Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
School Choice & Charters Opinion Does School Choice 'Work'?
Ultimately, the “how” of educational choice may matter more than the “what.”
Rick Hess
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10 min read
Law & Courts Supreme Court Turns Down Case Challenging School District's Transgender Policies
The case involves a policy allowing information to be withheld from parents considered not supportive of a gender-transitioning child.
Mark Walsh
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3 min read
School Choice & Charters Opinion 'Control Freaks' Are 'Losing Their Grip' on Education
"School choice evangelist" says new laws are a response to unions, bureaucracies, and K-12 ideologues.
Rick Hess
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12 min read
Law & Courts Federal Judge Overturns New Hampshire Law on Teaching 'Divisive Concepts'
The judge holds that the law is unconstitutionally vague because it does not make clear to educators what topics they may not teach.
Mark Walsh
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4 min read
Students walk into the front doors at Hinsdale Middle High School, in Hinsdale, N.H., on the first day of school on Aug. 30, 2022.
Students walk into Hinsdale Middle High School, in Hinsdale, N.H., in August 2022. A federal judge has struck down a New Hampshire law that bars the teaching of "divisive concepts" to K-12 students.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
Federal A Bipartisan Bill Aims to Boost AI Education for K-12 Teachers
A new bill would create a grant program at the National Science Foundation focused on AI and K-12 schools.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
Highway directional sign for AI Artificial Intelligence
Matjaz Boncina/iStock/Getty
School Choice & Charters Private School Choice Continues to Spread. 3 Things to Know
New research shows private schools increase tuition when states send public funds for parents to spend on private education.
Mark Lieberman
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6 min read
Image of private school kids outside in the school yard.
E+
States Is Bipartisan Education Policy Still Possible?
It's still possible to forge cross-party education policy coalitions, advocates said.
Evie Blad
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5 min read
Image of a small U.S. flag in a pencil case.
iStock/Getty

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More Policy & Politics

  • Image of a pencil holder filled with a variety of colored pencils that match the background with international flags.
    Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
    Federal Opinion Should Migrant Families Pay Tuition for Public School?
    The answer must reflect an outlook that is pro-immigration, pro-compassion, and pro-law and order, writes Michael J. Petrilli.
    Michael J. Petrilli, May 2, 2024
    •
    4 min read
    Illustration of checklist.
    F. Sheehan for Education Week + iStock / Getty Images Plus
    Federal New Title IX Rule Could Actually Simplify Some Things for Districts, Lawyers Say
    School districts could field more harassment complaints, but they can streamline how they handle them, according to legal experts.
    Libby Stanford, May 1, 2024
    •
    7 min read
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Law & Courts Republican-Led States Sue to Block New Title IX Rule
    A pair of lawsuits focus on the rule's protections for students' gender identity.
    Mark Walsh, April 29, 2024
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    5 min read
    Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a special state Board of Education meeting on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City.
    Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a state Board of Education meeting about Title IX regulations on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City. The state is among several whose leaders plan to defy new Biden administration regulations on Title IX, which covers sex discrimination.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    States States Direct Districts to Defy New Title IX Rule on Transgender Students
    Some districts could be in a perilous legal squeeze play between their states and the feds.
    Evie Blad, April 26, 2024
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    4 min read
    Photo of superintendent meeting with staff.
    E+ / Getty
    States Superintendent Vacancies Are High. Is Loosening Requirements a Good Idea?
    Wisconsin's governor, a former educator, vetoed a bill that would have waived licensure requirements for district leaders.
    Evie Blad, April 22, 2024
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    3 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Policy & Politics Opinion Where Do Democrats Stand on Education?
    The politics of education reform have shifted drastically since the Obama era. How has one Democratic education group responded?
    Rick Hess, April 22, 2024
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    7 min read
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As another testing season approaches, a familiar question weighs heavily on our minds: who are these tests serving?
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Learn how math gatherings provide a collaborative approach to math instruction.
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Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on The Science of Reading in Practice
This Spotlight will help you analyze new curricula designed to build knowledge, review the benefits of reading aloud to students, and more.
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  • Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Federal New Title IX Rule Has Explicit Ban on Discrimination of LGBTQ+ Students
    The new rule, while long awaited, stops short of addressing the thorny issue of transgender athletes' participation in sports.
    Libby Stanford, April 19, 2024
    •
    6 min read
    Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 16, 2022.
    Light illuminates part of the Supreme Court building at dusk on Capitol Hill in Washington, Nov. 16, 2022. The high court on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, made it easier for workers, including educators, to sue over job transfers.
    Patrick Semansky/AP
    Law & Courts Why It Will Now Be Easier for Educators to Sue Over Job Transfers
    The case asked whether transferred employees had to show a 'significant' change in job conditions to sue under Title VII. The court said no.
    Mark Walsh, April 17, 2024
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    8 min read
    Illustration of many roads and road signs going in different directions with falling money all around.
    iStock/Getty
    Education Funding When There's More Money for Schools, Is There an 'Objective' Way to Hand It Out?
    A fight over the school funding formula in Mississippi is kicking up old debates over how to best target aid.
    Mark Lieberman, April 17, 2024
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    7 min read
    Illustration of woman turning back hands on clock.
    Education Week + iStock / Getty Images Plus Week
    Education Funding Explainer How Can Districts Get More Time to Spend ESSER Dollars? An Explainer
    Districts can get up to 14 additional months to spend ESSER dollars on contracts—if their state and the federal government both approve.
    Mark Lieberman, April 11, 2024
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    4 min read
    Four roses are placed on a fence to honor Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17, the four teens killed in last week's shooting, outside Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.
    Four roses are placed on a fence outside Oxford High School in Oxford, Mich., honor Hana St. Juliana, 14, Madisyn Baldwin, 17, Tate Myre, 16, and Justin Shilling, 17, the four teens killed in the Nov. 30, 2021, shooting at the school.
    Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP
    Law & Courts Oxford School Shooter's Parents Were Convicted. Holding District Liable Could Be Tougher
    The conviction of parents in the Oxford, Mich., case expanded the scope of responsibility, but it remains difficult to hold schools liable.
    Mark Walsh, April 10, 2024
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    12 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Policy & Politics Opinion Is Education Research Too Political?
    Outgoing Institute of Education Sciences Director Mark Schneider laments politicization at the Ed. Department—and in academia writ large.
    Rick Hess, April 10, 2024
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    7 min read
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EdWeek Market Brief

Marketplace K-12 IXL Learning Faces Lawsuit Over Claims of Violating Children’s Data Privacy
The company is alleged to have failed to obtain consent for its collection and use of children’s data.
Alexandria Ng
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3 min read
Purchasing Alert Texas District Needs PD Across K-12; N.J. System Seeks Assessment, Data System
A Texas district is looking for a PD provider, while a New Jersey school system seeks an assessment management and data warehouse system.
Emma Kate Fittes
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2 min read
Exclusive Data Where Instructional Materials (Still) Fall Short in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Diversity
A new EdWeek Market Brief survey of K-12 officials finds that support for teachers in navigating complex topics continues to lag.
Michelle Caffrey
•
11 min read
Market Trends “Building for Our Younger Selves”: How Teams With Learning Differences Shape Education Products
The experience of an autistic education company CEO offers lessons for education companies on how staff with learning differences can influence product design.
Alexandria Ng
•
14 min read
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