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 […]
Project 2025: A Dystopian Future
Photo by Jonathan Ardila Project 2025. What exactly is it? The 920 page document was written by The Heritage Foundation– a conservative think tank that has outlined their goals for the transition period if Donald Trump were to be elected President in November. Heritage Foundation President Kevin D. Roberts has made it clear that the focus […]
Two Months in, the Taliban Continues to Abandon Girls’ Education
Earlier this week, at a speaking engagement in Doha, the foreign minister of the Taliban, Amir Khan Mottaqi avoided answering questions about education for women and girls and reiterated that they need more time on girls’ education. In response to questions on girls’ education, the Minister used “cultural appropriations” as the argument for not allowing […]
The Taliban Continues to Silence Afghan Women Protestors
Videos and images shared on social media show that the Taliban are violently beating and harassing a group of women protestors demanding their rights for education in Kabul on Thursday. Women protesters were holding banners that read, “Do not politicize education. Don’t break our pens, don’t burn our books, don’t close our school, education is […]
Texas Senate Passes Bill that No Longer Requires Schools to Teach the History of Marginalized Groups or White Supremacy
Last week, the Texas Senate passed SB 3, a new bill that would eliminate several social studies curriculum requirements from public schools. Most of the omitted requirements involved teaching the history of marginalized populations and the history of white supremacy in the United States. The Texas Senate voted to pass the bill 18-4. However, it […]
Teachers’ Unions Pledge to Defend Teachers Against Critical Race Theory Backlash
On Tuesday, the country’s second-largest teachers’ union announced its commitment to offer legal protection to teachers who face repercussions for how they teach the history of race and racism in the United States. The president of the American Federation of Teachers, Randi Weingarten, said during a virtual union conference, “Mark my words: Our union will […]
Trump’s New Budget Cuts Benefits for the Most Vulnerable
President Trump released a $44.8 trillion budget on Monday which includes deep cuts to student loan assistance, affordable housing, food stamps, and Medicaid. It does however include an increase in spending for the military, national defense, border enforcement, individual income tax cuts, and even allocates money for the “Space Force” initiative. The budget plans recommends […]
Women Make up 25% of the Student Population at Afghanistan’s Higher Education Institutions
At Afghanistan’s higher education institutions, 25% of the student body population are women, including Tehmeena Painda, one of the highest achievers of the ‘Kankor’ University entrance examination- earning her a spot at Kabul Medical University. This is an amazing achievement for young women in Afghanistan, where girls were prohibited from going to school during the […]
Bangladeshi Teenage Girl Burned to Death After Reporting Sexual Harassment
Nusrat Jahan Rafi, a 19-year-old girl who reported her headmaster for sexual harassment, died on April 10 after being set on fire at school. Nusrat’s death has resulted in protests and outrage on social media. Since her death, police have arrested 15 people, including seven individuals who were allegedly involved in the murder. “None of […]
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Los Angeles Teachers Strike
Yesterday, Los Angeles (LA) teachers went on strike, for the first time in 30 years, to protest class sizes, the lack of librarians, nurses, and counselors, and disagreements over pay raises with LA district leaders.
New DeVos Rules on Title IX Will Hurt Survivors
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has proposed harmful new regulations that would make it easier for schools to ignore student survivors of sexual violence and sweep allegations of sexual harassment and assault under the rug. Already, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will be sexually assaulted in college, and around 1 in 4 […]
Arizona Teachers Strike to Protest Low Wages and Funding Cuts
Yesterday, Arizona teachers successfully ended their five day walkout after the Governor signed a plan giving educators a 19 percent pay raise.
Deadline Extended to Submit Comments to Department of Education
In June, the Department of Education opened a comment period for the public to provide input on whether the Department of Education should keep, modify, or eliminate rules that protect the civil rights of students of color, women, students with disabilities, pregnant or parenting students, immigrant students, LGBTQ students, and other groups affected by civil […]
