Investment and Funding Equity for Public Education

The Trump Administration’s Latest Staffing Cuts at the Department of Education Threaten Children’s Success Across the Country

Cuts to staff at the Department of Education threaten the federal government’s long-term ability to ensure equal access to education for all, including children with disabilities.

Career and Technical Education in Pennsylvania

The Center for American Progress, in collaboration with the American Federation of Teachers, hosted an event to highlight career and technical education programs in the Philadelphia region and discuss policy opportunities to expand these programs elsewhere.

Public Education Under Threat: 4 Trump Administration Actions To Watch in the 2025-26 School Year

As public K-12 schools across the country face increasing threats from federal policies and actions, state and local leaders should prepare to respond.

Recent Trends in the Cost of College Show the Continued Importance of Federal and State Investment

A federal-state partnership can help bring down the cost of college for students, who today shoulder a greater share of the burden of financing postsecondary education than in previous generations, despite recent gains in college affordability.

Back to School, New Uncertainties: How Cuts to Public Education Threaten Student Success

Join CAP for a discussion on how state and local leaders can mitigate the effects of federal cuts to public school to ensure equal access to a quality education for all students.

The Trump Administration’s War on Disability

Executive actions, budget cuts, layoffs, and legislation—all enacted in the Trump administration’s first six months—have curtailed disability rights and services, including access to Medicaid and the right to free, appropriate public education.

Class of 2025 Forum: Student Perspectives on Public Education’s Value and Impact

Please join the Center for American Progress for an authentic conversation with students from the class of 2025.

The Top 5 Ways the Congressional Republicans’ Budget Reconciliation Bill Will Harm Disabled Students

Disabled students will be disproportionately hurt by the Republican budget reconciliation bill, losing access to essential services and resources that support their education and help them become contributing members of their communities.

How the School Choice Agenda Harms Rural Students

As proponents of private school voucher programs continue to push for expansion, it is important to highlight the harms these programs can have on rural communities.

The Sudden Loss of Federal COVID-19 Relief Funds Will Hinder K-12 Academic Progress

The recent rescission of COVID-19 relief funding for K-12 schools will harm districts and limit their ability to address learning loss and student achievement.

Introducing a Framework for Private School Voucher Accountability

As privatization efforts to redirect funding from public K-12 schools to private institutions continue to expand, an accountability framework for private voucher programs must be implemented to ensure positive student outcomes and thorough oversight of taxpayer dollars.

Department of Education Staff Cuts Will Harm America’s Children and Schools

The recent decision to slash the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce nearly in half will leave it unable to carry out its responsibilities and statutory requirements under the law.

Frequently Asked Questions About the U.S. Department of Education

The U.S. Department of Education provides vital resources to schools, students, and families across the country to ensure everyone has access to a high-quality education.

The Importance of Holding Microschools Accountable

As school choice expands and new models such as microschools emerge, policymakers and advocates must ensure that these options adhere to accountability standards and do not divert critical resources from a universally accessible, high-quality public education system.

7 Ways State Lawmakers Can Build Public Sector Union Power

State lawmakers can adopt new policies to empower workers across the public sector to come together in strong unions, negotiate for fair pay and working conditions, and train the next generation for public service.

States Seek To Improve Early Childhood Outcomes Through Consolidated Governance Structures

In recent years, a number of states have moved to consolidate disparately administered early childhood programs into a single agency to improve coordination of services and reduce administrative burdens.

A Progressive Vision for Education in the 21st Century

This report encompasses key recommendations for strengthening the American education system across early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education, and workforce development.

Lessons From K-12 Education Relief Aid To Improve Federally Funded Programs

As COVID-19-era relief funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund winds down, federal policymakers should look toward expanding and improving existing base programs for K-12 public education to sustain vital investments.

Fact Sheet: Local School Board Elections Matter

Local school boards help shape their communities, yet few people show up to their elections.

Project 2025’s Plan To Gut Checks and Balances Harms Parents

The new authoritarian playbook would devastate parents in many ways.

Project 2025’s Elimination of Title I Funding Would Hurt Students and Decimate Teaching Positions in Local Schools

Project 2025 would decimate more than 180,000 teacher positions and negatively affect the academic outcomes of 2.8 million vulnerable students across the country.

In Pursuit of Justice: Fulfilling the Promise of Brown v. Board of Education

If we hope to produce an active and diverse citizenry committed to advancing democratic principles, our students must be able to learn with and from peers of different races, ethnicities, languages, faiths, and economic status.

2024 Summit on Education: Reset. Reframe. Reform.

Summit on Education: Reset. Reframe. Reform.

Investing in School Libraries and Librarians To Improve Literacy Outcomes

Libraries and librarians not only spark a love of learning; they are crucial to reversing low reading assessment scores across the country.

Cashing in Our CHIPS: Community Colleges and the CHIPS and Science Act

A Minnesota Tribal College Teaches Law Enforcement in Effort To Put More Native Americans ‘Behind the Badge’

In the second installment in a three-part series on Tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), the Center for American Progress and American Indian College Fund look at Leech Lake Tribal College’s law enforcement degree program and the college’s work on cultural revitalization and basic needs insecurity.

Book Banning, Curriculum Restrictions, and the Politicization of U.S. Schools

State and local officials’ efforts to undermine public education by playing politics with school curricula run against the interest of most American children and families.

Federal Investments in K-12 Infrastructure Would Benefit Students Across the Country

Equitable, dedicated long-term funding for school infrastructure is needed to ensure all school buildings are safe and conducive to student learning.

Engaging the Community in School Funding Decisions

Community members highlight the importance of community involvement in school spending decisions and ways for schools to increase this engagement.

How the Underfunding of K-12 Public Schools Impacts Students, Educators, and Families

Students, educators, and family members describe how the underfunding of K-12 public schools has negatively impacted their experiences and opportunities.

Budget Reconciliation Must Support a Quality Education for All Students

Ensuring a quality education for America’s students during the COVID-19 pandemic will require a range of federal and state supports, as well as efforts to build a robust economy that works for everyone.

Future of Testing in Education: Artificial Intelligence

Technology and artificial intelligence can vastly improve the types of assessments teachers use to guide students in their learning.

Future of Testing in Education: The Way Forward for State Standardized Tests

There are valid criticisms about the current structure of state standardized testing in schools; the solution is not to get rid of these assessments but rather to design them differently.

Fact Sheet: Targeted Grants for Educational Excellence Program

This fact sheet outlines the details of a proposed grant program that would increase recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators in schools with the highest teacher turnover.

How To Ensure Equitable Access to Great Teaching

The Center for American Progress proposes a new grant program to address the working conditions that contribute to job dissatisfaction and high turnover among the nation’s K-12 teachers in order to increase equal access to highly qualified teachers.