Education

The Associated Press reports: As a condition for receiving federal money, the Trump administration is ordering K-12 schools to certify that they are following federal civil rights laws and eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion practices. A notice sent Thursday by the Education Department gives states and schools 10 days to sign and return the certification. It’s the latest escalation against …

The Meidas Touch reports: Nicholas Jacobs, chair of the Wisconsin College Republicans and a rising GOP operative, has locked his Twitter account following intense backlash over his acceptance of a $1 million check from Elon Musk. The controversial payout has fueled accusations that he was being rewarded for his political influence rather than as an impartial voter. Critics across social …

Politico reports: The Trump administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to allow it to cut hundreds of millions of dollars for teacher training. A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the cuts, finding they were already affecting training programs aimed at addressing a nationwide teacher shortage. An appeals court turned away a plea from the administration to allow them …

The Associated Press reports: Governors in several Republican-led states are pressing the Trump administration to cut strings attached to their federal education money, a goal conservatives have long dreamed of that now appears within reach as President Donald Trump moves to dismantle the Education Department. Iowa put itself forward as a test case this month, asking the Education Department to …

The Idaho State Journal reports: West Ada School District has recently come under fire after a KTVB story highlighted Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama, who was asked to remove signs and posters promoting inclusivity from her classroom. The signs share the message that all students are welcome and feature hands of different skin colors and a series …

NBC News reports: The NAACP and the National Education Association, along with other groups, announced this morning that they are suing the Trump administration over its efforts to dismantle the Department of Education. “Eliminating or effectively shuttering the Department puts at risk the millions of vulnerable students, including those from low-income families, English learners, homeless students, rural students and others …

The Daily Beast reports: Education Secretary Linda McMahon won’t rule out having Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. take over vaccines in public schools. Noting that shuttering the Department of Education as the Trump administration intends would require redistributing its responsibilities, host Dana Bash asked whether Kennedy—a vaccine skeptic—could be tasked with overseeing state vaccination mandates. “Would he be involved …

The Columbus Dispatch reports: Columbus City school board amended its religious release policy, preventing religious organizations like LifeWise Academy from distributing candy and other items to students and requiring them to complete background checks on religious instructors. Religious release time allows students to leave during the day for religious instruction, typically during an elective or lunch. LifeWise is one of …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump is expected to sign a long-awaited directive Thursday to officially wind down the Education Department, following weeks of moves to steadily winnow the agency’s staff and spending. Trump’s pending executive order directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate” her department’s closure “and return education authority to the States,” according to …

ProPublica reports: Saying the Trump administration is sabotaging civil rights enforcement by the Department of Education, a federal lawsuit filed Friday morning seeks to stop the president and Secretary Linda McMahon from carrying out the mass firing of civil rights investigators and lawyers. Two parents and the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, a national disability rights group, jointly filed …

The Associated Press reports: More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs that his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, one month after warning America’s schools and colleges that they could lose federal money …

Reuters reports: A group of Democratic state attorneys general on Thursday filed a lawsuit seeking to block Republican U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration from dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and halt it from laying off nearly half of its staff. Democratic attorneys general from 20 states and the District of Columbia filed the lawsuit in federal court in Boston …

Fox News reports: Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said her agency took the first steps Tuesday to eliminate “bureaucratic bloat” at the federal level and bring more power to the states during an interview Tuesday on “The Ingraham Angle.” The Department of Education announced it will cut nearly half of its workforce as President Donald Trump moves to eliminate the …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump is expected to take the extraordinary step this week of directing his secretary of education to dissolve the U.S. Department of Education by executive order, according to sources familiar with a draft. A draft of the executive order calls on Education Secretary Linda McMahon to facilitate a department closure by taking all necessary steps …

From just-confirmed Education Sec. Linda McMahon: As you are all aware, President Trump nominated me to take the lead on one of his most momentous campaign promises to families. My vision is aligned with the President’s: to send education back to the states and empower all parents to choose an excellent education for their children. As a mother and grandmother, …

Politico reports: The Education Department is offering a buyout of up to $25,000 to most of its employees, according to a department-wide email obtained by POLITICO. Employees have until Monday at 11:59 p.m. to make a decision, Jacqueline Clay, a chief human capital officer, wrote Friday afternoon. “This is a one time offer in advance of a very significant Reduction …

The Texas Tribune reports: A top Texas senator filed legislation Monday that would extend the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives to K-12 public schools. Sen. Brandon Creighton, the Conroe Republican who chairs the Senate Committee on Education K-16, introduced both Senate Bill 12 and Senate Bill 1565 after Gov. Greg Abbott expressed support in his State of …

Politico reports: A federal judge has barred the Education Department and the Office of Personnel Management — the government’s massive HR department — from sharing sensitive information with Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency,” saying the decision to grant DOGE access appears to breach federal privacy laws. “The continuing, unauthorized disclosure of plaintiffs’ sensitive personal information to DOGE affiliates is …

The Daily Beast reports: Dolly Parton has called on Indiana’s governor to reverse course on plans to do away with her popular “Imagination Library” program. The country singer, who started the book gifting program to encourage early literacy, urged Gov. Mike Braun to reconsider the state’s proposed budget, which does not include the usual 50 percent matching funds provided to …

The Indiana Digest reports: Governor Mike Braun’s “Freedom and Opportunity” budget proposal is throwing the future of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library around the state into flux. Under the previous budget, the state matched donations from local partners making the program budget 50% donations and 50% funds from the state. The proposed budget removes that funding altogether. The program came to the Allen …