked from her desk and thrown to the floor by a police officer in her classroom at Spring Valley High School.
    Jeffrey Collins/AP
    Law & Courts Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down South Carolina’s ‘Disturbing Schools’ Law
    A federal appeals court held that the statutes, which have been the subject of nationwide attention, were unconstitutionally vague.
    Mark Walsh, February 22, 2023
    •
    4 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    School Choice & Charters Opinion A Charter Academy Delivering a ‘Classical’ Education Grows in Popularity
    At its core, Great Hearts Academy seeks to foster virtuous human beings, explains the schools' CEO.
    Rick Hess, February 16, 2023
    •
    5 min read
    one woman and two men with a large calculator and next to large stacks of bills and coins.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Education Funding 4 Ways States Are Trying to Fix How They Fund Schools
    Advocates in many places are pushing for reforms that precisely target more robust aid to schools and students in need.
    Mark Lieberman, February 14, 2023
    •
    6 min read
    Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., outlines his priorities during an interview in his Capitol Hill office, Feb. 7, 2023.
    Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., outlines his priorities during an interview in his Capitol Hill office, Feb. 7, 2023.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Federal The Push for a $60K Base Teacher Salary Gains Steam as Bernie Sanders Signs On
    Sanders' legislation complements a proposal in the House and comes as state lawmakers from both parties prioritize legislation to boost teacher pay.
    Madeline Will, February 14, 2023
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    6 min read
    House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., greets then-Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at the conclusion of a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on "Examining the Policies and Priorities of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.' Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, June 6, 2018.
    House Education and Workforce Committee Chair Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., greets then-Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar at the conclusion of a House Education and Workforce Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington in June 2018. Foxx spoke to Education Week about her priorities as she becomes chair of the committee for a second time.
    Carolyn Kaster/AP
    Federal Q&A Ending 'Government-Run Monopoly' on Schools Is Top Priority for Rep. Virginia Foxx
    The Republican chair of the U.S. House's education committee plans to pass parents' rights and school choice bills.
    Libby Stanford, February 14, 2023
    •
    5 min read
    A hand wearing a blue latex glove lifts a syringe out of a small metal bin labeled "Moderna" that rests on a table next to bins that say "Pfizer" and "flu."
    A worker prepares syringes at a free COVID-19 and flu vaccination event in Lynwood, Calif., last month. States are not adding COVID-19 to the list of required immunizations children must receive to attend public school.
    Mark J. Terrill/AP
    States Plans to Require Student COVID-19 Vaccinations Flopped. Here's Why
    Policies mandating COVID-19 vaccines for school attendance have largely failed to materialize three years into the pandemic.
    Evie Blad, February 13, 2023
    •
    5 min read
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EdWeek Market Brief

Analyst's View What’s the Role of Entrepreneurship in the K-12 Curriculum?
Students who went through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship program have launched companies focused on coding, bilingual study, and experiential learning.
Ruksana Hussain
•
10 min read
Market Trends 5 Ways the Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Will Impact the Ed-Tech Market
Entrepreneurs and investors will badly miss the financial terms and other support the institution offered to early-stage companies.
Michelle Caffrey
•
13 min read
Purchasing Alert Minn. District Buying Social Studies Curriculum; Calif. System Purchasing Math Print Materials
A Minnesota school system is seeking an array of curriculum resources, and a major Texas district is buying art materials.
Sean Cavanagh
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2 min read
Purchasing Alert Arizona District’s RFP Looks for Library Platform; S.C. System Buying Behavior-Management Program
An Arizona district is looking for a library and online research platform, and a South Carolina school system has put out an RFP for a behavior management system.
Sean Cavanagh
•
2 min read
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