Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Education Funding The Trump Admin. Says It Supports Career-Tech. Ed. It Canceled CTE Grants Anyway
Nineteen projects—many in rural areas—lost funding that was helping students prepare for college and careers.
Mark Lieberman & Lauraine Langreo
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12 min read
Education Funding Educators Warn Flat English Learner Funding Falls Short of Growing Demand
Educators remain uncertain about the future of federal funds for English learners.
Ileana Najarro
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3 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act Another State Gets Modest Leeway From Ed. Dept. Are More Waivers Coming?
The Trump administration gave another state more authority to let school districts manage their federal funds.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
Law & Courts Supreme Court Backs Parents in School Gender Disclosure Fight
The Supreme Court restored an injunction blocking California policies on student gender transitions
Mark Walsh
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8 min read
Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender in November 2025. A policy on the issue in the city’s elementary school district is the subject of a federal class-action lawsuit in which a judge just sided against the district.
Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender at a meeting in November 2025. Two parents and two teachers from the district sued in 2023, challenging California state guidance concerning student gender transitions and parental notification. The U.S. Supreme Court has now reinstated a lower-court decision overturning those state policies.
Charlie Neuman for The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS
Federal Ed. Dept. Hangs Banner of Charlie Kirk Alongside MLK Jr., Ben Franklin
It's part of a celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.
Matthew Stone
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1 min read
New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher and Charlie Kirk hang from the Department of Education, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Washington.
New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher, and Charlie Kirk hang from the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2026, in Washington.
Allison Robbert/AP
Federal Ed. Dept. Wants to Revamp Assistance Program It Calls 'Duplicative,' 'Confusing'
The department's Comprehensive Centers have already been through a year of shakeups.
Matthew Stone
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3 min read
A first grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, on Feb. 12, 2026.
A 1st grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. The U.S. Department of Education released a proposal to rework a decades-old program charged with helping states and school districts problem-solve and deploy new initiatives, calling the current structure “duplicative” and “confusing.”
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Federal Will the Ed. Dept. Act on Recommendations to Overhaul Its Research Arm?
An adviser's report called for more coherence and sped-up research awards at the Institute of Education Sciences.
Stephen Sawchuk & Matthew Stone
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6 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025. A new report from a department adviser calls for major overhauls to the agency's research arm to facilitate timely research and easier-to-use guides for educators and state leaders.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week

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More Policy & Politics

  • Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., Chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
    Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools on May 8, 2024, in Washington. At a hearing on Dec. 4, 2024, the subcommittee discussed civics and government curriculum.
    Jacquelyn Martin/AP
    Federal Republicans Preview Their Education Priorities in a Second Trump Term
    In a hearing, Republicans called for more civics education and expressed concerns over "critical race theory" in schools.
    Brooke Schultz, December 4, 2024
    •
    5 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 The Trump Administration Should 'Devolve the Ed Dept.'s Responsibilities to the States'
    After six years helming the House ed. committee, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx cuts loose on high points and frustrations of her tenure.
    Rick Hess, December 3, 2024
    •
    8 min read
    A high school principal displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at a school in Massachusetts on April 10, 2018.
    A high school principal in Massachusetts displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in restrooms or hallways on April 10, 2018.
    Steven Senne/AP
    Law & Courts How a Supreme Court Case on Vaping Stands to Impact Schools
    The U.S. Supreme Court heard an important case about federal regulation of flavored e-cigarettes, which remain a concern for schools.
    Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
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    6 min read
    Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
    Linda McMahon attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington. McMahon, then head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Education Department in his new administration.
    Andrew Harnik/AP
    Federal What's in the Lawsuit That Alleges Linda McMahon Failed to Protect Children
    The lawsuit filed by former World Wrestling Entertainment workers alleges a culture of acceptance of sexual misconduct.
    Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
    •
    8 min read
    Image of a student desk sitting on top of a pile of books
    Collage via iStock/Getty
    Education Funding Trump's Plans Would Disrupt Funding for Schools. What Would It Look Like?
    School districts are bracing for a period of fiscal turbulence and whiplash that could strain their efforts to meet students’ complex needs.
    Mark Lieberman, November 27, 2024
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    12 min read
    Cafeteria workers serve student lunches 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.
    Cafeteria workers serve lunches 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. A federal school lunch provision that makes it easier for public schools to provide universal free meals may be a target for elimination in President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming term if some conservative activists and lawmakers get their way.
    Richard Vogel/AP
    Federal How Trump Could Roll Back Access to Free School Lunches
    Project 2025 and a GOP budget proposal call for axing a federal rule that allows public schools to serve free meals to all students.
    Evie Blad, November 26, 2024
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    5 min read
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Artificial Intelligence Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About AI Policy, PD and Practical Use in Your District?
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School & District Management Sponsor Supercharged by STEM Learning: How FIRST® Robotics Boosted Volusia County Students’ State Exam Scores by 50%
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  • Media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif.
    News media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif. The FBI searched his house and LAUSD headquarters but has not detailed what prompted the search.
    William Liang/AP
    States FBI Searches Los Angeles District's Headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's Home
    The FBI would not comment on the nature of the investigation.
    The Associated Press, February 25, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
    President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The president devoted little time in the speech to discussing his education policies.
    Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool
    Federal Trump Talks Up AI in State of the Union, But Not Much Else About Education
    The president didn't mention two of his cornerstone education policies from the past year.
    Alyson Klein, February 25, 2026
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    4 min read
    School Choice & Charters Video Private School Choice Is Growing. What Comes Next?
    States are investing billions of dollars in public funds for families to use on private schooling.
    Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen, February 24, 2026
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    1 min read
    Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, left, attends a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, right, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Gov. Lee presented the Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2024, his administration's legislative proposal to establish statewide universal school choice.
    Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, left, attends a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in Nashville, Tenn. on Nov. 28, 2023. Both Republican governors have championed new programs that let families in their states use public funds for private education. The programs in both states are facing legal challenges.
    George Walker IV/AP
    School Choice & Charters The Legal Fight Over Private School Choice: Who Is Suing and Why?
    Court battles are underway—or recently wrapped up—for programs in at least nine states.
    Mark Lieberman, February 24, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Various school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
    A program that helps state education departments and schools improve family engagement policies is among those the Trump administration will transfer from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this photo, school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement discussion on March 13, 2024, in Denver to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district.
    Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
    Federal Education Department Will Send More of Its Programs to Other Agencies
    Education grants for school safety, community schools, and family engagement will shift to Health and Human Services.
    Mark Lieberman, February 23, 2026
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    4 min read
    Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
    Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Oct. 16, 2025. A federal appeals court has lifted a lower-court injunction blocking a Louisiana law that requires Ten Commandments displays, clearing the way for the law to take effect.
    Eric Gay/AP
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Allows Louisiana Ten Commandments Displays to Proceed
    The court said it was premature to rule on the constitutionality of La. Ten Commandments displays.
    Mark Walsh, February 23, 2026
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    3 min read
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