Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
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
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
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
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4 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
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
DSC 4497
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

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More Policy & Politics

  • California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters as Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, left, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, right, listen outside the Supreme Court on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
    California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks to reporters outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Nov. 5, 2025, with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield behind him. Bonta this week sued the U.S. Department of Education, asking a court to block the agency's finding that the state is violating FERPA by <ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="02/13/2026 4:22:45 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id="">not requiring schools to disclose</ins> students’ gender transitions <ins data-user-label="Matt Stone" data-time="02/13/2026 4:22:45 PM" data-user-id="00000185-c5a3-d6ff-a38d-d7a32f6d0001" data-target-id="">to</ins> parents.
    Mark Schiefelbein/AP
    Law & Courts California Sues Ed. Dept. in Clash Over Gender Disclosures to Parents
    California challenges U.S. Department of Education findings on state policies over gender disclosure.
    Mark Walsh, February 13, 2026
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    4 min read
    MADISON, AL - MARCH 29: Bob Jones High School football players touch the people near them during a prayer after morning workouts and before the rest of the school day on March 29, 2024, in Madison, AL. Head football coach Kelvis White and his brother follow in the footsteps of their father, who was also a football coach. As sports in the United States deals with polarization, Coach White and Bob Jones High School form a classic tale of team, unity, and brotherhood. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
    Football players at Bob Jones High School in Madison, Ala., pray after morning workouts before the rest of the school day on March 29, 2024. New guidance from the U.S. Department of Education says students and educators can pray at school, as long as the prayer isn't school-sponsored and disruptive to school and classroom activities, and students aren't coerced to participate.
    Jahi Chikwendiu/Washington Post via Getty Images
    Federal New Trump Admin. Guidance Says Teachers Can Pray With Students
    The president said the guidance for public schools would ensure "total protection" for school prayer.
    Matthew Stone, February 10, 2026
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    3 min read
    Ben Gamla Charter Schools founder and former U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, right, speaks with Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, left, before a Jan. 12 meeting of the Statewide Charter School Board in Oklahoma City. Both are founding board members of an Oklahoma Jewish Charter School.
    Ben Gamla Charter Schools founder and former U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch, right, speaks with Brett Farley, executive director of the Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, before a Jan. 12, 2026, meeting of the Statewide Charter School Board in Oklahoma City. The board rejected the proposed Jewish charter school on Feb. 9, 2026.
    Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice
    Law & Courts Oklahoma Board Rejects Jewish Charter as Supreme Court Fight Looms
    Oklahoma's charter school board rejected the Jewish school as members said their hands were tied.
    Mark Walsh, February 10, 2026
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    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 Civil Society Is Withering. How to Help Schools Restore Engagement
    Can a new wave of initiatives stem the trend of isolation?
    Rick Hess, February 10, 2026
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    7 min read
    The U.S. Supreme Court is seen, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington.
    The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026, in Washington. Religious charter advocates are betting a full Supreme Court will side with their efforts to establish religious charter schools.
    Rahmat Gul/AP
    Law & Courts Religious Charter Schools Push New Cases Toward Supreme Court
    Advocates seeking to establish publicly funded religious schools in three states.
    Mark Walsh, February 6, 2026
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    9 min read
    Children play during recess at an elementary school in New Cuyama, CA on Sept. 20, 2023. Can a program that represents the federal government’s first big foray into bankrolling private school choice end up helping public school students?
    As Democratic governors decide whether to sign their states up for the first major federal foray into private school choice, some say they want public school students to benefit. Here, children play during recess at an elementary school in New Cuyama, Calif., on Sept. 20, 2023.
    Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
    School Choice & Charters The Federal Choice Program Is Here. Will It Help Public School Students, Too?
    As Democrats decide whether to opt in, some want to see the funds help students in public schools.
    Matthew Stone, February 5, 2026
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    9 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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  • Seen is the drawing made by Viejo Elementary School first-grader B.B. that was entered into evidence. B.B. gave the drawing to her classmate, M.C., who is African American. M.C. thanked B.B.
    Pictured is a drawing by a 1st grader in California and given to a Black classmate that is at the center of a First Amendment legal challenge over the student's alleged punishment.
    U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Revives Lawsuit Over 1st Grader’s Black Lives Matter Drawing
    A court revived a 1st grader 's claim she was punished for giving a drawing to a Black classmate.
    Mark Walsh, March 11, 2026
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    4 min read
    President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion on college sports in the East Room of the White House, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump during a recent roundtable discussion in the East Room of the White House, on March 6, 2026, in Washington. Trump's administration is using new ways to incorporate its policy priorities into grantmaking that will affect schools and other recipients of other grants.
    Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
    Education Funding Federal Funding Disruptions for Schools Are Far From Over
    Signs are piling up that schools could experience more funding turbulence in the coming months.
    Mark Lieberman, March 11, 2026
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    12 min read
    New graduates line up before the start of a college commencement at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J, May 17, 2018. A proposed regulation could exclude education from a list of "professional" graduate degrees, limiting federal loans for students in the field.
    New graduates line up before the start of a college commencement at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J, May 17, 2018. A proposed regulation could exclude education from a list of "professional" graduate degrees, limiting federal loans for students in the field.
    Seth Wenig/AP
    Federal Why K-12 Educators Are Alarmed About Proposed Student Loan Limits
    They worry that the new loan limits could put a leak in the teacher and administrator pipeline.
    Evie Blad, March 10, 2026
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    4 min read
    A student adds a note to others expressing support and sharing coping strategies, as members of the Miami Arts Studio mental health club raise awareness on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at Miami Arts Studio, a public 6th-12th grade magnet school, in Miami.
    A student adds a note expressing support and sharing coping strategies during a World Mental Health Day activity on Oct. 10, 2023, at Miami Arts Studio, a magnet school in Miami. Most recipients of two federal school mental health services grants the Trump administration has attempted to cancel over the past year will see their funding continue at least through June 1.
    Rebecca Blackwell/AP
    Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Get 3-Month Reprieve as Court Rules Against Trump
    The projects to expand school-based services have faced nearly a year of funding uncertainty and legal limbo.
    Matthew Stone, March 9, 2026
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    5 min read
    The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington.
    The Supreme Court is photographed, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. The high court recently ruled that California policies that sometimes limit or discourage schools from disclosing information to parents about children’s gender transitions and expressions at school likely violate parents’ constitutional rights
    Rahmat Gul/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court’s Gender Identity Ruling Leaves Schools Seeking Clarity
    Advocates say they would welcome more from the Supreme Court on gender-notification policies.
    Mark Walsh, March 6, 2026
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    7 min read
    Image of money symbol, books, gavel, and scale of justice.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    Education Funding Some Halted Federal Funds for Community Schools Will Flow, But More Remain Frozen
    Schools in Illinois will regain access to some federal grant funds, but programs nationwide continue to struggle.
    Mark Lieberman, March 5, 2026
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    5 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
Read More