The latest news, views, & tools in federal education policy
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 February, and what lies ahead.
The U.S. Department of Education: The Senate confirmation hearing of Linda McMahon, President Trump’s selection for Secretary of the Department of Education commenced on February 13, 2025. The recording can be found here.
McMahon advanced out of committee on a party-line vote of 12-11, and the full Senate will take up her nomination and vote on whether to confirm her as the next Secretary of Education. During her Committee Hearing, she discussed expanding school choice, moving federally funded programs currently supported at the Department of Education to other Administrative agencies, and moving the oversight of education policy to the states.
The Race to Fund the Government: The current Continuing Resolution (CR) for the 2025 Fiscal Year is set to expire March 14, 2025. Congress needs to pass a FY25 budget, or another CR, to avoid a government shutdown.
On Friday, the U.S. Senate approved a budget resolution for FY2025 in a Vote-a-Rama, which is when a chamber of Congress proposes and votes upon multiple amendments to the legislation with minimal debate. The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget resolution this week on
February 25 and will now move into the budget reconciliation process. The text can be found here.
To understand the federal budget, check out IEL’s webinar on this topic.
Sub-Cabinet Presidential Nominations: On February 12, President Trump announced his Sub-Cabinet Presidential Nominations, including 6 individuals to senior positions at the Department of Education. This list can be found here.
State of American Education Hearing: On February 5, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce hosted a hearing on the State of American Education. The list of witnesses and recap 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 this survey.
Events & Resources
Register NOW for our 2025 Washington Policy Seminar (WPS)! ✍️
- Join us at the 61st annual Washington Policy Seminar during the Cherry Blossom season, March 17 to 19, 2025, in the Washington, D.C. area. WPS is your front-row seat to inside the beltway federal policy and national trends. Register today!
Apply for our Policy by the PeopleTM Synchronous Modules: Participants can dig deeper into the root causes of systemic inequities, learn about policy and coalition building, and receive peer-to-peer learning on developing and strengthening their advocacy strategy. These modules launch in April, 2025. Apply now to participate in the synchronous modules – admissions are on a rolling basis.
Webinars & Capacity Building Events 💻
- What do education leaders need to know about the Department of Education’s new guidance on race and civil rights? on February 28 at 1:30 pm ET. Hosted by the Brookings Institute
- Strengthening School-Community Connections for Student Success on March 19 at 3:00 pm ET. Hosted by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)
New Research, Reports, & Analysis 📝
- Standards Gap: Why Many Students Score Proficient on State Tests But Not on NAEP by the 74 and FutureEd
- 2025 State of the State Addresses Education-Related Proposals by the Education Commission of the States (ECS)
- Connecting Schools and Communities by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE)