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

  • The US Capitol is seen on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington. Another federal shutdown that could impact education looms and could begin as soon as this weekend.
    The U.S. Capitol is seen on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington. Another federal shutdown that could affect education looms if senators don't pass a funding bill by this weekend.
    Mariam Zuhaib/AP
    Federal Could Another Federal Shutdown Affect Education? What We Know
    After federal agents shot a Minneapolis man on Saturday, Democrats are now pulling support for a spending bill due by Friday.
    Mark Lieberman, January 26, 2026
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    5 min read
    Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.. Lee presented the Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2024, his administration's legislative proposal to establish statewide universal school choice.
    Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks in favor of establishing a statewide, universal private school choice program on Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee lawmakers passed that proposal, and Lee is also opting Tennessee into the first federal tax-credit scholarship program that will make publicly funded private school scholarships available to families. Tennessee is one of 21 participating states and counting.
    George Walker IV/AP
    School Choice & Charters Federal Program Will Bring Private School Choice to At Least 4 New States
    More state decisions on opting into the first federal private school choice program are rolling in.
    Matthew Stone, January 26, 2026
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    6 min read
    Students sit on bleachers after science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities, facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center, in Simpsonville Elementary School, Nov. 18, 2025, in Simpsonville, Ky.
    Students sit on bleachers after STEM activities facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center at Simpsonville Elementary School in Simpsonville, Ky., on Nov. 18, 2025. The school district serving Simpsonville is one of nine in north-central Kentucky that was able to hire new school counselors with the help of a federal grant that the Trump administration terminated last year.
    Jon Cherry/AP
    Law & Courts The Stark Divide in the States Recouping K-12 Grants Cut by Trump's Ed. Dept.
    A fifth of lawsuits challenging Trump admin. education policies have come from multistate coalitions.
    Matthew Stone, January 22, 2026
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    8 min read
    Ten Commandments Texas 25322117067170
    A Ten Commandments poster is seen with boxes of others before they were delivered to local public schools in New Braunfels, Texas, on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. A federal appeals court appears open to reviving blocked Ten Commandments school laws in Louisiana and Texas.
    AP Photo/Eric Gay
    Law & Courts Full Appeals Court Signals Openness to Ten Commandments Classroom Laws
    The full 5th Circuit seemed sympathetic to unblocking two laws requiring Ten Commandments displays.
    Mark Walsh, January 21, 2026
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    5 min read
    Photo collage of U.S. Capitol building and currency.
    iStock
    Education Funding Rebuking Trump, Congress Moves to Maintain Most Federal Education Funding
    Funding for key programs like Title I and IDEA are on track to remain level year over year.
    Mark Lieberman, January 20, 2026
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    8 min read
    swingspaces pgk 31
    Education Funding In Trump's First Year, At Least $12 Billion in School Funding Disruptions
    The administration's cuts to schools came through the Education Department and other agencies.
    Mark Lieberman, January 16, 2026
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    9 min read
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Resources

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IT Infrastructure & Management Sponsor The Secret to Maximizing E-Rate and Upgrading Outdated EdTech
BlueAlly and Cisco joined forces to help K–12 leaders maximize significant E-Rate discounts, making high-quality solutions more attainable.
Content provided by BlueAlly
Teaching Spotlight Spotlight on Innovative Ways to Support Teaching & Learning
This Spotlight focuses on supporting teachers and learners navigating key issues in today's ever more complex learning environment.
Recruitment & Retention Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Know Today’s K-12 Hiring Landscape?
Assess your knowledge of the key factors driving K-12 hiring today.
Artificial Intelligence Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About AI Policy, PD and Practical Use in Your District?
Answer 7 questions about AI Policy, PD and Practical Use in Your District?
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  • Image of students working at desks, wearing black and white school uniforms.
    iStock/Getty
    School Choice & Charters As School Choice Goes Universal, What New Research Is Showing
    New analyses shed light on the students using state funds for private school and the schools they attend.
    Matthew Stone & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 15, 2026
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    9 min read
    A group of California parents has asked the nation's highest court to reinstate a federal district court decision that said parents have a federal constitutional right to be informed by schools of any gender nonconformity and social transitions by their children. The Supreme Court building is seen on Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.
    A group of California parents has asked the nation's highest court, whose building is shown on Jan. 13, 2026, to reinstate a federal district court decision that said parents have a federal constitutional right to be informed by schools of any gender nonconformity or social transition by their children.
    Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
    Law & Courts Parents Ask Supreme Court to Restore Ruling on Gender Disclosure
    Parents asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene over school gender-identity policies in California.
    Mark Walsh, January 14, 2026
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    4 min read
    Becky Pepper-Jackson holds hands with her mother Heather Jackson outside the Supreme Court after arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams on Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.
    Becky Pepper-Jackson holds hands with her mother, Heather Jackson, outside the U.S. Supreme Court after arguments over state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on female athletic teams on Jan. 13, 2026, in Washington.
    Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Signals Support for State Bans on Trans Girls in Sports
    The U.S. Supreme Court weighed Idaho and West Virginia laws that bar transgender girls from sports.
    Mark Walsh, January 13, 2026
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    7 min read
    President Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, at the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington. States are considering whether to incorporate the tax changes into their own tax codes, which will results in lower state revenue collections that could strain school budgets.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Education Funding Schools Brace for Mid-Year Cuts as 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Changes Begin
    State decisions on incorporating federal tax cuts into their own tax codes could strain school budgets.
    Mark Lieberman, January 13, 2026
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    7 min read
    School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
    School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
    Brad Kemp/The Advocate
    Law & Courts After 60 Years, a Louisiana District Fights to Exit Federal Desegregation Order
    St. Mary Parish is on the frontlines of a legal battle to end ongoing school desegregation cases dating back to the civil rights era.
    Patrick Wall, The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La., January 12, 2026
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    6 min read
    Fifteen year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson tosses a discus at home in West Virginia.
    Fifteen-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson tosses a discus at home in West Virginia. Her challenge to the state’s ban on transgender girls in school sports is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
    Scout Tufankjian/ACLU
    Law & Courts School Sports Case Reaches the Supreme Court at a Fraught Time for Trans Rights
    The justices will consider state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in female sports.
    Mark Walsh, January 9, 2026
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    8 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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