In a July 14 statement, Peggy Carr, the former commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), said the nonpartisan education statistics agency cannot fulfill its statutory responsibilities in its current state. According to Carr, “It is impossible for three, five, or even a dozen people to fulfill the…
On July 14, 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with laying off nearly half of the staff at the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). The decision in New York v. McMahon enables the USDE’s reduction in force (RIF) initiated in March as the original question…
The Trump administration is using agencies other than the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to implement its agenda in schools, sometimes circumventing typical rulemaking procedures that would allow school districts months to give feedback on and prepare for policy changes before they occur. The use of other agencies to set…
On July 10, 2025, the Trump administration scaled back access to a number of federal programs based on immigration status. Those programs include education-related programs such as Head Start, tuition for dual enrollment, adult education, and career and technical education training(CTE) programs. The move is a result of Trump’s February…
On July 7, 2025, six medical groups and a pregnant physician sued Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his principal deputies over changes made to federal COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Filed Monday, the lawsuit argues that Kennedy’s directive, which removed guidelines recommending COVID vaccination for pregnant people…
As a result of $6.2 billion in federal K-12 grant money that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is withholding from states and school districts, it is likely that they will be forced to cancel after-school programming, services for English learners and professional development. The funding that has already been…
On June 26, 2025 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) reversed prior guidance that canceled spending extensions for federal K-12 pandemic relief funds. States that were preapproved for the extended spending deadlines can now request reimbursements and liquidate their funds. In a letter to states not suing over the USDE’s…
Efforts by the Trump administration to move responsibility for career and technical education (CTE) from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) are being met with resistance from CTE advocates and Democratic lawmakers who claim that it is “fragmented” and “illegal.” The criticism follows…
As reported by K-12 Dive, on June 27, 2025, in a 6-3 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) ruled that schools must allow parents to opt their children out of curriculum based on religious objections in some scenarios. The decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor signifies a win for parents in…
In a June 27, 2025 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) preserved E-rate’s funding mechanism in a 6-3 opinion. The decision preserved the multibillion-dollar federal internet discount program for schools and libraries and means schools can continue to apply for the program’s funding. The ruling in FCC v. Consumers’ Research…
