Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
States Opinion The Age of 'Adulthood' Varies by State. This Matters for Your Students
States set different limits on when kids can do different things. What does this mean for education?
Rick Hess
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8 min read
Law & Courts TikTok Is a Step Closer to Being Banned. What Schools Need to Know
TikTok is a big headache for educators, but banning it probably won't solve all their issues with student engagement.
Lauraine Langreo
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3 min read
Federal Can Immigration Agents Make Arrests and Carry Out Raids at Schools?
Current federal policy says schools are protected areas from immigration enforcement. That may soon change.
Ileana Najarro
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9 min read
Federal 3 Ways Trump Can Weaken the Education Department Without Eliminating It
Trump's team can seek to whittle down the department's workforce, scrap guidance documents, and close offices.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
President-elect Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump pledged during the campaign to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. A more plausible path could involve weakening the agency.
Evan Vucci/AP
School Choice & Charters Trump Wants to Expand Private School Choice. Does the Public Agree?
Both fans and opponents of private school choice argue that public sentiment is on their side.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
Artistic image of multiple paths leading to a school building.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
Federal How Trump Can Hobble the Education Department Without Abolishing It
There is plenty the incoming administration can do to kneecap the main federal agency responsible for K-12 schools.
Alyson Klein
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9 min read
Former President Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024.
President-elect Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education in his second term.
Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP
Federal Opinion Closing the Education Department Is a Solution in Search of a Problem
There’s a bill in Congress seeking to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. What do its supporters really want?
Jonas Zuckerman
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4 min read
USA government confusion and United States politics problem and American federal legislation trouble as a national political symbol with 3D illustration elements.
iStock/Getty Images

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More Policy & Politics

Resources

Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Dec. 12, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
Lynn (Yunfei) Liu
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1 min read
Education Quiz Education Week News Quiz: Dec. 5, 2024
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
Lynn (Yunfei) Liu
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1 min read
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on Inclusive Literacy Resources & Tools
This Spotlight will help you explore innovative strategies and resources to support diverse learners.
School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Reimagining School Safety: A Holistic Approach
This Spotlight will help you examine strategies to create safe learning environments that promote student well-being and academic success.
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  • Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
    Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon, Trump's choice to lead the U.S. Department of Education in his second term, has a long history of giving to education causes through her family foundation.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Federal Here's How Much Linda McMahon's Foundation Has Donated to Education Causes
    The president-elect's pick for education secretary has long given to education causes through her family foundation.
    Brooke Schultz, December 5, 2024
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    5 min read
    Transgenders rights supporters rally outside of the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Washington.
    Transgender rights supporters rally outside of the U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 4 as the court weighed a Tennessee law that restricts certain medical treatments for transgender minors.
    Jose Luis Magana/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Case on Medical Care for Trans Youth Could Impact School Sports
    The justices weigh a Tennessee law that bars certain medical treatments for transgender minors, with school issues bubbling around the case.
    Mark Walsh, December 4, 2024
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    8 min read
    Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., Chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
    Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools on May 8, 2024, in Washington. At a hearing on Dec. 4, 2024, the subcommittee discussed civics and government curriculum.
    Jacquelyn Martin/AP
    Federal Republicans Preview Their Education Priorities in a Second Trump Term
    In a hearing, Republicans called for more civics education and expressed concerns over "critical race theory" in schools.
    Brooke Schultz, December 4, 2024
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    5 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
    Federal Opinion The Trump Administration Should 'Devolve the Ed Dept.'s Responsibilities to the States'
    After six years helming the House ed. committee, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx cuts loose on high points and frustrations of her tenure.
    Rick Hess, December 3, 2024
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    8 min read
    A high school principal displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at a school in Massachusetts on April 10, 2018.
    A high school principal in Massachusetts displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in restrooms or hallways on April 10, 2018.
    Steven Senne/AP
    Law & Courts How a Supreme Court Case on Vaping Stands to Impact Schools
    The U.S. Supreme Court heard an important case about federal regulation of flavored e-cigarettes, which remain a concern for schools.
    Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
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    6 min read
    Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
    Linda McMahon attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington. McMahon, then head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Education Department in his new administration.
    Andrew Harnik/AP
    Federal What's in the Lawsuit That Alleges Linda McMahon Failed to Protect Children
    The lawsuit filed by former World Wrestling Entertainment workers alleges a culture of acceptance of sexual misconduct.
    Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
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    8 min read
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EdWeek Market Brief

Education Market Market Analysis Texas Pushes Ahead With New Curriculum Model, With Major Implications for K-12 Market
The board of education approved a long list of materials under a new policy that incentivizes districts to pick from the state's list.
David Saleh Rauf
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9 min read
Sales & Marketing Exclusive Data Before Buying These Products, School Districts Want Them Pilot-Tested First
An EdWeek Market Brief survey looks at how frequently districts use pilots, and what purchases they won't make without staging them.
Sean Cavanagh
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6 min read
Education Market Industry Insight It’s One of the World’s Biggest Private School Chains. Here’s What It Has Planned Next
International private schools giant GEMS Education is investing in student well-being, teacher PD, and digital citizenship.
Alexandria Ng
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9 min read
Meeting District Needs Purchasing Alert Major Pennsylvania District Seeks PD Provider; Texas System to Implement 'Family Empowerment' Service
A major Pennsylvania district is looking for PD for principals, while a large Texas school system seeks family and community empowerment services.
Emma Kate Fittes
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2 min read
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