As federal policy shifts rapidly, schools, districts, and states will increasingly absorb the ripple effects for students and families. This webinar explores how education systems are navigating and need to prepare for changes from outside of education policy (e.g., in nutrition assistance, health care, and income supports) and why these shifts matter for school operations, funding, and staffing. Grounded in new research and innovations at the state and local level, the session focuses on where impacts are most likely to emerge, how they vary by state and student population, and which signals are worth paying attention to. Designed for state and district leaders, advocates, and policymaking staff, the conversation emphasizes the intersecting policies outside of schools’ control and the ways schools can prepare and continue to be steady ground for students across the country.
Speakers
- Kristin Blagg, Principal Research Associate, Work, Education, and Labor Division, Urban Institute
- Lindsay Fryer, Founder, Lodestone DC
- Karishma Furtado, Senior Research Associate, Research to Action Lab, Center for Equity and Community Impact, Urban Institute
- Emily Gutierrez, Senior Research Associate, Work, Education, and Labor Division, Urban Institute
- Kunjan Narechania, CEO, Watershed Advisors
- Sasha Pudelski, Director of Advocacy, AASA, The School Superintendents Association
- Maggie Reeves, Director, K–12 Education, Work, Education, and Labor Division, Urban Institute
- Kathryn White, Director of Budget Process Studies, National Association of State Budget Officers
We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Please email [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event.
Support for this event is provided the Walton Family Foundation. For more on Urban’s funding policies, go to urban.org/about/organizational-principles.
Related Materials
- Speaker biographies
- Slides
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- Federal Safety Net Reforms and School Funding Formulas
- Which Students and Staff Positions Might Be Most at Risk with Changes to Federal Spending on K–12 Education?
- Federal Changes to the Social Safety Net Are Tightening State Budgets. School Meal Programs Could Pay the Price
- Evaluating Indiana's ESSA Waiver Request: Flexibility and Its Limits
- How Would Proposed Changes to Federal K–12 Title Spending Affect Your School District?
- Proposed budget summaries and documents
- Governors' 2026 State of the State Speeches
- Fall 2025 Fiscal Survey of States
- State Expenditure Report
- How Changes to H.R. 1 Affect Direct Certification and School Districts: Recommendations for District Leaders
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