Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Law & Courts Opinion How State Courts Are Quietly Shaping U.S. Education
In education, the real action is often at the state level, not in Washington, explains Derek Black.
Rick Hess
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8 min read
Law & Courts Federal Judge Strikes Down Trump's $100,000 Fee on New H-1B Visas
Schools and states say filling teacher and doctor vacancies was hard enough before the fee hike.
The Associated Press
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3 min read
States A State Puts Property-Tax Cuts on the Ballot This Fall—But Shields Schools
Florida lawmakers turned down a more sweeping property-tax reduction plan, leaving school taxes alone.
Mark Walsh
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3 min read
School Choice & Charters Another Democratic-Leaning State Will Pass on the Federal School Choice Program
Thirty-one states are on track to participate in the first federal tax-credit scholarship program.
Matthew Stone
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4 min read
Gov. Tina Kotek speaks at a meeting of the Oregon Prosperity Council in Portland on Jan. 22 . In a new poll of Portland metro area voters, only a third of respondents said they have a positive opinion of Kotek.
Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon speaks at a meeting of the Oregon Prosperity Council in Portland on Jan. 22. 2026. Kotek said Friday she wouldn't opt Oregon in to a new federal tax credit program that, starting next year, will bankroll scholarships for K-12 students that can cover private school tuition, home-school expenses in some states, and certain expenses for public school students.
Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
School Choice & Charters How Can Public Schools Participate in Trump's Federal Choice Program?
The Trump administration has confirmed public schools can receive federal scholarship funds. Here's how.
Matthew Stone, Evie Blad & Mark Lieberman
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7 min read
Graduation cap and dollars. Scholarship or student loan concept.
Getty
Education Funding Districts Brace for the Unexpected as Federal Funding Troubles Linger
Last year's formula funding delay has prompted some districts to budget more cautiously.
Mark Lieberman
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7 min read
Cafeteria worker Nuria Alvarenga serves lunch to students through a service window at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income. Now, districts are preparing to compete with the fast food industry for employees after a new law took effect guaranteeing a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers.
A cafeteria worker serves students at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif., on April 3, 2024. School districts are increasingly uncertain about whether they can rely on federal education funds, $7 billion of which were delayed for weeks last July, prompting a more conservative approach to budgeting in some places.
Richard Vogel/AP
Education Funding Video Tornado Threats Are a Constant. But Funding for a Safe Room Is Lagging
A school district has waited four years and counting to begin work on a tornado shelter funded with federal dollars.
Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen
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1 min read

Events

Tue., June 16, 2026, 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. ET
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Data-Driven and District-Ready: What EdWeek Research Tells Us About the CTE Market
Discover how to sharpen your positioning in a fast-moving market of CTE with actionable strategies grounded in EdWeek Research Center data.
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Wed., June 17, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
Classroom Technology Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: The Rewiring of Childhood With Jonathan Haidt
Jonathan Haidt, Catherine Price, and Adam Swinyard join Peter DeWitt on how to get students off devices and back to the basics of childhood.
Register
Thu., June 18, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. ET
Professional Development K-12 Essentials Forum Getting Professional Development to Stick
Join this free virtual event to explore best practices, funding, format, and timing for teacher and principal PD.
Register
See More Events

More Policy & Politics

  • The State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022 inside the William B Travis Building (which houses the Texas Education Agency) in downtown Austin, Texas .
    The Texas State Board of Education meeting room is pictured on Sept. 26, 2022, inside the William B. Travis Building in downtown Austin, Texas. The board will vote later this month on revised standards and a required reading list that include biblical passages.
    Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
    States Texas Considers a Bigger Role for Christianity in Schools This Month. Here's How
    The state board will vote on a required reading list that includes biblical passages.
    Silas Allen, The Dallas Morning News, June 5, 2026
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    7 min read
    CapHillJune05
    Members of the U.S. House appropriations subcommittee for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education adjourn after approving a 2027 spending bill in an 11-7, party-line vote at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 5, 2026. The spending bill from House Republicans cuts $1.6 billion from Title I.
    Marvin Joseph/Education Week
    Education Funding Congress Is Working on a New K-12 Budget. See What's Proposed for Key Programs
    House lawmakers advanced major cuts to Title I and several competitive grant programs.
    Mark Lieberman, June 5, 2026
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    1 min read
    A worker walks amid the Hall of Columns in the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 4, 2023.
    A worker walks amid the Hall of Columns in the House of Representatives at the Capitol in Washington, on Oct. 4, 2023. A U.S. House subcommittee has released a budget bill that includes billions of dollars in education cuts.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Education Funding House GOP Endorses Education Cuts as Talks on Trump's Budget Begin
    House appropriators want to cut Title I by 9%—a cut President Donald Trump hasn't proposed.
    Mark Lieberman, June 4, 2026
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    5 min read
    Thomas Chalmers Public School sign is seen outside of school in Chicago, Wednesday, July 13, 2022. America's big cities are seeing their schools shrink, with more and more of their schools serving small numbers of students. Those small schools are expensive to run and often still can't offer everything students need (now more than ever), like nurses and music programs. Chicago and New York City are among the places that have spent COVID relief money to keep schools open, prioritizing stability for students and families. But that has come with tradeoffs. And as federal funds dry up and enrollment falls, it may not be enough to prevent districts from closing schools.
    Children are seen outside the Thomas Chalmers Public School in Chicago on July 13, 2022. Under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against white students. The administration withheld more than $20 million from Chicago schools when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program.
    Nam Y. Huh/AP
    Federal Trump's Ed. Dept. Backs Away From Addressing Civil Rights for Black Students
    Civil rights attorneys describe the administration’s actions as an inversion of legal history.
    The Associated Press, June 3, 2026
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    6 min read
    Image of blurry data and a school building.
    Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
    Federal Interactive Feds Issue a Slimmed-Down Data Release on U.S. Schools
    The Condition of Education highlights school enrollment, finance, and graduation data.
    Sarah D. Sparks & Maya Riser-Kositsky, May 29, 2026
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    3 min read
    Internal View of the State Capitol. on May 29, 2025, in Albany, New York.
    An internal view of the state capitol in Albany, N.Y., on May 29, 2025. Gov. Kathy Hochul has signed a budget into law that lowers the retirement age for teachers to collect a full pension.
    Kena Betancur/AP
    States New York Teachers Win Lower Retirement Age as Lawmakers Pass Pension Reforms
    New York teachers can retire five years earlier under pension changes included in a state budget package.
    Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, May 27, 2026
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    3 min read

Resources

School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Events and PD for K-12 Educators?
From peer-led sessions to AI training, see how well you understand today’s K-12 professional development priorities.
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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Student Achievement Whitepaper Driving Literacy Outcomes Through Effective Implementation
This practical guide helps district and school leaders identify and address implementation challenges, prioritize what matters most using...
Content provided by EPS Learning
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 Whitepaper AI in K-12: From Permission to Purpose
AI is already showing up across district workflows — often faster than guidance, alignment, or visibility. Explore new insights from 1,05...
Content provided by Frontline Education
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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Data Privacy & Cybersecurity Whitepaper Steady Foundation with Growing Opportunities
Based on a survey of educators, this study highlights progress and remaining challenges in cybersecurity education for students in K-12 s...
Content provided by Cyber.org
  • The Tennessee Capitol is seen on April 23, 2024, in Nashville.
    The Tennessee Capitol is seen on April 23, 2024, in Nashville. Twice since 2025, lawmakers in the state have failed to pass legislation limiting undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    George Walker IV/AP
    States How One State's Efforts to Limit Undocumented Students’ Rights Failed Again
    Tennessee lawmakers failed to create legislation directly challenging federal law.
    Ileana Najarro, May 22, 2026
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    3 min read
    Future data arrow concept with student looking out to a tangle of possibilities. Choice. grow chart up decisions. Pathways.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    Federal Opinion We Need Better Data to Understand What Happens to Students After High School
    Here are the two things we need before we can answer how well we’re preparing students.
    Jennifer Bell-Ellwanger & Sara Schapiro, May 22, 2026
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    4 min read
    Image of the white house.
    The southern facade of the White House in Washington pictured in September 2024. The White House budget office is holding back more than $2 billion in congressionally approved funds from U.S. Department of Education accounts.
    Getty
    Education Funding White House Blocks $2 Billion for Education: See All the Affected Programs
    We're tracking federal education funding that Trump's federal budget office has stalled.
    Mark Lieberman, May 21, 2026
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    3 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 How the Institute of Education Sciences Could Better Serve Schools
    “It’s been all over the place,” explains the scholar tasked with reimagining IES.
    Rick Hess, May 21, 2026
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    4 min read
    Students attend a 5th grade math class at Lafargue Elementary School in Effie, Louisiana, on Friday, August 22. The state has implemented new professional development requirements for math teachers in grades 4-8 to help improve student achievement and address learning gaps.
    Students attend a 5th grade math class in Effie, La., on Aug. 22, 2025. Louisiana has secured new flexibility from the U.S. Department of Education to spend a portion of its federal funds on statewide school improvement activities. It's the second such waiver from Every Student Succeeds Act rules the department has granted under the Trump administration.
    Kathleen Flynn for Education Week
    Every Student Succeeds Act Trump Admin. OK's Another State's Ask for School Funding Leeway
    The Ed. Dept. granted a second request to combine portions of four federal grants into one fund.
    Alyson Klein, May 20, 2026
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    5 min read
    HOUSTON, TEXAS - MAY 9: Students walk down a hallway outside classrooms at Houston Quran Academy in Houston, Friday, May 9, 2025. (Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
    Students walk down a hallway outside classrooms at Houston Quran Academy in Houston on May 9, 2025. Texas initially excluded Islamic schools from its new private school choice program, leading some to wonder if other states might limit the kinds of private schools eligible for state school choice funding.
    Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle via Getty
    School Choice & Charters Could More States Try to Keep Islamic Schools Out of Their Choice Programs?
    A state asserted it could exclude certain schools from its new private school choice program.
    Arianna Prothero, May 20, 2026
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    10 min read

EdWeek Market Brief

Sales & Marketing Industry Insight Sales Strategies for a 'Weird' Market: How to Get in the Door with A District Leader
Capitalizing on new opportunities may call for a sales strategy refresh in this market. Getting creative can help unblock a bottleneck.
Scott Elliott
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6 min read
Education Market Exclusive Data School Districts Are Making Cuts. Here's What Is Being Reduced This Budget Cycle
New EdWeek Market Brief survey data shows the majority of administrators are reducing spending in some categories, and the impact is spread across a broad range of areas that vendors target.
Emma Kate Fittes
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4 min read
Regulation & Policy Industry Insight Anti-SEL Bills Stalled in Statehouses This Year, But Political Pushback Persists
Earlier this year, Arizona’s GOP-controlled legislature took direct aim at social-emotional learning.
David Saleh Rauf
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10 min read
Regulation & Policy K-12 Market News Judge Dismisses Florida Textbook Pricing Lawsuit Against McGraw Hill, Savvas
A Florida circuit judge has tossed a lawsuit accusing the two education publishers of overcharging local school districts by millions of dollars for instructional materials.
David Saleh Rauf
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4 min read
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