Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
States Federal Appeals Court Upholds Texas Ten Commandments Law
The 9-8 decision delivered a boost to backers of similar laws in Arkansas and Louisiana.
The Associated Press
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3 min read
Federal A Federal School Cellphone Policy? Big Barriers Stand in the Way
Other countries have nationwide restrictions, but in the U.S., states and districts have set the agenda.
Lauraine Langreo
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6 min read
Education Funding Federal Funds for Schools Will Still Flow Through Ed. Dept. System—For Now
The Trump administration has been touting its transfer of K-12 programs to the Labor Department.
Mark Lieberman
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5 min read
Federal Part-Time Tutor, Game Developer Charged With Attempted Assassination of Trump
Cole Tomas Allen apologized to friends and former students, according to a criminal complaint.
The Associated Press & Education Week Staff
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4 min read
A courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen, left, the California man arrested in the shooting incident at the correspondents dinner in Washington, appearing before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh, in federal court, Monday, April 27, 2026 in Washington. Allen worked as a part-time tutor, according to an online resume.
A courtroom sketch depicts Cole Tomas Allen appearing before Magistrate Judge Matthew J. Sharbaugh, in federal court on April 27, 2026 in Washington. Allen worked as a part-time tutor, according to an online resume.
Dana Verkouteren via AP
Federal Man Accused of Firing Weapon at Event With Trump Has Background as Tutor and Programmer
Social media posts said the individual has worked for company that has provided test-prep and academic support.
The Associated Press
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2 min read
U.S. Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington.
U.S. Secret Service agents surround President Donald Trump before he was taken from the stage after a shooting incident outside the ballroom during the White House Correspondents Dinner, Saturday, April 25, 2026, in Washington. The alleged assailant's online resume said he worked for a private tutoring company.
Alex Brandon/AP
Education Funding Trump Sidestepped Congress on More Than $1 Billion in Ed. Spending Last Year
Newly published documents show how the Ed. Dept. departed from Congress' plans.
Mark Lieberman
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13 min read
The likeness of George Washington is seen on a U.S. one dollar bill, March 13, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says it expects the federal government will be awash in debt over the next 30 years.
Newly published budget documents show the U.S. Department of Education, in the first year of President Donald Trump's second term, took roughly $1 billion Congress appropriated for specific education programs and spent it differently than how lawmakers intended—or didn't spend it all.
Matt Slocum/AP
States With Federal Commitment Shaky, States Move to Codify Protections for Homeless Students
Washington and Oregon have taken action, and others states are considering moves of their own.
Evie Blad
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4 min read
Image of a student sitting on a stoop with a school bus in the distance. Ghosted in the background is the Capitol building.
Illustration by Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty + Canva

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Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
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More Policy & Politics

  • Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer speaks with a reporter at the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington.
    Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer speaks with a reporter at the White House, Friday, Sept. 5, 2025, in Washington. Chavez-DeRemer, whose department is in the process of taking over day-to-day management of dozens of federal education programs, resigned from her post on April 20, 2026, amid allegations that she abused her position's power.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Federal Trump's Labor Secretary Leaves Cabinet After Abuse of Power Allegations
    The department she led has been taking on day-to-day management of dozens of federal K-12 programs.
    The Associated Press, April 21, 2026
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    6 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 Forgotten History of the School Choice Movement
    Long before vouchers or charter schools, Americans were already clashing over education options.
    Rick Hess, April 21, 2026
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    9 min read
    Image of the Supreme Court in the background, an LGBTQ flag waving, and symbols of wedding rings with a male and female sign incorporated in the ring shapes.
    Laura Baker/Education Week + Canva
    Law & Courts Supreme Court to Consider Whether Catholic Preschools Can Reject LGBTQ+ Families
    Catholic preschools say Colorado violated religious rights by excluding them from a state-funded program over admission policies.
    The Associated Press, April 20, 2026
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    2 min read
    Democratic Senator Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people gather to protest an immigration bill outside 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.
    Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The legislation is part of a broader push in Tennessee to require schools to collect students’ immigration status, raising concerns among educators about trust, access, and compliance with federal law.
    John Amis/AP
    States 'Not Our Job': Principals Decry a Proposal to Track Student Immigration Status
    A principals group has publicly opposed efforts to require schools to track immigration status.
    Ileana Najarro, April 17, 2026
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    5 min read
    A teacher and rising kindergarten students at Vose Elementary in Beaverton during story time on April 16, 2026. Gov. Tina Kotek asked the State Board of Education on Thursday to prohibit school districts from using student-contact days as furlough days to balance budgets, in order to preserve instructional time.
    Story time in a kindergarten class at Vose Elementary School in Beaverton, Ore., on April 16, 2026. Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek has issued an executive order in hopes of blocking any further erosion of instructional time in a state that has one of the shortest school years in the country.
    Mark Graves/The Oregonian via TNS
    States A State With a Short School Year Wants to Stop the 'Bleeding' of Classroom Time
    A new order aims to discourage districts from reducing instructional hours to fill budget gaps.
    Mark Walsh, April 17, 2026
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    4 min read
    lgbtq student backpack with rainbow spectrum flag on stairs isolated
    Education Week + iStock/Getty
    Law & Courts Opinion Why the Supreme Court’s Ruling on Conversion Therapy Matters for Schools
    A recent case puts religiously motivated speech ahead of the well-being of LGBTQ+ youth.
    Jonathon E. Sawyer , April 17, 2026
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    5 min read

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  • MVCS 5100
    A classroom is bathed in light in Colorado Springs, Colo., Feb. 12, 2026.
    Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
    States The K-12 Issues That Top Governors' Agendas
    Governors' priorities include early literacy, career education, and teacher recruitment.
    Evie Blad, April 17, 2026
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    7 min read
    A photograph of a letter from the United States Department of Education dated February 13, 2026 stating that "This letter officially provides such notice of her proposal, including rationale, to redelegate OELA's programs and duties to other offices, thereby dissolving the need for a standalone OELA."
    Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
    Federal Ed. Dept. Moves to Shutter Its Office for English Learners
    Officials plan to move all federal English-learner programs and duties out of a standalone office.
    Ileana Najarro, April 14, 2026
    •
    6 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
    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, April 10, 2026
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    3 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
    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, April 8, 2026
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    4 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
    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, April 7, 2026
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    6 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 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, April 7, 2026
    •
    7 min read

EdWeek Market Brief

Strategy & Operations Special Report State of the Industry 2026: Turning a Corner on Chaos to Find Stability and Growth
A new EdWeek Market Brief special report uncovers the worsening financial conditions many education companies are finding themselves in, while also finding growing levels of optimism for future sales.
Michelle Caffrey
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2 min read
Meeting District Needs K-12 Insider What K-12 Companies Should Know About District School Closure Efforts
Economic and population trends suggest districts may face school closures soon. Here's what a former superintendent says education companies should know about the difficult process.
Emma Kate Fittes
•
9 min read
Education Market Tracker Curriculum Adoption Cycles: Which States Are Building Approved Lists?
A state-by-state look at which curriculum adoption cycles are up next, and which subjects will be up for review and approvals, tracked by EdWeek Market Brief
Emma Kate Fittes & Maya Riser-Kositsky
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2 min read
Product Development K-12 Market News ‘Don’t Outsource the Magic’: K-12 Industry Leaders Push for Human-Centered AI
Top executives at longtime education organizations discussed how they’re balancing at-scale reliability with cutting-edge transformation at ASU+GSV.

Alexandria Ng
•
3 min read
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