Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal From Our Research Center Trump Shifted CTE to the Labor Dept. What Has That Meant for Schools?
What educators think of shifting CTE to another federal agency could preview how they'll view a bigger shuffle.
Alyson Klein
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3 min read
Federal Video Here’s What the Ed. Dept. Upheaval Will Mean for Schools
The Trump administration took significant steps this week toward eliminating the U.S. Department of Education.
Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen
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1 min read
Federal What State Education Chiefs Think as Trump Moves Programs Out of the Ed. Dept.
The department's announcement this week represents a consequential structural change for states.
Brooke Schultz
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6 min read
Education Funding Funding Ends for School Mental Health Projects After a 'Roller Coaster' Year
Schools, universities, and others thought they had five years to boost student mental health services.
Matthew Stone
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11 min read
Illustration of dollar symbol in rollercoaster.
iStock
Law & Courts 20 States Push Back as Ed. Dept. Hands Programs to Other Agencies
The Trump admin. says it wants to prove that moving programs out of the Ed. Dept. can work long-term.
Matthew Stone
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4 min read
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before the House Appropriation Panel about the 2026 budget in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.
Education Secretary Linda McMahon appears before a U.S. House of Representatives panel in Washington on May 21, 2025. McMahon's agency has inked seven agreements shifting core functions, including Title I for K-12 schools, to other federal agencies. Those moves, announced in November, have now drawn a legal challenge.
Jason Andrew for Education Week
School Choice & Charters Opinion Should States Mandate Student Testing for Choice Programs?
There are pros and cons to forcing state tests on private schools receiving tax dollars.
Rick Hess
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7 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
States State Reading Laws Focus on K-3. What About Older Students Who Struggle?
Should lawmakers push reading legislation to address the needs of students beyond elementary grades?
Evie Blad
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8 min read
Students attend Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. Bow Memorial School is a middle school that has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in middle school students.
Though states have put an emphasis on reading intervention, most don't specify how to help students beyond grade 3. Older students may need more support on vocabulary development, or understanding how word parts convey meaning. Middle school students learn about suffixes at Bow Memorial School in Bow, N.H. on Oct. 29, 2025. The school has developed a systematic approach to addressing foundational reading gaps in grades 5-8.
Sophie Park for Education Week

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More Policy & Politics

  • Illustration of scissors, glue, a ruler, and pencils used to create a cut paper collage forming a small school.
    iStock/Getty
    School Choice & Charters Opinion 'This Place Feels Like Me': Why My School District Needed a Microschool
    A superintendent writes about adding a small, flexible learning site to his district's traditional schools.
    George Philhower, November 19, 2025
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    4 min read
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Washington, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch.
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order regarding education in the Oval Office of the White House on April 23, 2025, as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon watch. The Trump administration on Tuesday announced that it's sending many of the Department of Education's K-12 and higher education programs to other federal agencies.
    Alex Brandon/AP
    Federal See Where the Ed. Dept.'s Programs Will Move as the Trump Admin. Downsizes
    Programs overseen by the Ed. Dept. will move to agencies including the Department of Labor.
    Brooke Schultz, Mark Lieberman & Matthew Stone, November 18, 2025
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    1 min read
    Photo of young female aircraft engineer apprentice at work.
    E+
    States Are States Equipped to Track Students’ Paths From Classroom to Career?
    Longitudinal data systems can answer critical questions about workforce priorities—if they're maintained.
    Evie Blad, November 18, 2025
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    4 min read
    U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
    U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday unveiled six agreements moving administration of many of its key functions to other federal agencies.
    Leah Millis for Education Week
    Federal Most K-12 Programs Will Leave Education Department in Latest Downsizing
    The Trump administration announced six agreements to transfer Ed. Dept. programs elsewhere.
    Brooke Schultz, Mark Lieberman & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, November 18, 2025
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    6 min read
    USA Congress with loading icon. Shutdown, political crisis concept.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    Federal The Federal Shutdown Is Over. What Comes Next for Schools?
    Some delayed funds for schools could arrive soon, but questions about future grants remain.
    Mark Lieberman, November 14, 2025
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    7 min read
    Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025.
    Instructional coach Kristi Tucker posts notes to the board during a team meeting at Ford Elementary School in Laurens, S.C., on March 10, 2025. The grant funding this training work was among three teacher-preparation grant programs largely terminated by the Trump administration in its first weeks. Eight states filed a lawsuit challenging terminations in two of those programs, and a judge on Thursday said she couldn't restore the discontinued grants but could rule on whether the Trump administration acted legally.
    Bryant Kirk White for Education Week
    Law & Courts A New Twist in the Legal Battle Over Trump's Cancellation of Teacher-Prep Grants
    A district court judge says she'll decide if the Trump administration broke the law.
    Brooke Schultz, November 13, 2025
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    4 min read
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School & District Management Whitepaper Closing the CTE Opportunity Gap with Supplemental Transportation
This white paper outlines how a multimodal transportation strategy can help to ensure equitable access to CTE programs, allowing every st...
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Student Well-Being & Movement Spotlight Spotlight on Creating Safe Havens: Confronting Digital Threats and Supporting Student Well-Being
This Spotlight explores how creating safe havens and confronting digital threats supports student and staff well-being.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
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Artificial Intelligence Sponsor Assessing Students When AI Has All the Answers
How can we ensure students are truly learning and expressing their own understanding, not just outsourcing their thinking to AI?
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Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on Unlocking Potential: Building Resilience and Support for Students with Dyslexia
This Spotlight examines dyslexia, the need for social-emotional support, the value of early screening, and the key role teachers and schools play.
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EdWeek Market Brief

Education Market Exclusive Data Are School Districts Shortening Contracts Amid Financial Uncertainty?
New uncertainties around federal funding and the broader economy are putting pressure on districts to be more financially nimble and prepare for potential shortfalls in state and federal dollars.
Emma Kate Fittes
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5 min read
Regulation & Policy Market Analysis Texas Expands Bluebonnet Curriculum, Ramping Up Challenge to Established K-12 Companies
Education companies selling curriculum in the nation’s second-largest K-12 market will face increased competition from Texas’ in-house learning resources following the approval of a new suite of Bluebonnet Learning programs.
David Saleh Rauf
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7 min read
Meeting District Needs Industry Insight How New Literacy Product Reviews Are Demanding Vendors Go Beyond a 'Phonics Patch'
The Reading League is hoping to advance the conversation around literacy materials and push for improvements in the K-12 marketplace through their new product reviews.
Emma Kate Fittes
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11 min read
Regulation & Policy K-12 Market News New Regulations Proposed for AI Chatbot Providers
Federal lawmakers, increasingly concerned about artificial intelligence safety, have proposed a new bill that calls for restrictions on minors’ access to AI chatbots.
Alexandria Ng
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3 min read
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