Education

The Trump administration launched an investigation Thursday into the California Department of Education over a law that says districts can’t force teachers and staff to notify parents if a student changes their gender identity at school. The U.S. Department of Education said the policy may violate the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a law allowing parents to access...

Lawmakers and education leaders in California spoke out Thursday after President Trump signed an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Robert Kovacik reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on March 20, 2025.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office will continue to monitor the new executive order. This video was broadcast on the NBC4 at 5 p.m. on March 20, 2025. 

Trump said programs supporting students with disabilities, funds for low-income schools and college students will continue to be protected. Kathy Vara reports for the NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on March 20, 2025. 

While big questions about the agency’s future remain unanswered, here is everything to know about its history, and some of the plans conservatives have pushed for dismantling it.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday to close the Department of Education.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Education Department.

The University of California system announced a hiring freeze as a result of budget cuts. Darsha Philips reports for the NBC4 News at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Thursday calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department.

A South LA school that serves unhoused students and students who live at or below the poverty line is making its case for why it deserves to keep its charter status. Karma Dickerson reports for the NBC4 News at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, March 18, 2025.

A South Los Angeles-based school that serves unhoused students made its case Tuesday to the Los Angeles County Board of Education as to why it should keep its charter status.

For parents of kids with disabilities, advocating for their child can be complicated, time-consuming — and expensive.

Twenty states and the District of Columbia announced a lawsuit against the Trump administration Thursday over its mass firings at the Department of Education.

Massive layoffs initiated this week at the Education Department could hamstring the federal government’s efforts to assist students with disabilities, former officials and education experts said, citing blows to the agency’s civil rights and research divisions.  On Tuesday, the department began laying off around 1,300 employees, cutting nearly half the staff in its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and over 100 from the Institute...

The lawsuit claims the layoffs are so severe that the department “can no longer function, and cannot comply with its statutory requirements.”

The University of Southern California on Wednesday hiked tuition by more than $3,000 for the upcoming academic year, pushing the total cost of attendance to nearly $100,000.  For the 2025-2026 academic year, tuition will be $3,356 more expensive than the 2024-2025 cycle, according to the University’s Cost of Attendance webpage.  In 2024, the U.S. News and World Report ranked the…

Massive layoffs hit the Education Department after President Trump vowed to close it down.

The Department of Education distributes billions in federal money to colleges and schools and manages the federal student loan portfolio. Closing the department would mean redistributing each of those duties to another agency.

The Trump administration announced a dramatic funding cut on Friday, saying it would cut federal grants and contracts worth $400 million from Columbia University for “inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”

California joined seven other Democratic states in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration.