What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of August, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress Congress Returns from August Recess: Prior to breaking for August Recess, the Senate passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to continue to fund the
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What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of July, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress The Rush Before August Recess: The U.S. House of Representatives left Washington on July 23 for
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July 23, 2026 (Washington D.C.) – The team at the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is saddened by the passing of a former colleague, Dana M. Fink. As noted in her obituary, “Dana devoted her career to advancing the rights and well-being of people with disabilities and older adults.” During her time with IEL, Dana served IEL’s
IEL Mourns Passing of Former Colleague, Disability Advocate Dana Fink Read More »
What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of June, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress The FY27 Appropriations Process Continues: The House Appropriations Committee held markups for the FY27 Labor-HHS appropriations bill on June 9th. An amendment
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By Nikkie Baum, CSxFE Volunteer/Attendee; Community School Impact Coordinator, Marie Hughes Community Schools (Albuquerque, NM) The forecast started off cloudy but the smiles inside the Long Beach Convention Center were shining brightly as attendees joined the start of the 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference during the last week of May. Powered by
Guiding Lights, Brighter Futures: A CSxFE26 Reflection Read More »
In California, the movement for Community Schools has been taking shape for decades across universities, school districts, nonprofits, workforce organizations, and city agencies through partnerships grounded in relationships, sustainability, and a shared belief that young people deserve more than fragmented systems. In recent years, momentum for Community Schools has only increased, as the strategy provides
What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of May, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress The House Appropriations Subcommittee overseeing the Department of Education FY2027 budget, which is included in the
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May 11, 2026: The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) and Backrs are thrilled to jointly introduce to their networks a new partnership that will combine IEL’s national network and leadership footprint with the scalable postsecondary and career support models provided by Backrs to strengthen the impact of Community Schools, Districts, and Nonprofit partners. School leaders are being asked to deliver stronger postsecondary and career outcomes under increasing constraints including unsustainable advising ratios, counselor
What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what’s happened in federal education policy in the month of April, and what lies ahead. The White House The Office of Management and Budget Releases 2027 Budget Proposal: On April 3, the White House released its fiscal
April Policy by the People Federal Update Read More »
IEL remains committed to our values and work to partner, innovate, and lead to advance opportunities for all children, youth, and families. Washington, DC – 4/24/26 – The Board of Directors of the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) announced today that President and CEO Eddie Koen will be departing IEL in May to pursue a
