Dive Brief:

• While it is fairly unlikely the U.S. Department of Education will be shuttered by the Trump administration, projects given extra attention under the Obama administration may not continue with new leadership at the helm of the department.
• In a piece questioning the future of the Office of Educational Technology, EdSurge reports some educators are worried OET initiatives will be scrapped to make room for new projects Trump can take credit for.
• Still, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has talked about the important role educational technology can play in classrooms, and former New York City schools chancellor Harold Levy sees the possibility of even more support for ed tech from the Trump administration.

Dive Insight:

There has been a lot of conjecture and fear over what the new administration will mean for education policy. Many pages on the Department of Education’s website have changed or gone missing, including one for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Since DeVos seemed unaware of the IDEA and the obligations it places on school districts nationwide, some have jumped to conclusions, but Education Week reported last week a department spokesman attributed the problem with server issues.

One thing that seems very clear is that the U.S. Department of Education under Trump will be far less aggressive in protecting students’ civil rights than it was under Obama. Obama era actions included taking steps to protect and better serve transgender students, English learners and students in juvenile detention facilities.