Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a consular cable to U.S. embassies and consulates regarding F and J visa appointments. According to news coverage, “the memo instructs consular posts to pause processing of J visa applications while the Department develops procedures to expand social media screening.” While the intent appeared to focus on international students, the guidance was broadly worded and is currently being interpreted by posts as applying to all J categories—including teacher, camp counselor, au pair, and summer work travel programs.
Read MoreThe U.S. Department of Education (ED) published a set of competitive grant priorities that the agency says it intends to apply to all discretionary grants moving forward. Grant competitions will incorporate three new priorities: “evidence-based literacy,” “school choice,” and “returning education to the States.”
Read MoreA federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday ordering the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to reinstate employees who were terminated under the March 11th reduction in force (RIF). The order also prohibits the administration from implementing the March 20th Executive Order to dismantle ED.
Read MoreAESA issued a statement in support of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 4-4 decision in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond, which effectively upholds a lower court ruling preventing the establishment of the first publicly funded religious charter school in the nation.
Read MoreA provision buried in the House Republican reconciliation package would ban states from taking any regulatory or legislative action on artificial intelligence (AI) for ten years. AESA opposes this federal overreach, and joined more than 140 organizations in a letter opposing the inclusion of the provision in the broader reconciliation package.
Read MoreLast week, three separate House committees met to advance pieces of the Republican reconciliation proposal. Of significant concern for district leaders is the shift of costs to states that the federal government has traditionally subsidized.
Read MoreDuring a recent House hearing, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assured lawmakers that the agency will continue to support the Head Start program.
Read MoreWork on the federal fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget officially began last week with the release of the White House Office of Management and Budget’s “skinny budget.” This initial proposal outlines major consolidations and substantial cuts to education programs.
Read MoreIn recent weeks, USED has leveraged the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a policy tool to incentivize state compliance with other administration policy priorities. This blog post summarizes two sets of actions: specific communications with Maine and California, related to parent rights to access education records, and a broader ‘Dear Colleague’ letter about FERPA and students’ gender identity.
Read MoreWith growing discussion around potential cuts to Medicaid and other critical programs, this resource clarifies the key differences between the reconciliation and appropriations processes—and what each could mean for education.
Read MoreRelated Resources
|
Other websites and resources:
United States Department of Education
IDEA Legislation:
Chapter 33-Education of Individuals with Disabilities