Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Melania Trump Shares the Spotlight With a Robot at White House Education Event
The humanoid robot Figure 03 made history as the first robot to walk the White House red carpet.
The Associated Press
•
1 min read
Education Funding Common Questions About Education Funding
Education Week has answered some of the most common questions about education funding in the United States.
Maya Riser-Kositsky
•
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
•
14 min read
Federal Trump Administration to Move Dept. of Ed. Out of Its Longtime Offices
The move follows a year of efforts to dismantle the federal agency.
Sean Cavanagh
•
2 min read
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The agency said Thursday it will move to a different building starting this summer.
Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
Federal Q&A Why the Heritage Foundation Is Targeting Plyler v. Doe
Lora Ries explains how the Supreme Court could overturn the 1982 Plyler v. Doe decision.
Ileana Najarro
•
4 min read
A woman embraces her child outside a House hearing room during protests against a bill that would allow public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling for classes in Nashville, Tenn., March 11, 2025.
A woman embraces her child outside a hearing room at the Tennessee State Capitol during protests against a bill that would have allowed public and charter schools to deny immigrant students from enrolling in school, in Nashville, Tenn., on March 11, 2025. Lawmakers are expected to vote on an amended version of the bill that would require schools to collect students' immigration status information.
George Walker IV/AP
Education Funding Arts Education Advocates Talk About How to Elevate Their Discipline
Art education community members come together to discuss funding challenges and opportunities.
Jennifer Vilcarino
•
3 min read
DSC 4497
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 24: National arts education leaders, advocates, and policymakers gather for a couple of hours at the University Club on March 24, 2026 in Washington.
Marvin Joseph for Education Week
Federal Opinion What Our Students Deserve From New Homeland Security Secretary Mullin
The National Academy of Education calls for policy changes to ensure safer learning environments.
National Academy of Education Board of Directors
•
5 min read
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his swearing-in in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin during his swearing-in on March 24, 2026, in Washington.
Alex Brandon/AP

Events

Thu., April 09, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
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
Artificial Intelligence Webinar Managing AI in Schools: Practical Strategies for Districts
How should districts govern AI in schools? Learn practical strategies for policies, safety, transparency, and responsible adoption.
Content provided by Lightspeed Systems
Register
Wed., April 01, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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
Student Absenteeism Webinar Turning Attendance Data Into Family Action
This California district cut chronic absenteeism in half. Learn how they used insight and early action to reach families and change outcomes.
Content provided by SchoolStatus
Register
Tue., April 14, 2026, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET
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
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Climb: A New Framework for Career Readiness in the Age of AI
Discover practical strategies to redefine career readiness in K–12 and move beyond credentials to develop true capability and character.
Content provided by Pearson
Register
See More Events

More Policy & Politics

  • Large hand making pressure over group of small, silhouetted figures. Oppressions, manipulation. Contemporary art collage. Photocopy effect. Concept of world crisis, business, economy, control
    Education Week + iStock
    Federal Opinion We Shouldn’t Have to Choose Between Federal Overreach and Abandonment in K-12
    Why is federal power being used to occupy our cities but not protect our students’ civil rights?
    Sally Iverson, March 4, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    US NEWS TEXAS SCHOOL VOUCHERS DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT DA
    Kelly Hancock, Texas' acting state comptroller, speaks alongside Gov. Greg Abbott in Richland Hills, Texas, on May 17, 2022, when Hancock was a state senator. Hancock has excluded Islamic schools from Texas' new, $1 billion private school choice program, which he now oversees, according to a new lawsuit.
    Elias Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via TNS
    School Choice & Charters The Nation's Largest School Choice Program Excludes Muslim Schools, Lawsuit Says
    The largest state to allow public funds for private schooling faces its first legal challenge.
    Jennifer Vilcarino, March 3, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender in November 2025. A policy on the issue in the city’s elementary school district is the subject of a federal class-action lawsuit in which a judge just sided against the district.
    Teacher’s aide Amelia Mester, wrapped in a Pride flag, urges Escondido Union High School District not to have employees notify parents if they believe a student may be transgender at a meeting in November 2025. Two parents and two teachers from the district sued in 2023, challenging California state guidance concerning student gender transitions and parental notification. The U.S. Supreme Court has now reinstated a lower-court decision overturning those state policies.
    Charlie Neuman for The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Backs Parents in School Gender Disclosure Fight
    The Supreme Court restored an injunction blocking California policies on student gender transitions
    Mark Walsh, March 2, 2026
    •
    8 min read
    New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher and Charlie Kirk hang from the Department of Education, Sunday, March 1, 2026, in Washington.
    New banners of Booker T. Washington, Catharine Beecher, and Charlie Kirk hang from the U.S. Department of Education on March 1, 2026, in Washington.
    Allison Robbert/AP
    Federal Ed. Dept. Hangs Banner of Charlie Kirk Alongside MLK Jr., Ben Franklin
    It's part of a celebration of the nation's 250th anniversary.
    Matthew Stone, March 2, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    A first grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, on Feb. 12, 2026.
    A 1st grade classroom at a school in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Feb. 12, 2026. The U.S. Department of Education released a proposal to rework a decades-old program charged with helping states and school districts problem-solve and deploy new initiatives, calling the current structure “duplicative” and “confusing.”
    Kevin Mohatt for Education Week
    Federal Ed. Dept. Wants to Revamp Assistance Program It Calls 'Duplicative,' 'Confusing'
    The department's Comprehensive Centers have already been through a year of shakeups.
    Matthew Stone, March 2, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    The U.S. Department of Education building is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
    The U.S. Department of Education building in Washington is pictured on Oct. 24, 2025. A new report from a department adviser calls for major overhauls to the agency's research arm to facilitate timely research and easier-to-use guides for educators and state leaders.
    Maansi Srivastava for Education Week
    Federal Will the Ed. Dept. Act on Recommendations to Overhaul Its Research Arm?
    An adviser's report called for more coherence and sped-up research awards at the Institute of Education Sciences.
    Stephen Sawchuk & Matthew Stone, February 27, 2026
    •
    6 min read
    Load More ▼

Resources

Student Well-Being & Movement Spotlight Spotlight on The Science of Self-Regulation: The Missing Foundation of Academic Success
This Spotlight focuses on ways to build students’ self-management skills, a foundational predictor of academic success.
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: Is Your Literacy Plan on Track?
Where does your literacy strategy and goals stand? Is it going well, or does it need a little retooling?
Professional Development Spotlight Spotlight on Effective Professional Development: Teacher Voice, Collaboration, and Sustainable Change
This Spotlight examines how successful PD is increasingly driven by teacher leadership, collaboration, and intentional district design.
Reading & Literacy Quiz Quiz Yourself: Is Your District Truly Science of Reading Aligned?
Answer questions on the science of reading alignment in your district, including classroom materials, achievement data, and regulations.
Load More ▼
  • 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
    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, March 20, 2026
    •
    4 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
    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, March 19, 2026
    •
    3 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
    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, March 19, 2026
    •
    4 min read
    Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks to a group of event attendees for his Parent Empowerment Night event where he advocated for school choice and vouchers at Temple Christian School in Fort Worth on Thursday, March 6, 2025.
    Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks to attendees of his Parent Empowerment Night event where he advocated school choice and vouchers at Temple Christian School in Fort Worth on March 6, 2025. Texas is accepting applications for its new private school choice program for two more weeks after a judge intervened in a lawsuit claiming religious discrimination for the state's exclusion of Islamic schools.
    Chris Torres/Fort Worth Star-Telegram via TNS
    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, March 18, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing in ceremony at a Salute to Service event at an NFL football game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Minnesota Vikings, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville.
    New military recruits take the Oath of Office during a swearing-in ceremony on Nov. 10, 2024, in Jacksonville, Fla. States' education plans call for tracking students paths from the classroom to college, career, or the military, but they've struggled to access enlistment data from the U.S. Department of Defense. Through a new agreement, five states will pilot a data-sharing process with the Pentagon with hopes to expand to additional states.
    Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP
    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, March 18, 2026
    •
    3 min read
    State stamps coming apart on a data textured background
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
    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, March 16, 2026
    •
    1 min read
    Load More ▼

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