Federal policy and reform
Liaisons for students experiencing homelessness say they have unique academic and physical needs beyond what other children from low-income families face.
A new Trump administration policy bars undocumented students from accessing Head Start, a 60-year-old program for low-income families.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon signed by 16 other governors calling the freeze of federal funds “a failure to fulfill the Department’s most basic responsibility.”
SNAP-Ed, which funds nutrition programs across New York City, will expire Sept. 30. Without it, families may have less fresh produce — and advocates worry about increased child hunger.
The legislation includes big Medicaid cuts, a new voucher-like school choice program, stricter limits on food aid that has implications for free school meals, and more money for immigration enforcement.
The state feels another pinch from the administration’s crackdown on DEI initiatives.
Congress approved the support for English learners and afterschool programs. But the dollars expected on July 1 are now on hold, creating ‘unnecessary uncertainty,’ Sanders says.
Supporters of the proposed tax credits are thrilled there’s a viable path for them to become federal law. Critics say they would harm public education.
Colorado, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin are among the state education agencies that lost federal funding to hire and train more school-based mental health staff. Now schools may have to lay off social workers, while colleges may shut down training programs.
The Trump administration is seeking to withhold Maine’s federal K-12 education money over its policies for trans student athletes.
The U.S. Department of Education says the decision follows a Title IX investigation into the state’s policy about transgender athletes.
However, Commissioner Susana Córdova said she will sign a new assurance that the state is in compliance with Title VI, which bans discrimination on the basis of race.
Newark educators and labor unions gathered on Tuesday to protest looming federal funding cuts and warn about their impacts on education, research, and health.
The Trump administration closed 5 out of 10 Head Start regional offices, including one in Chicago. A group of U.S. senators from the Midwest want to know what’s next for child care providers and families.
The Trump administration has given states 10 days to certify that their schools do not engage in practices that promote DEI — or lose their federal funding.
Linda McMahon said schools must not withhold children’s gender plans from parents. But LGBTQ advocates say trans youth should have some control over that information.
Multiple laws say the Education Department is responsible for overseeing funding and services for children with disabilities. Shifting that to another agency would require an act of Congress, several experts said.
Federal officials have said services and funding for these students won’t be affected. But advocates for kids learning English don’t buy it.
Legally, only Congress has the power to eliminate the department. But the Trump administration recently laid off nearly half its staff.
Republican lawmakers say scaling back free school meals would ensure only the students with the greatest needs get them. Critics worry about unfair burdens on schools and families.