What’s Happening in Washington
The latest news, views, & tools in federal education policy
*Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government.
The 119th Congress: Congress is officially in session. In the U.S. Senate, the new Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (H.E.L.P.) Committee Chair is Senator Bill Cassidy (R-LA), and the Ranking Member is Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT). The U.S. House Committee on Education & Workforce is now Chaired by Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI-05), and the Ranking Member remains as Representative Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA-03).
The Start of the 2nd Trump Administration: President Trump was sworn in Monday, January 20. The President has signed over 20 Executive Orders and actions on the topics of immigration, DEI, pardons, energy, and environment.
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education: The Senate confirmation hearing of Linda McMahon, President Trump’s selection for Secretary of the Department of Education has not been scheduled yet. Denise Carter has been named interim director. The recently announced senior-level political appointees for the Department of Education can be found here.
IEL Policy Updates
119th Congressional Policy Agenda: Co-design IEL’s 119th Congress Policy by the People Agenda with members of our network! This policy agenda will reflect the experiences and ideas of the hundreds of leaders we work with across our networks, including you, to address the most significant issues in education and workforce development. To provide your thoughts on what should be a part of IEL’s 119th Congress Policy Agenda, complete our survey by February 28, 2025.
State Policy Spotlight
Summarizing State-level Success: Entering a new year, it is essential to recognize the successes of our network on the state level in advancing Community Schools.
Renewing funding: In several states we saw funds appropriated to Full-Service Community School programs, providing opportunities for our nation’s youth to receive personalized and comprehensive support and programming. Some of these states include California, New Jersey, & Florida, and Washington, D.C.
New Initiatives to address community needs: States like Minnesota, Ohio, and Florida have launched Community Schools Pilot programs or have expanded their services.
Events & Resources
Register NOW for our 2025 Washington Policy Seminar! ✍
- Join us at the 61st annual Washington Policy Seminar during the Cherry Blossom season, March 17 to 19, 2025, in Crystal City, Virginia, overlooking the Tidal Basin. WPS is your front-row seat to inside the beltway federal policy and national trends. Register today!
- Coming the Spring: Policy by the People On-Demand and Synchronous E-Learning Modules.
Webinars and Capacity Building Events
- Everyone: An Advocate Quarterly Webinar: Understanding the Federal Budget on Wednesday, February 12 from 2-3:00 pm ET. Register for free today!
New Research, Reports, & Analysis
- How States are Expanding Quality Summer Learning Opportunities by LPI
- The Path Toward Evaluating the Impacts of Education Savings Accounts on Academic Achievement Outcomes by RAND
- Study: Student Absenteeism Crisis May Be Hurting Teacher Job Satisfaction by the American Educational Research Association (AERA)