Federal

Education news, analysis, and opinion about federal education policies and federal officials.
  • Image of school lunch - Then and now
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    Federal Then & Now Will RFK Jr. Reheat the School Lunch Wars?
    Trump's ally has said he wants to remove processed foods from school meals. That's not as easy as it sounds.
    Evie Blad, December 17, 2024
    6 min read
    Then-Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla.
    President-elect Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. Trump pledged during the campaign to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. A more plausible path could involve weakening the agency.
    Evan Vucci/AP
    Federal 3 Ways Trump Can Weaken the Education Department Without Eliminating It
    Trump's team can seek to whittle down the department's workforce, scrap guidance documents, and close offices.
    Alyson Klein, December 13, 2024
    4 min read
    Former President Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024.
    President-elect Donald Trump speaks as he arrives in New York on April 15, 2024. Trump pledged on the campaign trail to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education in his second term.
    Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP
    Federal How Trump Can Hobble the Education Department Without Abolishing It
    There is plenty the incoming administration can do to kneecap the main federal agency responsible for K-12 schools.
    Alyson Klein, December 12, 2024
    9 min read
    USA government confusion and United States politics problem and American federal legislation trouble as a national political symbol with 3D illustration elements.
    iStock/Getty Images
    Federal Opinion Closing the Education Department Is a Solution in Search of a Problem
    There’s a bill in Congress seeking to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. What do its supporters really want?
    Jonas Zuckerman, December 12, 2024
    4 min read
    A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. From Los Angeles to Atlanta, advocates and attorneys have brought civil rights workshops to schools, churches, storefronts and consulates, tailoring their efforts on what to do if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers show up at home or on the road.
    A know-your-rights flyer rests on a table while immigration activist, Laura Mendoza, speaks to the Associated Press' reporter at The Resurrection Project offices in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood on June 19, 2019. Immigration advocates advise schools to inform families about their legal rights as uncertainty remains over how far-reaching immigration enforcement will go under a second Trump administration.
    Amr Alfiky/AP
    Federal Can Immigration Agents Make Arrests and Carry Out Raids at Schools?
    Current federal policy says schools are protected areas from immigration enforcement. That may soon change.
    Ileana Najarro, December 11, 2024
    9 min read
    A group of students reacting to a spectacle inside a ring.
    Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty Images
    Federal Opinion 'Education Is Not Entertainment': What This Educator Wants Linda McMahon to Know
    Her experience leading a pro wrestling organization could be both an asset and a liability
    Robert Barnett, December 11, 2024
    4 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    Federal Opinion No, the U.S. Ed. Dept. Won't Be Abolished. But Here's What’s Likely to Happen Instead
    There are plenty of big changes ahead that could catch educators, advocates, and others by surprise.
    Rick Hess, December 10, 2024
    5 min read
    President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before speaking at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y.
    President-elect Donald Trump takes the stage before speaking at the FOX Nation Patriot Awards on Dec. 5, 2024, in Greenvale, N.Y. With the frameworks now in place, Trump has laid priorities for education.
    Heather Khalifa/AP
    Federal 5 Trump Education Priorities for a Second Term
    With key players appointed to their cabinet positions, the scaffolding for President-elect Donald Trump's second term is taking shape.
    Brooke Schultz, December 6, 2024
    7 min read
    Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee.
    Linda McMahon, former Administrator of Small Business Administration, speaks during the Republican National Convention on July 18, 2024, in Milwaukee. McMahon, Trump's choice to lead the U.S. Department of Education in his second term, has a long history of giving to education causes through her family foundation.
    J. Scott Applewhite/AP
    Federal Here's How Much Linda McMahon's Foundation Has Donated to Education Causes
    The president-elect's pick for education secretary has long given to education causes through her family foundation.
    Brooke Schultz, December 5, 2024
    5 min read
    Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., Chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
    Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., chair of the House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education, speaks during a hearing on antisemitism in K-12 public schools on May 8, 2024, in Washington. At a hearing on Dec. 4, 2024, the subcommittee discussed civics and government curriculum.
    Jacquelyn Martin/AP
    Federal Republicans Preview Their Education Priorities in a Second Trump Term
    In a hearing, Republicans called for more civics education and expressed concerns over "critical race theory" in schools.
    Brooke Schultz, December 4, 2024
    5 min read
    The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
    Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
    Federal Opinion The Trump Administration Should 'Devolve the Ed Dept.'s Responsibilities to the States'
    After six years helming the House ed. committee, U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx cuts loose on high points and frustrations of her tenure.
    Rick Hess, December 3, 2024
    8 min read
    Small Business Administration administrator Linda McMahon attends a cabinet meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington.
    Linda McMahon attends a meeting in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Aug. 16, 2018, in Washington. McMahon, then head of the U.S. Small Business Administration, is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to lead the Education Department in his new administration.
    Andrew Harnik/AP
    Federal What's in the Lawsuit That Alleges Linda McMahon Failed to Protect Children
    The lawsuit filed by former World Wrestling Entertainment workers alleges a culture of acceptance of sexual misconduct.
    Mark Walsh, December 2, 2024
    8 min read
    Cafeteria workers serve student lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif. on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income.
    Cafeteria workers serve lunches at Firebaugh High School in Lynwood, Calif., on Wednesday, April 3, 2024. Demand for school lunches has increased after California guaranteed free meals to all students regardless of their family's income. A federal school lunch provision that makes it easier for public schools to provide universal free meals may be a target for elimination in President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming term if some conservative activists and lawmakers get their way.
    Richard Vogel/AP
    Federal How Trump Could Roll Back Access to Free School Lunches
    Project 2025 and a GOP budget proposal call for axing a federal rule that allows public schools to serve free meals to all students.
    Evie Blad, November 26, 2024
    5 min read
    People walk outside the U.S Capitol building in Washington, June 9, 2022.
    People walk outside the U.S Capitol building in Washington, June 9, 2022. Legislation has been introduced in the Senate to abolish the Department of Education.
    Patrick Semansky/AP
    Federal A Bill to Kill the Education Department Is Already Filed. Here's What It Says
    The bill represents another attempt at a long-term Republican goal.
    Brooke Schultz, November 25, 2024
    6 min read
    Federal Video Linda McMahon: 5 Things to Know About Trump's Choice for Education Secretary
    President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate former pro-wrestling CEO Linda McMahon to lead the education department.
    Evie Blad & Lauren Santucci, November 21, 2024
    1 min read