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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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

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More Policy & Politics

  • 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
    Policy & Politics Opinion What It Takes to Be an Effective Education Scholar
    The 2026 RHSU Scholar Rankings will be released soon. How do the top researchers attain influence?
    Rick Hess, January 5, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
    Students carrying pride and transgender flags leave Great Oak High School in Temecula, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2023, after walking out of the school in protest of the Temecula school district policy requiring parents to be notified if their child identifies as transgender.
    Anjali Sharif-Paul/The Orange County Register via AP
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Halts Ruling Letting Teachers Disclose Students' Gender Identity
    A federal appeals court has temporarily paused enforcement of the ruling but has not yet decided whether to grant a longer-term stay.
    Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 2, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party on Nov. 4, 2025, in New York.
    Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party on Nov. 4, 2025, in New York. The new mayor named a former teacher and principal and current superintendent as chancellor of the city’s public schools.
    Yuki Iwamura/AP
    States Zohran Mamdani Picks Manhattan Superintendent as NYC Schools Chancellor
    Kamar Samuels is a veteran educator of the nation's largest school system.
    Cayla Bamberger & Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, December 31, 2025
    •
    2 min read
    Randi Weingarten speaks at a press conference at Murrell Dobbins Career & Technical Education High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on September 2, 2025.
    Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, speaks at a press conference in Philadelphia on Sept. 2, 2025. Weingarten says that cuts to federal education funds by the Trump administration "are only hurting young people."
    Rachel Wisniewski for Education Week
    Education Funding ‘Terminated on a Whim’: The AFT Sues Trump’s Ed. Dept. Over Funding Cuts
    The AFT and a Chicago-area nonprofit argue the cuts happened without following required procedures.
    Lauraine Langreo & Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, December 30, 2025
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    4 min read
    Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it is discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
    Demonstrators hold up signs protesting an immigration bill as it was discussed in the Senate chamber at the state Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., on April 10, 2025. The bill, which legislators paused, would have allowed schools in the state to require undocumented students to pay tuition. It was one of six efforts taken by states in 2025 to limit undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    John Amis/AP
    States Undocumented Students Still Have a Right to Education. Will That Change in 2026?
    State-level challenges to a landmark 1982 Supreme Court ruling are on the rise.
    Ileana Najarro, December 29, 2025
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    5 min read
    Reducing, removing or overcoming financial barriers, financial concept : US dollar bag on a maze puzzle.
    William Potter/iStock
    Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Canceled by Trump Might Still Survive
    The end of funding could still be days away, but a new court order offers some hope for grantees.
    Matthew Stone, December 24, 2025
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    6 min read
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Resources

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?
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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School & District Management Sponsor Supercharged by STEM Learning: How FIRST® Robotics Boosted Volusia County Students’ State Exam Scores by 50%
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Content provided by FIRST
Mathematics Spotlight Spotlight on Building Foundational Math Skills and Beyond
This Spotlight will provide insights on helping students build foundational math skills.
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  • 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. 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 ruled against the district.
    Charlie Neuman for The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS
    Law & Courts Schools Can’t Bar Teachers From Telling Parents If Kids Are Transgender, Judge Rules
    The injunction bans any public school employee from misleading parents about their child’s gender presentation at school.
    Kristen Taketa, The San Diego Union-Tribune, December 24, 2025
    •
    5 min read
    Photo of stone columns.
    E+
    Law & Courts Federal Appeals Court Upholds 8th Grader's Expulsion Over Gun Comments in Class
    Shortly after a nearby mass school shooting, a student allegedly discussed bringing a gun to school.
    Mark Walsh, December 22, 2025
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    3 min read
    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.
    President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. Trump's executive actions prompted legal challenges virtually from the moment he took office, and education-related policies were not immune.
    Matt Rourke/AP
    Law & Courts Trump's Education Policies Spurred 72 Lawsuits in 2025. How Many Is He Winning?
    The legal challenges show which policies have had a big impact and how 2026 could go.
    Matthew Stone, December 22, 2025
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    5 min read
    Photo illustration of legal books, scales and gavel.
    iStock
    Law & Courts From Ten Commandments to Tariffs: A Fall Legal Roundup
    Key court cases on transgender rights, religion, speech, and policy could reshape U.S. schools.
    Mark Walsh, December 22, 2025
    •
    7 min read
    Genesis Olivio and her daughter Arlette, 2, read a book together in a room within the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024 in Denver. 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.
    Genesis Olivio and daughter Arlette, 2, read a book in one of Denver Public Schools' community hubs in March 2024. The community hubs, which offer food pantries, GED classes, and other services, are similar to what schools across the country have developed with the help of federal Community Schools grants, many of which the U.S. Department of Education has prematurely terminated.
    Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
    Education Funding 'A Gut Punch’: What Trump’s New $168 Million Cut Means for Community Schools
    School districts in 11 states will imminently lose federal funds that help them cover staff salaries.
    Mark Lieberman, December 18, 2025
    •
    10 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 Rick Hess' Top 10 Hits of 2025
    In a year full of education news, what cut through the noise?
    Rick Hess, December 18, 2025
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    2 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
•
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
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