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
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
April 3, 2026 (Washington, D.C)  – On Friday, President Trump released his Fiscal Year 2027 budget request, asking Congress to fund the U.S. Department of Education at $76.5 billion dollars, a 2.9% decrease in spending from the enacted level in fiscal year 2026. The President’s budget reflects the priorities of his administration by increasing funding for programs that support school choice and
What’s Happening in Washington *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government. Here’s what happened in federal education policy in the month of February, and what lies ahead. The White House The President gives the State of the Union: On February 24th, the President addressed Congress during
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February 12, 2026 (Washington, DC) – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to announce the Fellows of its spring 2026 Education Policy Fellowship ProgramTM (EPFP) , designed to build the capacity of education and community leaders to drive change in their local context through policy and advocacy. EPFP is IEL’s longest-running program, founded
On February 3, 2026, Congress passed its spending package that will fund the vast majority of the federal government through September 30th of this year, ending a partial government shutdown. IEL celebrates several funding victories for federal programs in this Omnibus appropriations bill that align with our Policy by the People Congressional agenda to advance
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 been happening in federal education policy in the month of January, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress Appropriations Nears End: The House passed a series of minibuses, or spending packages, on
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January 12, 2026 As Congress considers the nation’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget, it is essential that they invest in children, youth, and families by funding the Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) Grant Program at $135 million. Community Schools are a proven strategy for success in thousands of schools across the country. Impact spans both academic and
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 been happening in federal education policy in the month of December, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress Appropriations Continues: The Appropriations process continues. As three appropriations bills (the Legislative Branch, Agriculture, and
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