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Anne O'Brien

@annelobrien.bsky.social

Education advocate, currently doing strategic comms. Former teacher, mom. Posts are my own.

67 Followers  |  288 Following  |  7 Posts  |  Joined: 03.10.2024  |  1.8993

Latest posts by annelobrien.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Idaho schools on Native American reservations face funding lapse from federal shutdown Schools on nontaxable federal land, like Native American reservations, rely on a federal program now threatened by the government shutdown.

Idaho schools on Native American reservations face funding lapse from federal shutdown - #ImpactAid payments are delayed. Shutdowns have real consequences for schools and districts www.idahoednews.org/news/idaho-s...

22.10.2025 19:48 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Tribal schools lose federal Impact Aid amid government shutdown | Arizona Capitol Times Government shutdown halts Impact Aid payments, affecting Arizona school districts on tribal lands. Funding used for teacher salaries and programs.

#ImpactAid is paused due to the government shutdown, leaving schools on/near federal land (tribal, military, national parks, etc.) without key funding. Some AZ districts depend on it for 50% of their budget - and are already making tough choices to keep operating
azcapitoltimes.com/news/2025/10...

21.10.2025 14:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Education Department Layoffs Would Affect Dozens of Programs. See Which Ones Entire teams that work on key funding streams may not return to work even when the shutdown ends.

New: More than $50 billion (yes, with a b) for education is in jeopardy if the Education Department eventually proceeds with the layoffs it implemented last Friday. A federal judge put them on hold as of Wednesday.

Here's a list of the affected funding streams: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

17.10.2025 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Federal shutdown's impact to Wisconsin schools limited, but some funds may be delayed Wisconsin's education department says it will maintain operations while the federal government remains shut down, but some funds could be affected.

Lots of questions about how the government shutdown will affect K-12 schools β€” here’s a look at the Wisconsin context (including insights from yours truly!) www.jsonline.com/story/news/e...

03.10.2025 14:44 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Great interview on how #ImpactAid supports a school district on the Navajo Nation, along with other military-connected, Indian lands, and federal property districts across the country.

19.09.2025 14:46 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What Americans Really Think of Public Schools Americans continue to give a higher grade to their local schools than to the nation's education system as a whole, a new poll finds.

Takeaways from the latest PDK poll on American's attitudes toward public education:

- Most Americans think teachers should be paid more
- A majority oppose shutting down the US Dept. of Ed
- Parents are growing more open to private school choice programs

www.edweek.org/leadership/w...

19.08.2025 14:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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3 risk factors making states vulnerable to federal funding cuts The fiscal uncertainty is due to states' reliance on federal money and their proportions of high-need districts and students living in poverty, ERS says.

3 risk factors making states vulnerable to federal funding cuts #EdTech
#edusky #TLSky #teachers #education #educators

18.08.2025 12:01 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Education Dept. Lifts Freeze on Remaining Federal Funds Advocates say they want to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Education Dept. Lifts Freeze on Remaining Federal Funds www.the74million.org/article/educ...

25.07.2025 22:00 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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The Ed. Dept. Wants to Steer Grant Money to AI. What That Means for Schools The Education Department is proposing to make advancing AI in education one of its grantmaking priorities.

The proposed supplementary grantmaking priority would β€œpromote the appropriate integration of AI into education," as well as provide training for educators, and foster early exposure to AI concepts and technology to develop an AI-ready workforce. #EdTech #EduSky #AI

24.07.2025 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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AASA Survey: The Impact of the FY25 Funding Freeze on Students Across America AASA survey results from 628 superintendents across 43 states reveal the real-world impact of the FY25 federal funding freeze.

New survey from @aasa.org: 85% of respondents said they have existing contracts paid with federal funds that are currently being withheld, and now have to cover those costs with local dollars. Read what respondents shared will be cut to cover this forced cost shift. www.aasa.org/news-media/n...

23.07.2025 19:46 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Want to know how the pandemic has reshaped school enrollment patterns in Massachusetts and nationwide?

Here's Education Next's quick and accessible version of our recent working paper:

www.educationnext.org/school-enrol...

@abbyfrancis.bsky.social @educationnext.bsky.social

22.07.2025 13:41 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
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CNN This Morning Weekend - CTM-SASHA PUDELSKI 7/13 Powered by SnapStream Cloud Sharing

Wondering about the impacts of the FY25 funding freeze on public schools? @spudelski.bsky.social offers an overview on CNN video.snapstream.net/Play/1wP61Wk... #edfunding

15.07.2025 13:50 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Supreme Court Clears the Way for Trump’s Cuts to the Education Department

Supreme Court Clears the Way for Trump’s Cuts to the Education Department www.nytimes.com/2025/07/14/u...

14.07.2025 20:16 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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American Kids' Health Has Been Declining, Study Finds Researchers point to a need to 'address underlying systemic factors'

American Kids' Health Has Been Declining, Study Finds www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/g...

09.07.2025 08:19 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Head Start will no longer enroll undocumented children, Trump administration says A rule change treats the federally funded preschool program like a welfare program and bars undocumented children from enrolling. Head Start providers condemned the departure from longstanding practic...

UPDATED: A new Trump administration rule will deny undocumented children from enrolling in Head Start programs. The change represents one of the most direct & far-reaching attempts to target immigrant children & could have ripple effects on K-12 schools www.chalkbeat.org/2025/07/10/n...

11.07.2025 00:36 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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See How Much Federal Money Trump Is Holding Back From Your District Hundreds of districts will lose more than $1 million each, according to a new analysis.

Yesterday, I shared my @educationwork.newamerica.org team's district impact analysis of the $6+ billion that the Trump admin is refusing to disburse to schools (link in 2nd post). Now, @edweek.org has published our funding figures for ALL districts in the US for which we have data. Search for yours↓

09.07.2025 13:51 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
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A District-by-District Accounting of the $6.2 billion U.S. Department of Education Has Held Back from Schools The Education Department is refusing to release billions of dollars for public schools. See the impact by school system and congressional district.

Last week, instead of sending school districts the $6+ billion which they are owed by law, USED told states it would hold back the money pending a review. This is hugely harmful to schools getting ready for the school year--but not everyone is hit equally. 1/ www.newamerica.org/education-po...

08.07.2025 13:24 β€” πŸ‘ 20    πŸ” 13    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 7
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States in β€˜triage mode’ over $6B in withheld K-12 funding β€’ Ohio Capital Journal The U.S. Department of Education’s decision this week to hold back $6.8 billion in federal K-12 funds next year has triggered alarm among state education officials, school leaders and advocacy groups…

The Trump administration's decision to hold back $6.8 billion in federal K-12 funds next year has triggered alarm among state education officials and school leaders over how the lack of funds will affect their after-school programs. ohiocapitaljournal.com/briefs/state...

07.07.2025 16:30 β€” πŸ‘ 21    πŸ” 23    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Schools and States Scramble as Trump Freezes $6.8 Billion in Federal Funds After-school programs, English-learner services, migrant education programs, and professional development are all at risk.

The latest on Trump’s education funding freeze: Some programs are starting to shut down, districts are rejiggering budgets, and everyone is scrambling to make sense of the chaos.

More on $6.8 billion withheld from K-12 schools: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

01.07.2025 22:50 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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See How Much School Funding Trump Is Holding Back From Your State The administration is holding back nearly $7 billion for English learners, after-school programs, professional development, and more.

The Trump administration withheld nearly $7 billion from K-12 education today.

Here's how much money was supposed to go each state, for each affected program: www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

01.07.2025 20:59 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2
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Trump May Soon Defy Congress and Cut $5 Billion More From Schools Funding for migrant education, English-learner services, professional development, and after-school programming is at risk.

All this sounds terrible for students, their families, and schools --------Trump May Soon Defy Congress and Cut $5 Billion More From Schools www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

26.06.2025 23:59 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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A 'Tsunami' of Uncertainty Is Crashing Into Federal Funding for Schools The Trump administration has cut grants, terminated contracts, delayed funding estimates, and cut off communications to districts.

Federal funding for schools has been in disarray all year. It's only getting worse.

My latest reporting for @edweek.bsky.social:
www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

18.06.2025 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Online Rumors Can Tear School Communities Apart. How Leaders Are Fighting Back AI, cellphones, and social media have complicated districts' communication strategies and have made fact-checking a crucial strategy.

An increasingly needed skill for school district leaders: Crisis PR www.edweek.org/leadership/o...

17.06.2025 20:38 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Education Department reinstates some research and data activities Trump administration lawyers admit some DOGE cuts violated congressional statutes

Education Department reinstates some research and data activities

16.06.2025 15:39 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 3
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No More Fresh Fruits and Veggies: Schools Grapple With Loss of Federal Funding The Local Food to Schools program, which was canceled by the Trump administration, helped schools get fresh, local produce.

ICYMI: No More Fresh Fruits and Veggies: Schools Grapple With Loss of Federal Funding www.edweek.org/leadership/n...

13.06.2025 17:19 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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How Washington is stressing out American schools Take a journey through our schoolhouse to see some of the headwinds facing K-12 education in America today.

Public schools are facing a host of new pressures from all corners of government on a range of subjects. Check out our virtual schoolhouse to see some of the biggest headwinds. www.washingtonpost.com/education/in...

11.06.2025 15:47 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Will a J-1 Visa Freeze Disrupt Teacher Staffing? A federal pause on appointments for J-1 visas could affect districts, which have used international teachers to fill staffing holes.

Districts have been using the J-1 cultural exchange visas to address teacher shortages.

The uncertainty created by the pause highlights how federal decisionsβ€”even those made by agencies other than the Dept. of Ed.β€”can affect schools.

Story by @evieblad.bsky.social: www.edweek.org/teaching-lea...

06.06.2025 15:39 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump's Education Budget Calls for Billions in Cuts, Major Policy Changes The proposal includes a plan to eliminate 18 existing grant programs and replace them with one funding stream.

It's Friday night, so of course here's a just-published story on the newly-released Trump budget proposal for K-12 schools, including no more dedicated federal funding for homeless students, migratory students, preschoolers with disabilities, or English learners. www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

31.05.2025 00:31 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
Nearby, Rich Jacobson, chief operating officer of Minnesota-based construction firm Kraus-Anderson, said he will be forced to raise K-12 project prices 6 to 8 percent by midsummer if tariffs and inflation stay at the same levels. That hike is mostly related to metal, which is in a vast number of products such as transformer parts and light fixtures, but it also is due to the increased price of lumber from Canada and asphalt, which contains petroleum.
Jacobson said he is concerned about supply chain issues because some vendors are not buying certain goods in hopes of waiting out tariffs. But any miscalculation could lead to a lack of supplies, which would cause prices to skyrocket.β€©β€œThere could be a tsunami coming up,” he said.
Many school districts also may be feeling the pinch in their budget because they did not prepare for losing the coronavirus-era federal funding that is drying up as scheduled and drops in per-pupil money because of declining birth rates, said Marguerite Roza, a Georgetown University professor and expert on education finance. She said some district officials may not understand the economics.


Nearby, Rich Jacobson, chief operating officer of Minnesota-based construction firm Kraus-Anderson, said he will be forced to raise K-12 project prices 6 to 8 percent by midsummer if tariffs and inflation stay at the same levels. That hike is mostly related to metal, which is in a vast number of products such as transformer parts and light fixtures, but it also is due to the increased price of lumber from Canada and asphalt, which contains petroleum.
Jacobson said he is concerned about supply chain issues because some vendors are not buying certain goods in hopes of waiting out tariffs. But any miscalculation could lead to a lack of supplies, which would cause prices to skyrocket.β€©β€œThere could be a tsunami coming up,” he said.
Many school districts also may be feeling the pinch in their budget because they did not prepare for losing the coronavirus-era federal funding that is drying up as scheduled and drops in per-pupil money because of declining birth rates, said Marguerite Roza, a Georgetown University professor and expert on education finance. She said some district officials may not understand the economics.


Schools blame tariffs for rising costs and supply woes www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

30.05.2025 10:24 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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What to Know About the Private School Choice Program Moving Through Congress A new federal program would offer up to $5 billion in tax credits a year to fuel private school attendance nationwide.

New: Congress is advancing a proposal to invest $5 billion a year in tax credits that fuel private school attendance.

The core takeaway? β€œVouchers are coming to your state.” www.edweek.org/policy-polit...

22.05.2025 23:02 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

@annelobrien is following 20 prominent accounts