Become more informed in minutes....

The Trump administration has published new details of its plans to wind down the U.S. Department of Education, revealing how the agency will support students with disabilities, and those from low-income families, while also cutting federal bureaucracy. The more comprehensive budget released on Friday recommends a total of $66.7bn for all Education Department activities, 15.3% down on its current funding level. “Our goal is clear: to make education better, fairer, and more accountable by ending Federal overreach and empowering families, schools, and States who best know the needs of their students,” the budget document said. Funding for Title I, Part A grants to low-income school communities is maintained at $18.4bn, while $14.9bn is budgeted for Part B state grants under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, a $677.5m increase. Additionally, the budget consolidates 18 smaller programs including teacher training, school safety, and students experiencing homelessness, into one grant, cutting funding from approximately $6.5bn to $2bn. U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will appear before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee panel today to discuss the funding requests.

 

K-12 Dive

NPR / National Public Radio

Stay Compliant: Your State’s K-12 Training Requirements

State training mandates can change rapidly, making it complicated for K-12 schools and districts to stay current on mandates and state compliance. Download your state's compliance guide for compliance requirements, links to related legislation or policy documentation, details on training requirements for staff and students, and more.

Download Compliance Guides

 

The Green Bay School District is currently under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) for potential violations of racial and disability discrimination laws. The inquiry was prompted by allegations that a White dyslexic student was denied necessary reading resources due to his race. The OCR's investigation will assess whether the district violated Title VI, Section 504, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, the student's mother, Colbey Decker, claims her son was not provided with the required one-on-one reading intervention, as the school prioritized resources for historically underperforming racial groups. The district has refrained from commenting on the ongoing investigation.

 

Green Bay Press Gazette

Zayra Chicas Guzman, a junior at Digital Harbor High School, has been elected as the new student commissioner for Baltimore City’s school board. The election saw nearly 4,000 students, representing over 10% of eligible sixth- through twelfth-graders, casting their votes, as reported by the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City. The board still has one more seat to fill following the appointment of Larry Simmons Jr. in April. Mayor Brandon Scott will interview four candidates, including former special education teacher Salimah Jasani, who previously ran for a school board seat in 2022. Other candidates advancing include Deborah Wortham, Heather Lamb, and Amber Woodruff.

 

The Baltimore Sun

Christa McAuliffe Middle School in Jackson, New Jersey, is set to permanently close in June 2025, following a decision by the Jackson school board, due to budgetary constraints and declining enrollment. The school, named after the astronaut and teacher who tragically died in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, opened in 1993. A final open house will be held on June 16, 2025, allowing alumni and community members to tour the school and participate in a ceremony. The district is collecting stories from former students and staff to commemorate the school's legacy, stating, “Through your stories, we hope to preserve the spirit of the school.” The closure marks a significant change in the district, which has already seen the closure of another school in the past year.

 

NJ.com

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's May budget revision for 2025-26 proposes significant changes to California's education system, including a $15m pilot program aimed at redesigning middle and high schools. State Board of Education President Linda Darling-Hammond emphasized the need for transformation, commenting: “If public schools are to survive, they will have to be transformed to be more responsive.” Additionally, the budget allocates $1.1bn to help districts recover from post-pandemic learning lags, with a focus on community input for spending. A temporary fix of $7.5m is also proposed to address funding for transitional kindergarten English learners. Furthermore, the decline in student enrollment may lead to increased per-student funding, providing new opportunities for educational programs. Julien Lafortune from the Public Policy Institute of California noted, the declining enrollment “dividend” is “kind of a boon for the education system.”

 

EdSource

Illinois lawmakers have finalized a $55bn budget for fiscal year 2026, which includes minimal increases for early childhood education and K-12 schools. Gov. J.B. Pritzker praised the budget as “balanced,” but local advocates and teachers unions expressed disappointment over the lack of significant investment. Dan Montgomery, president of the Illinois Federation of Teachers, stated that the budget “doesn't reflect the urgency of students' needs,” highlighting concerns about the adequacy of funding. The budget includes a $307m increase for K-12 schools, the smallest since 2020, raising fears that the state will not meet its funding adequacy targets by 2027. Early childhood education funding remains largely flat, with some programs receiving new support for low-income families. Jonathan Doster from Start Early noted the challenges posed by flat funding, stating, “It's difficult to increase wages and benefits for staff.”

 

Chalkbeat

Eric Hibbs, the suspended superintendent of Washington Township schools in New Jersey, has filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging a "calculated campaign of targeted retaliation" by district officials after he raised concerns about an insurance contract. Hibbs, who was placed on paid administrative leave in March, claims that his inquiries about a consultant's hiring led to retaliation, including the filing of a fraudulent ethics complaint against him. The lawsuit, citing the state's Conscientious Employee Protection Act, names the school board and its president, Julie Kozempel, as defendants. Hibbs is seeking reinstatement and damages, emphasizing that "whistleblowers like (Hibbs) serve as the first line of defense against unsafe, unethical, and unlawful practices." The Washington Township district is one of the largest in South Jersey, with Hibbs being the highest-paid superintendent in Gloucester County for the 2023-24 school year, earning $215,000.

 

NJ.com

Diane Allen, the recently retired superintendent of Marysville Exempted Village Schools, is the top candidate for the deputy director position at the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW). Director Stephen Dackin praised her "proven track record of driving achievement through forward-thinking leadership" and emphasized her commitment to improving student outcomes. Allen, who led the Marysville district for 13 years, will be replacing Zack Howard, the new superintendent. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine expressed his support for Allen, stating her experience will be valuable in ensuring every Ohio student reaches their potential. Allen's appointment is pending confirmation from the Ohio Senate, with her expected start date in July.

 

The Columbus Dispatch

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is inviting public comments on proposed amendments to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 213 regarding child restraint systems (CRSs) by June 30. Key proposals include exempting school bus CRSs from side impact requirements if they meet specific labeling standards, delaying the compliance date to December 5, 2026, to avoid market disruption, and changing testing procedures for forward-facing CRSs. The NHTSA aims to address concerns raised by CRS manufacturers, stating that the amendments will "prevent market disruption resulting in reduced availability of CRSs."

 

School Bus Fleet

Larry Ferlazzo, an English and social studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, is retiring and has shared valuable advice for new teachers. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships with students, stating, “students tend to learn more from teachers they like.” Ferlazzo encourages educators to show care, use humor, and be flexible in their approach. He advises against taking things personally and suggests that new teachers should seek help from colleagues, as asking for assistance is a sign of strength. He concludes with a reminder that “losing a teacher hurts everyone,” highlighting the collective interest in teacher success. For more insights, Ferlazzo invites readers to explore his previous posts on teaching advice.

 

Education Week News

As schools approach summer break, immigration advocates emphasize the need for continued support for immigrant students and families amid rising fears of deportation. Alejandra Vázquez Baur, a fellow at the Century Foundation, said: “This is not a time to take a break from open communication with your families.” Schools are urged to maintain engagement through summer programs, resource fairs, and open communication to ensure families feel safe returning in the fall. In New York City, 16.3% of students are English learners, many from immigrant backgrounds, and districts are implementing tailored summer programs to connect with these families. Similarly, Metro Nashville public schools are hiring immigrant youth transition specialists to assist newly arrived students. Vázquez Baur also highlights the importance of strengthening partnerships with community organizations to reassure families about their safety in schools. Monitoring immigration policy changes is crucial for districts as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

 

Education Week News

The U.S. Justice Department has intensified its efforts to prevent transgender athletes from participating in California school sports, warning districts of potential legal consequences if they do not comply with new directives. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated that allowing transgender athletes to compete “would deprive girls of athletic opportunities and benefits based solely on their biological sex,” violating the U.S. Constitution. This warning follows a recent victory for 16-year-old transgender athlete AB Hernandez, who won multiple medals at the state championships. Dhillon's letter demands that districts certify by June 9 that they will no longer follow the California Interscholastic Federation's rules permitting transgender participation. Critics, including LGBTQ+ advocates, argue that the administration's actions are politically motivated rather than focused on protecting athletes' rights. Hernandez's mother expressed her heartbreak over the situation, emphasizing her child's desire to compete and thrive like any other student.

 

Los Angeles Times

The arrest of 18-year-old Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, a Massachusetts high school student, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has ignited significant community backlash. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, said "he's in this country illegally and we're not going to walk away from anybody," justifying the arrest made during a traffic stop. The incident has drawn criticism from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who expressed her "disturbed and outraged" feelings regarding the situation. Although Gomes was not the target of the investigation, which aimed at his father, he was taken into custody as part of a broader immigration enforcement operation that resulted in nearly 1,500 arrests last month. A federal judge has since issued an emergency order preventing his transfer out of Massachusetts for at least 72 hours, as Gomes intends to apply for asylum.

 

Boston Globe

U.S. News

Students in Quebec are calling for changes to the weighting of their ministerial exams. The province is the only one in Canada where some final exams account for 50%of high school students' final grades. While it has standardized Grade 10 and 11 exams in French, English, mathematics, history and science, all worth 25%-35% of final grades, other subjects, including basic French as a second language, count for 50%. Grade 11 student Luca Di Fiore, said the final exam feels like a judgment, adding: "To hear that one test that you do at the end of the year, irrespective of everything you've accomplished throughout the entire year, could just change everything for you [is unfortunate]." Paul Berry, a Grade 10 and 11 mathematics and history teacher at Options High School, is also advocating for a reduction in the final exam's weight. "[The government treats] these exams like they're sacred texts and like they're the be-all and end-all," he said, adding: "There's nothing really in life where you're going to be facing that type of situation … It's just not the way the real world works." However, Education Minister Bernard Drainville said that there are no plans to change the system. "Fifty percent to ensure equality, to ensure that we can compare results from one school to the next, from one region to the next," he told reporters last week.

 

CBC News