Education
The latest news, analysis and updates on education politics and policy.
Columbia student detention tests universities’ immigration playbook
The incident shows even colleges with comprehensive immigration and law enforcement policies can’t account for government officials not following the rules.
Weekly Education
Delivered every Monday by 10 a.m., Weekly Education examines the latest news in education politics and policy.
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Trump administration expands efforts to dismantle the Education Department
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agency will have a new role in managing the federal government’s response to school violence.
New education loan limits favor RFK Jr.’s enemies
The Trump administration is capping student loans, but doctors and dentists opposed to the health secretary will get more than his wellness allies.
The College Student Who Built His Own DOGE — And Cashed In
Last year, Alex Shieh was placed under review for a campus project that took on administrative “bloat.” The controversy helped launch his career.
The Florida governor’s project, which received $1 million from Trump’s Education Department, is trying to establish an accreditor more aligned with conservative values.
San Francisco teachers reach deal with district, ending 4-day strike
The tentative agreement ends the city’s first teacher walkout in nearly 50 years.
Trump administration sues Harvard over race-based admissions probe
The lawsuit seeking admissions data marks the latest development in the tense standoff between the administration and the country’s oldest and wealthiest university.
Texas A&M professor files suit after firing over gender identity lesson
“There’s no satisfaction in doing this, only sadness,” Melissa McCoul said.
Trump escalates Harvard feud with $1B demand
The university is engaged in legal battles over the administration’s efforts to freeze billions of dollars in funding and stop the school from enrolling foreign students.
Trump administration finds California’s ban on ‘forced outing’ of students violates federal law
Federal officials threatened to pull education funding unless the state takes steps to amend its rules.
Education Department refers Minnesota trans athletes probe to Justice Department
The move could lead to the state losing its federal funding over its transgender athlete policies.
GOP pitches student loan repayment as Americans struggle to keep up with bills
Republicans say their new repayment policies focus on the borrowers who need the most help.
Education Department pauses wage seizures for unpaid student loans
It is a surprising reversal from the department, which sent the first batch of notices in early January.
NYC public school hosts Mamdani’s political pick, flouting policy
The city’s public school system appeared to violate its own policy when it invited Mamdani’s preferred socialist candidate into a classroom.
Watchdog agency scales back student loan report
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said the initial report was not in the scope of what is required by federal law and called the author “disgruntled” and “incompetent.”
5 takeaways from the Supreme Court’s showdown over transgender athletes
The court’s conservative majority appeared inclined to allow the red-state bans.
Supreme Court appears likely to uphold state transgender athlete bans
The Supreme Court is weighing two lawsuits from transgender female athletes challenging bans in West Virginia and Idaho.
Florida’s school choice headache: Millions of unused dollars
The massive sum is one of several revelations recently unearthed by shocking state audits, issues lawmakers are attempting to rectify in 2026.
Trump’s next plan for the US education system: Lots and lots of rules
He bombarded schools with a flurry of investigations and demands that they adopt policies aligned with his political agenda. His second year will focus on making them last.
What Republicans think Trump is getting wrong about nurses
GOP lawmakers are trying to get nurses added to the Education Department’s list of professionals who can borrow more money to pay for their advanced degrees.
Trump administration probes Brown University over deadly shooting
The Ivy League school previously reached a $50M deal with the federal government to resolve civil rights probes and reinstate $510M in federal research funds.
Suspect in custody over Brown University shooting that killed 2
Hundreds of police officers had been scouring the Ivy League campus.
Rod Paige, Education secretary during ‘No Child Left Behind’ introduction, dies at 92
He was the first African American to serve in that Cabinet post.
The challenge of moving special education out of the Education Department
Some Republican lawmakers also want to ensure the federal government meets its legal obligations to students with disabilities as President Donald Trump seeks to shutter the agency.
Northwestern reaches $75M deal with Trump administration to get federal funding reinstated
The school expects federal funds will start flowing within days and be fully restored within 30 days.
The Education Department gave another agency power to distribute its money. It hasn’t gone well.
Critics say issues with accessing federal career and technical education funding could preview bigger problems when the Trump administration starts to outsource more of the Education Department’s responsibilities to other agencies.
In culture war backlash, Democrats sweep school boards
The party recruited and invested in school board races to oust Republicans. It worked.
Why Republicans are worried about Trump’s plans to split the Education Department
GOP lawmakers who largely back the president’s education agenda still fear it could disrupt critical programs.
Trump administration launches plan to dismantle Education Department
The department will shift responsibility for several of its core functions to other federal agencies.
Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point closes tour at UC Berkeley, testing free speech roots
The event, which was marked by protests, was the final stop on the conservative group’s national tour.
College students, stressed about federal food aid uncertainty, look to campuses for support
SNAP benefits for roughly 42 million people in the U.S. were cut off at the beginning of November due to the government shutdown.