Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Policy & Politics Opinion The Policy Concerns That Keep Teachers Up at Night
Efforts are spreading to restrict what topics are allowed to be taught. There are ways teachers can resist the censorship.
Larry Ferlazzo
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10 min read
Law & Courts Federal Judge Overturns New Hampshire Law on Teaching 'Divisive Concepts'
The judge holds that the law is unconstitutionally vague because it does not make clear to educators what topics they may not teach.
Mark Walsh
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4 min read
Federal A Bipartisan Bill Aims to Boost AI Education for K-12 Teachers
A new bill would create a grant program at the National Science Foundation focused on AI and K-12 schools.
Alyson Klein
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4 min read
School Choice & Charters Video Private School Choice: A Video Explainer
We're tracking the proliferation of school choice policies around the country. Here's how to get up to speed.
Libby Stanford & Jaclyn Borowski
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2 min read
School Choice Thumb BS
Federal Donald Trump's Conviction: 3 Takeaways for Educators
The conviction gives educators a backdrop to discuss elections, the judicial system, and how to evaluate biases.
Libby Stanford
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4 min read
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York, on May 30, 2024.
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury deliberations in his criminal hush money trial in New York, on May 30, 2024. The jury convicted him on all counts.
Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP
States Should Voters Decide What Schools Teach?
Californians may vote to require a new high school finance course. Critics argue it sets a bad precedent.
Evie Blad
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6 min read
A man stands behind a row of electronic voting machines covered with yellow privacy shields as he uses a touch screen to vote.
A lone voter casts his ballot for Super Tuesday at a polling station in the Van Nuys section of Los Angeles on March 5, 2024.
Richard Vogel/AP
School Choice & Charters Opinion What Would Religious Charter Schools Mean for Public Education?
Discriminating and proselytizing on the taxpayer dime will never be acceptable, writes Kevin G. Welner.
Kevin G. Welner
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5 min read
A green apple with a cross shaped stem in between red apples.
Richard Mia for Education Week

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More Policy & Politics

  • People mill around the third floor of the Kansas Statehouse in front of a Brown v. Board of Education mural before hearing from speakers recognizing the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case on April 29, 2024, in Topeka, Kan.
    People mill around the third floor of the Kansas Statehouse in front of a <i>Brown </i>v. <i>Board of Education</i> mural before hearing from speakers recognizing the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case on April 29, 2024, in Topeka, Kan.
    Evert Nelson/The Topeka Capital-Journal via AP
    Law & Courts Brown v. Board of Education: 70 Years of Progress and Challenges
    The milestone for the historic 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down racial segregation in schools is marked by a range of tributes
    Mark Walsh, May 14, 2024
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    12 min read
    From left, David Banks, chancellor of New York Public schools, speaks next to Karla Silvestre, President of the Montgomery Count (Md.) Board of Education, Emerson Sykes, Staff Attorney with the ACLU, and Enikia Ford Morthel, Superintendent of the Berkeley United School District, during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, at the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, on May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
    From left, David Banks, chancellor of New York City schools, speaks next to Karla Silvestre, president of the Montgomery County, Md., school board; Emerson Sykes, staff attorney with the ACLU; and Enikia Ford Morthel, superintendent of the Berkeley Unified school district in Berkeley, Calif., during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, at the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, on May 8, 2024, in Washington.
    Jacquelyn Martin/AP
    Federal K-12 Leaders Denounce Antisemitism But Reject That It's Rampant in Schools
    Three school district leaders said they're committed to rooting out antisemitism during a hearing in Congress.
    Libby Stanford, May 8, 2024
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    6 min read
    Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington.
    U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona testifies during a House Committee on Education and Workforce hearing on Capitol Hill on May 7 in Washington.
    Mariam Zuhaib/AP
    Federal Miguel Cardona in the Hot Seat: 4 Takeaways From a Contentious House Hearing
    FAFSA, rising antisemitism, and Title IX dominated questioning at a U.S. House hearing with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.
    Libby Stanford, May 7, 2024
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    6 min read
    Photo illustration of school building and piggy bank.
    F. Sheehan for Education Week + iStock / Getty Images Plus
    Education Funding What New School Spending Data Show About a Coming Fiscal Cliff
    New data show just what COVID-relief funds did to overall school spending—and the size of the hole they might leave in school budgets.
    Mark Lieberman, May 7, 2024
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    4 min read
    U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during Education Week’s 2024 Leadership Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va., on May 2, 2024.
    U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona speaks during Education Week’s 2024 Leadership Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Va., on May 2, 2024.
    Sam Mallon/Education Week
    Federal Arming Teachers Could Cause 'Accidents and More Tragedy,' Miguel Cardona Says
    "This is not in my opinion a smart option,” the education secretary said at an EdWeek event.
    Mark Lieberman, May 2, 2024
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    4 min read
    Image of a pencil holder filled with a variety of colored pencils that match the background with international flags.
    Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
    Federal Opinion Should Migrant Families Pay Tuition for Public School?
    The answer must reflect an outlook that is pro-immigration, pro-compassion, and pro-law and order, writes Michael J. Petrilli.
    Michael J. Petrilli, May 2, 2024
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    4 min read
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Resources

School & District Management Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About the School District Technology Leader?
The tech director at school districts is a key player when it comes to purchasing. Test your knowledge of this key buyer persona and see how your results stack up with your peers.
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Assessment Sponsor Testing Season: Who Are We Really Testing For? Transforming Assessments from Obstacles to Opportunities
As another testing season approaches, a familiar question weighs heavily on our minds: who are these tests serving?
Content provided by Achievement Network
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Mathematics Whitepaper Math Gatherings: A New Approach to Collaborative Math Instruction
Learn how math gatherings provide a collaborative approach to math instruction.
Content provided by Solution Tree
Reading & Literacy Spotlight Spotlight on The Science of Reading in Practice
This Spotlight will help you analyze new curricula designed to build knowledge, review the benefits of reading aloud to students, and more.
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  • Illustration of checklist.
    F. Sheehan for Education Week + iStock / Getty Images Plus
    Federal New Title IX Rule Could Actually Simplify Some Things for Districts, Lawyers Say
    School districts could field more harassment complaints, but they can streamline how they handle them, according to legal experts.
    Libby Stanford, May 1, 2024
    •
    7 min read
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus. Four Republican-led states filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the Biden administration's new Title IX regulation, which among other things would codify protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Law & Courts Republican-Led States Sue to Block New Title IX Rule
    A pair of lawsuits focus on the rule's protections for students' gender identity.
    Mark Walsh, April 29, 2024
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    5 min read
    Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a special state Board of Education meeting on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City.
    Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters presides over a state Board of Education meeting about Title IX regulations on April 12, 2023, in Oklahoma City. The state is among several whose leaders plan to defy new Biden administration regulations on Title IX, which covers sex discrimination.
    Sue Ogrocki/AP
    States States Direct Districts to Defy New Title IX Rule on Transgender Students
    Some districts could be in a perilous legal squeeze play between their states and the feds.
    Evie Blad, April 26, 2024
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    4 min read
    Photo of superintendent meeting with staff.
    E+ / Getty
    States Superintendent Vacancies Are High. Is Loosening Requirements a Good Idea?
    Wisconsin's governor, a former educator, vetoed a bill that would have waived licensure requirements for district leaders.
    Evie Blad, April 22, 2024
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    3 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Policy & Politics Opinion Where Do Democrats Stand on Education?
    The politics of education reform have shifted drastically since the Obama era. How has one Democratic education group responded?
    Rick Hess, April 22, 2024
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    7 min read
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Demonstrators advocating for transgender rights and healthcare stand outside of the Ohio Statehouse on Jan. 24, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under rules finalized Friday, April19, 2024, by the Biden administration. Notably absent from Biden’s policy, however, is any mention of transgender athletes.
    Patrick Orsagos/AP
    Federal New Title IX Rule Has Explicit Ban on Discrimination of LGBTQ+ Students
    The new rule, while long awaited, stops short of addressing the thorny issue of transgender athletes' participation in sports.
    Libby Stanford, April 19, 2024
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    6 min read
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EdWeek Market Brief

Purchasing Alert New Jersey District Wants End-to-End Diagnostic Solution; Va. System Shops SEL Training
A New Jersey district is looking for an end-to-end diagnostic solution, while a Virginia school system seeks SEL training for preschool teachers.
Emma Kate Fittes
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2 min read
Exclusive Data How Are School Districts Spending Their Title I Funding Money?
An EdWeek Market Brief survey asked K-12 officials how they're spending money they receive from the critical federal aid program.
Sean Cavanagh
•
7 min read
Purchasing Alert Georgia District Looks to Conduct Equity Audit; Calif. District to Add After-School Arts Program
A district in Georgia is looking for an equity audit, while a California school system seeks an after-school arts program.
Michelle Caffrey
•
2 min read
Analyst's View Do New AI Rollouts by OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft Pose an ‘Existential Threat’ to Education Companies?
GSV Ventures' Claire Zau breaks down what ambitious new AI projects announced by tech titans mean for the K-12 market.
Michelle Caffrey
•
11 min read
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