Federal Policy

News, analysis, and opinion about federal education laws, regulations, and proposals—and their impact
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
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
Protesters demonstrate against ICE agents near the the Whipple Federal Building on Jan. 8, 2026.
Protestors gather after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minneapolis, on Jan. 7, 2026. The incident later prompted the Minneapolis school district to cancel classes amid broader federal immigration operations.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via TNS
School & District Management Minneapolis Schools Close in Wake of Deadly Shooting, Immigration Enforcement
The districtwide closure marks a departure from schools' responses to ICE presence.
Ileana Najarro, January 8, 2026
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6 min read
Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Aug. 8, 2024.
Vaccines are prepared for students during a pop-up immunization clinic at the Newcomer Academy in Louisville, Ky., on Aug. 8, 2024. Schools could face new questions about which vaccines are required as the federal government scales back its list of vaccines recommended for all children.
Mary Conlon/AP
Student Well-Being & Movement What Will Scaled-Back Childhood Vaccine Recommendations Mean for Schools?
Schools could encounter new questions about which vaccines are required.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, January 8, 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
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is interviewed by Indiana’s Secretary of Education Katie Jenner during the 2025 Reagan Institute Summit on Education in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, 2025.
U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon, pictured here in Washington on Sept. 18, 2025, has granted Iowa a partial waiver from provisions of the Every Student Succeeds Act, saying the move is a step toward the Trump administration's goal of "returning education to the states." The waiver allows Iowa some additional flexibility in how it spends the limited portion of federal education funds used by the state department of education.
Leah Millis for Education Week
States McMahon Touts Funding Flexibility for Iowa That Falls Short of Trump Admin. Goal
The Ed. Dept. is allowing the state education agency to consolidate small sets of funds from four grants.
Mark Lieberman, January 7, 2026
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6 min read
Stephon Thompson, an administrator at Stevenson Elementary School, directs students through the doors at the beginning of the school day in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Stephon Thompson directs students through the doors at the beginning of the school day at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024. The school has added on-site social services in recent years as a community school. The Trump administration has recently discontinued 19 federal grants that help schools become local service hubs for students and their families.
Samuel Trotter for Education Week
Education Funding Educator Layoffs Loom as Canceled Community Schools Grants Remain in Limbo
Three legal challenges and bipartisan backlash have followed the Trump administration's funding cuts.
Mark Lieberman, January 6, 2026
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5 min read
Illustration in blue of huge hands holding money as silhouette people run towards it.
iStock/Getty
Education Funding Video School Funding: The 3 Big Questions to Watch in 2026
2025 was a disruptive year for school funding, here's what we're anticipating in the year ahead.
Mark Lieberman & Yi-Jo Shen, January 6, 2026
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2:13
Reducing, removing or overcoming financial barriers, financial concept : US dollar bag on a maze puzzle.
William Potter/iStock
Education Funding School Mental Health Projects Canceled by Trump Might Still Survive
The end of funding could still be days away, but a new court order offers some hope for grantees.
Matthew Stone, December 24, 2025
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6 min read
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor Presidential Inauguration parade event in Washington, Jan. 20, 2025.
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington on Jan. 20, 2025. Trump's executive actions prompted legal challenges virtually from the moment he took office, and education-related policies were not immune.
Matt Rourke/AP
Law & Courts Trump's Education Policies Spurred 72 Lawsuits in 2025. How Many Is He Winning?
The legal challenges show which policies have had a big impact and how 2026 could go.
Matthew Stone, December 22, 2025
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5 min read
President Ford at work in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976.
President Gerald Ford, pictured in the Oval Office on Jan. 27, 1976, signed into law the predecessor to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act in 1975.
Courtesy of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum
Special Education 50 Years of IDEA: 4 Things to Know About the Landmark Special Education Law
The nation's primary special education law details schools' obligations to students with disabilities.
Evie Blad, December 19, 2025
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5 min read
President Donald Trump speaks during an address to the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington.
President Donald Trump addresses the nation from the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House on Dec. 17, 2025, in Washington. Some experts on K-12 education are concerned that Trump wants to unleash the use of AI with very little regulation.
Doug Mills/The New York Times via AP
Artificial Intelligence K-12 World Reacts to Trump’s Executive Order to Block State AI Regulations
The president says the patchwork of regulations across the states impedes AI companies’ growth.
Lauraine Langreo, December 18, 2025
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2 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
Policy & Politics Opinion Larry Ferlazzo’s 10 Education Predictions for 2026
Gazing into his crystal ball, Larry Ferlazzo divines what's ahead for education next year.
Larry Ferlazzo, December 18, 2025
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3 min read
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025.
Children disembark from a school bus in a largely Hispanic neighborhood that has been the subject of patrols and detentions by Border Patrol agents, during a federal immigration crackdown in Kenner, La., on Dec. 10, 2025. This year, the EdWeek Research Center included questions related to immigration in national surveys.
Gerald Herbert/AP
School & District Management From Our Research Center What Surveys Revealed This Year About Educators and Immigration
Immigration enforcement fueled fear, debate, and new pressures in schools.
Ileana Najarro, December 17, 2025
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4 min read
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