A series of bills in Congress are aimed at closing the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). In the Senate, the Returning Education to Our States Act, outlines where each of the USDE’s responsibilities would be transferred. The bill also proposes to convert federal education funding into block grants, which it…
In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of pertussis, the disease commonly known as whooping cough. In addition, Washington state recently announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in more than a decade, while Idaho and South Dakota each reported a death this year, and Oregon…
Nearly a quarter of a century ago, Congress formed the Office of Educational Technology (OET) within the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). Since then, the use of educational technology in schools has changed dramatically and exponentially. Now, with the demise of the OET, former OET employees fear the office’s progress…
On April 11, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) moved to terminate federal K-12 funding for the Maine Department of Education, following through on its promise to cut off funds to an entire state education system, and ultimately others, if they do not enforce Title IX to keep transgender…
On April 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) rescinded the liquidation of hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency pandemic funds that were previously approved for extensions for the spending. The unexpected decision notified state education leaders in a letter that said they are responsible for laying out…
For students with disabilities, the opportunity to develop confidence in themselves can help make the college transition less uncertain. This includes supporting their self-advocacy skills, as well as allowing them to explore what a college environment looks like before they start that part of their education. Schools can effectively prepare…
On April 4, 2025, in a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) granted the Trump administration’s emergency request to maintain a freeze on millions of dollars in federal teacher training grants. The administration’s emergency application, filed on March 26th, asked the justices to vacate a district court judge’s order…
On April 4, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) rescinded the liquidation of hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency pandemic funds that were previously approved for extensions for the spending. The unexpected decision notified state education leaders in a letter that said they are responsible for laying out…
On April 3, 2025, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) announced it was canceling a fiscal year 2025 grant application for a technical assistance center that supported postsecondary transition services for students with disabilities saying that the decision was part of a comprehensive review to ensure “competitions align with the…
Despite an overall increase in school shootings in recent years, a school shooting database funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is the latest target of President Donald Trump’s attempts to downsize the government. The research was part of the now-cancelled Terrorism and Targeted Violence Database, which tracked domestic…
