As reported by K-12 Dive, The Trump administration’s sudden cancellation of over 100 federal teacher training grants last year caused at least 127 teacher candidates to drop out of their programs and another 259 accepted candidates to not enroll after all. In fact, survey results released on October 8, 2026, based on 36 grantees across 22 states, further show that before being canceled, the grants were being used to help educate future teachers to work in Title I schools or in high-need areas, such as STEM, early childhood education and special education. Research results also indicate the cuts have harmed efforts to address hard-to-staff teaching positions. Survey respondents said their grants were being used to train teacher candidates in 210 school districts before they were canceled. The 36 surveyed grantees had been awarded almost $263 million for the programs, and about half of that was canceled by the Trump administration.

The survey focused on the effects seen from the cancellation of the Teacher Quality Partnership (TQP) and Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) programs. The report cited a March 12 court filing in which the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) confirmed it had canceled 104 of the 109 active TQP and SEED grants because the funds were being used to train teachers using “divisive ideologies.” 

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According to K-12 Dive, the Trump administration is escalating its crackdown on mental health screenings for students, stressing that the practice doesn’t comply with parental rights laws if school officials administer the screenings without first notifying parents and obtaining their written consent. In fact, on October 5, 2026 a warning was sent to state attorneys general by the U.S. Departments of Education (USDE) and Justice (DOJ). It follows a Dear Colleague letter sent in August that described the Trump administration’s approach to enforcement under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).

In addition, the administration has opened investigations at a rapid pace under the privacy laws to crack down on schools’ policies related to LGBTQ+ students, such as creating gender support plans or using students’ pronouns when they differ from the students’ biological sex.

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Despite being seen by some as additional red tape, starting November 1, 2026, all U.S. Department of Education (USDE) grant recipients will be required to have written justification for drawing down pre-approved funding. ,

According to a September 28, 2026 agency memo. an additional step has been added to add accountability and transparency for spending taxpayer funds. The directive comes from President Donald Trump’s February 2025 executive order for the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Cost Efficiency Initiative, also known as “defend the spend.”

As per the memo, grant recipients will be required to provide “clear, detailed justifications for each payment request.” Each request must include the program name, expense categories and amounts, and the start and end dates for expenses. The written justifications can be no longer than 255 characters and clear without additional narrative. The directive applies to all Education Department grant recipients, including those with programs for early childhood education, K-12, higher education and adult education.

Some education organizations, including the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDE), are expressing concern that the process could cause delays in moving federal resources to schools, school districts, and states. Presently, federal education funds are drawn down through state agencies, but the new justification requirements would create additional administrative work for both states and school districts since another layer of pre-approval paperwork increases administrative burden and redirect limited administrative capacity away from teaching, learning, and student services.

On September 30, 2026, NASDE released a statement the new requirement will “impact every student in every school,” especially students with disabilities. In fact, the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act includes both formula and discretionary grant funds that students with disabilities depend on to receive timely services.

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According to guidance issued jointly on September 25, 2026 by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), K-12 schools can better prepare for and protect themselves from swatting incidents by developing procedures and training to identify and respond to false threats. Swatting is identified as a “crisis” that causes significant disruption and trauma to school communities. Swatting also costs taxpayers millions of dollars in personnel and equipment, lost classroom time, and property damage.

The guidance recommends several steps that schools and colleges can take, including training their staff and educating their communities on typical characteristics of a swatting event so they can detect false threats sooner.

According to both agencies, all threats should be treated as credible when they are received.

To view the guidance document, click here.

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