Policy & Legal: Page 3

  • People are in the foreground looking toward the setting sun in the horizon and the Washington Monument.
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    How the federal government shutdown affects K-12

    Grant-making activities and OCR investigations will cease during the shutdown, but school systems will still be able to draw down most funds.

    By • Oct. 1, 2025
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    The top K-12 conferences to attend in 2026

    Whether you’re looking to brush up on leadership best practices, school policy or the latest ed tech innovations, these events are a great place to start.

    By K-12 Dive staff • Oct. 1, 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
  • The outside of the U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. is shown on a close day. People are walking on the sidewalk in front of the building.
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    Education Department can cut half of OCR staff for now, appeals court rules

    The order comes as the agency was complying with a prior court order to return laid-off Office for Civil Rights staffers back to work.

    By • Sept. 30, 2025
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    FCC removes school bus Wi-Fi, hotspots from E-rate

    The Federal Communications Commission vote reverses a Biden administration expansion of federal discounts for internet services for schools and libraries.

    By • Updated Sept. 30, 2025
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    Civil rights commissioners mixed on special educator shortage solutions

    One member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights questioned whether there was enough information to call the shortage a crisis.

    By , • Sept. 30, 2025
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    BY THE NUMBERS

    Only 18 states differentiate compensation for special education teachers

    And just eight differentiate pay for English learner instructors, despite the challenge of recruiting and retaining in these high-need fields, NCTQ said.

    By • Sept. 30, 2025
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    The image by Ron Coleman is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Court revives White former NYC district administrator’s bias case over allegedly racist DEI training

    Federal courts have increasingly been asked to weigh the legality of diversity, equity and inclusion training amid a broader backlash against DEI programs.

    By Ryan Golden • Sept. 29, 2025
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    Week In Review: Unprepared graduates and superintendent stress

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from literacy for students with disabilities to our fifth annual roundup of Rising Leaders.

    By • Sept. 29, 2025
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    Education Department brings back mental health grants

    The agency issued new priorities for the funding after having canceled the grants for not aligning with Trump administration priorities.

    By • Sept. 29, 2025
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    The 2026-27 FAFSA launches a week ahead of schedule

    U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon praised the rollout as the earliest in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid’s history. 

    By Natalie Schwartz • Sept. 26, 2025
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    School facility governance standard aims to improve fairness, boost rental revenue

    Outdated and inconsistent facilities rental policies result in some larger school districts leaving millions on the table, says one facilities rental executive.

    By Brian Martucci • Sept. 26, 2025
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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 an urgent call by school nurses to high schoolers’ readiness for the workforce, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Sept. 26, 2025
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    AI ‘companions’ pose risks to student mental health. What can schools do?

    As experts warn about the prevalence of AI companions among children and teens, schools can help their students use AI tools in alternative, safer ways.

    By • Sept. 25, 2025
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    As CTE transfers to Labor Department, here’s what schools need to know

    The Trump administration said the interagency agreement will streamline services. Critics say it will add confusion and inefficiencies.

    By • Sept. 25, 2025
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    Illustration: Cathryn Virginia for Industry Dive

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    STAFFED UP

    Momentum builds in schools for team-based staffing models

    Teacher teams, where multiple educators instruct up to 100 students, are increasingly shaking up how K-12 leaders view classroom instruction.

    By • Sept. 24, 2025
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    Hawaii to weigh redistricting before consolidating schools

    The state’s board of education was set to decide soon whether to conduct a consolidation study, but now alternative options are being explored first.

    By • Sept. 24, 2025
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    Mike Simons / Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Texas districts sued for implementing Ten Commandments law

    The lawsuit comes after warnings from ACLU and others that districts could be sued even if they are not bound by recent court orders.

    By • Sept. 23, 2025
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    STUDY HALL

    What you need to know about least restrictive environment in IDEA

    General education classrooms should be the first consideration when determining an educational setting for a student with disabilities.

    By • Sept. 23, 2025
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    Week in review: Leaders navigate finance, equity challenges as K-12 satisfaction drops

    We’re rounding up last week’s news, from improved ransomware response and recovery to the latest school nutrition policy proposals.

    By • Sept. 22, 2025
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    Illustration: Ivan Haidutski for Industry Dive

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    Tracker

    Rising Leaders: 10 standout assistant principals and district leaders you should know in 2025-26

    These administrators, nominated by their peers, are going above and beyond on career education, multilingual learning, artificial intelligence and more.

    Sept. 22, 2025
  • a child is sitting between a parent and doctor. The doctor just gave a shot to the child's arm and is putting a Band-Aid on the area
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    School nurses: Keep K-12 vaccine mandates

    The National Association of School Nurses says school vaccine requirements play a critical role in reducing the risk of disease outbreaks.

    By • Sept. 19, 2025
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Fired CDC director says RFK Jr. aims to change childhood vaccine schedule

    Susan Monarez told senators at a hearing Wednesday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed her out for refusing to rubber-stamp changes.

    By Delilah Alvarado • Sept. 19, 2025
  • A photo illustration of a circle encompassing a question mark, pencil, and scantron test.
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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 more Education Department grant cuts to new data on ransomware response in schools, what did you learn from our recent stories?

    By • Sept. 19, 2025
  • 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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    McMahon calls for educators to teach and model civil discourse

    In a fireside chat at the RISE conference, the U.S. education secretary also touched on literacy, school choice, CTE and educational innovations.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025
  • Chairs are placed on top of individual desks in an empty classroom.
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    Arizona district proposes consolidating 9 of its 25 schools

    Kyrene School District pointed to the state’s expansion of universal private school vouchers as a factor in declining enrollment and closure decisions.

    By • Sept. 18, 2025