Policy & Politics

Education news, analysis, and opinion about the legislation, guidance, policies and people involved in federal and state government
Education Funding Nearly Half of School Finance Officials Report 'Sufficient' Federal COVID-19 Aid, For Now
A survey of local K-12 administrators also found "addressing learning loss" and ed-tech to be primary uses of relief dollars.
Andrew Ujifusa
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5 min read
Law & Courts Biden Administration, Education Groups Back School District in Student Online Speech Case
A Pennsylvania district and its allies argue that administrators need to be able to discipline students for threatening or bullying speech.
Mark Walsh
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5 min read
States Vaccine Access Speeds Up for Teachers After Biden's Declaration
The vaccine landscape for teachers shifted dramatically after President Joe Biden directed states to prioritize the K-12 workforce.
Madeline Will
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7 min read
Law & Courts Supreme Court Backs Suits Challenging School Policies That Seek Only 'Nominal' Damages
The high court rules 8-1 that students may pursue suits over government policies even when the agency has dropped the challenged policy.
Mark Walsh
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6 min read
supreme court IMG
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Reopening Plans, Private Schools, Special Education: Senate Puts Stamp on COVID-19 Bill
The revised COVID-19 relief bill provides more than $120 billion in direct K-12 public school aid and could reach President Biden quickly.
Andrew Ujifusa
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5 min read
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praises his Democratic Caucus at a news conference just after the Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, March 6, 2021.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., praises his Democratic Caucus at a news conference just after the Senate narrowly approved a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, at the Capitol in Washington, Saturday, March 6, 2021.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
Federal Biden Orders Review of Trump-Era Rule on Responding to Sexual Assault in Schools
Critics said the Trump-era rule on how schools should respond to reports of sexual assault and harassment weakened protections for accusers.
Evie Blad
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3 min read
Image of the White House seal
Bet Noire/Getty
Policy & Politics Opinion A Search for Common Ground in Schooling
Rick Hess reflects on why writing his new book with Pedro Noguera was one of the most heartening, inspiring experiences he's had in years.
Rick Hess
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3 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty

From Politics K-12 Blog

Assessment How Two Years of Pandemic Disruption Could Shake Up the Debate Over Standardized Testing
Moves to opt out of state tests and change how they're given threaten to reignite fights over high-stakes assessments.
Evie Blad
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9 min read
Image of a student at a desk.
patat/iStock/Getty
Education Funding Return of Pet Projects in Congress Could Mean More Money for Schools to Address COVID-19
"Community funding projects," also known as earmarks, could support district and nonprofit K-12 projects.
Andrew Ujifusa
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3 min read
In this Jan. 4, 2020 photo, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. On Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020, DeLauro was elected chair of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee by fellow Democrats, a position colleagues say will make her the most powerful politician from Connecticut in Washington in generations.
Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington last year. On Friday, Feb. 26, 2021, DeLauro revealed a proposal to restore the practice of earmarks after a decade-long ban in Congress.
Al Drago/Pool Photo via AP
Federal Biden Announces Goal to Get Educators the COVID-19 Vaccine This Month
President Joe Biden pushes states to get educators at least one dose by the end of March to help schools resume in-person learning.
Andrew Ujifusa
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4 min read
John Battle High School teacher Jennifer Daniel receives her COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 11, 2021. Teachers received their first vaccine during an all-day event at the Virginia Highlands Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va.
John Battle High School teacher Jennifer Daniel receives her COVID-19 vaccine on Jan. 11, 2021. Teachers received their first vaccine during an all-day event at the Virginia Highlands Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va.
David Crigger/Bristol Herald Courier via AP
Assessment A Plan for Standardized Test Scores During the Pandemic Has Gotten States' Attention
A testing expert says his idea would provide helpful data with key context, but said other measures about student well-being are crucial.
Andrew Ujifusa
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7 min read
HS class 1257213326
Getty
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Leadership Quiz Quiz Yourself: How Much Do You Know About Distance Learning Best Practices
Quiz Yourself: How much do you know about best practices for distance learning?
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English-Language Learners Spotlight Spotlight on Bilingualism and Remote Learning - Second Edition
In this Second Edition Spotlight, evaluate how schools will measure learning loss for English-learners and more.
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  • Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins the final of the 55-meter dash over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, far left, and other runners in the Connecticut girls Class S indoor track meet at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Conn on Feb. 7, 2019. Transgender athletes are getting an ally in the White House next week as they seek to participate as their identified gender in high school and college sports. Attorneys on both sides say they expect President-elect Joe Biden’s Department of Education will switch sides in legal battles that could go a long way in determining whether transgender athletes are treated by the sex on their birth certificates or by how they identify.
    Bloomfield High School transgender athlete Terry Miller, second from left, wins over transgender athlete Andraya Yearwood, far left, and other runners in an event in New Haven, Conn. The two transgender athletes are at the center of a legal fight in Connecticut over the participation of transgender female athletes in girls' or women's sports.
    Pat Eaton-Robb/AP
    Federal Biden Legal Team Steps Back From Trump Stance on Transgender Female Sports Participation
    The Education Department's office for civil rights pulls a letter that said Connecticut's transgender-inclusive policy violates Title IX.
    Mark Walsh, February 24, 2021
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    4 min read
    Thermometers, gloves, and cleaning swabs sit on a table at the entrance to the Frederickson KinderCare daycare center, in Tacoma, Wash on May 27, 2020.
    Thermometers, gloves, and cleaning swabs sit on a table at the entrance to the Frederickson KinderCare daycare center, in Tacoma, Wash on May 27, 2020. As a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, workers and children have their temperatures checked every day before they enter the building.
    Ted S. Warren/AP
    Education Funding Concern About Unspent COVID-19 School Aid Continues as Congress Moves Toward More Relief
    A congressional analysis has spurred discontent about how fast money will be spent, but some warn against over-simplifying the situation.
    Andrew Ujifusa, February 24, 2021
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    5 min read
    Suzanne Devine Clark, an art teacher at Deerfield Beach Elementary School, places painted stones at a memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2019 during the first anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
    Suzanne Devine Clark, an art teacher at Deerfield Beach Elementary School, places painted stones at a memorial outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Feb. 14, 2019 during the first anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Fla.
    Wilfredo Lee/AP
    Federal Congress Again Tries to Pass Eagles Act, Focused on School Shootings After Parkland
    A group of bipartisan Congressional lawmakers is once again trying to get a law passed aimed at preventing school violence.
    Devoun Cetoute & Carli Teproff, Miami Herald, February 24, 2021
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    2 min read
    Santa Fe High School freshman, Jai Gillard writes messages on each of the 10 crosses representing victims in front the school in Santa Fe, Texas on May 21, 2018.
    Santa Fe High School freshman, Jai Gillard writes messages on each of the 10 crosses representing victims in front the school in Santa Fe, Texas on May 21, 2018.
    Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP
    Law & Courts Accused Texas School Shooter to Remain at State Hospital
    Doctors say the student accused of fatally shooting 10 people at a Texas high school in 2018 remains incompetent to stand trial.
    The Associated Press, February 24, 2021
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    1 min read
    Linda Davila-Macal, a seventh grade reading teacher at BL Garza Middle School in Edinburg, Texas, works from her virtual classroom at her home on Aug. 31, 2020.
    A teacher leads a virtual classroom from her home.
    Delcia Lopez/The Monitor via AP
    Federal Some Districts Extend Paid Leave Policies as They Hope for Passage of Biden Relief Plan
    With federal provisions having expired, some school employees have had to dip into their own banks of leave for COVID-19 purposes.
    Mark Walsh, February 22, 2021
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    5 min read
    Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
    DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
    Education Funding Opinion What's It Take for Philanthropy to Help Rural Schools?
    Place-based philanthropy has enormous potential to revitalize rural communities. The trick is, it’s tough to get this sort of approach right.
    Rick Hess, February 22, 2021
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    4 min read
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EdWeek Market Brief

Market Trends How the Pandemic Is Challenging Companies’ Product Development
The pandemic has forced companies to change how they develop products and what they look for in incorporating feedback from educators and families.
Jacqueline Renfrow
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9 min read
Marketplace K-12 Report Offers Window Into International Schools’ Curricula
International private schools have boomed in recent years, and new research suggests they're reliant on courses of study like the Cambridge curriculum and other U.S.- and U.K.-based models.
Brian Bradley
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4 min read
Purchasing Alert Florida District Seeks Civic Curriculum; Texas School System Looks for Special Education Consulting
A mid-sized Florida district wants to buy civic literacy books, while a district in Texas is looking for special ed consulting services.
Brian Bradley
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2 min read
Analyst's View Inside New Guidelines for How Districts Will Judge Social-Emotional Learning Products
A framework released by the influential group CASEL places an emphasis on products supporting supporting equity and student decision-making in their well-being.
David Saleh Rauf
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9 min read
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