Policy & Legal

  • Immigration enforcement agents, including those from ICE, line the hallways outside immigration court in New York City
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Trump immigration policies fueled absenteeism uptick, research says

    Even a federal law enforcement vehicle parked a block and a half away were enough to impact attendance, an Annenberg researcher said.

    By • June 25, 2026
  • Ten Commandments display outside of a high school
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    Mike Simons via Getty Images
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    Half of Americans favor Ten Commandment displays. More support school employees leading prayer

    About 60% of Americans support some form of teacher-led school prayer, but most say student participation should be optional, Pew Research found.

    By • June 25, 2026
  • High school students are dropped off for school and begin walking into the building. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

    K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

    By K-12 Dive staff
  • A group of people are standing outside the U.S. Department of Education with signs
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    Kayla Bartkowski via Getty Images
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    Some Education Department cuts ‘appear’ to impact legal duties, OIG says

    The independent office says a 40% staff reduction in early 2025 affected the Education Department's legal duties. The agency says it remains compliant.

    By • June 23, 2026
  • An aerial view of the Miami city skyline during sunset.
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    Miami-Dade County Public Schools approves closure, consolidation of 9 schools

    The district’s school board unanimously approved the plan without a roll call vote. The board also voted to eliminate 168 district positions.

    By • June 23, 2026
  • A baby is sitting on the floor playing with blocks. An adult is watching and clapping and a young student is standing watching in the background.
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    Courtney Hale via Getty Images
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    More than half of states miss targets for improving special education

    States labeled as needing intervention or assistance for multiple years could face enforcement actions such as being termed a high-risk grantee.

    By • June 23, 2026
  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exterior
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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    EEOC opens antisemitism probe into NEA, Brandeis Center says

    The center's complaint alleges the teachers union didn’t specify Jews as the primary victims of the Holocaust, among other things. NEA has said it "does not tolerate antisemitism in any form."

    By • June 22, 2026
  • A person walks in front of the exterior of the headquarters for the U.S. Department of Education.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: New Ed Dept interagency agreements and a district’s library overhaul

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from a rejected Supreme Court case to teacher workforce updates.

    By • June 22, 2026
  • A group of people are walking down a hallway in a school.
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    Retrieved from U.S. Department of Education/Flickr.
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    Takeaways from the Ed Dept-HHS special ed agreement

    Critics worry it will lead to a medical approach, while supporters say the collaboration will improve outcomes.

    By • June 18, 2026
  • Elementary students sit next to each other in rows of desks while working on laptop computers.
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    Getty Images
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    AI in schools: 3 ways Congress can help

    In a Senate subcommittee hearing, experts shared why federal investments in teacher training and research are needed for successful implementation.

    By • June 18, 2026
  • A blue flag that says "Department of Justice" waves in front of the agency's building.
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    Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
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    What will the Justice Department-OCR agreement mean for schools?

    Concerns include the agency’s capacity to handle the volume of civil rights complaints and the impact on schools' relationship with federal oversight.

    By • June 18, 2026
  • A student holds a phone while using an AI chatbot to do their homework.
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    Getty Images
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    AI tutor access alone doesn’t equate to student gains, study says

    In two districts analyzed by Stanford University, students’ average weekly use of one such tutor was 2.18 minutes and 5.23 minutes, respectively.

    By • June 18, 2026
  • The outside of a building is seen with two flags on a pole flying in front of the building.
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    Alex Wong via Getty Images
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    The Education Dept now has 14 interagency agreements. Here are the changes.

    The department says the partnerships with six other federal agencies reduce federal bureaucracy. Critics claim they add confusion.

    By • June 17, 2026
  • The Illinois State Capitol building.
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    Getty Images
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    Illinois passes law defining play-based learning

    The state is among a handful to officially adopt such a definition, delineating both guided play and student-initiated play for young learners.

    By Ed Finkel • June 17, 2026
  • Two people are seated on a stage. One person's back is to the camera and one person is facing toward the camera. A backdrop and screen say "RISE"
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    Permission granted by Connor McLaren/Ronald Reagan Institute
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    Indiana becomes 3rd state to gain ESEA waiver

    The U.S. Education Department says the move will cut red tape and spur innovation, but critics worry it will hurt transparency and equity.

    By • June 16, 2026
  • An adult is sitting at a desk in a classroom with four students. The adult is holding up four fingers.
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    kali9 via Getty Images
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Despite fewer exit plans, teacher stress, burnout still high

    Though teacher turnover appears to be on the decline, Rand Corp. finds wage gaps and stress rates remain issues for the profession.

    By • June 16, 2026
  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission exterior
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    Caroline Colvin/K-12 Dive
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    DOJ deems EEOC’s disparate impact discrimination guidelines unconstitutional

    The push against disparate impact liability has been a focus of the Trump administration, including by the Education Department.

    By Ginger Christ • June 16, 2026
  • A person in a suit stands in a government building with historic artwork and statutes in the background
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    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Supreme Court rejects second student speech case in a week

    In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito urged the court to consider taking up a future case to clarify the limits of school speech.

    By • June 15, 2026
  • The top of the U.S. Capitol Building's dome is pictured on a cloudy day.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    Week In Review: Proposed Ed Department cuts and school nurse burnout

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from more federal scrutiny of districts’ LGBTQ+ policies to mixed signals on students’ academic gains.

    By • June 15, 2026
  • A judge's gavel is shown in a close-up photo sitting on a pedestal on a desk in a courtoom
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    Trump administration appeals ruling against $100K H-1B visa fee

    The fee has caused concern among higher education experts that it would hamper colleges’ ability to recruit foreign scholars and instructors. 

    By Natalie Schwartz • June 12, 2026
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    Photo illustration: Shaun Lucas/Industry Dive; Getty Images

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    POP QUIZ

    Test yourself on the past week’s K-12 news

    From proposed Education Department budget cuts to new reading data from the Nation’s Report Card, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • June 12, 2026
  • Kamar Samuels speaks at a podium as Zohran Mamdani listens behind him.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    NYC schools face public pressure to pause AI use for 2 years

    Student data privacy was cited as a key concern in a letter to the city’s mayor and school chancellor from 29 members of city council.

    By • Updated June 12, 2026
  • A person wearing a suit speaks into a microphone on a podium
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    Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    4 California districts face DOJ reviews over LGTBQ+ policies

    San Francisco Unified School District is among systems under scrutiny for parental notification and transgender inclusion policies.

    By • June 11, 2026
  • Kimberly Richey looks into the distance
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    Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education Labor and Pensions.
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    OCR launches DEI probe into Denver-area school district

    The Education Department's Office for Civil Rights cites teacher training and a parent committee as examples of alleged "rampant racially-discriminatory programming."

    By • June 11, 2026
  • DC Public Schools Chancellor Lewis Ferebee is pictured at a desk between three students during a middle school math competition.
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    Permission granted by District of Columbia Public Schools
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    Opinion

    DC Public Schools leads nation in academic recovery. Here’s why.

    A focus on strategic planning and programming drove impressive gains in the nation’s capital, writes outgoing chancellor Lewis Ferebee.

    By Lewis Ferebee • June 10, 2026
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Federal agencies propose mandatory E-Verify participation for grant recipients

    The rule would provide an “additional safeguard” to existing employment eligibility requirements, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

    By Ryan Golden • June 10, 2026