Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Trump Admin. Terminates Several Agreements to Protect Transgender Students
The Education Department terminated civil rights agreements under Title IX with five school districts and a college.
The Associated Press
•
1 min read
Federal Moms for Liberty Wanted School Board Seats. They Got a Voice in the White House
Moms for Liberty is being embraced by the Trump administration and gaining new influence in national decisions.
The Associated Press
•
6 min read
States 'Success Sequence' Urges Marriage, Then Parenthood. These States Want Schools to Teach It
The decades-old concept is getting new attention, largely from Republican lawmakers.
Evie Blad
•
6 min read
Law & Courts Minn. Districts Ask Judge to Restore Immigration Enforcement Limits by Schools
Two districts say the policy change hurt attendance and cost them students.
The Associated Press
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3 min read
Fridley Superintendent Brenda Lewis speaks during a news conference in February at the Minnesota State Capitol.
Superintendent Brenda Lewis of the Fridley, Minn., school district speaks during a news conference in February 2026 at the Minnesota State Capitol. The Fridley district is one of two Minnesota school districts suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in an effort to restore restrictions on immigration enforcement in and near schools.
Carlos Gonzalez/Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
States Texas' Bible-Infused Reading List Gets an Earful at Public Hearing
The proposal to add Bible stories reflects increasing debate over religion in public school classrooms.
The Associated Press
•
4 min read
Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York.
Three bibles sit on a couch on Nov. 24, 2025, in Brooklyn, New York. A selection of Bible stories could be part of a K-12 reading list being debated in Texas.
David Crary/AP
Education Funding Trump's Budget Proposes Billions in K-12 Cuts. Will They Happen?
Trump is proposing level funding for Title I, a modest boost for special education, and major cuts elsewhere.
Mark Lieberman
•
6 min read
A third-grade teacher at the Mountain View Elementary School's Global Immersion Academy in Morganton, N.C. works with her students in the Spanish portion of the program. With the inaugural class of the Global Immersion Academy (GIA) at at the school entering fourth grade this year, Burke County Public Schools is seeing more signs of success for its dual language program.
A teacher in a North Carolina dual-language program works with her students. In his latest budget proposal, President Donald Trump once again proposes to eliminate the $890 million fund that pays for supplemental services for English learners. Schools can use Title III funds for costs tied to dual-language programs that educate English learners.
Jason Koon/The News-Herald via AP
School Choice & Charters Opinion Can School Choice Programs Stamp Out Fraud While Staying Flexible?
With the rollout of the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program, transparency is vital.
Rick Hess
•
7 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

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More Policy & Politics

  • U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
    U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, on Sept. 18, 2025.
    Leah Millis for Education Week
    Federal Linda McMahon Says 'We Have to Teach How to Disagree' After Charlie Kirk Killing
    The education secretary's conciliatory tone contrasted with others in the Trump administration amid the furor over the activist's murder.
    Mark Lieberman, September 18, 2025
    •
    3 min read
    Left: Republican Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman, chair of the West Virginia Senate Health and Human Resources Committee, holds a map of the U.S. on the Senate floor depicting the states, including West Virginia, that do not allow religious or philosophical exemptions for required school vaccinations on Feb. 21, 2025 in Charleston, West Virginia. Right: West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks during a news conference at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington on April 22, 2025.
    Left: A U.S. map of states without religious or philosophical vaccine exemptions. Right: Republican West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey speaks at a news conference in Washington on April 22, 2025. West Virginia is at the center of the ongoing debate over school vaccine mandates after Morrisey this year issued an executive order requiring religious exemptions.
    Left: Will Price/West Virginia Legislature; Right: Jose Luis Magana/AP
    Law & Courts With Childhood Vaccination Rates Falling, Debate on Religious Exemptions Grows
    There is growing pressure from parents and the Trump administration for exemptions to be expanded. The U.S. Supreme Court could decide.
    Mark Walsh, September 17, 2025
    •
    10 min read
    Students in a seventh grade civics class listen to teacher Ella Pillitteri at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. on April 16, 2024.
    Students in a 7th grade civics class listen to teacher Ella Pillitteri at A.D. Henderson School in Boca Raton, Fla. on April 16, 2024. The Trump administration's grant cancellations have hit ongoing programs that promote civics, arts, and literacy education, and more.
    Rebecca Blackwell/AP
    Education Funding Trump Admin. Cancels Dozens More Grants, Hitting Civics, Arts, and Higher Ed.
    The multi-year initiatives are abruptly losing funding midway through their grant periods.
    Mark Lieberman, September 16, 2025
    •
    10 min read
    Addison's Ava Bartlett attacks during Class 1A play in the AHSAA North Super Regional volleyball tournament at the Finley Center in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 24, 2024.
    Student-athletes participate in a volleyball tournament in Birmingham, Ala., on Oct. 24, 2024. The Trump administration has withdrawn a proposal to change a Title IX regulation related to noncontact sports through the U.S. Department of Energy.
    Vasha Hunt/AL.com via TNS
    Federal Trump Admin. Drops Bid to Change a Title IX Rule Through Energy Dept.
    The administration has used multiple agencies to enforce its view of the sex-discrimination law.
    Matthew Stone, September 15, 2025
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    3 min read
    Vector illustration of two hands pulling apart money and it tears in unequal parts.
    iStock/Getty
    Education Funding How Efforts to Fund Schools More Equitably Actually Worsened Racial Inequality
    Researchers examined three decades of school finance reforms in 40 states.
    Evie Blad, September 11, 2025
    •
    2 min read
    The Supreme Court building is seen on April 30, 2025, in Washington.
    The U.S. Supreme Court building is seen on April 30, 2025, in Washington. The high court recently declined to pause a ruling allowing a South Carolina transgender student to use restrooms consistent with his gender identity.
    Mark Schiefelbein/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Block Transgender Boy From Male Restrooms at School
    A divided Supreme Court declined to pause an injunction blocking a South Carolina law as it applied to a transgender male student.
    Mark Walsh, September 10, 2025
    •
    2 min read
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Resources

School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Well Do You Understand The School Boards’ Role in K-12 Purchasing?
Vendors often underestimate how—and when—school boards shape deals. This quiz unpacks what you really need to know.
Families & the Community Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Building Strong School & Home Connections?
Answer 7 questions about building strong family and school connections.
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.
Sponsor
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Building Early Literacy Skills?
Answer 7 questions about students' relationships with mathematics.
Content provided by Teaching Strategies
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on MTSS: Pathways to Achievement
This Spotlight will help you explore effective MTSS implementation and strategies for supporting struggling learners.
Load More ▼
  • Stonewall Jackson High School in Shenandoah County.
    The Shenandoah County, Va. school board voted in May 2024 to rename Mountain View High School as Stonewall Jackson High School and Honey Run Elementary as Ashby Lee Elementary four years after the names had been removed. Now, a judge has found the decision to rename the high school violated students' free speech rights.
    <a href="https://virginiamercury.com/2025/09/10/federal-judge-says-restoring-stonewall-jackson-name-at-shenandoah-school-violates-students-rights/" target="_blank" link-data="{&quot;cms.site.owner&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-0561-d1f0-a17f-adef4bee0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ae3387cc-b875-31b7-b82d-63fd8d758c20&quot;},&quot;cms.content.publishDate&quot;:1757538383770,&quot;cms.content.publishUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-e988-d25a-a7ff-f9cb2a4c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;cms.content.updateDate&quot;:1757538383770,&quot;cms.content.updateUser&quot;:{&quot;_ref&quot;:&quot;00000173-e988-d25a-a7ff-f9cb2a4c0000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;6aa69ae1-35be-30dc-87e9-410da9e1cdcc&quot;},&quot;link&quot;:{&quot;disableUtmTracking&quot;:false,&quot;target&quot;:&quot;NEW&quot;,&quot;attributes&quot;:[],&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://virginiamercury.com/2025/09/10/federal-judge-says-restoring-stonewall-jackson-name-at-shenandoah-school-violates-students-rights/&quot;,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-3573-d4d3-a7db-f77343390000&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;ff658216-e70f-39d0-b660-bdfe57a5599a&quot;},&quot;linkText&quot;:&quot;Courtesy of Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury&quot;,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs.enhancementAlignment&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs._template&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs.type&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:link:Link.hbs._preset&quot;:null,&quot;theme.brightspot-theme-default.:core:enhancement:Enhancement.hbs._preset&quot;:null,&quot;_id&quot;:&quot;00000199-3573-d4d3-a7db-f77342e50001&quot;,&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;809caec9-30e2-3666-8b71-b32ddbffc288&quot;}">Courtesy of Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury</a>
    Law & Courts School's Confederate Name Violates Students' Free Speech, Judge Says
    The district was the first to reverse course and bring back Confederate names for its schools. The litigation is ongoing.
    Brooke Schultz, September 10, 2025
    •
    3 min read
    Vector illustration of a man in a suit with flashlight looking into hole in the shape of a dollar sign.
    DigitalVision Vectors
    Law & Courts Schools Sue Trump, But It's Getting Harder for Them to Recoup Money
    Judges have recently ruled against districts as they challenge Ed. Dept. funding cuts and threats in court.
    Brooke Schultz, September 10, 2025
    •
    7 min read
    A stylized, faceless student has a smooth, open head with a glowing smartphone rising from it, symbolizing the smart phone and social media's impact on NAEP scores.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
    Standards & Accountability Opinion Student Test Scores Keep Falling. What’s Really to Blame?
    There’s strong circumstantial evidence pointing to a particular culprit. (Hint: It’s not the pandemic.)
    Martin R. West, September 9, 2025
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    5 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 The Biggest Things People Don’t Know About School Choice
    The school choice debate is rife with urban myths and dubious claims.
    Rick Hess, September 9, 2025
    •
    8 min read
    A teacher at Audrey H. Lawson Middle School in Houston, Texas, marks a grade on a class worksheet on Sept. 6, 2023.
    A teacher at Audrey H. Lawson Middle School in Houston marks a grade on a worksheet on Sept. 6, 2023. Texas lawmakers have passed a bill that would drop the state's once-a-year STAAR test in favor of a model in which students are tested three times a year.
    Yi-Chin Lee/Houston Chronicle via AP
    States The Future of Annual State Testing Is in the Trump Admin.’s Hands
    The Ed. Dept. has invited states to request waivers from accountability requirements.
    Brooke Schultz, September 8, 2025
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    7 min read
    Hundreds of students stand together in prayer during an Ash Wednesday service at Flint Powers Catholic High School on March 5, 2025, in Flint, Mich.
    Hundreds of students stand together in prayer during an Ash Wednesday service at Flint Powers Catholic High School on March 5, 2025, in Flint, Mich. President Donald Trump on Monday said the U.S. Department of Education will issue guidance about the right to prayer in schools.
    Jake May/MLive.com/The Flint Journal via AP
    Federal Trump Says Ed. Dept. Will Release New Guidance on School Prayer
    The federal agency will wade into an intensified debate over the place of religion in schools.
    Brooke Schultz, September 8, 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
Read More