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Policy & Legislation

The latest Policy & Legislation news affecting school districts across America, updated twice daily and credited to original publishers.

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Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Can states run schools better than local boards?

State Capitol building in Indianapolis

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Inside Vermont’s Decade-Long Effort to Change Childcare

In May 2023, Vermont passed Act 76, a landmark legislation that brought meaningful investment and key policy changes for the state’s early care and education system. The state created a dedicated funding stream to build...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Sweden set to ban mobile phones in schools

Long championed as a leader in adopting digital technology, Sweden is set to ban mobile phones in schools beginning in the fall for the next academic year as part of a broad, international reversal on the use of screens...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Half of teacher preparation programs align with the science of reading, report finds

A student works on a reading assignment at Global Preparatory Academy in Indianapolis in 2024. Indiana is among several states that recently improved how teacher preparation programs teach aspiring educators about...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Half of NY teacher prep programs fail in reading instruction: report

Manhattan elementary school teachers practice delivering phonics lessons. A new report found that half of New York state teacher preparation programs fail to adequately teach scientifically grounded reading instruction.

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Trump’s $100K fee for H-1B visas struck down

A federal judge ruled that the fee amounted to an unlawful tax on the visa program for highly skilled workers. 

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
University of Iowa cannot change endowed scholarship for Black students, state high court rules

The institution sought to change the scholarship's eligibility to first-generation students, citing the U.S. Supreme Court's ban on race-conscious admission.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: How a Student Health Bill Got Tangled in Kansas Politics

Just weeks after Kansas lawmakers passed legislation promoting daily recess and physical fitness in K-12 schools, Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed the measure. Speaking in the Statehouse, she told reporters that she...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: Businesses Want Bilingual Workers, Families Want Bilingual Kids, So Why the Gap?

For a few years now, the United States has been marinating in a particular version of the American story. Specifically, we’ve been awash in warnings about the country’s alleged vulnerability in the face of cultural...

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
The state of international enrollment in 6 charts

We're examining major trends impacting foreign enrollment, including early data on the Trump administration's tighter visa policies.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Nearly 84% of Detroit District High Schoolers Were Paid for Attendance This Year

Sign up for Chalkbeat Detroit’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system and Michigan education policy. Nearly 84% of Detroit district high schoolers were paid for coming to school this year, with...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Gov. Ayotte Signs Bill to Give Retired Grandparents Access to State Childcare Scholarship

On Friday, New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed Senate Bill 608 into law, which allows retirees taking care of children to access the state’s childcare assistance program. For eligible families, the NH Child Care...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Students across Pennsylvania step up on Election Day to keep democracy working

Students from Franklin Towne Charter High School walk out before receiving the Governor’s Civic Engagement Awards at the state capitol in Harrisburg, Pa. on May 27, 2026.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: How the ‘Southern Surge’ Passed Oklahoma By

In poorer states like Oklahoma, we’ve often heard a sardonic refrain whenever the conversation turns to bad news about health or education: “Thank God for Mississippi.” I grew up hearing that line. However bad things...

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Oklahoma Teachers Just Got a Raise, but the State Still a ‘Lap Behind’

On a Sunday afternoon in late May, Nancy Jarvis, an Oklahoma kindergarten teacher, was working in her classroom, preparing for an end-of-the-year awards ceremony and making a slideshow for parents.  The routine...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Denver school board appears likely to adopt bell-to-bell cellphone ban for all grades

Denver is among several Colorado districts that are in the process of finalizing cell phone policies by the state's July 1 deadline.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Why Indian Americans Rule the Scripps Spelling Bee

Education Dive
Policy & Legislation
Nebraska law offering in-state tuition to undocumented students struck down

The federal judge’s ruling marks the fourth time a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit has ended such policies under the Trump administration.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Opinion: First-Generation Student’s Journey From ‘Stain on the Carpet’ to Honors Grad

This story is part of our SPOTLIGHT series focusing on the state of education in Oklahoma. Read all our coverage and essays here. “Blah blah blah.” That’s all I heard during story time, sitting on a colorful...

Policy & Legislation
University of Alabama nabs court win in lawsuit over student magazines

A federal judge rejected the plaintiffs’ request to reinstate the shuttered publications while the legal battle over their closure continues.

Policy & Legislation
Arizona State faces DOJ investigation over DEI practices

The agency said the probe stemmed from "recent viral videos indicating ASU denied equal treatment to students" but provided few other details.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
An Explosion in School Choice: Jeb Bush on a Quarter-Century of Change in Florida

Michael Horn, host of podcasts The Future of Education and Class Disrupted, recently sat down with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush and Ryan Delk, the founder of the Primer microschools network. In the episode below,...

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Texas state takeover of local school districts expands, raising concerns

No state has taken over as many local public school districts as Texas. Just since 2020, the Texas Education Agency has installed its own hand-picked leaders in eight districts. The post Texas state takeover of local...

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
The red-state Democrat upending the politics of school vouchers

Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand speaks at a picnic hosted by the Adair County Democrats in Greenfield, Iowa, on August 11, 2019.

The 74
Policy & Legislation
Oklahoma Student Performance Is Declining. Charter Schools Are an Exception

A recent report from the University of Oklahoma documented the Sooner State’s “Fall to 48th” place on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Its slide down the rankings from the middle of the pack in the 1990s...

EdSource
Policy & Legislation
California’s next governor to tackle major education decisions

The next California governor will face major decisions about school funding, college affordability and potential changes to the California Department of Education, while voters may also elect a state schools chief with...

EdSource
Policy & Legislation
LAUSD’s proposed screen-time policy will harm students and teachers

Los Angeles Unified's new policy is misguided. Doomscrolling on TikTok and typing an essay are both forms of “screen time” in the same way 3D glasses and prescription lenses are both eyewear.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
NY lawmakers to give Mamdani 2-year extension to comply with NYC class size mandate

A deal in Albany would delay NYC’s class size mandate until 2029-30, while a separate agreement could provide extra pay for teachers in oversized classes.

Chalkbeat
Policy & Legislation
Illinois lawmakers pass cellphone ban in classrooms. Here’s when it goes into effect.

Illinois students will be largely banned from using their cellphones in schools starting in the 2027-28 school year.

District Admin
Policy & Legislation
Louisiana teachers, school advocates have few details about governor’s teacher pay plan

The Louisiana Legislature approved a budget plan that leaves public school teachers and support workers with less money for the 2026-27 school year.  The post Louisiana teachers, school advocates have few details about...