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
•
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 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
    •
    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

Classroom Technology Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Leveraging EdTech to Accelerate Learning?
Answer 7 questions on effectively leveraging EdTech to accelerate student learning.
School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Understand K-12 Leaders’ Social Media Habits?
Test your knowledge of how school and district leaders use social media—what platforms they prefer, how often they post, and getting their attention.
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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IT Infrastructure & Management Sponsor ChromeOS Flex Extends Usability of End-of-Life Devices
As school technology budgets face increasing scrutiny, administrators seek innovative and cost-effective solutions for their existing device fleets. ChromeOS Flex has emerged as a powerful problem-solver, offering a way to revitalize aging PCs and Macs by extending their lifespan and bringing the benefits of ChromeOS to familiar hardware.
Content provided by Google for Education
English Learners Spotlight Spotlight on Supporting Emergent Bilinguals
This Spotlight will explore strategies to best support English learners in their language acquisition and academic success.
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  • 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
    •
    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
    •
    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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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
•
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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