Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Moms for Liberty Wanted School Board Seats. They Got a Voice in the White House
Moms for Liberty is being embraced by the Trump administration and gaining new influence in national decisions.
The Associated Press
•
6 min read
States 'Success Sequence' Urges Marriage, Then Parenthood. These States Want Schools to Teach It
The decades-old concept is getting new attention, largely from Republican lawmakers.
Evie Blad
•
6 min read
Education Funding Trump Again Proposes Major Education Cuts in New Budget Proposal
The president again wants lawmakers to consider billions in K-12 spending cuts and program eliminations.
Mark Lieberman
•
7 min read
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
•
4 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
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
•
6 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
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
•
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
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
•
1 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

Events

Thu., April 09, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
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.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, as well as responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
Register
Wed., April 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Webinar Unlocking Success for Struggling Adolescent Readers
The Science of Reading transformed K-3 literacy. Now it's time to extend that focus to students in grades 6 through 12.
Content provided by STARI
Register
Thu., May 14, 2026, 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. ET
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Register
See More Events

More Policy & Politics

  • President Donald Trump leaves the Supreme Court, on April 1, 2026, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump leaves the Supreme Court on April 1, 2026, in Washington. The justices signaled skepticism of Trump’s bid to restrict birthright citizenship.
    Anthony Peltier/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Seems Poised to Reject Trump's Birthright Order
    Trump’s attendance in the birthright citizenship case marked the first time a sitting president has done this.
    The Associated Press, April 1, 2026
    •
    6 min read
    Photo collaged image of the U.S. Department of Education shattering.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + AP + Getty
    Federal Tracker See Which Ed. Dept. Programs Are Moving to New Agencies: A Tracker
    K-12 and higher education programs are heading to new agencies as part of Trump administration downsizing.
    Mark Lieberman, April 1, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, on March 26, 2026, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House, on March 26, 2026, in Washington. Six Cabinet members are now on track to have a hand in managing U.S. Department of Education programs.
    Alex Brandon/AP
    Federal Meet the Trump Cabinet Secretaries Taking Over Ed. Dept. Programs
    The U.S. Department of Education is shifting more than 100 programs to other federal agencies.
    Mark Lieberman, March 31, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Attorney General Pam Bondi in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington.
    Attorney General Pam Bondi in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, on Feb. 20, 2026, in Washington. The Justice Department under Bondi has now sued three states over policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls' sports
    Alex Brandon/AP
    Federal Trump Admin. Sues Minnesota Over Transgender Athletes in Girls' Sports
    It's the third state the Trump administration has sued over transgender participation in athletics.
    The Associated Press, March 30, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House on Jan. 20, 2025. The order, now before the U.S. Supreme Court, seeks to limit citizenship for some children born in the United States to immigrant parents without permanent legal status.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Law & Courts Birthright Citizenship Case Raises Stakes for Schools and Undocumented Students
    Educators are paying close attention to the case on Trump's birthright citizenship order.
    Mark Walsh, March 30, 2026
    •
    10 min read
    Bryan Najera holds a sign during a House Education K-12 subcommittee meeting Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
    Bryan Najera holds a sign during a House Education K-12 subcommittee meeting Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee lawmakers are debating amended legislation, originally introduced last year, to collect students' immigration information.
    George Walker IV/AP
    States A State Gets Closer to Challenging Undocumented Students' Free Access to School
    Lawmakers are debating legislation that would require schools to collect immigration information.
    Ileana Najarro, March 27, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    Load More ▼

Resources

School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: Can You Decode the Latest K-12 Buzzwords and Acronyms?
Education-speak evolves daily—can you translate the latest K-12 terms and trends?
Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on MTSS in Practice: From Life Skills to Learning Strategies
This Spotlight focuses on MTSS, providing a framework to support both students and educators across a range of needs and settings.
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on Unlocking Potential: How Interventions Transform Learning
This Spotlight explores how interventions can shape student outcomes, with a focus on supporting older students who struggle with reading.
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Speak K-12?
Find out if you can keep up with the evolving language of education leaders—and what it means for your marketing strategy.
Load More ▼
  • Vector illustration of two diverse professionals wearing orange workman vests and hard hats as they carry and connect a very heavy, oversized text bubble bringing the two pieces shaped like puzzles pieces together as one. One figure is a dark skinned male and the other is a lighter skinned female with long hair.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    Federal What Should Research at the Ed. Dept. Look Like? The Field Weighs In
    The agency requested input on the Institute of Education Sciences' future. More than 400 comments came in.
    Brooke Schultz, October 21, 2025
    •
    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
    Education Funding Opinion The Federal Shutdown Is a Rorschach Test for Education
    Polarization, confusion, and perverse incentives turn a serious discussion into a stylized debate.
    Rick Hess, October 20, 2025
    •
    7 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 U.S. House of Representatives members to discuss the 2026 budget in Washington on May 21, 2025. The U.S. Department of Education laid off 465 employees during the federal government shutdown. The layoff, if it goes through, will virtually wipe out offices in the agency that oversee key grant programs.
    Jason Andrew for Education Week
    Federal Education Department Layoffs Would Affect Dozens of Programs. See Which Ones
    Entire teams that work on key funding streams may not return to work even when the shutdown ends.
    Mark Lieberman, October 16, 2025
    •
    3 min read
    A Let's Go Brandon flag and an American flag fly during the NASCAR Cup Series M&M'S Fan Appreciation 400 on July 24, 2022, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa.
    A Let's Go Brandon flag and an American flag fly during the NASCAR Cup Series on July 24, 2022, at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa. The slogan originated at a 2021 NASCAR race in Talladega, Ala., and quickly became a coded way of criticizing then-President Joe Biden. An appeals court in a free speech case said school administrators were within bounds insisting a student not wear a shirt with the slogan because of its implied vulgarity.
    Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via AP Images
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Backs School Administrators Who Banned 'Let's Go Brandon!' Shirts
    A coded message of political criticism was vulgar and can be barred in schools.
    Mark Walsh, October 16, 2025
    •
    5 min read
    Illustration of 2 hands cutting paper dolls with scissors, representing staffing layoffs.
    iStock/Getty
    Law & Courts Judge Halts Trump Admin.'s Layoffs at Ed. Dept. and Other Agencies
    More than 400 workers at the diminished agency had been told their last day would be Dec. 9.
    Brooke Schultz, October 15, 2025
    •
    5 min read
    Students from Rosebud Elementary School perform in a drum circle during a meeting about abusive conditions at Native American boarding schools at Sinte Gleska University on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in Mission, S.D., on Oct. 15, 2022.
    Students from Rosebud Elementary School perform in a drum circle on Oct. 15, 2022. The Todd County district, which includes the Rosebud school, relies on the federal Impact Aid program for nearly 40 percent of its annual budget. Impact Aid payments are on hold during the federal shutdown, and the Trump administration has laid off the federal employees who administer the program.
    Matthew Brown/AP
    Education Funding Many Districts Will Lose Federal Funds Until the Shutdown Ends
    And if federal layoffs go through, the Ed. Dept. would lack staff to send out the funds afterward, too.
    Mark Lieberman, October 15, 2025
    •
    7 min read
    Load More ▼

EdWeek Market Brief

Read More