The February 13 deadline set by last week’s continuing resolution (CR) to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to lapse tonight without a new spending agreement from Congress. Without a final bill or new CR, DHS is expected to shut down until a...
Federal
House Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Science of Reading
On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Services (Labor-H) held a bipartisan hearing, “The Science of Reading.” Subcommittee Chairman Robert Aderholt (R-AL) used the hearing to highlight recent...
ED Highlights Funding Flexibility for Innovative Staffing
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) issued a Dear Colleague letter that provides guidance to states and school districts highlighting current flexibility under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). The guidance explains how Title II,...
Senate HELP Committee Holds Child Care Hearing
On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a hearing, "Restoring Integrity: Preventing Fraud in Child Care Assistance Programs." Committee Chair Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA), opened the proceedings by voicing concerns about...
Bipartisan Group Reintroduces Foster Care Legislation
Representative Don Bacon (R-NE) and Senators Deb Fischer (R-NE) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) reintroduced their bicameral, bipartisan bill, the Foster Care Stabilization Act (HR 7419/S. 3802). The bill intends to ensure children awaiting foster care placement have...
COPAA Releases Report on Private School Choice Programs
As a thought leader committed to ensuring that students with disabilities and their families have all the information they need to make an informed choice, on Monday, COPAA released “Private School Choice Programs: Is There a Seat for Students with...
Labor-H Spending Bill Primed for Final Passage, IDEA Receives $20 M Bump
As reported last week, the House and Senate appropriators reached an agreement on the final text and accompanying Joint Explanatory Statements (Statement) for the remaining spending bills for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 which includes the Labor, Health and Human Services,...
ED Drops Legal Appeal of K-16 DEI Guidance
The Trump Administration has dropped its appeal of a federal court ruling that blocked the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) anti–diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) campaign, leaving the lower court’s decision in effect. The dispute arose when ED issued a Dear...
For students with disabilities, the Office for Civil Rights is often the last line of defense (OPINION)
K-12 Dive The path to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education will have a generational impact — eliminating the safeguards that have ensured all students have access to equitable, inclusive schools since the department’s founding in 1979. Specifically, the recent...
