On October 7, Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed her seventh education budget, MI SB0166, into law. This bipartisan budget puts parents and kids first, offering significant relief to parents, local school districts, and students. It provides more flexibility to focus on active learning while addressing the daunting realities of food insecurity and large classroom sizes that […]
The Afghan People Want Education for Their Girls. The Taliban Says No.
As children all over the world begin a new school year this September, there is a notable population that is missing from classrooms: girls above grade 6 in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power over four years ago, their campaign to erase women from public life has deprived almost 2.2 million girls of education. […]
Texas A&M Professor’s Firing Sparks Debate Over Academic Freedom
On September 8th, 2025 Texas State Representative Brian Harrison went on social media to post a viral video of a Texas A&M University student challenging her professor, Melissa McCoul about the legality of her course’s content of her class when discussing gender identity. As a result, Melissa McCoul, a children’s literature teacher, was terminated from […]
Funding Delay Disrupts Head Start Access for Low-Income Families
On July 23, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report that the current administration violated federal law earlier this year by delaying and withholding nearly $825 million in Head Start funding. This jeopardized access to early childhood education and care for hundreds of thousands of low-income families across the United States. The GAO […]
UVA President Jim Ryan’s Resignation and the Cost to Academic Freedom
On June 27, University of Virginia President Jim Ryan resigned under direct political pressure. One president’s resignation might sound like local drama, but it reveals a dangerous shift that should have all of us paying closer attention. Jim Ryan announced his resignation on June 27 after sustained pressure from members of the Virginia Board of […]
What’s at Stake for Families as Education Funds Remain Frozen
Across the United States, families are braced for a loss they never expected. For years, after-school and summer programs had given kids a safe place to go when the final bell rang or when school let out for the summer, a lifeline for hard working Americans juggling multiple jobs just to keep food on the […]
Title IX at 53: Celebrating a Legacy of Equality and Protecting Its Future
June 23, 2025 marks the 53rd anniversary of Title IX, the groundbreaking civil rights law that reshaped American education by prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any federally funded school or program. Enacted in 1972, Title IX opened doors to classrooms, athletics, and leadership opportunities for millions of women and girls, transforming what equality in education could […]
New Oklahoma Public School Curriculums Include Election Conspiracy Theories
Oklahoma public schools are implementing new curriculum standards, which include changes to how schools teach students about the 2020 election. The new high school social studies curriculum consists of a standard that requires students to “identify discrepancies in 2020 elections results by looking at graphs and other information, including the sudden halting of ballot-counting in […]
Feminist Majority Foundation Opposes D.C. Private School Voucher Program Funding
The Feminist Majority Foundation has signed on to a letter authored by the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), opposing continued funding for and reauthorization of the District of Columbia private school voucher program in the FY 2026 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Bill. The NCPE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening public […]
A New School Year Begins in Afghanistan, But Not for Afghan Girls
The start of Spring marks a new school year in Afghanistan, but for millions of Afghan girls, the doors to education remain firmly shut. For the fourth consecutive year, the Taliban has upheld its ban on secondary and higher education for girls, a policy that UNESCO estimates has affected at least 1.5 million Afghan girls […]
Trump Signs Executive Order to Dismantle the Department of Education: Here’s What’s at Stake
The Trump administration’s latest target is the U.S. Department of Education. Through a new executive order, the administration has taken the first formal steps toward dismantling the agency entirely, a long-standing goal of the American far right. On paper, this is about “reducing federal overreach.” In reality, it’s about stripping away the federal government’s role in […]
PEN America is Defending Free Speech and DEI on Campus Amid Growing Opposition
In light of the increasing attacks on higher education, PEN America—an organization dedicated to defending free speech and human rights—hosted a Zoom meeting this Monday as part of its campus and higher education initiatives. The event connected campus activists and organizers nationwide who are actively working to protect free expression on their campuses. Following the […]
American University Hosts Pertinent Discussion on The Fourteenth Amendment and Its Impact on Education
On Feb. 28, American University Washington College of Law hosted a panel about the Fourteenth Amendment, which discussed the amendment’s impact on education culture and policy today. The panel was part of a larger conference titled, “The Constitution And Its Culture Wars,” covering First and Fourteenth Amendment issues in education, as well as discussions about […]
Teachers Union Sues Trump Administration Over DEI crackdown
In a significant legal challenge, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the American Sociological Association have filed a federal lawsuit in Maryland against the Trump administration’s recent directive mandating the elimination of “race-based” practices in educational institutions. The directive, issued by the Department of Education on February 14, 2025, threatens to withhold federal funding […]
Trump Labels Discussions of Race, Gender and Sexuality in School as “Radical Indoctrination”
On Jan. 29, President Trump signed an executive order entitled “Ending Radical Indoctrination in K-12 Schooling,” which restricts discussions on race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools. Instead, schools are directed to focus on “patriotic education,” which should be grounded in “an accurate, honest, unifying, inspiring, and ennobling characterization of America’s founding and foundational […]
Voice in Sport Holds Briefing in Support of the Fair Play for Women Act
Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash On National Women in Sports Day 2025, the Voice in Sport Foundation held a briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss the Fair Play for Women Act, which would address the inequalities in sports between men and women. VIS is an organization dedicated to providing a voice for women […]
Picture Books Pulled from Shelves as Book Bans Rise
In a new report, PEN America has revealed the top banned picture books during the 2023-2024 school year. Among these 23 titles, many center on LGBTQ+ themes, U.S. history, and diversity. PEN America defines a school book ban as “any action taken against a book based on its content and as a result of parent […]
Defending Title IX and the Future of Gender Equality in Education
Photo by Element5 Digital In 1972, American education underwent a monumental shift with the passage of Title IX. This landmark civil rights law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any educational program or activity that receives federal funding. Emerging from the women’s rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s, Title IX was crafted to ensure equal opportunities for […]
Three Years Without Education: Its Impacts on Afghan Girls and Afghanistan
Photo by Nk Ni September marked 3 years since the Taliban banned education beyond the secondary level for Afghan girls. More than 1,100 days have passed and there is no progress in reinstating education for girls in Afghanistan. The absence of education has also led to mental health issues – teenage girls struggling everyday not being […]
Florida Bans DEI from State College System
On January 17th, 2024, the Florida State Board of Education passed a ruling that will strictly limit public funding towards DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) initiatives in the Florida College System. This ruling comes with Gov. Ron DeSantis’ long campaign against “WOKE” policies in Florida. The bill details how education should be “free from undue […]