Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
States A State With a Short School Year Wants to Stop the 'Bleeding' of Classroom Time
A new order aims to discourage districts from reducing instructional hours to fill budget gaps.
Mark Walsh
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4 min read
Law & Courts Opinion Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools
A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
Jonathon E. Sawyer
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5 min read
States The K-12 Issues That Top Governors' Agendas
Governors' priorities include early literacy, career education, and teacher recruitment.
Evie Blad
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7 min read
Federal Trump's Labor Secretary Leaves Cabinet After Abuse of Power Allegations
The department she led has been taking on day-to-day management of dozens of federal K-12 programs.
The Associated Press
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6 min read
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer speaks with a reporter at the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington.
Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer speaks with a reporter at the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. Chavez-DeRemer, whose department is in the process of taking over day-to-day management of dozens of federal education programs, resigned from her post on April 20, 2026, amid allegations that she abused her position's power.
Evan Vucci/AP
School Choice & Charters Opinion The Forgotten History of the School Choice Movement
Long before vouchers or charter schools, Americans were already clashing over education options.
Rick Hess
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9 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
Law & Courts Supreme Court to Consider Whether Catholic Preschools Can Reject LGBTQ+ Families
Catholic preschools say Colorado violated religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over admission policies.
The Associated Press
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2 min read
Image of the Supreme Court in the background, an LGBTQ flag waving, and symbols of wedding rings with a male and female sign incorporated in the ring shapes.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
States 'Not Our Job': Principals Decry a Proposal to Track Student Immigration Status
A principals group has publicly opposed efforts to require schools to track immigration status.
Ileana Najarro
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5 min read
Democratic Senator Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people gather to protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The legislation is part of a broader push in Tennessee to require schools to collect students’ immigration status, raising concerns among educators about trust, access, and compliance with federal law.
John Amis/AP

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  • A photograph of a letter from the United States Department of Education dated February 13, 2026 stating that "This letter officially provides such notice of her proposal, including rationale, to redelegate OELA's programs and duties to other offices, thereby dissolving the need for a standalone OELA."
    Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
    Federal Ed. Dept. Moves to Shutter Its Office for English Learners
    Officials plan to move all federal English-learner programs and duties out of a standalone office.
    Ileana Najarro, April 14, 2026
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    6 min read
    Fridley Superintendent Brenda Lewis speaks during a news conference in February at the Minnesota State Capitol.
    Superintendent Brenda Lewis of the Fridley, Minn., school district speaks during a news conference in February 2026 at the Minnesota State Capitol. The Fridley district is one of two Minnesota school districts suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in an effort to restore restrictions on immigration enforcement in and near schools.
    Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
    Law & Courts Minn. Districts Ask Judge to Restore Immigration Enforcement Limits by Schools
    Two districts say the policy change hurt attendance and cost them students.
    The Associated Press, April 10, 2026
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    3 min read
    Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York.
    Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York. A selection of Bible stories could be part of a K-12 reading list being debated in Texas.
    David Crary/AP
    States Texas' Bible-Infused Reading List Gets an Earful at Public Hearing
    The proposal to add Bible stories reflects increasing debate over religion in public school classrooms.
    The Associated Press, April 8, 2026
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    4 min read
    A third-grade teacher at the Mountain View Elementary School's Global Immersion Academy in Morganton, N.C. works with her students in the Spanish portion of the program. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
    A teacher in a North Carolina dual-language program works with her students. In his latest budget proposal, President Donald Trump once again proposes to eliminate the $890 million fund that pays for supplemental services for English learners. Schools can use Title III funds for costs tied to dual-language programs that educate English learners.
    Jason Koon/The News-Herald via AP
    Education Funding Trump's Budget Proposes Billions in K-12 Cuts. Will They Happen?
    Trump is proposing level funding for Title I, a modest boost for special education, and major cuts elsewhere.
    Mark Lieberman, April 7, 2026
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    6 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
    School Choice & Charters Opinion Can School Choice Programs Stamp Out Fraud While Staying Flexible?
    With the rollout of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, transparency is vital.
    Rick Hess, April 7, 2026
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    7 min read
    AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete in the boys 4x800 meter relay at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025.
    AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. The Trump administration said Monday it has terminated agreements previous administrations reached with five school districts and a college aimed to uphold rights and protections for transgender students.
    Jae C. Hong/AP
    Federal Trump Admin. Terminates Several Agreements to Protect Transgender Students
    The Education Department terminated civil rights agreements under Title IX with five school districts and a college.
    The Associated Press, April 6, 2026
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    1 min read
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