November Policy by the People Federal Update

/ Federal Government, Policy/Legislation, Resources / By

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 November, and what lies ahead. 

The U.S. Congress  

The Federal Government Reopens: On November 12th, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the government, and with the President’s signature, ended a record 43-day federal government shutdown. This bill extends government funding through January 30, 2026, and includes year-long funding bills for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture (including SNAP), and the legislative branch.  The CR also reinstates furloughed federal employees and reverses the federal layoffs during the shutdown. Federal agencies impacted by the shutdown reopened on November 13th. 

The Status of Appropriations Bills: Now that the federal government shutdown has ended, the appropriations process will continue. Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees have passed their versions of the FY26 Labor-HHS Appropriations bills and are awaiting a floor vote. The Senate bill funds Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) at $135M and includes level funding for Promise Neighborhoods and 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC), while the House version of the bill seeks to eliminate all three of these funding streams. The House bill also eliminates funding for the Reentry Employment Opportunities Grant, which is housed in the Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (DOL-ETA), while the Senate bill maintains level funding at $115M. The FY26 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bills have both passed the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and are awaiting a floor vote. For youth mentoring programs at the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) in the Department of Justice, the House bill allocates level funding at $104M while the Senate allocates $105M.  

The U.S. Department of Education  

The ED Announces Six Agency Partnerships with Intentions to Close the ED: On November 18th, the ED announced six new interagency agreements (IAAs) with the Departments of Labor (DOL), Interior, Health and Human Services, and State. In this press release, Secretary McMahon reiterated President Trump’s plan to “return education to the states.” The ED and DOL are establishing the following partnerships:  

  • Postsecondary Education Partnership: Where the DOL will take on a greater role in administering most postsecondary education grant programs authorized under the Higher Education Act. 

The ED and DOI are establishing the following partnership:  

  • Indian Education Partnership: DOI will take on a greater role in administering Indian Education programs relating to elementary and secondary education, higher education, career and technical education, and vocational rehabilitation. 

The ED and HHS are establishing the following partnerships:   

The ED and State are establishing the following partnerships:    

Federal Judge Reversed U.S. Department of Education Issued RIFs Amid the Shutdown: The Department issued reduction-in-force (RIF) notices to hundreds of employees. 466 staff received RIF notices on October 10, including members of the Office of Special Education Programs and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office for Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE). Additionally, on October 13, ED notified over 250 employees in its Office for Civil Rights that their employment would be terminated as of November 3. On October 28th, a federal judge ruled to extend the pause on layoff orders for thousands of federal employees, including those at the Department of Education. According to the ruling, employees who have received RIF notices as a result of the shutdown could not be separated from their jobs.  

U.S. Department of Education Releases Seven Priorities Under the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education: On November 10th, the U.S. Department of Education released seven priorities under the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education for the FY 2025 competition. These priorities aim to support the expansion of the use of artificial intelligence, protecting and promoting civil discourse on college and university campuses, encouraging accreditation reform, and building capacity for high-quality short-term programs. For more information, read the U.S. Department of Education press release. 

The ED Announces Additional Senate Confirmations: On November 13th, the ED announced the confirmation of Kimberly Richey as Assistant Secretary for the Office for Civil Rights, Kirsten Baesler as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Dr. David Barker as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education, and Mary Christina Riley as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs. For more, please visit here.  

The White House 

First Lady Melania Trump Announces Executive Order on Fostering the Future: On November 13, 2025, the White House announced a new Executive Order titled “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.” This order seeks to use public and private-sector partnerships to create more pathways to success for young people who have experienced foster care. These actions are expected to increase the accessibility of support services for young people experiencing foster care. By expanding educational opportunities and resources, the order aims to reduce barriers to academic success. For more information, check out this article. 

IEL Policy Updates 📜 

  • Policy & Advocacy Resources and Tools: Check out this link for a comprehensive list of resources, tools, and trackers on Community Schools outreach work. Whether you are looking for easy how-to guides to reach out to your Members of Congress or to share the impact of Community Schools on your community, we have a resource for you! Also, check out our previous policy webinars for refreshers on the federal budget process, the role of data, formula grants, and more! 
  • Apply now for the EPFP 2026 Spring Cohort: The application for the Spring 2026 Education Policy Fellowship ProgramTM (EPFP) is now live! If you want to learn how to advance your policy strategy and advocate for the children and families in your community, then EPFP is right for you—no previous policy experience required. To learn more about the program and how to apply, go to https://iel.org/our-work/epfp/. The deadline to apply is November 30th! 

Events & Resources 

Webinars & Capacity Building Events 💻 

  • IEL End of Year Town Hall: December 2nd, 2:00 pm EST, hosted by the Institute for Educational Leadership with the Children’s Funding Project.  Join our virtual town hall to discuss emerging education policy topics and their impact on communities, as well as to explore sustainability strategies with our featured partner, Children’s Funding Project. 
  • Media Relations 101, December 3, 2-3pm ET, hosted by the Institute for Educational Leadership.  Learn how to harness the power of media to support your broader communications goals in this practical webinar. We’ll cover why media matters, what today’s PR and media trends mean for your organization, and how to build a smart, realistic strategy. Participants will explore how to bank stories and data, build and maintain a press list, tap into timely topics, and plan for both owned and earned media—including identifying pitch opportunities and organizing effective press kits.  

New Research, Reports, & Analysis 📝 

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