State of the States Update | New Report on School Cybersecurity | ED Faces Lawsuit Over Data Privacy Concerns

It’s been another busy week in education news, with executive orders rolling out and updates on federal personnel and policy changes arriving daily—sometimes hourly.

Before heading out on a business (fishing) trip, Ben shared his thoughts on reports of an upcoming executive order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education–a move that would align with past efforts to shift more control to states but would require congressional action and likely face procedural and legal hurdles. Read more here.

Be sure to sign up for the full suite of W/A newsletters to keep abreast of breaking news throughout the week.

In this week’s edition of Notes, we round up the “Top 5 Articles of the Week.”

We’re also covering:

• State of the States, Continued: Updates from Alabama, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas
• Student Association Sues ED for Sharing Sensitive Student Data with DOGE
• House Education and Workforce Considers State of American Education at First Hearing
• 3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year, Report Finds

State of the States, Continued: AL, MD, MI, OK, SC, TX

W/A continues to monitor the State of the State addresses.

Since our last update (January 29), an additional six governors have given their addresses and the trending themes continue to include raising teacher salaries, banning cell phones, expanding school choice, and support for career readiness through CTE and apprenticeships. Below are some highlights from the recent addresses:

Alabama - Kay Ivey (R)

“Beginning next school year, these ESAs will give more Alabama families greater flexibility in choosing an education that suits their child’s individual needs. Importantly, we are funding students, not systems.”

• Gov. Ivey celebrated Alabama’s K-12 achievements, highlighting NAEP results that showed growth in math and consistency in reading. She emphasized the importance of literacy alongside math. The state continues efforts to reach full implementation of the Numeracy Act with math coaches in schools.
• Gov. Ivey pledged to sign bills related to cell phone bans and social media/internet safety, expansion of ESAs for universal eligibility, and parental leave for state workers and teachers.

Maryland - Wes Moore (D)

“This year, we are taking aim at the single largest barrier to achievement in our schools: And that’s the teacher shortage. We are tens of thousands of licensed teachers short from where we need to be. That is unacceptable.”

• While Gov. Moore’s primary focus during his address was not education, his speech touched on school funding, career readiness, CTE, and the educator workforce. Recruiting teachers is his administration’s education focus this year, as he seeks legislative authority to launch a national campaign to recruit educators to Maryland. He also announced plans to build a debt-free path to teaching.
• He celebrated a new era of Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, the state’s plan for transforming its public education and workforce readiness, and affirmed the state’s pledge of having 5,000 new apprenticeships and at least 5 additional public agencies that offer registered apprenticeships.

Mississippi - Tate Reeves (R)

“For so long, our teachers and our kids have been told they are last. 50th. At the bottom. Y’all, it’s just not true. Mississippi is charging to the front of the pack with our education system and daring other states to keep up!”

• Gov. Reeves praised Mississppi’s progress in job creation, investments, and economic advancement over the years. He reiterated continued support for building the workforce and higher education.
• After praising the state’s progress in recently released NAEP scores, Gov. Reeves proposed plans for a new accountability system in Mississippi in his most recent budget recommendations, stating, “It is wrong that schools can be awarded with an ‘A’ or ‘B’ rating when more than 70 percent of their students aren’t proficient in reading.” The plan would shift how schools are graded in the state to place a greater weight on proficiency and less weight on growth in academic achievements.
• He urged policymakers to consider innovative approaches to improve the return on investment for the hundreds of millions of dollars put in colleges and universities—returns that should appear in the wages for workers and producing graduates in business, science, engineering, and technology

Oklahoma - Kevin Stitt (R)

“If kids aren’t leaving high school college ready or career ready, we haven’t done our job.”

• Gov. Stitt focused largely on school choice and promised to inject competition into the system to support parental choice and values. He highlighted the first religious charter school (which is currently with the Supreme Court).
• He emphasized his prioritization of career readiness, stating he would pass a bill to create more internship and apprenticeship opportunities, calling on businesses, schools, and universities to lead this charge.
• Additionally, Gov. Stitt called for eliminating virtual learning to improve student attendance and cell phones in schools to improve student focus throughout the day.

South Carolina - Henry McMaster (R)

“Our future prosperity requires that our colleges, universities, and technical colleges be accessible and affordable for all; that our institutions of higher education produce a trained and skilled workforce – one that allows us to win jobs and investment in the future.”

• Gov. McMaster focused on South Carolina’s economic prosperity and education investments. He celebrated the state’s teacher salary increases, funding for armed school resource officers (SROs) in public schools, and pre-K expansion. His focus for education in 2025 is safety, affordability, and increasing funding.
• Affordability of higher education was central to Gov. McMaster’s address, with calls to freeze in-state tuition for South Carolina students in exchange for metric-based public higher ed funding.

Texas - Greg Abbott (R)

“Texas is No. 1 in so many ways, like jobs, Tier One research universities, cattle and cotton, oil and gas, and we’re home to the largest medical center in the world. The list goes on. It is now time that we set our sights on another No. 1. Texas should be No. 1 in educating our children.”

• Gov. Abbott outlined three key pillars to making Texas the No. 1 state for educating children: (1) parental rights and school choice, (2) support for teachers and raising teacher salaries, and (3) exceptional academics.
• Gov. Abbot announced plans to ban DEI initiatives in K-12 and public universities to achieve this, removing “woke agendas” from curricula. He also announced numerous anti-LGBTQ+ statements, such as Texas recognizing only two genders, banning transgender athletes from competing in girls’ sports, and immediate punishment for teachers who advocate for transgender beliefs.
• Additionally, Gov. Abbott declared career training as an emergency item. He plans to increase funding for dual credit programs, career training programs, grants, and expanded opportunities for rural students, among other additional actions.

Go deeper: Our team has analyzed all 35 State of the State addresses YTD. Learn more about governors’ education priorities on our blog.

The NAEP scores are in. Join us for a deep dive into the results and a conversation with state leaders from around the country on Wednesday, February 12th, at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT.

Featuring:

• Commissioner Angelica Infante-Green, Rhode Island Department of Education and National Association Governing Board Member
• Dr. Eric Mackey, Superintendent of the Alabama State Department of Education
• Lesley Muldoon, Executive Director, National Assessment Governing Board
• Jane Swift, National Association Governing Board Member and Former Governor of Massachusetts
• Anna Edwards, Chief Advocacy Officer, Whiteboard Advisors
• Hillary Knudson, VP K12 Strategy & Research, Whiteboard Advisors

Don’t miss this opportunity to gain valuable insights from experts and practitioners on what’s working, what’s not, and where we go from here.

Register

Top 5 “What We’re Reading” Articles of the Week

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1. Phone bans in schools don't help grades or health, study suggests [BBC]
2. S&P predicts stable outlook for charter schools in 2025 [K-12 Dive]
3. Campuses no longer off-limits to ICE [Inside Higher Ed]
4. It is time to expand the definition of college to include other high-quality pathways [The Hechinger Report]
5. AI is coming at us fast. How do we protect workers? [WorkingNation]

Student Association Sues ED for Sharing Sensitive Student Data with DOGE

The University of California Student Association (UCSA), represented by the Student Defense and Public Citizen Litigation Group, filed a lawsuit this morning against the U.S. Department of Education (ED), alleging that ED granted billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) unlawful access to the confidential data of 42 million Americans. [USA Today]

Two anonymous sources familiar with DOGE’s activities allege that DOGE is running data provided by ED, including identifying information, through AI software to target funding inefficiencies. [The Washington Post, subscription model]

What they’re saying: UCSA accuses ED of violating the Privacy Act of 1974, Internal Revenue Code, and its own regulations for protecting sensitive data, in what UCSA President Aditi Harihara called an “incredible betrayal.”

Harihara also said, “Students across the country did not consent to having our personal information shared with an unelected and non-congressionally approved entity like DOGE, and we absolutely did not give permission for them to access it.”

What’s next: UCSA is seeking an injunction to prevent further unlawful disclosure of data, and an order to ensure all future disclosures are in compliance with the Privacy Act. An Education Department spokesperson said the Department does not comment on pending litigation.

Zoom out: DOGE has been probing federal agencies’ records for alleged instances of governmental inefficiency and waste, prompting calls for oversight from policymakers. [NPR; NBC News; The Associated Press]

• Today, 30 House Democrats attempted to enter the Education Department building today in protest of DOGE and to speak with Acting Education Secretary Denise Carter, but were refused entry by security. [The Hill]
• House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) requested the Government Accountability Office (GAO) “immediately assess” the IT security of the Education Department, Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services following reports of DOGE illegally accessing federal data. Rep. Scott wrote in a statement, “This is a constitutional emergency… The nation needs answers immediately about the scope of [DOGE’s] powers, any laws, regulations or other policies regarding access to these data and systems which may be implicated by DOGE’s infiltration and the integrity of government programs on which schoolchildren and working families depend for their lives and livelihoods.”
• Earlier this week, Sens. Bernie Sanders (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and Reps. Bobby Scott (D-VA) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) sent a letter to Acting Secretary Carter seeking answers on how ED plans to ensure the continuity of programs and data security.

House Education and Workforce Committee Considers State of American Education at First Hearing

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce held its first hearing of the 119th Congress. The new Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) offered opening remarks endorsing President Trump’s policies as restoring common sense, personal responsibility, and parental choice in U.S. education and affirming his commitment to passing A Stronger Workforce for America Act, the 118th Congress’ attempted WIOA reauthorization.

In his opening remarks, Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) denounced the rumored Executive Order to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and announced that Democrats plan to reintroduce bills on school infrastructure repairs, strengthening diversity in K-12 schools, doubling the Pell grant, and improving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Committee members heard witness testimony from:

• Nicole Neily, President of Parents Defending Education, who called on the U.S. education system to shift away from identity politics and refocus schools on core subjects.
• Preston Cooper, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, who discussed congressional opportunities to address longstanding issues in the federal student loan program through risk.
• Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, who spoke about disparate student outcomes in K-12 schools, and advocated against using federal tax dollars for private education.
• Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), who closed witness testimony with a holistic view on the state of U.S. education, highlighting that employers are increasingly shifting to skills-based hiring and emphasizing the importance of alignment between K-12, higher education, and workforce systems.

During the hearing, Chairman Walberg described the federal student loan system as “irreparably broken,” so look for him to continue former Chairwoman Foxx’s focus on postsecondary education and efforts to reform federal student loans.

W/A will continue to keep a close eye on Congressional Committee activity, particularly the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing of Linda McMahon scheduled for next week.

3 in 4 Administrators Expect a Security Incident to Impact Their School This Year, Report Finds

A new report warns that cybersecurity risks in K-12 schools are escalating, with student digital identities becoming prime targets for cybercriminals. The Cybersecure 2025 report, released by Clever, highlights a rise in cyberattacks on school systems, with phishing, ransomware, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks becoming more frequent.

By the numbers:

• 74% of administrators expect a cyber incident this year (up from 71% last year).
• 5% of students have multi-factor authentication, compared to 90% of teachers and 95% of IT staff.
• $3.7 billion in cybersecurity funding was requested from the FCC’s E-rate program—but only $200 million was allocated.

Driving the news: Schools are struggling with AI-related security risks. 70% of administrators say AI is making cybersecurity threats worse, yet only 9% have formal vetting processes for AI tools

Go deeper: A recent report from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) highlights state efforts to combat rising cyber threats. In 2024, 16 states introduced 28 K-12 cybersecurity bills, focusing on staff training, funding programs, and stricter incident reporting rules.

Quick Takes

• Republican State Education Leaders Make Asks of Linda McMahon: In a recent letter, 12 state education chiefs (all from Republican-led states) addressed Linda McMahon, advocating for increased state autonomy in educational decision-making. Their recommendations emphasize the need for flexibility and a reduction in federal constraints to better serve their student populations, headlined by a desire for a single federal block grant, ability to increase state agency’s set-asides, and consideration for waivers to incentivize innovation. From the letter: “We know the Department must work with Congress to achieve many of these changes to ESEA but, in the meantime, please defer to state and local decision-making as much as possible in your actions… We stand ready to assist, whether it is developing ideas, drafting solutions, or taking those solutions back to our states to implement and make real change for students in America.”
• Higher Ed Orgs Sue Trump Admin Over DEI Executive Order: The American Association of University Professors (AAUP) and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) are suing the Trump administration over its efforts to eliminate DEI in the public and private sectors. The 42-page lawsuit filed earlier this week argues that the orders are overly vague, failing to define key terms such as “illegal DEI;” an overstep of presidential authority, and may have a chilling effect on free speech on college campuses. Go deeper: Not all of higher ed is fighting back. Read our team’s coverage of how colleges and universities are complying with Trump’s EO, here.
• New Data Reveals Post-COVID Spike in Pre-K-12 Student Homelessness: According to data from the U.S. Department of Education, 1.4 million pre-K-12 students experienced homelessness in the 2022-23 school year, representing a 25% increase from 2020-21. Students experiencing homelessness—whether that be staying with others due to temporary loss of housing or economic hardship, staying in a shelter or motel, or being unsheltered—are more likely to be chronically absent and less likely to graduate from high school than their peers, underscoring an urgent need for school districts and communities to step in. The silver lining: This upward trend may also reflect improving ability to identify students facing homelessness, which in turn gets them the support and resources they need to be successful in the classroom. [K-12 Dive]

People on the Move

• The National Student Clearinghouse announced Dr. Daniel Hae-Dong Lee as its next president and CEO. Dr. Lee, who has over two decades of edtech and corporate leadership experience, succeeds Rick Torres, who is retiring after nearly 20 years as CEO.
• The nonprofit Education Design Lab announced the appointment of Dr. Lisa Larson as interim CEO, effective February 1. Dr. Larson, who most recently served the Lab’s Senior Vice President for College Transformation, succeeds Bill Hughes, who will continue with the Lab in an advisory role.
• Jared Joiner shared on LinkedIn that he is stepping down from leading the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s (CZI) Education Practice portfolio. Joiner plans to launch an independent organization focused on improving civic engagement and community-building.
• Former U.S. Department of Education senior advisor and Gates Foundation postsecondary success leader Dr. Jennifer Engle joined the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) as a research professor.

Looking for your next opportunity in education? Check out our W/A Jobs, which features 3,485 career opportunities from 278 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week:

• Guild is hiring a remote Senior Vice President of Product Management to manage their product portfolio.
• 2U is hiring a Virginia-based Curriculum and Content Lead to be the product owner for their Data and AI product offerings
• Multiverse is hiring a Head of AI Skills in London to ensure that the company’s product portfolio and Coaches leverage the industry’s leading AI technologies
• Duolingo is hiring a Social Production Assistant in Pittsburgh to ensure that the company’s social media content stays consistently on brand (i.e. unhinged)
• Lovevery is hiring a Boise-based Executive Assistant to the CEO to support the company’s continued growth.

Visit W/A Jobs

Upcoming Events and Convenings

• American Council on Education: ACE Experience (ACEx2025), February 11-13, Washington, D.C.
• Alliance for Learning Innovation: Securing Our Competitive Advantage: Education and Innovation for a Stronger America, February 19 at 9:15 a.m. ET, Washington, D.C.
• Innovation for Equity: 2025 HBCU EdTech Summit and Career Fair, February 19-20, Atlanta, GA
• Digital Promise: AI K12 Deeper Learning Summit, February 27-March 1, Anaheim, CA
• SXSW: SXSW EDU Annual Conference, March 3-6, Austin, TX
• Everyone Graduates Center: National School Redesign Showcase, April 1, Washington, D.C.
• THE Journal + Campus Technology: Tech Tactics in Education Conference, May 7, Virtual
• Jobs for the Future: JFF Horizons Summit, June 10-11, New Orleans, LA
• Education Commission of the States: National Forum on Education Policy, July 9-11, Salt Lake City, UT

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