Author: BelieveAgain

A recent public notice from the U.S. departments of Education and Justice that certain informal guidance documents from the agencies—including those outlining schools’ obligations to English learners and addressing race in school discipline and admissions—“are not enforceable” has caused concern among some educators.Most of the seven documents, each issued during the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama or Joe Biden, had already been rescinded by President Donald Trump’s administration during Trump’s second term, and the Oct. 23 notice in the Federal Register may be little more than a form of bureaucratic file clearing.The Education and Justice departments say the documents are…

At least 18 states have elected new governors after Tuesday’s midterms, with Democrats gaining five seats to hold a majority—a shift that could have implications for the science of reading movement.Over the past decade, states have pushed reading reforms, many looking to the playbook developed by Mississippi, which saw a rise in 4th grade scores on national reading tests after passing legislation requiring teacher training and use of evidence-based methods.Some governors on both sides of the aisle have taken a lead role in promoting literacy policy in their states—Republican Kay Ivey in Alabama, Republican Mike DeWine in Ohio, and Democrat…

A big frustration with policy is that it can feel far removed from the real work of schooling. Why is that? What can we do about it? Such questions seem well worth digging into today, and I can’t think of anyone better to dig with than Andy Rotherham, the author of the Eduwonk blog, a big-time education consultant, and a former special assistant for education to President Bill Clinton. Andy and I occasionally try to make sense of the twists in education politics and policy. Today, we discuss what the midterms mean for education.—Rick This conversation has been edited for…

While Election Day was tough for President Donald Trump and Republican officeholders, some of the president’s education policy prerogatives fared better as ballot initiatives, particularly on transgender student policies.Ballot measures in four states—Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, and Washington—that would effectively bar transgender girls from female sports or expand existing restrictions on trans athletes passed or were on their way to passage. Trump has made such prohibitions a centerpiece of his education agenda and launched dozens of investigations into school districts for policies accommodating transgender students.“It’s a very difficult moment for trans people to see this blue tidal wave, arguably the best…

Democrats will retake Congress in January after winning key battleground races across the country—and with it, the reins on federal K-12 policymaking and oversight. With their new power, Democratic lawmakers have pledged to try to reverse the Trump administration’s moves to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, gut education research and grants, and enlist federal civil rights agencies in conservative culture wars.Still, President Donald Trump will remain in the White House for two more years. That means K-12 legislation will likely need at least some bipartisan support to make it across the finish line.In the upper chamber, Sen. Bernie Sanders,…

A majority of U.S. Supreme Court justices on Tuesday appeared inclined to require Colorado to allow Catholic preschools to participate in the state’s universal prekindergarten program without signing an anti-discrimination pledge that covers sexual orientation and gender identity.The case of St. Mary Catholic Parish v. Roy holds implications well beyond preschool. The court seems likely to continue a line of recent decisions that have allowed religious schools to participate in school choice programs. It will also answer whether private religious schools participating in such programs must allow families with same-sex parents or gay or transgender children. And a decision for…

The American Federation of Teachers and nine student loan borrowers filed a lawsuit on Friday against the U.S. Department of Education and Secretary Linda McMahon. They allege the agency is delaying Public Service Loan Forgiveness decisions and removing credit that borrowers earned toward debt cancellation.The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, says the department is withholding or delaying PSLF “Buyback” determinations, failing to credit time worked in public service and clawing back time it had already credited. AFT President Randi Weingarten is a lead plaintiff in her official capacity. The complaint says it is the…

This piece first appeared in our subscriber-only Politics K-12 newsletter. Want to receive education policy news first? Become an EdWeek subscriber.Voters are making decisions with major implications for the nation’s schools as they finish casting their ballots Tuesday.Education Week reviewed what’s on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and we’re focused on a handful of school-related themes as we prepare to watch election returns trickle in. (Check out our election guide here for highlights on the statewide races and ballot initiatives of greatest consequence to schools nationwide.)This is what we’re keeping an eye on. Who…

Beginning next year, public school districts in at least 31 states could begin receiving tens of millions of dollars in taxpayer donations that would fuel scholarships for students to access expanded district services.But, unlike with state and federal formula dollars that flow directly to schools, this money will take a more circuitous path—and require more legwork on districts’ part to take advantage of it.That includes partnering with a scholarship-granting organization—a local, regional, or national nonprofit certified by the state to accept donations that make taxpayers eligible for dollar-for-dollar credits up to $1,700 per year and $3,400 for married couples.Big-city districts…

The federal government is launching a first-of-its-kind national school choice program. But unlike most federal education programs that dispense grants to states and school districts, this one works through the tax code, incentivizing taxpayers to donate money to scholarships for K-12 students.By 2030, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit program is projected to reel in more money than Title I (which targets disadvantaged students and is the U.S. Department of Education’s largest funding stream) translating into billions of education dollars for private and public school students.But how will the program work? Will it actually deliver money to public schools and their…