Education

Yesterday, the U.S. Departments of Education, Interior, and Labor hosted a consultation with elected Tribal leadership in Washington, D.C to listen, learn, and strengthen the critical partnership between the Federal government and Tribal nations. Over 1,000 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian leaders participated in the consultation – the largest of its kind – to ask questions and provide feedback about the Department of Education’s Indian Education Partnershi

Claims that schools engage in systematic liberal indoctrination rely on cherry-picked evidence and overlook the complexity of how schools actually function. While educators lean Democratic on average, their views are diverse, and research shows little evidence that classrooms are used to impose political beliefs on students. Debates over free speech in schools are shaped less by ideology than by competing obligations to student learning, safety and constitutional limits, pres

ALABAMA — Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Alabama in support of both the U.S. Department of Education’s national Returning Education to the States Tour and History Rocks! Trail to Independence tour . On her Returning Education to the States tour, Secretary McMahon is visiting all fifty states to hear from students, teachers, and leaders about best educational practices in their own communities. The History Rocks! tour aims to strengthen civic lite

CHICAGO, IL — Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Chicago Hope Academy in support of both the U.S. Department of Education’s national Returning Education to the States Tour and History Rocks! Trail to Independence tour. On her Returning Education to the States tour, Secretary McMahon is visiting all fifty states to hear from students, teachers, and leaders about best educational practices in their own communities. The History Rocks! tour aims to stre

A group of Harvard University alumni have committed $50 million to endow 50 new PhD fellowships in the university’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. The gifts represent an effort to shore up financial support for graduate students during a period of continuing political and economic pressures on the institution. The initiative, announced by FAS Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra on Tuesday, will be used to create a matching fund with the ultimate goal of raising $100 million by June 30, acco

Celebrate America’s 250 th  Anniversary by Entering the America250FL Essay and Art Contests Tallahassee, Fla., February 2, 2026 –  To honor the 250 th  anniversary of our nation’s founding, the Florida Department of Education and Volunteer Florida invite all Florida students in grades K-12 to participate in the America250FL art and essay contests. The essay and art contests provide an opportunity for students to pause and reflect on our nation’s past and honor Florida’s contr

Tallahassee, Fla. —Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced Florida will be opting in to the Federal Education Freedom Tax Credit established through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to expand school choice efforts. “Florida families have access to the nation’s top ranked and largest school choice program. About 1.4 million students are enrolled in school choice options in Florida—more than most other states’ entire K-12 school population,” said Governor Ron DeSantis . “The new

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) today issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) aimed at reducing the cost of higher education and simplifying federal student loan repayment, as outlined in President Trump’s historic Working Families Tax Cuts Act (the Act).  Last summer, Congress passed necessary changes to the federal student loan program that will drive down college tuition by equipping institutions with tools to address overborrowing, implementing co

Understanding violent pasts is essential to understanding the world we live in today. The histories of genocide, war, colonialism, enslavement and other forms of mass violence shape contemporary societies. Their legacies are visible in present day inequalities, social divisions, political tensions and cultural attitudes. When these histories are simplified or ignored in educational settings, learners lose the opportunity to process them, to recognize how the past continues to

Today, the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office (SPPO) found that the California Department of Education (CDE) is in continued violation of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)—a federal law granting parents the right to access their child’s education records—for policies that pressure school officials to conceal information about students’ "gender identity." “Our investigation found that the California Department of Education egregiou

As the Trump Administration continues its celebrations of National School Choice Week, the U.S. Departments of Education and Treasury today released a joint fact sheet on the Education Freedom Tax Credit that was created by President Trump’s historic Working Families Tax Cuts Act. The Education Freedom Tax Credit is the largest national expansion of education freedom in history and provides families with more affordable education options. “The Trump Administration is deliver

Today, the U.S. Department of Education kicked off its celebration of National School Choice Week, a time to highlight the many different types of education across the United States and to empower families to choose the best learning option for their child’s success.   “During National School Choice Week, we celebrate how school choice has changed the lives of millions of students by empowering parents and families to choose a school or program that best meets their child’s n

voting student position on the Iowa Board of Regents would be eliminated under a new bill advanced by the Hawkeye State’s House higher education subcommittee, The Iowa Capital Dispatch reported . If passed and signed into law, the bill would replace the student regent with a ninth one appointed by the governor. In addition, seven new nonvoting member seats would be established: three for students, two for state senators and two for state representatives.  The proposed legis

Florida public universities would be banned from hiring foreign workers on H-1B visas under a policy change that the Florida Board of Governors will consider next week. Next Thursday, the board’s Nomination and Governance Committee will consider adding to a policy a line saying the universities can’t “utilize the H-1B program in its personnel program to hire any new employees through January 5, 2027.” If the committee and full Board of Governors approve the addition, there w

The U.S. Department of Education’s (the Department’s) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education sent a letter to every chief state school officer highlighting the existing flexibility states have to encourage Title I schools to consolidate their federal, state, and local funds. This flexibility helps schools better support their students and improve academic achievement. State educational agencies may approve any Title I school to implement a schoolwide program. A Title I

JANUARY 20, 2026 Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon released the following statement to celebrate an historic first year of education reforms under the Trump Administration:   “In one year, the Trump Administration has ended business as usual in education and refocused the system on students, not special interests,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. “We’ve empowered families with more school choice options, encouraged states to maximize their flex

GEORGETOWN, K.Y. — Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited Georgetown Middle School in support of the Department’s History Rocks! Trail to Independence tour and Bluegrass Community and Technical College in support of her Returning Education to the States Tour . The History Rocks! tour is a nationwide effort to highlight innovative approaches to teaching U.S. history ahead of our nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026. On her Returning Education to the States t

Today, the U.S. Departments of Education (ED) and Labor (DOL) announced that they have taken additional steps to integrate the nation’s postsecondary education and workforce development programs. Beginning the week of January 20, 2026, staff in the Higher Education Programs (HEP) Division of ED’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) will be detailed to work at DOL as the agencies work together to better coordinate Federal postsecondary education programs.   Following the d

SOUTH CAROLINA  — Today, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon visited West Pelzer Elementary School in Pelzer, South Carolina as part of the U.S. Department of Education’s (the Department’s) national  History Rocks!  Trail to Independence tour  in celebration of America’s upcoming 250th birthday. The tour aims to strengthen civic literacy by helping students personally connect with America’s founding principles.  The event opened with remarks from Principal Miranda Leopa

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) announced that more than 5 million 2026–27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) forms have been successfully submitted by students and families across the country, a nearly 150% increase in the number of applications submitted at the same time last year. After years of mismanagement by the Biden Administration, this year, the Trump Administration launched the earliest and most streamlined FAFSA form in history.