Policy & Legal
Pearson Education will pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC alleged that the company required visually impaired employees to use benefits, leave, and training platforms that were not fully accessible, violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Under the consent decree, Pearson will hire a web accessibility consultant and notify third-party vendors to make platform improvements.
In a letter to school districts, the U.S. Department of Education stated that mental health screenings and student surveys on sensitive topics such as sexual behavior, even if presented as "voluntary," will be considered as "required" by the school district, and parents must be notified in advance and provide written consent. The letter also requires that even if a school district does not classify a student's "gender plan" as an "educational record," it must still be made accessible to parents.
U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper issued a partial injunction on Wednesday against the Trump administration's overhaul of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program (TPPP). The ruling found that the administration's pivot to an abstinence-only approach and the cancellation of grants that did not align with this policy were implemented without following required administrative channels. While the judge temporarily halted the policy implementation, he did not order the reinstatement of the nearly all-terminated grants, citing jurisdictional questions. The case, Hennepin County v. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, involves plaintiffs including Hennepin County, King County, and a Planned Parenthood affiliate.
With students returning for the 2026-27 school year, concerns over immigration enforcement near schools persist. At least 17 ICE incidents on school properties were documented in 2025-26. In response, states like Massachusetts have enacted protective laws, while grassroots groups in Los Angeles and Baltimore are organizing patrols and expanding safe passage programs. Lawsuits challenging federal policy continue through the courts.
New CDC data reveals that 4.2% of U.S. kindergartners had vaccine exemptions in the 2025-26 school year, up from 3.6% the prior year. Coverage declined for all reported vaccines, and the Trump administration's recent executive order aims to reshape childhood vaccine recommendations.
The U.S. Department of Education on Tuesday released new school discipline guidance, explicitly rejecting previous Democratic administrations' attempts to reduce discipline disparities for Black and other historically marginalized students. The Dear Colleague letter, issued by the Office for Civil Rights, calls on schools to 'stop racial balancing' and clarifies that Title VI and the Constitution do not require or prohibit unintentional disparate impact. This guidance follows the Trump administration's recent rescission of the disparate impact legal theory, signaling a shift in enforcement priorities.
The Federal Communications Commission is accepting public comment on a proposed rule that weighs changes to or discontinuation of the E-rate program, a 30-year-old initiative providing discounted internet services to schools and libraries. The comment period closes Oct. 13.
Texas families have filed a joint petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of lower-court rulings that upheld state laws mandating Ten Commandments displays in public school classrooms. The cases, Nathan v. Alamo Heights Independent School District and Cribbs Ringer v. Comal Independent School District, ask the justices to determine whether such laws breach the First Amendment's establishment clause and parents' free exercise rights. The high court may accept or decline the cases, which mirror disputes arising from similar statutes in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Alabama.
This week's top story: unions sue the Education Department over a 'professional degree' rule that caps federal loans for education graduate students at $100,000, while other professional degrees allow up to $200,000. Plus: Bellwether reports 200 million additional missed school days annually, UndauntedK12 finds extreme weather impacted 9 million students, CISA releases K-12 cybersecurity guides, special education complaints rise 46%, and the rescission of disparate impact may narrow investigations.