Laura Meckler

Also check out the very cool lookup tool where you can see the racial makeup of the faculty at any of 187 large research universities.

Before Trump ban, universities were slowly making faculties more diverse The number of Black and Hispanic faculty increased at large research universities after a wave of commitments. Now these pledges are being rolled back, a Post analysis found.

When the Trump DEI assault began, I got wondering whether those programs had worked. Today we published the result of that wondering -- a deep dive into the ubiquitous effort to racially diversify university faculties -- and the state of play today. wapo.st/45QWLmm

Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers How one of the richest people on the planet presses his pet issue: school choice

Much more in this deep dive about one of the most important people in education politics that you may have never heard of, with @ence.bsky.social and @bethreinhard.bsky.social Hope you will give it a read! 5/5
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Yass has many views about school choice, shaped almost entirely by other backers of school choice -- a contrast to how he goes about his very successful day job: “I always say, ‘Go find the smartest person who disagrees with you.’” But he has not done that here. "I would love to," he told me. 4/x

Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers How one of the richest people on the planet presses his pet issue: school choice

Jeff Yass compares himself to superstars who make political endorsements, mentioning Oprah, Taylor Swift and Springsteen. “I am not nearly as powerful as Bruce Springsteen. If you want to shut me up, you have to shut him up, too," he told me. 3/x www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers How one of the richest people on the planet presses his pet issue: school choice

Yass has donated money on a massive scale, dwarfing other givers. He says he's countering the teachers unions but consider than in the 2022 PA state elections, he gave candidates (thru PACs) $22 million vs about $4 million from teachers unions (who represent thousands of teachers). 2/x

Meet the billionaire pushing taxpayer-funded school vouchers How one of the richest people on the planet presses his pet issue: school choice

NEW: Our look at one of the most important players in the school choice debate: Jeff Yass, the billionaire funding campaigns across the country and in his home state of PA. Got a chance to talk with him at length and he had lots of provocative things to say 1/x
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

In cities targeted by ICE, empty desks and school disruptions follow One in 5 students in Charlotte missed school after a recent ICE crackdown began. It’s the latest city where schools felt the impact of Trump’s deportation effort.

A Wash Post review found instances of parents arrested near campuses in at least 10 states so far this year. Actions near campuses—which include shooting a man, releasing tear gas and engaging in a car chase—have prompted lockdowns. @justinemcdaniel.bsky.social www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Trump wants to ‘return education to the states.’ Is that what he’s doing? Education Secretary Linda McMahon says the Trump administration is “returning education to the states.” But closing the Education Department is not the same thing.

In an all-staff meeting, Ed Secretary Linda McMahon said it was critical to get the "messaging" right: "We are not talking about shutting down the Department of Education. We are talking about returning education to states."
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Trump administration seeks to move special education to different agency The move would affect the $15 billion IDEA program and comes as the administration seeks to close down the federal Education Department

SCOOP: The Education Department is looking to move a $15 billion program supporting students with disabilities out of the agency as it works to close the agency altogether, a department official said Tuesday. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Harvard beat Trump in court. Here’s what could happen next. Harvard faces an appeal in court, the prospect of more attacks and a possible delay in restoring the more than $2 billion in frozen federal funding, experts say

NEW: Our look at the many hurdles facing Harvard despite a resounding win in court.

And we tucked in some news: This week the Educ Dept quietly disclosed plan to rewrite civil rights regs to "streamline" process of denying funds to schools in violation.
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Education Department quietly removes rules for teaching English learners The move is an acceleration of President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring English the country’s “official language.”

For decades, the federal government has advised schools how to comply with federal law requiring services for kids learning English, with the latest guidance dating to 2015. Suddenly it was rescinded - with no word on whether it will be replaced.

www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Under Trump, the Education Dept. has flipped its civil rights mission The administration is prioritizing allegations that transgender students and students of color are getting unfair advantages while a backlog of other cases grows.

One of the most striking data points amid many in our look at civil rights enforcement under Trump's Education Department: the backlog of cases rose from about 20,000 to about 25,000 in just five months this year. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Under Trump, the Education Dept. has flipped its civil rights mission The administration is prioritizing allegations that transgender students and students of color are getting unfair advantages while a backlog of other cases grows.

Our look at huge changes to civil rights enforcement for schools:
-A reversal in what's considered discrimination w/ reverse racial discrimination and transgender sports cases prioritized
-Severe staff cuts leaving thousands of others unresolved.
www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Public schools are closing as Arizona’s school voucher program soars Arizona, with a marketplace of school options and universal vouchers, offers a window into the GOP vision for K-12 education

Arizona has embraced market competition as a central tenet of its K-12 education system, a victory for school choice but with impacts on public education. With enrollment falling, schools are closing. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

Meantime, the public face of the task force, Leo Terrell, has himself been accused of antisemitism – as has President Trump, repeatedly. W/ Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff, Susan Svrluga, Perry Stein, @emilydavies.bsky.social -‬ All this and more at wapo.st/413jE3p 6/6

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

In February, the antisemitism task force promised to visit 10 schools that have experienced antisemitism and meet with a wide range of people on campus to investigate. Four of those schools said no visits have been requested. (The others didn’t comment.) wapo.st/413jE3p 5/x

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

The administration wrote to 60 schools in March to warn that they might be subject to “enforcement actions” based on their responses to antisemitism, though more than 20 of them have heard nothing from the administration since then, according to a Washington Post survey. wapo.st/413jE3p 4/x

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

There’s been a mishmash of enforcement that has frightened universities across the country. In some cases, the administration issues public threats but never follows up. In others, they pull billions of funding without investigation or attempts to find a solution as civil rights law dictates. 3/x

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

Big picture: Trump officials argue antisemitism and DEI are both racist and therefore related. Critics say they are using antisemitism as a pretext to go after unrelated conservative complaints. “It’s self-evident it’s not about antisemitism,” said one Jewish leader. wapo.st/413jE3p 2/x

How Trump’s antisemitism task force is leading an assault on DEI, colleges The Trump administration is using antisemitism investigations as a pretext to pursue an unrelated conservative agenda, critics say.

NEW: Our look at how the Trump antisemitism task force and how it is pressing to reshape universities on DEI and other matters unrelated to antisemitism. It is truly packed with news and tidbits from a great team of reporters 1/x wapo.st/413jE3p

Live updates: More hurdles emerge for passing Trump’s massive legislative package by July 4 Get the latest news on President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House and the Republican-led Congress.

Big setback for the school choice movement as Senate parliamentarian nixes school voucher program from giant tax bill. Ruling says plans needs 60 votes to pass Senate-- unlikely if not straight up impossible. www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

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...

Live updates: Trump’s ‘big’ bill projected to add $2.4 trillion to national debt over coming decade Get the latest news on President Donald Trump’s return to the White House and the Republican-led Congress.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Wednesday she is not sure whether teaching about Ruby Bridges or the Tulsa Race Massacre would amount to illegal diversity, equity and inclusion education. “I’d have to get back to you on that," she told a House committee.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Discrimination cases unravel as Trump scraps core civil rights tenet The administration is dismissing cases and unwinding settlements built on "disparate impact," which holds that even neutral policies can lead to biased outcomes.

For decades, the fed’l gov’t used data analysis - known as disparate impact - to ferret out discrimination, winning cases and reaching settlements in housing, education, policing and more. Now the Trump admin is unwinding those cases. w/
@julez.bsky.social

www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

Actually I believe there’s a provision barring that

GOP voucher plan would divert billions in taxes to private schools Donations to scholarship programs would be fully reimbursed through a new tax credit, creating the largest federal tax incentive for charitable giving.

Reupping this story. The tax bill includes the school voucher tax credit described here -- a 100% tax credit for donations to voucher orgs - so taxpayers would essentially get their money back when they file their taxes. A huge win for school choice movement. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

The hardest thing my family does each week The most obvious thing would be to connect through shared memories, but all our shared memories involve my mom, but whenever I mention her name, Michael gets visibly upset.

A very personal essay about something many of us have dealt with: Dementia and grief have complicated my decades-long relationship with my stepfather. We visit a lot — and not enough. www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/...

Feds end a civil rights agreement on treatment of Native students, citing DEI The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights will review other discrimination resolutions to determine if they violate Trump’s orders.

SCOOP: The Educ Dept's civil rights office has terminated an already agreed-to agreement with a SD school district regarding equal treatment of Native American students because, they said, the agreement included DEI. More reviews like this are coming. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...

Leading Jewish group condemns deportations of pro-Palestinian protesters The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO called the deportation effort against campus protesters a violation of due process and possibly punishment for “thoughtcrimes”

Head of Anti-Defamation League questions Trump’s aggressive effort to find and deport foreign students who have protested on behalf of Palestinians, suggesting admin is betraying American values, denying due process and punishing people for their views. www.washingtonpost.com/education/20...