Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
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
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2 min read
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
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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
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1 min read
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
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6 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
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
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12 min read
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 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
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3 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
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
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4 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

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More Policy & Politics

  • Make America Great Again hats are sold alongside other Trump memorabilia for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
    Make America Great Again hats are sold alongside other Trump memorabilia for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 30, 2025, declined to hear two cases involving political speech in public schools, including one centered on a student who alleges he was bullied and harassed by classmates and teachers after wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat.
    Apolline Guillerot-Malick/Sipa via AP Images
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Declines to Hear Cases on Teacher, Student Political Speech
    The justices refused to take up the cases of a teacher fired over social media posts and a student who alleged harassment over his MAGA hat.
    Mark Walsh, June 30, 2025
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    5 min read
    President Donald Trump speaks as reporters raise their hands to ask questions, Friday, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington.
    President Donald Trump speaks as reporters raise their hands to ask questions, June 27, 2025, in the briefing room of the White House in Washington. The Senate parliamentarian has rejected a slew of provisions in what's known as Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, including one for a nationwide private school choice program.
    Jacquelyn Martin/AP
    School Choice & Charters Federal Private School Choice Proposal Hits a Roadblock. Will Congress Persist?
    Including tax-credit scholarships in Trump's tax cut package violates Senate rules.
    Mark Lieberman, June 27, 2025
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    5 min read
    Demonstrators demand the Supreme Court uphold the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which grants citizenship to all individuals born within the country's borders, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on May 15, 2025. The Court heard oral arguments on a temporary injunction in CASA v. Trump prohibiting the administration from enforcing his executive order revoking birthright citizenship while the case makes its way through the judicial system.
    Demonstrators demand that the Supreme Court uphold the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which grants citizenship to all individuals born within the country's borders, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on May 15, 2025. The high court on June 27, 2025, allowed the Trump administration to largely implement President Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrant parents.
    Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Limits Nationwide Injunctions. Why That Matters for Education
    The Supreme Court curtailed the power of federal courts to issue broad injunctions blocking policies, which may be relevant for education.
    Mark Walsh, June 27, 2025
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    5 min read
    The computer lab is adjacent to the multi-purpose room with the Wifi dead spot on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020 in Greensboro, N.C.
    The computer lab is adjacent to the multi-purpose room with the Wifi dead spot on Friday, Oct. 23, 2020, in Greensboro, N.C. The U.S. Supreme Court on June 27, 2025, upheld the federal government’s long-running program that helps provide low-cost internet services to public institutions such as schools and libraries.
    Abby Gibbs/The News&Record via AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Upholds School E-Rate Program
    The justices weighed a constitutional challenge to the funding mechanism for the $4 billion E-rate program for school internet projects.
    Mark Walsh, June 27, 2025
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    5 min read
    Demonstrators are seen outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments were heard in Mahmoud v. Taylor on April 22, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The case contends that forcing students to participate in LGBTQ+ learning material violates First Amendment rights to exercise religious beliefs.
    Demonstrators stand outside the Supreme Court as oral arguments are heard in <i>Mahmoud</i> v. <i>Taylor</i> on April 22, 2025, in Washington. The case contends that forcing students to be exposed to LGBTQ+ curricular material violates parents' First Amendment rights to exercise their religious beliefs.
    Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Sides With Parents in LGBTQ+ Curriculum Opt-Out Case
    The justices ruled in a case on whether parents with religious objections may excuse their children from some curriculum materials.
    Mark Walsh, June 27, 2025
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    7 min read
    Image of funding stream faucets and a hand controlling the flow.
    iStock/Getty
    Education Funding Education Department Restores COVID Funds For Schools—With Some Caveats
    All state education agencies and school districts now have until March 2026 to finish spending COVID aid.
    Mark Lieberman, June 27, 2025
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    4 min read
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Special Education Spotlight Spotlight on Moving From Awareness to Engagement for Neurodiverse And Autistic Students
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School & District Management Sponsor Belonging as a Leadership Strategy: Five Practical Actions That Strengthen Learning
Belonging has become an imperative for school and district leaders navigating attendance challenges, disengagement, and staff strain. Belonging is not abstract—actions to promote belonging are central to performance and culture.
Content provided by National University
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College & Workforce Readiness Whitepaper Building a Sustainable Cyber Pathway for Students in D.C.
What happens when educators get the tools to turn student curiosity into action? See how one D.C. school partnered with CYBER.ORG to laun...
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Special Education Whitepaper Roundtable: Essentials for a High-Quality Special Education Program
In this roundtable, special education administrators will share real-world strategies for building programs that support student growth w...
Content provided by Everway
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  • Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, left, attends a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, right, Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Gov. Lee presented the Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2024, his administration's legislative proposal to establish statewide universal school choice.
    Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, left, attends a news conference with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in Nashville, Tenn. on Nov. 28, 2023. Both Republican governors have championed new programs that let families in their states use public funds for private education. The programs in both states are facing legal challenges.
    George Walker IV/AP
    School Choice & Charters The Legal Fight Over Private School Choice: Who Is Suing and Why?
    Court battles are underway—or recently wrapped up—for programs in at least nine states.
    Mark Lieberman, February 24, 2026
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    1 min read
    Various school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
    A program that helps state education departments and schools improve family engagement policies is among those the Trump administration will transfer from the U.S. Department of Education to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In this photo, school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement discussion on March 13, 2024, in Denver to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district.
    Rebecca Slezak For Education Week
    Federal Education Department Will Send More of Its Programs to Other Agencies
    Education grants for school safety, community schools, and family engagement will shift to Health and Human Services.
    Mark Lieberman, February 23, 2026
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    4 min read
    Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025.
    Students work under Ten Commandments and Bill of Rights posters on display in a classroom at Lehman High School in Kyle, Texas, Oct. 16, 2025. A federal appeals court has lifted a lower-court injunction blocking a Louisiana law that requires Ten Commandments displays, clearing the way for the law to take effect.
    Eric Gay/AP
    Law & Courts Appeals Court Allows Louisiana Ten Commandments Displays to Proceed
    The court said it was premature to rule on the constitutionality of La. Ten Commandments displays.
    Mark Walsh, February 23, 2026
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    3 min read
    Social Media Kids Trial 26050035983057
    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg leaves court after testifying in a landmark trial over whether social media platforms deliberately addict and harm children, on Feb. 18, 2026, in Los Angeles.
    AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes
    Law & Courts Social Media Companies Face Legal Reckoning Over Mental Health Harms to Children
    Some of the biggest players from Meta to TikTok are getting a chance to make their case in courtrooms around the country.
    The Associated Press, February 20, 2026
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    6 min read
    An American flag is seen upside down at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, May 31, 2024.
    An American flag hangs upside down at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington, May 31, 2024. The think tank has called on states to enact legislation that would limit undocumented students' access to free, public education.
    Jose Luis Magana/AP
    States Heritage Foundation Targets Undocumented Students’ Access to Free Education
    The conservative group put forward Project 2025, which has shaped Trump administration policy.
    Ileana Najarro, February 20, 2026
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    3 min read
    Members of the Supreme Court sit for a new group portrait following the addition of Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the Supreme Court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. Bottom row, from left, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and Associate Justice Elena Kagan. Top row, from left, Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch, Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.
    Members of the U.S. Supreme Court sit for a new group portrait following the addition of Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, at the court building in Washington, Oct. 7, 2022. On Feb. 20, 2026, the court ruled 6-3 to strike down President Donald Trump's broad tariff policies, ruling that they were not authorized by the federal statute that he cited for them.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Law & Courts Supreme Court Strikes Trump Tariffs in Case Brought by Educational Toy Companies
    Two educational toy companies were among the leading challengers to the president's tariff policies
    Mark Walsh, February 20, 2026
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    3 min read
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