Policy & Legal

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    Supreme Court upholds Tennessee ban on youth gender-affirming care

    Some 26 states have passed bans on gender-affirming care for children since 2021, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

    By Susanna Vogel • June 18, 2025
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    Majority of high schoolers say they don’t feel prepared for post-graduation

    In a survey, about half of students said they’ve never had a job or internship, and more than a third said they’ve never gone for a college visit.

    By Carolyn Crist • June 18, 2025
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    Trendline

    Attendance and Absenteeism

    Our latest K-12 Dive Trendline takes a closer look at chronic absenteeism’s impact on schools and where educators are seeing success with attendance.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    How immigration raids impacted school attendance in 5 California districts

    A Stanford analysis of schools in California’s Central Valley found a 22% rise in student absences it attributed to an increase in local immigration enforcement.

    By • June 18, 2025
  • U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon stands in front of Senate Appropriations Committee's Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee with papers in her hand
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Do states have ‘statutory right’ to data, guidance from Education Department?

    The agency is asking the Supreme Court to allow its reduction in force — even as its laid-off employees remain on administrative leave.

    By • June 17, 2025
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    Mlenny via Getty Images
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    Teacher pension debt spurs ‘hidden’ cuts for schools, survey says

    Since 2001, pension costs have ballooned 220% while K-12 budgets have risen just 33%.

    By • June 17, 2025
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    brown54486 via Getty Images
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    Why did the Energy Department issue a Title IX rule?

    The proposed athletics rule would rescind a prior requirement on coed sports tryouts — but only for schools receiving Energy Department grants.

    By • June 16, 2025
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    FotoDuets via Getty Images
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    States balance supports and discipline to address troubling student behaviors

    A host of proposals and new laws aim to allow or ban corporal punishment, remove violent students from classrooms, and restrict preschool suspensions.

    By • June 16, 2025
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    Kara Arundel/K-12 Dive
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    Debate intensifies over national school choice proposal

    Those denouncing the plan say it would harm public schools. Proponents contend it would help more students thrive through educational opportunities.

    By • June 13, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From California’s lawsuit against the Justice Department to new research on children’s well-being, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • June 13, 2025
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    Unanimous SCOTUS ruling raises schools’ liability in disability cases

    The decision in favor of a student with epilepsy overturns a higher burden of proof for students and families in disability disputes.

    By • Updated June 12, 2025
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    FatCamera via Getty Images
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    For more consumers, back-to-school shopping starts now

    Many parents consider this year to be “financially challenging” or “stressful,” in part due to price hikes, according to a survey. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 12, 2025
  • A person stands before a microphone with three others standing behind holding signs that say "Our students deserve more, not less" and "Build up our schools, don't break them!"
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    Courtesy of Screenshot: Santa Ana Unified School District
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    Over 1,200 California K-12 staff laid off so far before the new school year

    The sweeping layoffs were reported by the California Teachers Association and come as districts statewide face budget challenges and declining enrollment.

    By • June 12, 2025
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    California ed chief tells Trump: ‘Keep your hands off our kids’

    Incidents including a flash-bang grenade-induced lockdown and a 4th grader's removal to Texas have the state's schools on high alert.

    By • June 11, 2025
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    alacatr via Getty Images
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    Former school district facilities chief directed $2M in HVAC work to shell company, DA alleges

    The former Lawrence Union Free School District facilities director resigned after reportedly steering money to himself with the help of an accomplice.

    By Robert Freedman • June 11, 2025
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    Dobrila Vignjevic via Getty Images
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    House lawmakers find consensus on benefits of school cellphone bans

    State and district policies have led to lower student discipline rates, better teacher retention and more effective instructional time, witnesses told a subcommittee.

    By • June 10, 2025
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    The image by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    California sues Justice Department over threats on transgender sports policy

    The federal agency warned some school districts last week that they faced "legal liability" if they followed California law.

    By • June 10, 2025
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Children’s well-being shows both progress and setbacks, Kids Count finds

    The annual Annie E. Casey Foundation report found higher graduation rates and lower childhood poverty. However, more teens are not in school or working.

    By • June 9, 2025
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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    Virginia enacts ban on school cellphone use, limits on social media

    In Florida, a similar, stricter law banning social media use for children under 14 years old hit a roadblock in district court.

    By • June 6, 2025
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on this week’s K-12 news

    From the Education Department’s latest budget proposal to a visa appointment pause’s impact on K-12, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • June 6, 2025
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    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
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    3 takeaways from OCR nominee’s Senate confirmation hearing

    Kimberly Richey, who served as acting head of the Office for Civil Rights in the first Trump administration, addressed questions on higher caseloads, Title IX and more.

    By • June 5, 2025
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Trump administration appeals pause on Education Department cuts to SCOTUS

    The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court that efforts to reduce the agency's workforce must stop while the dispute works its way through the courts.

    By • Updated June 6, 2025
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    monkeybusinessimages via Getty Images
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    How can states improve math prep for teachers?

    Alabama was the only state to earn a “strong” rating from the National Council on Teacher Quality for its strategy to improve math instruction.

    By • June 5, 2025
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    miroslav110 via Getty Images
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    Trump pause on visa appointments worries districts relying on foreign teachers

    Though the disruption is expected to be temporary, one rural leader fears it will delay her new hires from arriving in the U.S. in time for the new school year.

    By • June 4, 2025
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    diane39 via Getty Images
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    Every state except one publishes chronic absentee data online

    Still, only 17 states break that data down by grade, making it difficult to detect when chronic absenteeism is elevated in a particular age group.

    By • June 4, 2025
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Literacy is McMahon’s top priority. Senators ask, where’s the money?

    The education secretary also answered questions about FY26 proposals for mental health, civil rights, college access and where this year's spending stands.

    By • Updated June 6, 2025