Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Melania Trump Shares the Spotlight With a Robot at White House Education Event
The humanoid robot Figure 03 made history as the first robot to walk the White House red carpet.
The Associated Press
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1 min read
Education Funding Common Questions About Education Funding
Education Week has answered some of the most common questions about education funding in the United States.
Maya Riser-Kositsky
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1 min read
Federal Where Are Ed. Dept. Programs Moving? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
More than 100 programs run by the U.S. Department of Education are shifting to other agencies.
Mark Lieberman
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14 min read
Federal Trump Administration to Move Dept. of Ed. Out of Its Longtime Offices
The move follows a year of efforts to dismantle the federal agency.
Sean Cavanagh
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2 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 is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The agency said Thursday it will move to a different building starting this summer.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal Q&A Why the Heritage Foundation Is Targeting Plyler v. Doe
Lora Ries explains how the Supreme Court could overturn the 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision.
Ileana Najarro
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4 min read
A woman embraces her child outside a House hearing room during protests against a bill that would allow public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling for classes in Nashville, Tenn., March 11, 2025.
A woman embraces her child outside a hearing room at the Tennessee State Capitol during protests against a bill that would have allowed public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling in school, in Nashville, Tenn., on March 11, 2025. Lawmakers are expected to vote on an amended version of the bill that would require schools to collect students' immigration status information.
George Walker IV/AP
Education Funding Arts Education Advocates Talk About How to Elevate Their Discipline
Art education community members come together to discuss funding challenges and opportunities.
Jennifer Vilcarino
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3 min read
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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: National arts education leaders, advocates, and policymakers gather for a couple of hours at the University Club on March 24, 2026 in Washington.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Federal Opinion What Our Students Deserve From New Homeland Security Secretary Mullin
The National Academy of Education calls for policy changes to ensure safer learning environments.
National Academy of Education Board of Directors
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5 min read
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his swearing-in in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his swearing-in on March 24, 2026, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP

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More Policy & Politics

  • 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
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    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
    An American flag is seen upside down at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, May 31, 2024.
    An American flag hangs upside down at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, May 31, 2024. The think tank has called on states to enact legislation that would limit undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    Jose Luis Magana/AP
    States Heritage Foundation Targets Undocumented Students’ Access to Free Education
    The conservative group put forward Project 2025, which has shaped Trump administration policy.
    Ileana Najarro, February 20, 2026
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    3 min read
    Members of the Supreme Court sit for a new group portrait following the addition of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Bottom row, from left, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and Associate Justice Elena Kagan. Top row, from left, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
    Members of the U.S. Supreme Court sit for a new group portrait following the addition of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. On Feb. 20, 2026, the court ruled 6-3 to strike down President Donald Trump's broad tariff policies, ruling that they were not authorized by the federal statute that he cited for them.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Strikes Trump Tariffs in Case Brought by Educational Toy Companies
    Two educational toy companies were among the leading challengers to the president's tariff policies
    Mark Walsh, February 20, 2026
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    3 min read
    Caps and gowns of many students were adorned with stickers that read, "WE STAND TOGETHER" or "ESTAMOS UNIDOS".A graduation ceremony proceeds at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, CT. on June 10, 2025. A student who would have been walking in the ceremony and his father were detained by federal immigration officers just days before.
    Caps and gowns at the June 10, 2025, graduation at Francis T. Maloney High School in Meriden, Conn., bore stickers reading “WE STAND TOGETHER” and “ESTAMOS UNIDOS” after a graduating student and his father were detained by federal immigration officers days before the ceremony. A new analysis reveals both progress and a persistent gap, presenting an opportunity for schools to close the gap of undocumented students not graduating.
    Tyler Russell/Connecticut Public via Getty Images
    States 75,000 Undocumented Students Graduate High School Each Year. What Happens Next?
    A new analysis estimates 90,000 undocumented students reach the end of high school each year.
    Ileana Najarro, February 18, 2026
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    3 min read
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Resources

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.
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.
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Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Building Strong Writers?
Answer 7 questions about the key strategies and foundations for building strong writers.
Content provided by Magnetic Literacy by Curriculum Associates
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  • A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop as a school bus passes on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis.
    A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop in Minneapolis on Jan. 30, 2026. A lawsuit from two Minnesota school districts and the state's teachers' union says immigration agents have detained people and staged enforcement actions at or near schools, school bus stops, and daycare centers.
    Kerem Yücel /Minnesota Public Radio via AP
    Law & Courts Educators Sue Over ICE Activity on School Grounds and Nearby
    The challenge targets the Trump administration's revocation of a policy that limited immigration enforcement at schools.
    Alyson Klein, February 4, 2026
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    5 min read
    Commuters walk past the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Eduction, which were ordered closed for the day for what officials described as security reasons amid large-scale layoffs, on March 12, 2025, in Washington.
    The U.S. Department of Education spent up to $38 million last year to pay civil rights staffers who remained on administrative leave while the agency tried to lay them off.
    Mark Schiefelbein/AP
    Federal Ed. Dept. Paid Civil Rights Staffers Up to $38 Million as It Tried to Lay Them Off
    A report from Congress' watchdog looks into the Trump Admin.'s efforts to downsize the Education Department.
    Alyson Klein, February 3, 2026
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    5 min read
    20260203 AMX US NEWS COULD TEXAS SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM 1 DA
    Enrollment in private school choice programs has grown quickly around the country in recent years. Applications open this month for Texas' newly created private school choice program, the largest such program in the country. Private "microschools"—such as the Humanist Academy in Irving, Texas, shown on Jan. 8, 2026—could benefit.
    Juan Figueroa/ The Dallas Morning News via Tribune Content Agency
    School Choice & Charters Where Private School Choice Enrollment—and Spending—Is Surging
    States have devoted billions of dollars recently in public funds families can use on private schooling.
    Mark Lieberman, February 3, 2026
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    13 min read
    Congress Shutdown 26034657431919
    Congress has passed a budget that rejects the Trump administration’s proposals to slash billions of dollars from federal education investments, ending a partial government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and fellow House Republican leaders speak ahead of a key budget vote on Feb. 3, 2026.
    AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
    Education Funding Congress Has Passed an Education Budget. See How Key Programs Are Affected
    Federal funding for low-income students and special education will remain level year over year.
    Mark Lieberman, February 3, 2026
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    2 min read
    Photo collage of 3 photos. Clockwise from left: Scarlett Rasmussen, 8, tosses a ball with other classmates underneath a play structure during recess at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore. Chelsea Rasmussen has fought for more than a year for her daughter, Scarlett, to attend full days at Parkside. A proposed ban on transgender athletes playing female school sports in Utah would affect transgender girls like this 12-year-old swimmer seen at a pool in Utah on Feb. 22, 2021. A Morris-Union Jointure Commission student is seen playing a racing game in the e-sports lab at Morris-Union Jointure Commission in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025.
    Federal education grant terminations and disruptions during the Trump administration's first year touched programs training teachers, expanding social services in schools, bolstering school mental health services, and more. Affected grants were spread across more than a dozen federal agencies.
    Clockwise from left: Lindsey Wasson; Michelle Gustafson for Education Week
    Education Funding Trump Slashed Billions for Education in 2025. See Our List of Affected Grants
    We've tabulated the grant programs that have had awards terminated over the past year. See our list.
    Mark Lieberman, January 27, 2026
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    8 min read
    Federal Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Polarized Do You Think Educators Are?
    The EdWeek Research Center examined the degree to which K-12 educators are split along partisan lines. Quiz yourself and see the results.
    Elle Butler, January 27, 2026
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    1 min read
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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
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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
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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
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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
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3 min read
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