Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
School Choice & Charters Families Get 2 More Weeks to Apply for Nation's Largest School Choice Program
Lawsuits say Texas is discriminating by excluding Islamic schools from the private school choice program.
Jennifer Vilcarino
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3 min read
States What Happens to Students Who Join the Military? A New Effort Aims to Find Out
A pilot will allow states to use Pentagon data to track students from the classroom to the military.
Evie Blad
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3 min read
Every Student Succeeds Act See Which States Want Ed. Dept.'s OK to Change Testing, Federal School Funding
States are seeking potentially significant changes to implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act.
Alyson Klein
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1 min read
Federal Where Are Ed. Dept. Programs Moving? Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
More than 100 programs run by the U.S. Department of Education are shifting to other agencies.
Mark Lieberman
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14 min read
Image of an office chair moving over a map of Washington D.C.
Laura Baker/Education Week + Getty
Every Student Succeeds Act These Factors Make a School More Likely to Be Labeled Failing
Schools that educate large numbers of students of color and low-income children are most at risk.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
Classroom supplies are seen in a classroom in Bowie, Md., on Aug. 15, 2025. Equity sticks are a system the teacher uses to call on students by randomly assigned number.
A new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office examines the factors that make it more or less likely a school will be labeled underperforming.
Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
Federal Treasury Dept. Takes Over Student Loans as Ed. Dept. Hands Off More Programs
The Education Department is handing off a portion of its student loan portfolio to Treasury.
The Associated Press
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3 min read
The Treasury Department building is seen, on March 13, 2025, in Washington.
The Treasury Department building is seen, on March 13, 2025, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP
States Q&A This State Stepped In When the Feds Stopped Honoring Schools' Environmental Work
The Trump administration last year ended the Green Ribbon Schools recognition program.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens
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4 min read
West De Pere High School is committed to sustainability and environmental stewardship, focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing environmental literacy through facility upgrades such as LED lighting, motion sensors and advanced HVAC systems. To further explore energy, students have opportunities to explore alternative energy, including participation in the annual Wisconsin Public Service Solar Olympics Challenge. Going the extra mile, West De Pere hosts recycling drives that successfully collected 117 pounds of batteries and Christmas lights last year alone. The school's physical education program fosters a deep appreciation for the natural world, offering diverse activities like biking, fishing, and archery that emphasize physical health and lifelong skills. Additionally, West De Pere's involvement in the Farm to Table program highlights the importance of local produce, complemented by a school greenhouse that enhances hands-on learning. Through these initiatives, West De Pere High School is empowering students to become proactive stewards of the environment and advocates for sustainability in their communities.
West De Pere High School in De Pere, Wis., was a 2025 honoree in the state's Green and Healthy Schools Wisconsin program. The state expanded that recognition program honoring schools' sustainability work after the U.S. Department of Education ended its Green Ribbon Schools program last year.
Courtesy of Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

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More Policy & Politics

  • As part of the program, the Business students at Donald M. Payne Sr. Tech Campus in Newark, NJ on Feb. 26, 2026m have access to computers with subscriptions to the latest software to help them prepare for the workforce.
    Business students at the Donald M. Payne Sr. School of Technology in Newark, N.J., work in a computer lab on Feb. 25, 2026. A U.S. Department of Education grant was helping students in business and other fields at the school access enrichment programming, college courses, and financial support after graduation. But the department terminated the grant, along with 18 other similar awards across the country, last summer.
    Oliver Farshi for Education Week
    Education Funding The Trump Admin. Says It Supports Career-Tech. Ed. It Canceled CTE Grants Anyway
    Nineteen projects—many in rural areas—lost funding that was helping students prepare for college and careers.
    Mark Lieberman & Lauraine Langreo, February 26, 2026
    •
    12 min read
    Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025.
    Pictures show what mouth shape different sounds make on the walls of Diana Oviedo-Holguin’s class at Heritage Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, on Sept. 3, 2025. While educators feel relieved that federal dollars for supplemental English-learner resources will continue in the next fiscal year, they remain uncertain for the years to come.
    Noah Devereaux for Education Week
    Education Funding Educators Warn Flat English Learner Funding Falls Short of Growing Demand
    Educators remain uncertain about the future of federal funds for English learners.
    Ileana Najarro, February 26, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley speaks during a news conference at the Knock Knock Children's Museum, in Baton Rouge, La., on Aug. 11, 2021.
    Louisiana schools Superintendent Cade Brumley holds a news conference in Baton Rouge on Aug. 11, 2021. The U.S. Department of Education has approved the state's request for modest flexibility over how districts use federal education funds issued under the Every Student Succeeds Act.
    Bill Feig/The Advocate via AP
    Every Student Succeeds Act Another State Gets Modest Leeway From Ed. Dept. Are More Waivers Coming?
    The Trump administration gave another state more authority to let school districts manage their federal funds.
    Alyson Klein, February 25, 2026
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    4 min read
    Media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif.
    News media stage outside the home of Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in San Pedro, Calif. The FBI searched his house and LAUSD headquarters but has not detailed what prompted the search.
    William Liang/AP
    States FBI Searches Los Angeles District's Headquarters and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's Home
    The FBI would not comment on the nature of the investigation.
    The Associated Press, February 25, 2026
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    2 min read
    President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026.
    President Donald Trump enters to deliver the State of the Union address to a joint session of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. The president devoted little time in the speech to discussing his education policies.
    Kenny Holston/The New York Times via AP, Pool
    Federal Trump Talks Up AI in State of the Union, But Not Much Else About Education
    The president didn't mention two of his cornerstone education policies from the past year.
    Alyson Klein, February 25, 2026
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    4 min read
    School Choice & Charters Video Private School Choice Is Growing. What Comes Next?
    States are investing billions of dollars in public funds for families to use on private schooling.
    Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen, February 24, 2026
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    1 min read
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Resources

College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on Where Learning Meets Opportunity: Connecting Classrooms to Careers Through Real-World Learning
This Spotlight highlights a growing shift toward career-connected learning, which blends academic content with real-world applications.
Student Achievement Spotlight Spotlight on Prevention Over Remediation: The Role of Strong Tier 1 Instruction in MTSS
This Spotlight highlights how effective Tier 1 instruction in grades K–5 can improve literacy and math outcomes.
College & Workforce Readiness Spotlight Spotlight on How Schools Can Elevate Their CTE Offerings
CTE is evolving to meet the demands of a high-tech economy by including AI literacy, advanced technical skills, and real-world experience.
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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Reading & Literacy Whitepaper Supporting Adolescent Readers with Word Recognition & Leadership
Designed for secondary educators and leaders, this white paper provides practical examples of explicit literacy instruction that strength...
Content provided by AIM Institute
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  • A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop as a school bus passes on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, in Minneapolis.
    A sign reading "Protect Neighbors" is posted near a bus stop in Minneapolis on Jan. 30, 2026. A lawsuit from two Minnesota school districts and the state's teachers' union says immigration agents have detained people and staged enforcement actions at or near schools, school bus stops, and daycare centers.
    Kerem Yücel /Minnesota Public Radio via AP
    Law & Courts Educators Sue Over ICE Activity on School Grounds and Nearby
    The challenge targets the Trump administration's revocation of a policy that limited immigration enforcement at schools.
    Alyson Klein, February 4, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    Commuters walk past the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Eduction, which were ordered closed for the day for what officials described as security reasons amid large-scale layoffs, on March 12, 2025, in Washington.
    The U.S. Department of Education spent up to $38 million last year to pay civil rights staffers who remained on administrative leave while the agency tried to lay them off.
    Mark Schiefelbein/AP
    Federal Ed. Dept. Paid Civil Rights Staffers Up to $38 Million as It Tried to Lay Them Off
    A report from Congress' watchdog looks into the Trump Admin.'s efforts to downsize the Education Department.
    Alyson Klein, February 3, 2026
    •
    5 min read
    20260203 AMX US NEWS COULD TEXAS SCHOOL VOUCHER PROGRAM 1 DA
    Enrollment in private school choice programs has grown quickly around the country in recent years. Applications open this month for Texas' newly created private school choice program, the largest such program in the country. Private "microschools"—such as the Humanist Academy in Irving, Texas, shown on Jan. 8, 2026—could benefit.
    Juan Figueroa/ The Dallas Morning News via Tribune Content Agency
    School Choice & Charters Where Private School Choice Enrollment—and Spending—Is Surging
    States have devoted billions of dollars recently in public funds families can use on private schooling.
    Mark Lieberman, February 3, 2026
    •
    13 min read
    Congress Shutdown 26034657431919
    Congress has passed a budget that rejects the Trump administration’s proposals to slash billions of dollars from federal education investments, ending a partial government shutdown. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and fellow House Republican leaders speak ahead of a key budget vote on Feb. 3, 2026.
    AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
    Education Funding Congress Has Passed an Education Budget. See How Key Programs Are Affected
    Federal funding for low-income students and special education will remain level year over year.
    Mark Lieberman, February 3, 2026
    •
    2 min read
    Photo collage of 3 photos. Clockwise from left: Scarlett Rasmussen, 8, tosses a ball with other classmates underneath a play structure during recess at Parkside Elementary School on May 17, 2023, in Grants Pass, Ore. Chelsea Rasmussen has fought for more than a year for her daughter, Scarlett, to attend full days at Parkside. A proposed ban on transgender athletes playing female school sports in Utah would affect transgender girls like this 12-year-old swimmer seen at a pool in Utah on Feb. 22, 2021. A Morris-Union Jointure Commission student is seen playing a racing game in the e-sports lab at Morris-Union Jointure Commission in Warren, N.J., on Jan. 15, 2025.
    Federal education grant terminations and disruptions during the Trump administration's first year touched programs training teachers, expanding social services in schools, bolstering school mental health services, and more. Affected grants were spread across more than a dozen federal agencies.
    Clockwise from left: Lindsey Wasson; Michelle Gustafson for Education Week
    Education Funding Trump Slashed Billions for Education in 2025. See Our List of Affected Grants
    We've tabulated the grant programs that have had awards terminated over the past year. See our list.
    Mark Lieberman, January 27, 2026
    •
    8 min read
    Federal Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Polarized Do You Think Educators Are?
    The EdWeek Research Center examined the degree to which K-12 educators are split along partisan lines. Quiz yourself and see the results.
    Elle Butler, January 27, 2026
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    1 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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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