February 2026 Policy News Round-Up

Education advocates celebrate public schools, new actions to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education, and a proposal to reimagine education research is announced. See what else NCLD is tracking this month.

NCLD and Education Advocates Celebrate Public Schools Week

The National Center for Learning Disabilities, along with dozens of national, state, and local organizations, celebrated Public Schools Week from February 23rd to 27th. Public Schools Week is an annual week-long celebration dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions and achievements of educators and education advocates in our public schools and the communities they serve. This year’s theme—“Building Stronger, Fairer, and More Resilient Public Education Systems”—highlighted the essential role public schools play in strengthening communities, expanding opportunity, and preparing every learner to thrive. Throughout the week, organizations spotlighted the people, partnerships, and practices that help public schools meet today’s challenges while preparing kids for their best future. U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jack Reed (D-RI) led a bipartisan group of 22 Senators in celebrating the critical role of public school teachers, administrators, parents, and students by designating the week as “Public Schools Week.” Their resolution passed the Senate unanimously.

Department of Education Continues to be Dismantled

On February 23rd, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced additional actions to further dismantle the agency. ED stated in a press release that it is creating new interagency agreements (IAAs) to shift administration of key education programs to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The move affects programs under the Office of Safe and Supportive Schools, including grants that help schools respond to traumatic events like school shootings and natural disasters. It also impacts Full-Service Community Schools, Promise Neighborhoods, family engagement centers, and Ready to Learn, which funds educational TV for preschoolers. NCLD joined other organizations opposing these actions. In a letter sent to Congress, we state, “Moving programming intended to facilitate student learning and community school support into HHS disrupts implementation, slows and complicates grant competitions, creates bureaucratic red tape and administrative confusion for applicants and grantees, and undermines congressional intent.” Read the full letter here. 

New Report on How to Reimagine the Institute of Education Sciences

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon received a report on how to improve the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) titled Reimagining the Institute of Education Sciences. This report outlines Senior Advisor, Dr. Amber Northern’s recommendations to ensure IES provides state and local policymakers, educators, and relevant stakeholders with high-quality, actionable research and data. Among the recommendations are:

• Revise the National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) portfolio to include more research on special education policies in alignment with IES’s high-need areas, while reducing the emphasis on interventions.
• Require one of the eight mandated R&D Centers to conduct research to determine the most effective methods for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the various AI-powered tools and resources that are emerging in the market.
• Strengthen cross-agency connections among education, health, and social services agencies, all of which often play a role in addressing the needs of children with disabilities.

The full report can be read here.

NCLD and Partners Comment on ED’s Proposed Rule Impacting Student Loan Borrowing

Together with partners from the Coalition on Accessibility in Higher Education, NCLD submitted a public comment in response to the proposed rule on Reimagining and Improving Student Education. These proposed regulations amend the regulations for Federal student loan programs under the Higher Education Act to implement the statutory changes included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (signed into law July 2025). We made the following recommendations: 

• Implement allowances that may be aligned with special circumstances during the Professional Judgement process, enabling borrowers with disabilities to receive additional funds over the annual borrowing limit.
• Consider how student loan reductions for less than full-time enrollment would pose unique harm to learners with disabilities who rely on their student loans to cover costs associated with their disability and whether these reductions can be waived for students with disabilities with special circumstances.
• Allow students who receive accommodations related to course timing and course load reduction to be eligible for an exemption from institution-level program borrowing caps permitted under the proposed rule.

Advocacy Opportunities

NCLD’s Action Center enables you to contact your Members of Congress and make your voice heard on issues important to students with disabilities. NEW on the Action Center: Tell your Senator to cosponsor the RISE Act!

ICYMI 

• The House Education and Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education holds a hearing on “Building an AI-Ready America: Teaching in the AI Age”
• The House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Subcommittee holds a hearing on “The Science of Reading”. 
• The National Coalition for Public Education, of which NCLD is a member, hosted a webinar: All Risk, No Reward for Public Ed: What’s Ahead for the Federal Voucher Program

What We’re Reading:

• Education Groups Push $2.5 Billion Plan to Rebuild Teacher Preparation | Education Week
• Discussing His Dyslexia, Newsom Steps into K–12 Spotlight | The 74 Million
• Ed Department Dismissed 90% Of Civil Rights Complaints Alarming Disability Advocates | Disability Scoop