Center for American Progress

Education

CAP’s Education department aims to change America’s approach to early childhood, K-12 education, higher education, and lifelong learning by ensuring equitable access to resources, developing community-centered policies, and promoting the ability to participate fully in an inclusive economy built on a strong democracy.

Students walk to their classrooms at a public middle school in Los Angeles, California, September 10, 2021. (Getty/Robyn Beck/AFP)

Teams

What We're Doing

Provide access to high-quality, affordable early childhood education

CAP has helped shape key early care and learning proposals, including affordable child care and universal preschool, while furthering the understanding of the early childhood landscape, including analysis around child care deserts, federal investments, and state actions.

Protect and strengthen public education

A strong public education system is essential to U.S. democracy and is the most accessible path to economic opportunity. CAP stands against the privatization of public schools, champions federal programs such as Title I that deliver vital resources to low-income students, and advances policies that strengthen public education. This includes the development of policy recommendations to advance technology integration, improve federal programs that support high-quality learning, and modernize school staffing and infrastructure to better serve all students.

Advocate for investments in higher education and affordable, high-quality postsecondary pathways for all

CAP advances forward-looking proposals to advocate for the value of education, improve higher education affordability, ensure high-quality standards and strong protections for postsecondary students and student loan borrowers, and equitably fund minority-serving institutions and community colleges.”

Prepare and connect students and workers to good jobs

CAP is reimagining the U.S. workforce development system to prepare and train the next generation of students and workers for a better future.

Featured Experts

Sara
Partridge

Associate Director of Higher Education

Veronica
Goodman

Senior Director, Workforce Development Policy

Madison
Weiss

Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education

Casey
Peeks

Senior Director, Early Childhood Policy

Hailey
Gibbs

Associate Director, Early Childhood Policy

Paige
Shoemaker DeMio

Senior Policy Analyst, K-12 Education

Weadé
James

Senior Director, K-12 Education Policy

All Members

Zoë
Baird

Senior Fellow

Weadé
James

Senior Director, K-12 Education Policy

Veronica
Goodman

Senior Director, Workforce Development Policy

Casey
Peeks

Senior Director, Early Childhood Policy

Paige
Shoemaker DeMio

Senior Policy Analyst, K-12 Education

Sara
Partridge

Associate Director of Higher Education

Madison
Weiss

Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education

Hailey
Gibbs

Associate Director, Early Childhood Policy

Viviann
Anguiano

Managing Director, Education

Rasheed
Malik

In Memoriam

Meg
Benner

Senior Consultant

David A.
Bergeron

Senior Fellow

InProgress
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Featured work

The Trump Administration Moves To Tighten Grip on Colleges

Three students walk on a college campus.

The Trump Administration Moves To Tighten Grip on Colleges

Jul 14, 2026

Evan Yi, Madison Weiss, Sara Partridge

Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes

An instructor standing in front of a group of students dressed for construction work. The whiteboard behind him features instructions for building a porch.

Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes

Jul 13, 2026

Veronica Goodman, Weadé James

America’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Many Families Without Access to Licensed Care

Preschool students in New York City play with toys.

America’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Many Families Without Access to Licensed Care

Jul 9, 2026

‘Workforce Pell’ Is Here: How Governors Can Make It Work for Students

‘Workforce Pell’ Is Here: How Governors Can Make It Work for Students

Jul 7, 2026 Governing

Latest

at a time

The Trump Administration Moves To Tighten Grip on Colleges ReportJuly 14, 2026

Three students walk on a college campus.

The Trump Administration Moves To Tighten Grip on Colleges

New rules would gut key student protections on program quality and give the federal government leverage to exert ideological control over American higher education.

Jul 14, 2026

Evan Yi, Madison Weiss, Sara Partridge

Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes ReportJuly 13, 2026

An instructor standing in front of a group of students dressed for construction work. The whiteboard behind him features instructions for building a porch.

Career and Technical Education Policy: A Multistate Case Study on Employment Outcomes

There is growing interest in scaling career and technical education, yet barriers to advancement remain. This report offers policy recommendations and case studies from states to expand these opportunities for more students.

Jul 13, 2026

Veronica Goodman, Weadé James

America’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Many Families Without Access to Licensed Care ArticleJuly 9, 2026

Preschool students in New York City play with toys.

America’s Child Care Crisis Leaves Many Families Without Access to Licensed Care

The child care system faces severe affordability and supply crises, leaving more than 50 percent of young children without adequate access in 42 percent of U.S. congressional districts.

Jul 9, 2026

‘Workforce Pell’ Is Here: How Governors Can Make It Work for Students In the NewsJuly 7, 2026

‘Workforce Pell’ Is Here: How Governors Can Make It Work for Students

Madison Weiss writes in Governing about the expansion of the Pell Grant program.

Jul 7, 2026 Governing

Fact Sheet: Congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Threatens Access to Free School Meals Fact SheetJuly 7, 2026

Unused lunch table under low lighting; posters related to food are seen

Fact Sheet: Congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Threatens Access to Free School Meals

A new CAP analysis estimates that families could be forced to spend an additional $1,900 to $2,200 per year to cover the cost of school meals.

Jul 7, 2026

Evan Yi, Mimla Wardak, Paige Shoemaker DeMio

Congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Threatens Access to Free School Meals ReportJuly 7, 2026

View of cafeteria from behind serving counter, in low lighting

Congressional Republicans’ Big Beautiful Bill Threatens Access to Free School Meals

Students across the country could lose access to free school meals, forcing the typical family with two children to spend $1,900 to $2,200 more per year for school meals.

Jul 7, 2026

Paige Shoemaker DeMio, Mimla Wardak, Evan Yi

Making Workforce Pell Deliver: 9 Options for States To Improve Outcomes for Students and Employers ReportJuly 6, 2026

Students type on laptop computers during a class.

Making Workforce Pell Deliver: 9 Options for States To Improve Outcomes for Students and Employers

Governors can help tailor Workforce Pell programs to provide high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand training that meets their state’s labor market needs.

Jul 6, 2026

How Early Childhood and K-12 Systems Can Work Together To Support Early Literacy ReportJune 29, 2026

A child lying on a mat reaches for a book on the shelf.

How Early Childhood and K-12 Systems Can Work Together To Support Early Literacy

Amid declining reading scores, early childhood education and K-12 systems should work together to improve reading achievement for young children.

Jun 29, 2026

Casey Peeks, Weadé James

Trump Rule Changes Would Kneecap Head Start In the NewsJune 26, 2026

Trump Rule Changes Would Kneecap Head Start

In an op-ed for The Progressive Magazine, Hailey Gibbs argues that a proposed Trump administration rule change would exacerbate child care shortages, keep educators trapped in poverty-level wages, and ultimately harm children and families.

Jun 26, 2026 The Progressive Magazine

6 Things To Know About Vocational Education ArticleJune 17, 2026

An instructor teaches students about brazing in HVAC systems.

6 Things To Know About Vocational Education

There is a growing demand for vocational education that prepares students for work and leads to higher earnings.

Jun 17, 2026

Veronica Goodman, Weadé James

CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Rolling Back Progress Toward Wage and Benefits Improvements for Head Start Workforce ArticleJune 11, 2026

CAP Comments on HHS’ Notice Rolling Back Progress Toward Wage and Benefits Improvements for Head Start Workforce

The Center for American Progress recently submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) opposing the revocation of a 2024 rule improving Head Start staff and educator wages and benefits.

Jun 11, 2026

Hailey Gibbs, Casey Peeks

The Nationwide Child Care Crisis: Addressing Affordability and Supply Shortages Past EventJune 4, 2026

The Nationwide Child Care Crisis: Addressing Affordability and Supply Shortages

A discussion about new research, the impacts on families and communities, and the actions that leaders in Congress are taking now to build toward a child care system for the future that supports the nation’s youngest learners.

Center for American Progress and Online via Zoom
Jun 4, 2026

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