Despite a shift in attitude away from public schools, the 57th annual PDK International Poll released August 19, 20205 found that 66% of respondents were opposed or strongly opposed to the closure of the U.S. Department of Education (USDE). Only 22% said they support or strongly support shuttering the agency.
Conversely, nearly 60% of parents support using public funds for their child to attend a private or religious school, up from 50% in 2007, according to the poll.
Overall support for public schools has dropped, as the percentage of respondents grading their own community schools with an A or B fell from 53% in 2013 to 43% in 2025.
In June 2025, the U.S. Supreme Court (Court) ruled to restrict gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors. In that case, the Court’s decision said a person’s identification as “transgender” is distinct from their “biological sex.” It did not touch on whether discrimination against transgender people amounts to sex-based discrimination.
However, as a result of the Court’s ruling the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has begun citing that decision in findings related to transgender access to athletics and facilities. Further, although the Court’s ruling in U.S. vs. Skrmetti did not directly involve education civil rights law, the Trump administration has used it to bolster its stance that Title IX can be used to exclude transgender students from teams aligning with their gender identities. In fact, by using the decision to inform Title IX cases, the USDE has excluded transgender students from protections against sex-based discrimination.
Further clarity on this issue is expected when the Court rules on a transgender athletics case during its next term. For more details from K-12 Dive click here.
A federal judge is standing by his June 2025 decision requiring the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to restore its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) “to the status-quo” so that it can “carry out its statutory functions.” The order, which prevents the USDE from laying off OCR employees, comes despite a U.S. Supreme Court emergency order in a separate case allowing the agency to move forward with mass layoffs across the USDE.
According to the judge, the case challenging the gutting of OCR, which included the shuttering of seven out of 12 regional OCR offices, was brought by two students who “faced severe discrimination and harassment in school and were depending on the OCR to resolve their complaints so that they could attend public school.” The Judge said that case (Victim Rights Law Center v. U.S. Department of Education) is separate from New York v. McMahon (the Supreme Court case that allowed the department to proceed with mass layoffs) because the students have “unique harms that they have suffered due to the closure of the OCR.”
As a result of the judge’s latest decision, on August 14, 2025 the USDE appealed the ruling to the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals.For more from K-12 Dive, click here.
Each office hour will consist of a 30-minute ‘targeted topic’ overview followed by a 30-minute open forum for participant Q&A. No registration is required; however, access will be limited to the first 500 attendees. Please note that office hours are not recorded. For more information, please visit the PDESAS Toolkit or email ra-edgradrequirement@pa.gov.
Sincerely, Brian W. Campbell Director, Bureau of Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction
The federal Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) oversees states’ compliance with federal special education regulations and requirements. As part of its compliance monitoring process, OSEP includes a fiscal verification review that focuses on key federal areas such as the use of funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS), Maintenance of Effort (MOE), and the general use of federal funds under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Part B (IDEA-B).
To support local educational agencies in understanding both federal requirements and related state processes, the Pennsylvania Department of Education is providing training for special education directors and business administrators. This training will address topics including IDEA-B, Contingency Funding, Act 16, Maintenance of Effort, Data Collection, and the Approved Private School Electronic Management System (APSEM).
Participation in this training is required for all school districts, charter schools, and intermediate units. Given the focus on IDEA-B fiscal reporting and data verification, PDE strongly recommends that both the special education director and business administrator attend. If a district, charter school, or intermediate unit contracts its business services, the contracted business representative should also attend. This year, there will be five training options. Please register for one of the following:
In-Person Sessions PaTTAN Central – , 2025 | 9:00- 12:00 PM PaTTAN East – , 2025 | 9:00 – 12:00 PMPaTTAN West – , 2025 | 9:00 – 12:00 PM
Live Virtual Sessions Online (Live via Zoom) – , 2025 | 9:00- 12:00 PM
Self-Paced Option – Schoology Course – Available – , 2025
Any questions about registration should be directed to Sharon Kennedy, PaTTAN, 717-901-2265 or skennedy@pattan.net.
Any other questions regarding the fiscal training should be directed to Marcia Wilson, PDE Division of Analysis & Financial Reporting, at 717-736-7266 or marciawils@pa.gov.