Reg Leichty

U.S. Ed's new FIPSE Special Projects grant offers $167M for higher ed innovation—including $50M for AI in education and support for state-led talent marketplaces linking Learning & Employment Records + Credential Registries. Apps due Dec 3.https://bit.ly/4nN4E2g

Investing in a Great Nation: Reflections from a Visit to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Today I had the privilege of meeting with Nebraska's education leaders on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, one of America’s great land-grant universities. My time on campus reminded m...

Visiting the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, today, is a reminder that America once built greatness by expanding higher education. Today’s assaults on universities risk undoing that legacy. We should be investing in, not dismantling our postsecondary institutions: bit.ly/4nXwitR

New from the U.S. Department of Education: Proposed priority highlights credential registries as part of talent marketplaces—linking students, employers & educators with transparent, skills-based pathways to in-demand careers. Comments open until 10/27. bit.ly/42Ppu9r

On Sept. 30, the FCC will vote on items that would make school bus Wi-Fi and off-campus hotspots ineligible for E-Rate support. This decision could widen the #HomeworkGap. FCC Open Meeting Agenda: bit.ly/3IDXpes @cosnweb.bsky.social

The Institute of Education Sciences is asking for public input on how to modernize its research, data, & evaluation work. RFI hits the Federal Register tomorrow. Comments due Oct 15. bit.ly/46Oumhz

Coming up at 10:00AM EDT: Senate HELP Committee hearing on "The State of K-12 Education." Witnesses: Dr. Eric Hanushek, Dr. Martin West, Dr. Katie Jenner, Dr. Scott Muri & Dr. Rebecca Winthrop. Watch it live here: bit.ly/4n9BR8Dhttps...

U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance to States on Ed-Flex Option to Encourage Local Innovation The U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to chief state school officers reminding them that they may apply for authority under the Ed-Flex Act to waive certain federal requirements that apply to...

New Ed-Flex guidance: States can apply for authority to waive select federal requirements, giving districts more options to use ESEA and Perkins funds to meet student needs. Learn more bit.ly/4mmFWVM

CoSN and SETDA Issue Joint Response to the Senate USF Working Group | CoSN Washington, D.C. (September 15, 2025) – The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) and SETDA issued the following statement on the future of the Universal Service Fund (USF). Together, CoSN and SETDA...

Strong leadership from @SETDA & @CoSN on the future of E-rate and the Universal Service Fund. Their joint comments to the bipartisan #USF Working Group underscore why secure broadband access is essential for every student. Read more: bit.ly/48hVMNW

FY26 Education Appropriations: What’s at Stake for Low-Income and Vulnerable Students In recent weeks, both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees advanced versions of the FY26 Labor-HHS-Education spending bill. On the surface, these are dense budget documents filled with line ...

Congress is moving forward with very different FY26 education funding bills. Cuts in the House bill could compound harm from recent Medicaid & SNAP reductions. The stakes for vulnerable students couldn’t be higher. Read more: bit.ly/45ZYnuu

Cyberattacks Are a Big Problem. Can Schools Manage Without Federal Help? The Trump administration has rolled back federal resources to prevent, and respond to, attacks.

I had a chance to talk with EdWeek's Alyson Klein about public schools' and cybersecurity. Like other parts of the digital divide, the K-12 cybersecurity challenge is one that’s addressed better if the federal government’s trying to fill gaps, yet the Trump Admin is stepping back. bit.ly/4noc2Bo

The White House AI Task Force met with business & education leaders to spotlight commitments on preparing students for an AI future. In my recap, I ask: will AI empower all learners or deepen America’s digital divide? Read more → bit.ly/46lwnBw

CoSN’s 2025 State Cybersecurity Legislation Report shows states stepping up for schools as federal support shrinks. The paper highlights thoughtful state strategies: centralized governance, insurance, workforce, education integration & AI/privacy oversight.

Committee Releases FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill Washington, D.C. – Today, the House Appropriations Committee released the Fiscal Year 2026 bill for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee. The bill will be...

House Labor H markup tomorrow: Bill cuts overall ED funding by 15%. Title I faces $5.2B cut; Pell stays level; small boosts for IDEA, CTE, Impact Aid, & charters. Sharp contrast from Senate bill approved in July. bit.ly/3JGKMzp

AI Is a Federal Priority—Is Your State or School District Ready to Take Advantage? Earlier today, the White House published its AI Action Plan, outlining a new strategy for promoting national leadership in artificial intelligence. While much of the plan focuses on AI innovation, inf...

Can the new AI Action Plan be a lever for state and local education and workforce innovation? Explore key takeaways and considerations here.https://bit.ly/3H1b2DB

New AI guidance from the U.S. Department of Ed notes that schools can use federal funds for AI-powered tutoring, instructional tools & college advising, & more. bit.ly/46p9s9c

URGENT: $6.9B in FY25 Dept of Ed funding—including $1.38B for digital learning—is frozen by Trump Admin. Schools face cuts. Act now: Tell Congress to demand release of these critical funds.

🚨URGENT: $6.9B in FY25 Dept of Ed funding—including $1.38B for digital learning—is frozen by Trump Admin. Schools face cuts. Act now: Tell Congress to demand release of these critical funds - cosn.quorum.us/campaign/132...
#EdFunding #DigitalEquity
@keithkrueger.bsky.social @regleichty.bsky.social

Schools urge Washington to restore cybersecurity funding and leadership | StateScoop More than 400 school district leaders from across the country signed onto a petition asking Congress and Donald Trump to reverse course on cuts to cybersecurity resources.

400+ school district leaders just signed an @CoSN petition urging Congress & the Trump Admin to restore K–12 cybersecurity funding. Cuts to CISA & edtech leadership leave schools vulnerable to attacks. Time to act. Read more here: bit.ly/4lSDVRo

Thanks @CoSN for leading this effort to force the administration to release these lawfully appropriated K-12 funds. Readers can help by clicking here: cosn.quorum.us/campaign/132.

States Sue Trump Administration Over Sudden Freeze of Billions in Education Fund A major legal challenge is underway as 26 states filed suit against the Trump Administration over its sudden decision to freeze billions of dollars in federal education funding—just as schools begin p...

The Trump Admin recently froze $6B+ in ed $$, only weeks before school starts. Today, 26 states filed a lawsuit challenging the action & congress is also pushing back. What’s at stake? Teacher training, after-school programs, digital learning, and the rule of law.

Read more: bit.ly/3ItyCJJ

FCC Leadership Shift Could Signal E-rate Policy Changes – Education Community Must Stay Engaged Yesterday, the Senate confirmed Olivia Trusty (46–39) to the Federal Communications Commission, giving Chairman Brendan Carr a 2–1 majority and a working quorum. This shift in leadership could carry r...

With the Senate’s confirmation of Olivia Trusty, Chairman Carr now holds a 2–1 FCC majority. That may open the door to E-rate policy shifts, incl. potential changes to the eligible services list. At the same time, a pending Supreme Court decision could require other program changes. bit.ly/3SXvVCc

Trump proposals for students with disabilities create confusion and fear Students, their parents and educators in California say they have serious concerns about federal proposals that could transform service delivery to students with disabilities.

I appreciated the opportunity to speak with EdSource about the urgent need to protect students with disabilities as federal proposals threaten key civil rights and oversight. We can’t afford a loss of expertise or accountability. Our job is to keep the system working. edsource.org/2025/federal...

Some government roles may be invisible—but they’re far from expendable. In this LinkedIn article, I examine how recent staff cuts at USED are quietly weakening student privacy protections and undermining essential agency functions. Read more here: bit.ly/3S9jNxx

NEW FORESIGHT REPORT: The Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision upended decades of agency deference—and could reshape how federal data privacy laws like FERPA & COPPA are enforced. Read our team's exploration of the possible ed and kids' privacy implications here. bit.ly/4kjgYpB

FTC Order Requires Workado to Back Up Artificial Intelligence Detection Claims The Federal Trade Commission issued a proposed order requiring Workado, LLC to stop advertising the accuracy of its artificial intelligence (AI) detection products unless it maintains competent and

The FTC recently took action against Workado for false claims about its AI detection tool. School leaders: Don’t take AI marketing at face value—insist on independent validation. Read more: bit.ly/3GNCtk7

New Tax Legislation Would Impact Learners—and Institutions—Across the Education Continuum On May 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET, the House Ways and Means Committee will hold a full committee markup of the committee’s portion of the Republicans’ sweeping budget reconciliation bill. The proposal co...

Ed leaders: A major tax bill heading to markup tomorrow in the House Ways and Means Committee includes sweeping provisions that affect early childhood, K–12, and higher education. I break down what you need to know in this short summary: bit.ly/3H4pWIR

Foresight’s team is on Capitol Hill today to help SkillsUSA celebrate 60 years of serving students!

Great idea. Maybe your proposed agency could support data collection and use to inform effective implementation of these policies? I think we're on to something big here.

Fact Sheets Archives

Trump admin drops a sweeping set of new education & workforce executive orders today—more policy “wish list” than immediate change. Focus areas include AI education, accreditation, HBCUs, apprenticeships, discipline policy, and civil rights enforcement. Link: bit.ly/4itltg4

The FTC published its final changes to the COPPA Rule in today's Federal Register—the first update since 2013. New definitions, stronger safeguards for children's personal data, and updates for the digital age are now on the books. Effective June 23, 2025. bit.ly/4juW9aL #privacy #COPPA

Hearings | Committee on Education & the Workforce

Congress is looking at AI in schools—and student data is at the center. Lawmakers & experts raised alarms about privacy, online safety & ransomware. With cuts to the Office of Ed Tech staff and other U.S. Ed personnel, who sets the guardrails? Watch the hearing here: bit.ly/3E4As1M#edtech