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ESSA. Congress. State chiefs. School spending. Elections. Education Week reporters keep watch on education policy and politics in the nation’s capital and in the states. Read more from this blog.

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter speak to Mia Arias, 10, during their visit to P.S. 5 Port Morris, a Bronx elementary school, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 in New York.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter speak to Mia Arias, 10, during a visit to P.S. 5 Port Morris, a Bronx elementary school, last month.
Brittainy Newman/AP
Federal Pandemic Tests Limits of Cardona's Collaborative Approach as Education Secretary
He's sought the image of a veteran educator among former peers, but COVID has forced him to take a tough stance toward some state leaders.
Evie Blad, September 14, 2021
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10 min read
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of a monoclonal antibody site in Pembroke Pines, Fla., on Aug. 18, 2021.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he believes a new testing regimen is needed to replace the Florida Standards Assessment, which has been given since 2015.
Marta Lavandier/AP
Assessment Long a Testing Bastion, Florida Plans to End 'Outdated' Year-End Exams
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said the state will shift to "progress monitoring" starting in the 2022-23 school year.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 14, 2021
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5 min read
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona writes down and draws positive affirmations on poster board with students during his visit to P.S. 5 Port Morris, a Bronx elementary school, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021 in New York.
U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visits students in New York City at P.S. 5 Port Morris, a Bronx elementary school in the Bronx last month.
Brittainy Newman/AP
Federal White House Launches Hispanic Education Initiative Led by Miguel Cardona
President Joe Biden said his administration intends to address the "systemic causes" of educational disparities faced by Hispanic students.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 13, 2021
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2 min read
Surrounded by lawmakers, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks at the end of a legislative session on April 30, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Surrounded by lawmakers, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks at the end of a legislative session on April 30, 2021, in Tallahassee, Fla.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Federal Feds Add Florida to List of States Under Investigation Over Restrictions on Mask Mandates
The Education Department told the state Sept. 10 it will probe whether its mask rule is violating the rights of students with disabilities.
Andrew Ujifusa, September 10, 2021
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3 min read
Nurse Sara Muela, left, administers the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to educator Rebecca Titus at a vaccination site setup for teachers and school staff at the Berks County Intermediate Unit in Reading, Pa., on March 15, 2021.
Nurse Sara Muela administers a COVID-19 vaccine to educator Rebecca Titus at a vaccination site for at the Berks County Intermediate Unit in Reading, Pa.
Matt Rourke/AP
Federal How Biden Will Mandate Teacher Vaccines, Testing in Some States That Don't Require Them
President Joe Biden's COVID-19 plan will create new teacher vaccination and testing requirements in some states through worker safety rules.
Evie Blad, September 10, 2021
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4 min read
President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room at the White House, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2021, in Washington. Biden is announcing sweeping new federal vaccine requirements affecting as many as 100 million Americans in an all-out effort to increase COVID-19 vaccinations and curb the surging delta variant.
President Joe Biden in a speech from the White House announces sweeping new federal vaccine requirements and other efforts in an renewed effort to stem the COVID-19 pandemic.
Andrew Harnik/AP
Federal Biden Pushes Schools to Expand COVID-19 Testing, Get More Teachers Vaccinated
President Joe Biden set teacher vaccine requirements for federally operated schools as part of a new effort to drive down COVID's spread.
Evie Blad, September 9, 2021
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7 min read
Image of a data dashboard.
Suppachok Nuthep/iStock/Getty
Data Education Department to Expand Data Collection on COVID and Schools
The Education Department will expand the limited survey started last year to query about issues like learning loss and health precautions.
Evie Blad, September 3, 2021
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2 min read
Kindergarten students sit in their classroom on the first day of in-person learning at Maurice Sendak Elementary School in Los Angeles on April 13, 2021.
Kindergarten students sit in their classroom on the first day of in-person learning at Maurice Sendak Elementary School in Los Angeles in April 2021.
Jae C. Hong/AP
Federal Education Department Opens Civil Rights Probes in 5 States That Ban School Mask Mandates
The move on behalf of students with disabilities deepens the fight over masks between the Biden administration and GOP governors.
Evie Blad, August 30, 2021
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4 min read
School children in classroom with teacher, wearing face masks and raised hands
DigitalVision/Vectors/Getty
Special Education Schools Must Identify Students With Disabilities Despite Pandemic Hurdles, Ed. Dept. Says
Guidance stresses schools' responsibilities to those with disabilities, while noting that federal COVID aid can be used to address backlogs.
Evie Blad, August 24, 2021
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2 min read
Students are reminded to wear a mask amidst other chalk drawings on the sidewalk as they arrive for the first day of school at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla., Monday, Aug. 24, 2020.
Students are reminded to wear a mask amid other chalk drawings on the sidewalk as they arrive for the first day of school at Union High School in Tulsa, Okla. in 2020. Oklahoma is one of eight states that have banned local mask requirements for the 2021-22 school year.
Mike Simons/Tulsa World via AP
States Federal COVID Aid a Flash Point as Tensions Escalate Over School Mask Policies
The Biden administration reassures schools they can use federal aid to make up for penalties for defying state bans on mask mandates.
Evie Blad, August 23, 2021
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6 min read
Image of a high school classroom.
Getty
Federal After COVID's Disruption, Groups Push Cardona to Detail Plans for Testing, Accountability
A commitment to enforcing federal testing and school accountability requirements is necessary to ensure equity, groups told Cardona.
Evie Blad, August 19, 2021
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3 min read
First Lady Jill Biden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona tour Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, in Meriden, Ct., on March 3, 2021.
First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona tour Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, in Meriden, Ct., in March
Mandel Ngan/AP
Federal Biden Administration to Treat Masks in Schools as a Civil Rights Issue
Officials will investigate complaints that inadequate mask policies violate the rights of vulnerable students, the education secretary says.
Evie Blad, August 18, 2021
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4 min read
Man trapped in maze.
Researchers found a patchwork of state policies on masks in schools, remote learning, and tracking teacher vaccinations.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
States Many States Have Left Schools Hanging About How to Reopen Safely, Analysis Finds
Researchers found a patchwork of state policies on masks in schools, remote learning, and tracking teacher vaccinations.
Evie Blad, August 17, 2021
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5 min read
Image of a boy working on a computer with a disposable medical mask covering his face for health and safety.
Steve Cole Images/Getty
Federal Cardona Presses Florida, Texas on Masks in Schools, Pledges Support for Defiant Districts
Relief aid could offset financial penalties for districts that defy state bans on mask rules, the Biden administration told governors.
Evie Blad, August 15, 2021
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3 min read
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