Policy & Legal: Page 14

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    Concerns mount over potential loss of Medicaid funds for schools

    Efforts in the federal government to reduce spending would put school-based health services in jeopardy, advocates say.

    By • Feb. 27, 2025
  • Randi Weingarten, President of American Federation of Teachers Union (AFT), speaks about President elect Donald Trump's Education Secretary nominee, Betsy DeVos, during a news conference at the Nation
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    AFT sues Education Department over anti-DEI guidance

    The union alleged that the agency's recent guidance barring schools from considering race in any of their programs and policies is unconstitutional.

    By Laura Spitalniak • Feb. 26, 2025
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from K-12 Dive

    K-12 Dive has gathered some a selection of our best coverage from 2025 so far as a one-stop resource on the trends to watch in the months ahead.

    By K-12 Dive staff
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    Education Department approves more ARP spending extensions for districts

    School systems in 41 states now have 14 more months to spend down federal COVID-19 emergency funding under the American Rescue Plan.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
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    Special education enrollment climbs to nearly 8M

    Data suggests the number of students with disabilities between ages 3-21 could jump by about 1 million between 2021 and 2025 if current trends hold.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
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    Maine faces Title IX investigation over transgender athletic policies

    The Trump administration said it will withhold federal funds if the state doesn’t comply with an executive order on transgender girls’ participation in sports.

    By • Feb. 24, 2025
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    DOGE blocked from accessing Education Department’s sensitive student data until March 10

    A judge said the Trump administration failed to explain why the Department of Government Efficiency needed “sweeping access” to the agency’s records. 

    By Natalie Schwartz • Feb. 24, 2025
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    PowerSchool faces more scrutiny following widespread data breach

    Government officials in the U.S. and beyond have announced investigations after a threat actor gained access to troves of student and staff data.

    By • Feb. 24, 2025
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    SCOTUS decision safeguards schools’ E-rate discounts

    In a unanimous ruling, justices found that reimbursement requests under the federal broadband discount program are subject to the False Claims Act.

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
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    Court upholds district policy protecting students’ right to choose name, pronouns

    The policy didn’t infringe upon parents’ rights under the 14th Amendment to direct their child’s upbringing, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found.

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
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    Education Department announces change to ESSER reimbursement process

    The agency cited transparency and accountability as reasons for the shift, although nearly all COVID-19 spending is complete.

    By • Feb. 21, 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 a letter ordering schools to end race-based practices to a district’s challenge to a key Trump policy, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Feb. 21, 2025
  • After signing a series of executive orders and proclamations, Trump spoke to reporters about a range of topics including recent negotiations with Mexico on tarriffs.
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    How Trump’s ‘radical indoctrination’ executive order could impact schools

    The directive’s threat to pull funds from schools based on “gender ideology and discriminatory equity ideology” could have a chilling effect, experts say.

    By • Feb. 20, 2025
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    What could schools expect under the new COPPA Rule?

    The Federal Trade Commission’s updated rule would impact the way K-12 leaders interact with ed tech companies — if Trump keeps it.

    By • Feb. 20, 2025
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    To sustain summer learning programs, here’s what states can do

    Research from the Learning Policy Institute and Wallace Foundation explores how nine states are working to increase support and investment.

    By Lauren Barack • Feb. 19, 2025
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    17 states claim Section 504 overreach

    The lawsuit's language has raised concerns among disability rights advocates that Section 504 could be eliminated.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
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    STUDY HALL

    What you need to know about Section 504

    The federal civil rights law requires K-12 schools and higher education institutions to provide people with disabilities accommodations.

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
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    OCR tells schools to cease race-based programs

    While OCR specifically mentioned admissions and hiring practices, there's confusion over what other programming in K-12 is affected.

    By • Feb. 18, 2025
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    How can schools ease student concerns about ICE?

    Strategies to support student well-being can include investments in culture and mental health resources as uncertainty persists.

    By • Feb. 18, 2025
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    Trump’s transgender sports ban challenged in expanded New Hampshire lawsuit

    The case originally challenged a state law that bars transgender girls in grades 5-12 from playing school sports on teams aligned with their gender identity.

    By • Feb. 14, 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 termination of Education Department research contracts to principals' artificial intelligence usage, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Feb. 14, 2025
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    Denver Public Schools sues over Trump policy allowing on-campus ICE raids

    The district alleges school attendance is down "noticeably" as students fear immigration enforcement actions on school grounds.

    By • Feb. 14, 2025
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    3 takeaways from Linda McMahon’s confirmation hearing

    Trump's nominee to lead the Education Department faced questions about the agency’s future, Title IX enforcement and antisemitism on college campuses.

    By • Feb. 13, 2025
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    House education committee advances bills on Chinese influence, whole milk in schools

    Of the five bills that passed along party lines, four seek to add transparency to foreign funds in schools and bar Chinese influence in curricula.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    What bright spots can be found in post-pandemic learning loss data?

    In the latest Education Recovery Scorecard, researchers at Stanford and Harvard highlight several district-level pandemic recovery success stories.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • Four high school students and a teacher are sitting and standing around a desk in a classroom. One student siting at the desk is using a laptop and mouse and others are looking at the screen
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    Education Department reverses CTE policies after criticism

    The policies were finalized just days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration and include collection activities under the Perkins Act.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025