On May 21, 2025, U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon fielded questions at a House hearing about school choice, literacy achievement, and closing the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). In the process, she defended the Trump administration’s proposed spending plan for fiscal year 2026 saying the budget will “shrink federal bureaucracy,…
On May 19, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the Take It Down Act into law on, thereby criminalizing the use of artificial intelligence to create deepfake images without the depicted person’s consent. The Federal Trade Commission’s enforcement of removing nonconsensual deepfakes will begin within one year. The law aims to…
According to an analysis of data by the Center for Learner Equity (CLE), a nonprofit that supports inclusive school approaches, charter schools focused on serving students with disabilities (specialized charter schools) may offer unique learning programs tailored for a specific disability, but school leaders and management organizations should ensure they…
According to a May 6, 2025 order issued by a New York federal judge the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) must allow the temporary extension of federal COVID-19 emergency funds to flow to 16 states and the District of Columbia (DC). The preliminary injunction states that USDE is prohibited from…
According to notices published in the Federal Register, on May 7, 2025 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) cancelled two grant competitions for fiscal year 2025 meant to improve career opportunities for Native American and Native Hawaiian students. The USDE cancelled the competitions because they do not “align with the…
According to K-12 Dive, on May 8, 2025 the end of E-rate eligibility for Wi-Fi hotspots came one step closer as the Senate voted 50-38 along party lines to overturn a 2024 expansion of the program overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). A similar House resolution was introduced in…
In March 2025, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the National Center for Youth Law and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates filed suit on behalf of the students and parents in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in March. The lawsuit asked for a permanent reversal…
On May 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) confirmed to K-12 Dive that it will not renew $1 billion in grants that were initially awarded to school districts nationwide to improve students’ well-being by placing more mental health professionals in schools. The shutting off of federal grant funding…
According to K-12 Dive, the Trump Administration's FY 2026 proposed budget would turn Title I and IDEA into single, separate grants, zero out key teacher grants, and add $60 million for charter schools. The deep cuts would hit programs meant to ensure equitable access to education for underserved students and…
On May 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture agreed to stop freezing funds to Maine in a court order issued Friday, marking one of the state’s first legal victories in its months-long Title IX feud with the Trump administration over their conflicting policies for transgender student-athletes. The reinstated funds…
