Trump’s ED Appointees | State of the States Update | FTC Finalizes COPPA Rule Changes | New Enrollment Data From NSC

This week, the Whiteboard team has been closely following President Trump’s appointments to key roles in the Education Department (see below) as well as CEO appointments at education organizations like 2U, Acadeum, and Great Minds.

Over the years, we have often played the role of “unofficial helper” to education businesses and organizations looking for talent and job seekers looking for their next opportunity—doing our best to connect the dots within our little community.

We are excited to formalize these efforts with the launch of W/A Jobs, a jobs platform custom-built for the education community.

W/A Jobs curates job opportunities from organizations across the education industry—from early-childhood to workforce, from seed stage to publicly traded, and from non-profit to for-profit. It is already the most comprehensive source of education jobs available today, featuring 3,474 open roles from 274 different organizations.

We are looking forward to getting many of you involved with W/A Jobs. The platform is free to use for everyone; we encourage job seekers to visit directly and employers interested in being listed should reach out to Matthew Tower .

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

We’re also covering:

• New Faces at 400 Maryland Ave
• Freshmen Enrollment is Actually Up, Per NSC Data
• State of the States: Nearly Half of Governors Have Addressed Constituents
• Where Are They Now? Checking In On New State Leaders
• FTC Finalizes COPPA Rule Changes

New Faces at 400 Maryland Avenue

This week, education secretary nominee Linda McMahon met with Senate HELP Committee Chair Bill Cassidy—a key step before her committee hearing. As she awaits a hearing date, the Department of Education has announced a slew of senior-level appointees this week.

Among the appointees:

• Rachel Oglesby, Chief of Staff
• Jonathan Pidluzny, PhD., Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Programs
• Tom Wheeler, Principal Deputy General Counsel
• Candice Jackson – Deputy General Counsel
• Craig Trainor, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Office for Civil Rights
• Madi Biedermann, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of Communications and Outreach

Go deeper: To see the full list of appointees named this week, check out ED’s announcement here.

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

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1. Trump executive orders on immigrants, transgender rights could echo in American schools [Chalkbeat]
2. Community colleges join forces to expand access to AI training [Inside Higher Ed]
3. Ed Department Report Reveals Sharp Inequities For Students With IEPs, 504 Plans [Disability Scoop]
4. Incorporating home languages can improve multilingual learners’ reading comprehension [K-12 Dive]
5. How sports betting fleeced students of their money—and mental health [University Business]

Great News! Freshmen Enrollment is Actually Up, Per NSC Data

The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center’s (NSC) updated enrollment data, released earlier this week, paint a far more encouraging picture about the state of postsecondary enrollment than previously expected.

Catch up quick: On January 13, NSC shared in a statement that researchers had identified a methodological error in which some freshman enrollments were mislabeled as dual enrollees. Because of this error, NSC’s early freshmen enrollment data set and Special Analysis (released in October and December 2024, respectively) inaccurately depicted a significant decline in freshmen enrollment year-over-year.

Key findings from the updated data:

• Postsecondary enrollment has surpassed prepandemic levels—but just barely (+0.4% from 2019). Total postsecondary enrollment for this coming fall is also up 4.5%, with gains for both undergraduate (+4.7%) and graduate (+3.3%) enrollment YOY.
• Freshmen enrollment overall has risen 5.5% compared to this time last year, a reversal of previously reported data. Enrollment amongst 18-year-old freshmen—the subgroup of freshmen likely to be graduating high school this spring and immediately entering college–is also up (+3.4%).
• Gains in freshmen enrollment are reflected across all races and ethnicities. The strongest gains were seen amongst Asian (+6%), Hispanic (+5.1%), and Black (+3.5%) students. White students also experienced increased enrollment, but of a less significant degree (0.9%).
• Public four-year institutions across all selectivity are seeing increased enrollment, with “less selective” institutions garnering the highest gains (+5). Private four-year institutions, on the other hand, saw mixed enrollment changes (+5.7 for “less selective” and -2.5% for “highly selective” private nonprofit four-year schools).
• Interestingly, public two-year institutions (AKA, community colleges) with a high vocational program focus are seeing double-digit enrollment gains (+13.6%) for a second straight year, and now make up nearly one-fifth (19.5%) of all public two-year enrollment.
• Undergraduate certificate programs are seeing their fourth consecutive year of enrollment growth, up 9.9% since last year and 28.5% higher than in 2019. Growth in this area is particularly notable for public two-year institutions (+9.2%), but is being seen across all institution types.
• Also of note, community colleges serving a high share of Pell grant recipients are experiencing the greatest growth (+8.6), a rate over twice as high as that of low Pell-serving community colleges (+3.5%). However, among public four-year institutions, those that serve the lowest share of Pell grant recipients are showing the most significant enrollment growth (+3.5%).

Why it matters: These trends are a promising snapshot of young people’s continued interest in pursuing higher education, consistent with recent data from Common App that showed 5% YOY growth in distinct first-year applicants and 7% growth in total application volume.

Additionally, increased favor toward two-year schools, certificates, and vocational programs is a clear indication that people are looking for faster, cheaper, and more career-oriented postsecondary pathways. With this in mind—and given the Trump administration’s potential focus on apprenticeships and industry credentials—colleges may modernize their offerings (i.e., micro-pathways such as those adopted in Montana, expanded dual enrollment opportunities, and other short-term credentials) to retain relevancy and meet the needs of all learners. [Open Campus; Inside Higher Ed]

State of the States: Nearly Half of Governors Have Addressed Constituents

Now that 23 governors have delivered their official remarks, there are emerging trends in priorities across states and between political parties:

• Most governors have included details on their efforts to date to boost education funding or named increasing funding as a priority.
• Governors in red states have reiterated the importance of school choice and potential for expanding programs, like Education Savings Accounts.
• Governors across the aisle of elevated career and technical education, including apprenticeships, and the need for workforce readiness in bringing jobs to their states.
• Early childhood education and expanding pre-K were celebrated in states that have taken action and many states poised to make additional investments.
• Nearly every governor mentioned cellphone bans and the negative effects of social media on student learning experiences.

Here are the highlights:

• New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham is asking for a $205 million investment in ECE to finally realize universal pre-K statewide.
• Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s administration has already allocated $294 million for campus safety thus far, but he is proposing a further $159 million to keep Georgia schools safe.
• Oregon Gov. Tina Totek intends to overhaul the state’s accountability system by developing a statewide student information system and consolidating data collection/reporting for new and existing programs.
• Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, armed with a historically large budget ($22.1 billion over the biennium), plans to spend $50 million for Virginia Opportunity Scholarships to make higher ed more affordable.
• Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s largest education investment is in the teacher workforce, proposing $100 million to raise teacher pay in the state, particularly for early-career educators.

Go deeper: Read in-depth analyses of all previous State of the State addresses through January 23 on our blog.

Where Are They Now? Checking In On New State Leaders

Back in November, W/A reported some of the nation’s most contentious superintendent races and their outcomes. But what are those leaders up to now?

• Newly-elected Superintendent Mo Green (D) of North Carolina has wasted no time following his swearing in. His team put together a comprehensive Entry Plan, which prioritizes building productive, mutually-supportive relationships with the state’s Board of Education and community organizations. The plan also elaborates on an initiative entitled “Achieving Educational Excellence” which focuses on improving public schools.
• Upon her successful reelection bid, Superintendent Kirsten Baesler (R) of North Dakota is prepared for a fourth term in office. Superintendent Baesler has followed up on her campaign promise to ensure North Dakotans are prepared for the workforce. She confirmed having met with the Trump Education Transition Team, including Trump’s Education Secretary nominee, Linda McMahon, and has expressed support for state control and workforce readiness initiatives.
• After her victory in Montana, Superintendent Susie Hedalen (R) has engaged in consistent communication with her constituents. Upon her swearing in on January 6, Superintendent Hedalen announced a commitment to ensuring quality educational and career opportunities for students across the state. She also mentioned that her team will prioritize “strong customer service to schools and families.” We expect further communication in the coming weeks.
• Just this week, Washington state’s incumbent Superintendent Chris Reykdal (D) created an OSPI Guidance pamphlet to ensure protections for immigrant students, advising districts to not discriminate against immigrant students in terms of enrollment and services, and ensure students maintain their privacy rights. Additionally, Superintendent Reykdal called for lawmakers to increase funding from local taxes, known as “enrichment levies.”

FTC Finalizes COPPA Rule Changes

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized long-awaited amendments to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (COPPA) on January 17, marking the first significant update to the rule since 2013. These changes introduce stricter requirements for businesses collecting children’s data, aiming to curb the monetization of such data without explicit parental consent.

Key changes:

• Opt-in for ads: Parents must now provide explicit consent for targeted advertising, with behavioral advertising toward kids defaulted to “off.”
• Data limits: Companies can no longer retain children’s data indefinitely but must keep it only for a defined purpose.
• Broader protections: Biometric data, like facial recognition, is now covered under COPPA’s definition of personal information.

No edtech exception: The FTC opted against including provisions allowing schools to authorize educational technology providers to collect and use student data, citing potential conflicts with the U.S. Department of Education’s plans to update Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) regulations. [K-12 Dive]

Looking ahead: The updated rule takes effect March 18, with businesses required to comply within a year.

New ALI Report: States Must Adapt to Prioritize Education R&D

This week, the Alliance for Learning Innovation (ALI), in collaboration with Education Reimagined and Transcend Education, released a brief titled Seizing the Opportunity for State Education R&D: Findings and Recommendations for Action informed by interviews and survey responses from 60 education stakeholders representing 15 states and diverse political contexts.

Zoom in: This brief discusses how states play a particularly important role in R&D as they can implement policy strategies that more broadly address education and workforce challenges. Specifically, the brief recommends that state education leaders must create the conditions and infrastructure in which R&D can thrive.

• Changing state conditions includes developing a central mission and dedicating an office that leads this work. Currently, fewer than half of state education agencies (SEAs) have at least one staff person primarily focused on supporting research activities. In addition, states should empower local leaders who can test evidence-based strategies and inform systems transformation.
• Changing state infrastructure includes leveraging comprehensive data systems, technology platforms, and community networks that enable R&D efforts.

Why it matters: The U.S. education system is in need of transformation, and evidence-based strategies must be promoted to overcome these educational challenges. Dedicating resources to R&D is imperative, as it provides states the opportunity to systematically identify, test, and scale effective solutions that can improve student outcomes.

People on the Move

• Edtech company 2U appointed Kees Bol as CEO, who will succeed interim CEO Matt Norden effective January 27. 2U also announced Matt Leavy, a seasoned education industry executive with previous leadership roles at Pearson and Wiley, as its next COO.
• Richard Keaveny announced on LinkedIn his official selection as Acadeum’s next CEO. Keaveny has been with Acadeum since 2022 and previously served as Chief Product Officer and, more recently, as interim CEO.
• Keith Witham has been appointed the next president and CEO of Ascendium Education Group, a nonprofit focused on learners from lower-income backgrounds. Witham, who has led Ascendium’s education philanthropy, previously was a managing director at the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program.
• Maria Toyoda has been named president and CEO of the WASC Senior College and University Commission, an institutional accreditor. Toyoda is chief academic officer of Western New England University. She will replace Jamienne Studley, who stepped down last month.

Looking for your next opportunity in education? Check out our W/A Jobs, which features 3,562 career opportunities from 274 organizations across the education industry. A few roles that caught our eye over the past week:

• Degreed is hiring a remote VP of Product Management to steward technical integrations for their Enterprise Platform team.
• Teachable is hiring a Head of Customer Success and Sales in New York City (or remote) to grow their inside sales function.
• Zearn is hiring a remote Director of Strategic Projects to support the executive team’s strategic planning processes.
• The Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) is hiring a Senior Strategic Partnerships Manager to support collaboration between CZI, EdTech developers, grantees, and funders.
• Duolingo is hiring a Director of Product Management in Pittsburgh to lead their learning experience product team.

Visit W/A Jobs

Upcoming Events and Convenings

• SETDA: The 2025 Universal Connectivity Imperative, January 30 at 2 p.m. ET, Virtual
• New America: Tablets and Teaching: Updates on Dos and Don’ts in Early Learning, January 30 at 3 p.m. ET, Virtual
• ASU+GSV: 2025 ASU+GSV Innovators of Color Nomination. Nominations open through January 31.
• Apprenticeships for America: 2025 AFA Summit, February 5-6, Washington, D.C.
• Education Commission of the States: The Nation’s Report Card Is In: Key Insights for State Leaders, February 6 at 3 p.m. ET, Virtual
• American Council on Education: ACE Experience (ACEx2025), February 11-13, 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
• 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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