Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
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
•
2 min read
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
•
10 min read
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
•
4 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
The Senate and the Capitol Dome are illuminated in Washington, early Thursday, April 2, 2026, as Congress meets in a short, pro forma session.
The Senate and the Capitol dome are illuminated in Washington early in the day on Thursday, April 2, 2026. For the second year in a row, the White House budget proposes major cuts to federal education programs that the Republican-led Congress rejected last year.
J. Scott Applewhite/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
•
6 min read
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
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
•
1 min read
Photo collaged image of the U.S. Department of Education shattering.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + AP + Getty
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
•
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

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

  • A student visits a sensory room at a Topeka, KS elementary school, on Nov. 3, 2021.
    A student visits a sensory room at an elementary school in Topeka, Kan., on Nov. 3, 2021. Schools have expanded their student mental health services in recent years, many with support from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal grants that the Trump administration pulled earlier this year and have since been caught up in legal proceedings.
    Charlie Riedel/AP
    Education Funding A Guide to Where School Mental Health Grants Stand After a New Legal Twist
    Temporary relief for one set of projects raises questions for other initiatives vying for federal money.
    Matthew Stone, December 8, 2025
    •
    5 min read
    First-grade student Brennen Marquardt, 6, looks out the bus window at Friess Lake Middle School on Sept. 4, 2018, the first year of operations for the newly consolidated Holy Hill district in Richfield, Wis. The district was the most recent to consolidate in Wisconsin, which is among the states where lawmakers are exploring ways to force or incentivize district mergers.
    First-grade student Brennen Marquardt, 6, looks out the bus window at Friess Lake Middle School on Sept. 4, 2018, the first year of operations for the newly consolidated Holy Hill district in Richfield, Wis. The district was the most recent to consolidate in Wisconsin, which is among the states where lawmakers are exploring ways to force or incentivize district mergers.
    John Ehlke/West Bend Daily News via AP
    States States Consider District Consolidations as Student Enrollment Drops
    Rural educators say the decision to combine school districts is a matter of local control.
    Evie Blad, December 5, 2025
    •
    8 min read
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump signs an executive order to on birthright citizenship in the Oval Office on Jan. 20, 2025. The U.S. Supreme Court will consider the legality of Trump's effort to limit birthright citizenship, another immigration policy that could affect schools.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court to Weigh Birthright Citizenship. Why It Matters to Schools
    The justices will review President Trump's bid to end birthright citizenship, a move that could affect schools.
    Mark Walsh, December 5, 2025
    •
    4 min read
    Illustration of dollar symbol in rollercoaster.
    iStock
    Education Funding Funding Ends for School Mental Health Projects After a 'Roller Coaster' Year
    Schools, universities, and others thought they had five years to boost student mental health services.
    Matthew Stone, December 2, 2025
    •
    11 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 a U.S. House of Representatives panel in Washington on May 21, 2025. McMahon's agency has inked seven agreements shifting core functions, including Title I for K-12 schools, to other federal agencies. Those moves, announced in November, have now drawn a legal challenge.
    Jason Andrew for Education Week
    Law & Courts 20 States Push Back as Ed. Dept. Hands Programs to Other Agencies
    The Trump admin. says it wants to prove that moving programs out of the Ed. Dept. can work long-term.
    Matthew Stone, December 1, 2025
    •
    4 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 Should States Mandate Student Testing for Choice Programs?
    There are pros and cons to forcing state tests on private schools receiving tax dollars.
    Rick Hess, November 25, 2025
    •
    7 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 ▼
  • Left: Republican Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, chair of the West Virginia Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, holds a map of the U.S. on the Senate floor depicting the states, including West Virginia, that do not allow religious or philosophical exemptions for required school vaccinations on Feb. 21, 2025 in Charleston, West Virginia. Right: West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks during a news conference at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington on April 22, 2025.
    Left: A U.S. map of states without religious or philosophical vaccine exemptions. Right: Republican West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks at a news conference in Washington on April 22, 2025. West Virginia is at the center of the ongoing debate over school vaccine mandates after Morrisey this year issued an executive order requiring religious exemptions.
    Left: Will Price/West Virginia Legislature; Right: Jose Luis Magana/AP
    Law & Courts With Childhood Vaccination Rates Falling, Debate on Religious Exemptions Grows
    There is growing pressure from parents and the Trump administration for exemptions to be expanded. The U.S. Supreme Court could decide.
    Mark Walsh, September 17, 2025
    •
    10 min read
    Students in a seventh grade civics class listen to teacher Ella Pillitteri at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. on April 16, 2024.
    Students in a 7th grade civics class listen to teacher Ella Pillitteri at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. on April 16, 2024. The Trump administration's grant cancellations have hit ongoing programs that promote civics, arts, and literacy education, and more.
    Rebecca Blackwell/AP
    Education Funding Trump Admin. Cancels Dozens More Grants, Hitting Civics, Arts, and Higher Ed.
    The multi-year initiatives are abruptly losing funding midway through their grant periods.
    Mark Lieberman, September 16, 2025
    •
    10 min read
    Addison's Ava Bartlett attacks during Class 1A play in the AHSAA North Super Regional volleyball tournament at the Finley Center in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 24, 2024.
    Student-athletes participate in a volleyball tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 24, 2024. The Trump administration has withdrawn a proposal to change a Title IX regulation related to noncontact sports through the U.S. Department of Energy.
    Vasha Hunt/AL.com via TNS
    Federal Trump Admin. Drops Bid to Change a Title IX Rule Through Energy Dept.
    The administration has used multiple agencies to enforce its view of the sex-discrimination law.
    Matthew Stone, September 15, 2025
    •
    3 min read
    Vector illustration of two hands pulling apart money and it tears in unequal parts.
    iStock/Getty
    Education Funding How Efforts to Fund Schools More Equitably Actually Worsened Racial Inequality
    Researchers examined three decades of school finance reforms in 40 states.
    Evie Blad, September 11, 2025
    •
    2 min read
    The Supreme Court building is seen on April 30, 2025, in Washington.
    The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen on April 30, 2025, in Washington. The high court recently declined to pause a ruling allowing a South Carolina transgender student to use restrooms consistent with his gender identity.
    Mark Schiefelbein/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Block Transgender Boy From Male Restrooms at School
    A divided Supreme Court declined to pause an injunction blocking a South Carolina law as it applied to a transgender male student.
    Mark Walsh, September 10, 2025
    •
    2 min read
    Stonewall Jackson High School in Shenandoah County.
    The Shenandoah County, Va. school board voted in May 2024 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary four years after the names had been removed. Now, a judge has found the decision to rename the high school violated students' free speech rights.
    <a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/09/10/federal-judge-says-restoring-stonewall-jackson-name-at-shenandoah-school-violates-students-rights/" target="_blank" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-0561-d1f0-a17f-adef4bee0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1757538383770,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-e988-d25a-a7ff-f9cb2a4c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1757538383770,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-e988-d25a-a7ff-f9cb2a4c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;disableUtmTracking&quot;:false,&quot;target&quot;:&quot;NEW&quot;,&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://virginiamercury.com/2025/09/10/federal-judge-says-restoring-stonewall-jackson-name-at-shenandoah-school-violates-students-rights/&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-3573-d4d3-a7db-f77343390000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a&quot;},&quot;linkText&quot;:&quot;Courtesy of Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury&quot;,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs.enhancementAlignment&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs._template&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs.type&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs._preset&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs._preset&quot;:null,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-3573-d4d3-a7db-f77342e50001&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288&quot;}">Courtesy of Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury</a>
    Law & Courts School's Confederate Name Violates Students' Free Speech, Judge Says
    The district was the first to reverse course and bring back Confederate names for its schools. The litigation is ongoing.
    Brooke Schultz, September 10, 2025
    •
    3 min read
    Load More ▼

EdWeek Market Brief

Strategy & Operations Market Analysis When to Bring in a Consultant — and How to Make it Pay Off
Industry advisors and business officials discuss the factors that contribute to a successful engagement.
Alexandria Ng
•
8 min read
Meeting District Needs K-12 Insider What Made a Middle School's First-Ever ELA Curriculum Launch a Success
The process that Principal Anne Heck led in Lake Geneva Middle School offers one vision for how professional development and procurement can pair to improve student learning.
Emma Kate Fittes
•
10 min read
Education Market Exclusive Data Vendors Are Pairing Assessment And Curriculum. Is That What K-12 Officials Want?
New EdWeek Market Brief data explores the ideal number of companies that district and school leaders say they want to work with, and whether they're open to a single provider for both curriculum and assessment products.
Emma Kate Fittes
•
8 min read
Regulation & Policy K-12 Market News EdMarket Recap: Feds Move to Rewrite Grant Rules; States Pitch Funding Changes
EdWeek Market Brief staff writers dissect significant news of the week and identify the most important takeaways for companies serving K-12 districts.
Scott Elliott
•
3 min read
Read More