On October 7, 2025, the U.S. Senate confirmed Kimberly Richey as the next assistant secretary for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Education in a 51-47 vote along party lines. The approval came as part of a resolution allowing senators to consider for confirmation Richey and over 100 other…
On Monday, October 6, 2025. the U.S, Supreme Court will begin its new session and important K-12 cases will once again be heard. With a Title IX case on its docket for this term the justices are expected to impact student civil rights issues, particularly in West Virginia v. B.P.J.,…
As the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) changes the way things have been done, states and school districts have pushed back by filing lawsuits. Historically, the USDE and its funding recipients have usually collaborated to resolve civil rights complaints, but recently that has not been the case. As a result,…
As the government shutdown moves forward, many are wondering what impact it will have on K-12 schools. The shutdown officially commenced at midnight EST on October 1st when the new fiscal year was to begin. Initially, the shutdown is expected to have fairly imperceptible impact on schools and school districts,…
According to an investigation by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR), a persistent shortage of special education teachers nationwide is leading to a lack of supports and services needed to help students with disabilities thrive in schools. The investigation into special educator shortages comes amid an increase in the…
According to a September 29th ruling by the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) can move forward with plans to cut half of its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) staff as litigation against the reductions proceeds. The decision overturns a lower court’s order requiring…
According to notices to be published in the Federal Register on September 30, 3035, after having canceled grants that had congressionally approved funding for the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program and the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program for not aligning with Trump administration priorities, the U.S. Department…
On September 30, 2025, at a meeting open to the public, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on whether to revoke recent expansions to the E-rate program. The three commissioners will decide if school bus Wi-Fi services and internet hotspots should no longer be eligible for funding under the…
On September 30, 2025 the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) rolled out the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to all students. The release came about a week before the congressionally mandated deadline of October 1st and followed two consecutive years of delays. The USDE claims that the…
In March 2025, a Trump administration executive order directed that the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) be closed to the "maximum extent appropriate." So, as the transfer of day-to-day management of career and technical education (CTE) programming from the USDE to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) continues, CTE and…
