As reported by K-12 Dive, amid funding challenges some state leaders draw attention to budgets and programs that support students with disabilities. In fact, special education initiatives were a priority for several governors in their annual state of state addresses — including in Idaho, Kansas, New Mexico and Pennsylvania —…
As reported by NBC News, on March 16, 2026 a federal judge in Massachusetts blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule. The ruling stems from a lawsuit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups brought against the Department of…
A recently released study finds that the expansion of high-speed internet led teens to spend more time online — and report worsening mental health. By examining the different rates at which states gained broadband access, researchers link online activity to higher rates of cyberbullying, poor self-image, sleep loss and suicidal…
According to KFF, a nonpartisan health care research group, so far 28 states have broken from the CDC’s new childhood vaccine recommendations to various degrees. Those recommendations no longer promote the long held guidance that all babies should be protected against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, RSV, dengue and two types…
A General Services Administration (GSA) proposal, which follows a similar policy from the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) that was blocked in courts, would require federal funding recipients to certify that they are not knowingly hiring or recruiting undocumented staff. The proposed policy is in support of the Trump administration’s crackdown on…
A monthslong NBC News data investigation finds that much of the U.S. doesn't have the protection needed to stop the spread of deadly diseases. For more than a half-century, vaccines have had remarkable success eradicating the most lethal and devastating childhood infectious diseases, saving millions of lives and ushering in…
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) is shrinking its role by partnering with other federal agencies on grant management, technical assistance and other tasks. Areas affected by interagency agreements include the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Higher Education Act, and the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.…
A according to federal data analyzed by The Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit that works to improve the lives of people with disabilities, the number of students with disabilities ages 3-21 who qualify for special education services in the U.S. rose 3.8% — or by 301,991 students — in 2024 when…
Although the recently passed fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget for the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) did not ban the outsourcing of certain education programs to other federal agencies, it strongly condemned and discouraged the transfer of key programs out of the USDE. The bicameral and bipartisan statement said that…
In the United States, 132,270 counselors served about 49.3 million students last school year. According to figures released by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), the national student-to-school counselor ratio improved by 1% to 372-to-1 in the 2024-25 school year, an improvement over 2023-24 when it was 376-to-1. That ratio…
