Weekly Update- 2/9/2026
Weekly Update- 2/9/2026
President and Administration:
Local officials push back on Trump's calls to “nationalize” elections in targeted cities: Election officials in Atlanta, Detroit, and Philadelphia are pushing back after Trump suggested Republicans should “nationalize” elections and have the federal government take over voting in as many as 15 places. Under Article I…
Congress:
Education Funding in Approved FY26 Appropriations Bill: On Tuesday, February 3, a bipartisan spending package funding the Department of Education at $79 billion cleared Congress, ending a brief partial government shutdown that began after appropriations lapsed early Saturday (1/31). The House approved the measure 217 to 214, and Trump signed it on Tuesday afternoon (2/3), keeping the department funded through September. Most major programs would remain at roughly the same level of funding, including $1.3 billion for Trio and a maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395. Language in the accompanying explanatory statement says the department…
California:
Log-on limits: California lawmakers are moving to set age limits on social media and create a new state enforcement body. This bipartisan effort would significantly expand the state's role in regulating major tech platforms. The push is being led by Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-CA), who said he and six other lawmakers are introducing two bills this week: Assembly Bill 1709, which would establish the Legislature's intent to age-gate social media platforms, and Assembly Bill 1700, which would create a California…
Apartment rents fall to lowest level in four years: Apartment List reported that the national median rent in January fell to $1,353, down 1.4% from a year earlier and the lowest January level since 2022, as a large wave of new supply continues to weigh on pricing. The national vacancy rate rose to 7.3%, the highest on Apartment List’s index dating to 2017, and units took an average of 41 days to lease, also a record for the index. Chris Salviati, chief economist at Apartment List, said a brief rebound in rent growth that appeared possible in early 2025 stalled and reversed after a weak summer leasing season that has carried into winter. With demand…
Supreme Court clears way for California congressional map: Last Wednesday, February 4, the Supreme Court rejected an emergency bid by the California Republican Party to block California’s new congressional map, allowing the state to use it for the November midterms (2/4). The unsigned order did not include a vote count or reasoning, but it preserves a plan Democrats pursued after the President urged GOP-led states to redraw maps for partisan gain, including Texas. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) framed the decision as a response to a broader redistricting fight that began after Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) moved to redraw Texas districts…
Los Angeles, San Francisco teachers unions OK strikes over pay, staffing demands: Strike authorization votes in Los Angeles and San Francisco have put California’s two biggest contract fights on a short fuse after months of stalled negotiations over pay and staffing. United Educators of San Francisco, which represents about 6,500 educators, approved a walkout in a second….
Education:
Administration guidance emphasizes right to pray in public schools: CAP reminder: Guidance documents are non-binding in both law and in practice. They reflect an agency’s interpretation of law or regulations, but do not hold the same weight as law or regulation. New Education Department guidance says schools should protect constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression, including allowing teachers to pray on the same terms as students and to pray with willing students as long as it is not coercive or treated as the school's official speech. Signed by Joshua Kleinfeld, a top Education Department attorney, the document rejects what it calls the "legally unsound” idea of a “wall of separation” between religion and public schools and leans on recent Supreme Court rulings…
Education Department's shutdown effort has workers ‘doing the same job’ at a different agency: The administration's effort to shutter the Department of Education is pushing parts of its grant operation into other agencies, a move that employees and some lawmakers say is adding bureaucracy instead of reducing it, according to reporting published this past Thursday, February 5. About 60 Office of Postsecondary Education staffers have been detailed to the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration, where workers described building access and information technology as hurdles that slowed work as agencies…
Education Department doubles down on anti-DEI efforts: The U.S. Department of Education said it will continue targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, even after a federal court blocked the department’s February 14 Dear Colleague letter that framed DEI as potentially unlawful race discrimination. Julie Hartman, press secretary for legal affairs at the Education Department, said the Office for Civil Rights will “vigorously enforce”…
Educators sue over ICE activity on school grounds and nearby: Two Minnesota school districts and the state’s teachers’ union sued the federal government to stop immigration enforcement at or near schools after the administration revoked protections for “sensitive locations.” The lawsuit alleges ICE and Border Patrol agents staged operations on school grounds, bus stops…
Teaching as you’re feeling: St. Paul teachers share their classroom realities: A federal surge of immigration enforcement around Minnesota schools and bus stops has pushed Twin Cities districts to return to remote learning in uneven ways, unlike the uniform shift during the COVID-19 shutdowns. John Horton, a teacher at Barack and Michelle Obama Montessori in St. Paul, said all 28 of his first-, second-, and third-graders are still attending in person, aided by community volunteers and school precautions that help families maintain routine despite fear. At Como High School, Eric Erickson said attendance has split sharply by race…
Free speech debates resurface with student walkouts over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids: Student walkouts protesting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have spread nationwide, with the largest wave on January 30 as part of a “National Shutdown” campaign urging students to leave class, stay home from work, and avoid spending money. The protests, driven in part by heightened attention to federal enforcement actions in Minneapolis following the killing of two civilians by federal officials…
Where private school choice enrollment—and spending—is surging: Private school choice enrollment has surged in recent years as Republican led states invest billions in vouchers, education savings accounts, and tax credits that families can use for private education costs. Congress added a major new layer last July by approving a federal tax credit program that 28 states have opted into ahead of a launch next calendar year, raising questions about costs, eligibility, and oversight. Participation is already concentrated in a few states, including Florida, with roughly 500,000 students using choice options, more than 15%…
Oklahoma board expected to deny bid for Jewish charter school, invite lawsuit: The Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board is expected to deny an application for the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School today, Monday, February 9th. A move board leaders anticipate will trigger another lawsuit over whether religious charter schools are constitutional. Peter Deutsch, founder of the Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation and a former congressman, pitched the school in January of this year as a rigorous, values-driven option for Jewish families. Meanwhile, Brian Shellem, chair of the Oklahoma…
Newsom proposes tighter charter school oversight: Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) is proposing expanded oversight of charter schools through a budget trailer bill after negotiations between teachers unions and charter advocates stalled last year. The plan would require annual financial audits and staff training on reviews, and it would direct school districts to verify student performance data for charter renewals. Districts would also be required to visit charter campuses, attend board meetings, and review…
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis on why he's taking Trump's 'free money’: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D-CO), a longtime school choice supporter, said he's opting into the administration's new federal scholarship tax credit, making him one of only two Democratic governors to do so alongside North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein (D-NC). The benefit, beginning next January…
California community colleges expand credit for prior learning, but tracking gaps remain: Laylah Rivers, a U.S. Army veteran and West Los Angeles College student, received seven credits after documenting military training and computer coursework, highlighting how “credit for prior learning” can help students finish faster and save money. California’s community colleges have expanded these pathways since 2017, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has backed the effort with more than $34 million…