Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Federal Trump Admin. Drops Legal Appeal Over Anti-DEI Funding Threat to Schools and Colleges
It leaves in place a federal judge’s decision finding that the anti-DEI effort violated the First Amendment and federal procedural rules.
The Associated Press
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1 min read
Law & Courts Full Appeals Court Signals Openness to Ten Commandments Classroom Laws
The full 5th Circuit seemed sympathetic to unblocking two laws requiring Ten Commandments displays.
Mark Walsh
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5 min read
Education Funding Rebuking Trump, Congress Moves to Maintain Most Federal Education Funding
Funding for key programs like Title I and IDEA are on track to remain level year over year.
Mark Lieberman
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8 min read
Law & Courts TikTok Settles as Social Media Giants Face Landmark Trial Over Youth Addiction Claims
Trial centers on criticisms that the platforms deliberately addict and harm children.
The Associated Press
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5 min read
Social Media Kids Ohio 24005836447288
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Federal Could Another Federal Shutdown Affect Education? What We Know
After federal agents shot a Minneapolis man on Saturday, Democrats are now pulling support for a spending bill due by Friday.
Mark Lieberman
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5 min read
The US Capitol is seen on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington. Another federal shutdown that could impact education looms and could begin as soon as this weekend.
The U.S. Capitol is seen on Jan. 22, 2026, in Washington. Another federal shutdown that could affect education looms if senators don't pass a funding bill by this weekend.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
School Choice & Charters Federal Program Will Bring Private School Choice to At Least 4 New States
More state decisions on opting into the first federal private school choice program are rolling in.
Matthew Stone
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6 min read
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks during a news conference Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.. Lee presented the Education Freedom Scholarship Act of 2024, his administration's legislative proposal to establish statewide universal school choice.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee speaks in favor of establishing a statewide, universal private school choice program on Nov. 28, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Tennessee lawmakers passed that proposal, and Lee is also opting Tennessee into the first federal tax-credit scholarship program that will make publicly funded private school scholarships available to families. Tennessee is one of 21 participating states and counting.
George Walker IV/AP
Law & Courts The Stark Divide in the States Recouping K-12 Grants Cut by Trump's Ed. Dept.
A fifth of lawsuits challenging Trump admin. education policies have come from multistate coalitions.
Matthew Stone
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8 min read
Students sit on bleachers after science, technology, engineering and mathematics activities, facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center, in Simpsonville Elementary School, Nov. 18, 2025, in Simpsonville, Ky.
Students sit on bleachers after STEM activities facilitated by the Kentucky Science Center at Simpsonville Elementary School in Simpsonville, Ky., on Nov. 18, 2025. The school district serving Simpsonville is one of nine in north-central Kentucky that was able to hire new school counselors with the help of a federal grant that the Trump administration terminated last year.
Jon Cherry/AP

Events

Wed., January 28, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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College & Workforce Readiness Webinar Smarter Tools, Stronger Outcomes: Empowering CTE Educators With Future-Ready Solutions
Open doors to meaningful, hands-on careers with research-backed insights, ideas, and examples of successful CTE programs.
Content provided by Pearson
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Thu., January 29, 2026, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
School Climate & Safety Webinar Strategies for Improving School Climate and Safety
Discover strategies that K-12 districts have utilized inside and outside the classroom to establish a positive school climate.
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Fri., January 30, 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.
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Artificial Intelligence Webinar Decision Time: The Future of Teaching and Learning in the AI Era
The AI revolution is already here. Will it strengthen instruction or set it back? Join us to explore the future of teaching and learning.
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More Policy & Politics

  • President Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts at the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington.
    President Donald Trump signs his signature bill of tax breaks and spending cuts, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, at the White House on July 4, 2025, in Washington. States are considering whether to incorporate the tax changes into their own tax codes, which will results in lower state revenue collections that could strain school budgets.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Education Funding Schools Brace for Mid-Year Cuts as 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Changes Begin
    State decisions on incorporating federal tax cuts into their own tax codes could strain school budgets.
    Mark Lieberman, January 13, 2026
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    7 min read
    School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
    School bus outside Patterson High School in St. Mary Parish, in Louisiana.
    Brad Kemp/The Advocate
    Law & Courts After 60 Years, a Louisiana District Fights to Exit Federal Desegregation Order
    St. Mary Parish is on the frontlines of a legal battle to end ongoing school desegregation cases dating back to the civil rights era.
    Patrick Wall, The Advocate, Baton Rouge, La., January 12, 2026
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    6 min read
    Fifteen year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson tosses a discus at home in West Virginia.
    Fifteen-year-old Becky Pepper-Jackson tosses a discus at home in West Virginia. Her challenge to the state’s ban on transgender girls in school sports is now before the U.S. Supreme Court.
    Scout Tufankjian/ACLU
    Law & Courts School Sports Case Reaches the Supreme Court at a Fraught Time for Trans Rights
    The justices will consider state laws that bar transgender girls from participating in female sports.
    Mark Walsh, January 9, 2026
    •
    8 min read
    Students ride tricycles during aftercare at a Head Start program run by Easterseals, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami.
    Students ride tricycles during aftercare at a Head Start program run by Easterseals, an organization that gets about a third of its funding from the federal government, Jan. 29, 2025, in Miami.
    Rebecca Blackwell/AP
    Law & Courts Judge Bars Trump Admin. From Purging DEI Terms From Head Start Funding Requests
    The federal judge also prohibited further layoffs of staff from the federal Office of Head Start.
    The Associated Press, January 9, 2026
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    2 min read
    Students in Chad Wright’s construction program work on measurements at the Regional Occupational Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif.
    Students in Chad Wright’s construction program work on measurements at the Regional Occupational Center on Jan. 11, 2023, in Bakersfield, Calif. A newly released policy agenda from a coalition of center-left Democrats focuses heavily on career training.
    Morgan Lieberman for Education Week
    Federal A Major Democratic Group Thinks This Education Policy Is a Winning Issue
    An agenda from center-left Democrats could foreshadow how they discuss education on the campaign trail.
    Alyson Klein, January 9, 2026
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    4 min read
    The end of a bar chart made of pencils with a line graph drawn over it.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty + Education Week
    Federal Opinion The Federal Government Hasn’t Been Meeting Our Need for Unbiased Ed. Research
    Trump’s attacks on data collection are misguided—but that doesn’t mean it was working before.
    Rick Hess, January 8, 2026
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    5 min read
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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 ▼

EdWeek Market Brief

Regulation & Policy K-12 Insider How Michigan's Process for Building Approved Literacy Materials Lists Is Raising the Bar for Companies
The state of Michigan is sending a clear message to education companies providing literacy materials and assessments, and it boils down to this: Get your evidence in order.
Emma Kate Fittes
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9 min read
Product Development Industry Insight Education Companies Can Learn A Lot From Their End-Users — Students. Here's How
If K-12 students were involved in the development of the education technology products they use every day, would it contribute to better literacy rates?
Ruksana Hussain
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7 min read
Regulation & Policy Market Analysis Texas’ Revamped Adoption System Raises Stakes for Publishers, With First Curriculum Bans Looming
The latest twist for publishers navigating Texas’ still-evolving curriculum adoption process comes via a new state law that bans curriculum placed on the state’s rejected list.
David Saleh Rauf
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7 min read
Regulation & Policy K-12 Market News Report Shows Few Districts Are Ready For Looming Accessibility Compliance Deadline — And How Vendors Can Help
New data shows that many school districts will likely have to make changes to how they evaluate digital products to meet new federal rules by April.
Alexandria Ng
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2 min read
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