Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
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
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2 min read
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
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5 min read
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
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4 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
Students use their cellphones as they leave for the day the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts High School in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 13, 2024.
Students use their cellphones as they leave for the day the Ramon C. Cortines School of Visual and Performing Arts High School in downtown Los Angeles on Aug. 13, 2024.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
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
Remaining letters on the Department of Education on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Washington.
Remaining letters on the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. Despite the agency's efforts to shift management of many of its programs to the U.S. Department of Labor, key K-12 funds will continue to flow through the Education Department's grants system this summer.
Allison Robbert/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
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6 min read
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
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
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9 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

  • 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
    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
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    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

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In February 2026, Zonar and School Transportation News surveyed transportation professionals across the United States to document the pre...
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  • 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
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    7 min read
    AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete in the boys 4x800 meter relay at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., Saturday, May 31, 2025.
    AB Hernandez, a transgender student at Jurupa Valley High School, packs up her belongings under a canopy as athletes compete at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis, Calif., on May 31, 2025. The Trump administration said Monday it has terminated agreements previous administrations reached with five school districts and a college aimed to uphold rights and protections for transgender students.
    Jae C. Hong/AP
    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, April 6, 2026
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    1 min read
    Tina Descovich poses for a portrait Monday, March 23, 2026, in Washington.
    Tina Descovich poses for a portrait Monday, March 23, 2026, in Washington. The co-founder of Moms for Liberty estimates she's been to the White House a dozen times since the start of the second Trump administration, which has leaned in to many of the culture war battles the organization started fighting at the school board level five years ago.
    Allison Robbert/AP
    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, April 6, 2026
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    6 min read
    Illustration of a child with a backpack looking at game pieces and board from THE GAME OF LIFE.
    Laura Baker/Education Week + iStock
    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, April 3, 2026
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    6 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
    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, April 3, 2026
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    7 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
    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, April 1, 2026
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    6 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
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3 min read
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