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Reason Foundation Issues Commentary: Trump's Department of Transportation Unevenly Advances Deregulation as Transparency Declines
LOS ANGELES, California, Aug. 1 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by senior transportation policy analyst Marc Scribner:
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Trump's Department of Transportation unevenly advances deregulation as transparency declines
The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
-
The White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) published on July 3 the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions along with the annual Regulatory Plan, which is composed of agency statements ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Aug. 1 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by senior transportation policy analyst Marc Scribner: * * * Trump's Department of Transportation unevenly advances deregulation as transparency declines The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation. - The White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) published on July 3 the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions along with the annual Regulatory Plan, which is composed of agency statementson regulatory priorities. The Unified Agenda is intended as a biannual snapshot of the federal administrative state and tracks the thousands of regulatory actions across hundreds of agencies. While imperfect in many ways, it does provide some valuable insight into forthcoming federal agency actions. For each edition of the Unified Agenda, Reason Foundation surveys the rulemaking activities at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This edition indicates that the professed deregulatory mission of the second Trump administration continues to be implemented at the Department of Transportation. But this general commitment to deregulation is not uniform, with several rulemaking projects being proposed that would increase regulation. The regulatory proposals generally involve other Trump administration policy priorities, suggesting that the Trump administration's commitment to deregulation has its limits. In addition, the Trump administration's public documentation of its regulatory reform efforts has become noticeably less frequent, raising serious concerns about regulatory transparency.
While it doesn't explicitly spell out its publication schedule, OIRA suggests by the publication name and contents that this will be the only edition published in 2026 after having missed publication of the Fall 2025 Unified Agenda, which also should have included the 2025 Regulatory Plan. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires the publication of agency regulatory flexibility agendas in April and October of each year (5 U.S.C. Sec. 602(a)). The publication of this edition of the Unified Agenda with an annual Regulatory Plan that accompanies the Fall editions of the Unified Agenda suggest that OIRA has forgone the Spring 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda. Consistent with that, OIRA has labeled it the "2026" edition without a seasonal identifier.
In its 2026 Regulatory Plan statement of regulatory priorities, the U.S. Department of Transportation states that it "oversaw the Federal Government's largest deregulatory program" during the first Trump administration and "intends to build upon this success in the second Trump [a]dministration."
According to OIRA's accounting of agency actions under the Executive Order (EO) 14192 requirement that agencies issue 10 deregulatory actions for each new regulatory action, the U.S. Department of Transportation initiated 78 deregulatory actions and zero regulatory actions in FY 2025 for a cost savings of $23 million. In terms of deregulatory actions, the U.S. Department of Transportation ranked third (after the Departments of Treasury and Veterans Affairs) and accounted for 12.1% of reported deregulatory actions across the federal government. In terms of cost savings, the U.S. Department of Transportation ranked 13th and accounted for just one-hundredth of one percent of federal-wide regulatory cost savings.
I previously examined the transportation rulemakings contained in Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, and Spring 2020 editions of the Unified Agenda for Reason Foundation. From a historical perspective, Figure 1 below shows that the 2026 volume of regulatory activity at the U.S. Department of Transportation has reverted to closer to the historical average after an unprecedented Spring 2025 edition that exceeded the previous record number of newly published rulemaking projects set in Spring 1996 by nearly 50%.
[View chart in the link at bottom.]
The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Of those 315, 45 are new rulemaking projects first published in the 2026 edition. These new rulemaking projects are listed in Table 1 at the bottom of this article.
The Unified Agenda contains rules determined to be "significant regulatory actions," or "economically significant" rules, which had been defined by EO 12866 (1993) as regulations that would have an annual impact on the economy of $100 million or more, or otherwise "adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities." Rules deemed economically significant are subject to greater scrutiny, most notably a requirement that agencies conduct a benefit-cost analysis of the proposed regulation.
When the Biden administration issued EO 14094 (2023), the annual cost threshold for a rule to be considered a "significant regulatory action" doubled to $200 million plus an inflation adjustment every three years. A discussion of the rationale and implications of this change can be found in my review of the Fall 2023 edition of the Unified Agenda.
One important implication is that EO 14094 made historical comparisons of the stock and flow of "economically significant rules" more challenging. Fortunately, as part of the Congressional Review Act, Congress itself requires a separate "major" rule designation that retains the traditional $100 million threshold (5 U.S.C. Sec. 804(2)(A)), allowing for continued like-for-like historical accounting.
Figure 1 maintains the $100 million cost threshold by counting "major" rules instead of "economically significant" rules. While Trump revoked EO 14094 (2023) as part of EO 14148 (2025) and thereby restored the traditional $100 million cost threshold for "economically significant" rules, we have opted to count "major" rules rather than economically significant rules to ensure continuity and historical comparability.
There are currently 12 "major" rules under development at the Department of Transportation. Of the 45 new rulemaking projects that first appeared in the 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda, only one has been designated a "major" rule. However, 23 have a "major" status listed as "undetermined," meaning they could be later designated as "major" rules as they move through the rulemaking process and economic costs are estimated.
Transportation deregulation in the first half of the second Trump administration
Given that Trump signed an executive order titled "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation," it should perhaps not be surprising that the U.S. Department of Transportation has categorized many of its newly announced rulemaking actions as "deregulatory." That order, EO 14192, established a regulatory budget, which necessitates the categorization of rules as "regulatory" or "deregulatory." OIRA issued a memo in March 2025 providing guidance on this process.
According to the 2026 Unified Agenda, of the Department of Transportation's 45 newly announced rulemaking projects, 30 are categorized as "deregulatory," seven are categorized as "regulatory," with the remainder being categorized as "fully or partially exempt," "not subject to, not significant," or "other." This works out to a deregulatory-to-regulatory action ratio of 4.29:1, less than half the targeted 10:1 ratio in EO 14192. However, adding the U.S. Department of Transportation's completed regulatory activities from FY 2025 yields a deregulatory-to-regulatory ratio of 15:1, which suggests the current pipeline of regulatory activities is still on track to comply with EO 14192.
Setting aside the raw counts of regulatory actions, the specific actions that are categorized as regulatory or deregulatory reveal Trump administration transportation priorities. The seven actions announced in the 2026 Unified Agenda that are categorized as regulatory are two aviation equipment mandates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on shielding aircraft altimeters from 5G radio wave interference (2120-AM21) and increasing airliner cockpit voice recording times from two hours to 25 hours (2120-AM19), one that would apply Buy America domestic content requirements to electric vehicle chargers procured under the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program (2125-AG29), and four increasing requirements on the trucking workforce from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) (2126-AC99, 2126-AD00, 2126-AD03, 2126-AC98).
All but one of these actions is justified as addressing a purported safety market failure. The arguments for the FAA altimeter shielding and 25-hour flight recorder requirements, which reflect a safety policy consensus, are better grounded than the FMCSA's crackdown on noncitizen truck drivers, which appear to be motivated by the Trump administration's broader policy agenda against immigration and has already spawned litigation. The other action, FHWA's Buy America requirements for federally funded electric vehicle charging stations, increases burdens on vehicle technology disfavored by the administration while being consistent with the economic protectionism that has animated the past three presidential administrations.
In contrast, Department of Transportation rulemakings around technologies and practices favored by the Trump administration tend to be categorized as deregulatory. This is most obvious in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's continued work to advance automated vehicle technologies. The 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda contains seven newly published rulemakings designed to clear a regulatory path for vehicle automation technologies and enable commercial deployment, all categorized as deregulatory, which are listed below:
* Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Performance Assessment (2127-AM99);
* Amending Bumper Standard 49 CFR part 581 (2127-AN02);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 110 to Accommodate ADS-equipped Vehicles (2127-AM96);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 135 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN00);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN03);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 201 and FMVSS No. 208 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicle (2127-AN04);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 111, Rear Visibility, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN05).
The use of regulation by any presidential administration to advance its policy priorities is to be expected. Elections have consequences, after all. While its professed commitment to deregulation is being applied unevenly, the Trump Department of Transportation's attention is welcome. However, if political leadership wishes to see durable deregulatory reforms, action must come from Congress to limit Executive Branch opportunities to engage in discretionary regulation in the first place.
Short of major economic policy reforms, Congress should at the very least demand regulatory transparency. The inconsistent publication of the Unified Agenda by the second Trump administration is concerning in this regard. The failure to meet the Regulatory Flexibility Act's biannual publication requirements is not unprecedented--the Obama administration published just a single edition of the Unified Agenda in 2012--but it is highly atypical. As it stands, the second Trump administration is on track to miss publication of at least two Unified Agenda editions, which would be unprecedented.
Congress should seek an explanation from the administration for this decline in regulatory transparency as well as a commitment to resume regular regulatory agenda publication consistent with the Regulatory Flexibility Act. To further advance regulatory transparency, the U.S. Department of Transportation should resume publication of the Monthly Significant Rulemaking Report, which offered more frequent updates on the development economically significant rules. This report ceased regular publication during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the first Trump administration, was published only twice during the Biden administration, and was then terminated by the second Trump administration, also without explanation.
* * *
Table 1: U.S. Department of Transportation Rulemaking Projects First Published in the 2026 Unified Agenda
Agency ... Stage of Rulemaking ... Title ... RIN
OST ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Subtitle B of Title 2 on Federal Financial Assistance ... 2105-AF44
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Eliminating T-8 Report of All Cargo Operations ... 2105-AF41
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Technical Corrections to DOT Operating Administration Titles ... 2105-AF42
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Updates to Aviation Economic Procedural Regulations ... 2105-AF43
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Rescinding Portions of Department of Transportation's Title VI Regulations to Conform More Closely With the Statutory Text and to Implement Executive Order 14281 ... 2105-AF45
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernizing to Electronic Payments ... 2120-AM16
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Flexibility Enhancements of Weather Reporting Systems ... 2120-AM17
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Improving Emergency Medical Kit Efficacy and Flexibility in Commercial Airline Operations ... 2120-AM18
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Removal of the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector Observation of Pilot-in-Command Requirement ... 2120-AM20
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Requirements for Certain Aircraft to be Equipped with Interference Tolerant NextGen Radio Altimeter Systems ... 2120-AM21
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Space Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting User Fees ... 2120-AM22
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Removal of FAA Third-Class Medical Certificate Requirement for Military Pilot Trainees ... 2120-AM23
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Flight Operations: Pilot requirements; Use of oxygen ... 2120-AM24
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernizing Medical Standards For Certain Low-Risk Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Cases ... 2120-AM25
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Streamlined Launch and Reentry License Requirements Improvement ... 2120-AM26
FAA ... Final Rule Stage ... 25 Hour Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) Requirements for Existing Aircraft ... 2120-AM19
FHWA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements - Buy America Standard for Electric Vehicle Chargers ... 2125-AG29
FHWA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ... 2125-AG30
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... English Language Proficiency, Out of Service Criteria ... 2126-AC99
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Program for Strengthening Certification Requirements of Training Providers ... 2126-AD00
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Passenger Carrier Regulations in 49 CFR Part 374 ... 2126-AD01
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Standards for Broker and Freight Forwarder Qualifications/Knowledge ... 2126-AD02
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Standards ... 2126-AD03
FMCSA ... Final Rule Stage ... Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (NDCDL) ... 2126-AC98
FMCSA ... Final Rule Stage ... Technical Amendments ... 2126-AD04
NHTSA Prerule Stage ... Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Performance Assessment ... 2127-AM99
NHTSA ... Prerule Stage ... Seat Belt Assurance System Compliance Option for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" ... 2127-AN01
NHTSA ... Prerule Stage ... Amending Bumper Standard 49 CFR part 581 ... 2127-AN02
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 110 to Accommodate ADS-equipped Vehicles ... 2127-AM96
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernize FMVSS No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" ... 2127-AM97
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernize FMVSS No. 122a, "Motorcycle Brake Systems" ... 2127-AM98
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles ... 2127-AN00
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN03
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 201 and FMVSS No. 208 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN04
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 111, Rear Visibility, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN05
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Litigation Protections for System Safety Program and Risk Reduction Program Information ... 2130-AD62
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Amendments to Streamline and Modernize Regulations Pertaining to New Safety Technology ... 2130-AD63
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ... 2130-AD64
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Major Capital Investment Projects ... 2132-AB62
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Charter Service ... 2132-AB63
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ... 2132-AB64
SLSDC ... Final Rule Stage ... Seaway Rules and Regulations: Periodic Updates, Various Categories ... 2135-AA59
SLSDC ... Final Rule Stage ... Tariff of Tolls ... 2135-AA60
PHMSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Hazardous Materials: Providing Regulatory Relief for Last Mile Delivery of Retail Products ... 2137-AG20
PHMSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Hazardous Materials: Advancing Safety of Highway, Rail, and Vessel Transportation ... 2137-AG21
Source: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, 2026
Note: RIN = Regulation Identifier Number, a unique alphanumeric code assigned by the Regulatory Information Service Center to each rulemaking project listed in the Unified Agenda. An explanation of Stage of Rulemaking terms can be found on page 13 of the Introduction to the Unified Agenda from the Regulatory Information Service Center.
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Marc Scribner is a senior transportation policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
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Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/trumps-department-of-transportation-unevenly-advances-deregulation-as-transparency-declines/
* * *
Trump's Department of Transportation unevenly advances deregulation as transparency declines
The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
-
The White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) published on July 3 the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions along with the annual Regulatory Plan, which is composed of agency statements ... Show Full Article LOS ANGELES, California, Aug. 1 -- The Reason Foundation issued the following commentary by senior transportation policy analyst Marc Scribner: * * * Trump's Department of Transportation unevenly advances deregulation as transparency declines The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation. - The White House Office of Management and Budget's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) published on July 3 the Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions along with the annual Regulatory Plan, which is composed of agency statementson regulatory priorities. The Unified Agenda is intended as a biannual snapshot of the federal administrative state and tracks the thousands of regulatory actions across hundreds of agencies. While imperfect in many ways, it does provide some valuable insight into forthcoming federal agency actions. For each edition of the Unified Agenda, Reason Foundation surveys the rulemaking activities at the U.S. Department of Transportation.
This edition indicates that the professed deregulatory mission of the second Trump administration continues to be implemented at the Department of Transportation. But this general commitment to deregulation is not uniform, with several rulemaking projects being proposed that would increase regulation. The regulatory proposals generally involve other Trump administration policy priorities, suggesting that the Trump administration's commitment to deregulation has its limits. In addition, the Trump administration's public documentation of its regulatory reform efforts has become noticeably less frequent, raising serious concerns about regulatory transparency.
While it doesn't explicitly spell out its publication schedule, OIRA suggests by the publication name and contents that this will be the only edition published in 2026 after having missed publication of the Fall 2025 Unified Agenda, which also should have included the 2025 Regulatory Plan. The Regulatory Flexibility Act requires the publication of agency regulatory flexibility agendas in April and October of each year (5 U.S.C. Sec. 602(a)). The publication of this edition of the Unified Agenda with an annual Regulatory Plan that accompanies the Fall editions of the Unified Agenda suggest that OIRA has forgone the Spring 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda. Consistent with that, OIRA has labeled it the "2026" edition without a seasonal identifier.
In its 2026 Regulatory Plan statement of regulatory priorities, the U.S. Department of Transportation states that it "oversaw the Federal Government's largest deregulatory program" during the first Trump administration and "intends to build upon this success in the second Trump [a]dministration."
According to OIRA's accounting of agency actions under the Executive Order (EO) 14192 requirement that agencies issue 10 deregulatory actions for each new regulatory action, the U.S. Department of Transportation initiated 78 deregulatory actions and zero regulatory actions in FY 2025 for a cost savings of $23 million. In terms of deregulatory actions, the U.S. Department of Transportation ranked third (after the Departments of Treasury and Veterans Affairs) and accounted for 12.1% of reported deregulatory actions across the federal government. In terms of cost savings, the U.S. Department of Transportation ranked 13th and accounted for just one-hundredth of one percent of federal-wide regulatory cost savings.
I previously examined the transportation rulemakings contained in Spring 2025, Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022, Spring 2022, Fall 2021, Spring 2021, and Spring 2020 editions of the Unified Agenda for Reason Foundation. From a historical perspective, Figure 1 below shows that the 2026 volume of regulatory activity at the U.S. Department of Transportation has reverted to closer to the historical average after an unprecedented Spring 2025 edition that exceeded the previous record number of newly published rulemaking projects set in Spring 1996 by nearly 50%.
[View chart in the link at bottom.]
The 2026 Unified Agenda lists 315 active rulemaking projects at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Of those 315, 45 are new rulemaking projects first published in the 2026 edition. These new rulemaking projects are listed in Table 1 at the bottom of this article.
The Unified Agenda contains rules determined to be "significant regulatory actions," or "economically significant" rules, which had been defined by EO 12866 (1993) as regulations that would have an annual impact on the economy of $100 million or more, or otherwise "adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities." Rules deemed economically significant are subject to greater scrutiny, most notably a requirement that agencies conduct a benefit-cost analysis of the proposed regulation.
When the Biden administration issued EO 14094 (2023), the annual cost threshold for a rule to be considered a "significant regulatory action" doubled to $200 million plus an inflation adjustment every three years. A discussion of the rationale and implications of this change can be found in my review of the Fall 2023 edition of the Unified Agenda.
One important implication is that EO 14094 made historical comparisons of the stock and flow of "economically significant rules" more challenging. Fortunately, as part of the Congressional Review Act, Congress itself requires a separate "major" rule designation that retains the traditional $100 million threshold (5 U.S.C. Sec. 804(2)(A)), allowing for continued like-for-like historical accounting.
Figure 1 maintains the $100 million cost threshold by counting "major" rules instead of "economically significant" rules. While Trump revoked EO 14094 (2023) as part of EO 14148 (2025) and thereby restored the traditional $100 million cost threshold for "economically significant" rules, we have opted to count "major" rules rather than economically significant rules to ensure continuity and historical comparability.
There are currently 12 "major" rules under development at the Department of Transportation. Of the 45 new rulemaking projects that first appeared in the 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda, only one has been designated a "major" rule. However, 23 have a "major" status listed as "undetermined," meaning they could be later designated as "major" rules as they move through the rulemaking process and economic costs are estimated.
Transportation deregulation in the first half of the second Trump administration
Given that Trump signed an executive order titled "Unleashing Prosperity Through Deregulation," it should perhaps not be surprising that the U.S. Department of Transportation has categorized many of its newly announced rulemaking actions as "deregulatory." That order, EO 14192, established a regulatory budget, which necessitates the categorization of rules as "regulatory" or "deregulatory." OIRA issued a memo in March 2025 providing guidance on this process.
According to the 2026 Unified Agenda, of the Department of Transportation's 45 newly announced rulemaking projects, 30 are categorized as "deregulatory," seven are categorized as "regulatory," with the remainder being categorized as "fully or partially exempt," "not subject to, not significant," or "other." This works out to a deregulatory-to-regulatory action ratio of 4.29:1, less than half the targeted 10:1 ratio in EO 14192. However, adding the U.S. Department of Transportation's completed regulatory activities from FY 2025 yields a deregulatory-to-regulatory ratio of 15:1, which suggests the current pipeline of regulatory activities is still on track to comply with EO 14192.
Setting aside the raw counts of regulatory actions, the specific actions that are categorized as regulatory or deregulatory reveal Trump administration transportation priorities. The seven actions announced in the 2026 Unified Agenda that are categorized as regulatory are two aviation equipment mandates from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on shielding aircraft altimeters from 5G radio wave interference (2120-AM21) and increasing airliner cockpit voice recording times from two hours to 25 hours (2120-AM19), one that would apply Buy America domestic content requirements to electric vehicle chargers procured under the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program (2125-AG29), and four increasing requirements on the trucking workforce from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) (2126-AC99, 2126-AD00, 2126-AD03, 2126-AC98).
All but one of these actions is justified as addressing a purported safety market failure. The arguments for the FAA altimeter shielding and 25-hour flight recorder requirements, which reflect a safety policy consensus, are better grounded than the FMCSA's crackdown on noncitizen truck drivers, which appear to be motivated by the Trump administration's broader policy agenda against immigration and has already spawned litigation. The other action, FHWA's Buy America requirements for federally funded electric vehicle charging stations, increases burdens on vehicle technology disfavored by the administration while being consistent with the economic protectionism that has animated the past three presidential administrations.
In contrast, Department of Transportation rulemakings around technologies and practices favored by the Trump administration tend to be categorized as deregulatory. This is most obvious in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's continued work to advance automated vehicle technologies. The 2026 edition of the Unified Agenda contains seven newly published rulemakings designed to clear a regulatory path for vehicle automation technologies and enable commercial deployment, all categorized as deregulatory, which are listed below:
* Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Performance Assessment (2127-AM99);
* Amending Bumper Standard 49 CFR part 581 (2127-AN02);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 110 to Accommodate ADS-equipped Vehicles (2127-AM96);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 135 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN00);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN03);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 201 and FMVSS No. 208 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicle (2127-AN04);
* Modernization of FMVSS No. 111, Rear Visibility, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles (2127-AN05).
The use of regulation by any presidential administration to advance its policy priorities is to be expected. Elections have consequences, after all. While its professed commitment to deregulation is being applied unevenly, the Trump Department of Transportation's attention is welcome. However, if political leadership wishes to see durable deregulatory reforms, action must come from Congress to limit Executive Branch opportunities to engage in discretionary regulation in the first place.
Short of major economic policy reforms, Congress should at the very least demand regulatory transparency. The inconsistent publication of the Unified Agenda by the second Trump administration is concerning in this regard. The failure to meet the Regulatory Flexibility Act's biannual publication requirements is not unprecedented--the Obama administration published just a single edition of the Unified Agenda in 2012--but it is highly atypical. As it stands, the second Trump administration is on track to miss publication of at least two Unified Agenda editions, which would be unprecedented.
Congress should seek an explanation from the administration for this decline in regulatory transparency as well as a commitment to resume regular regulatory agenda publication consistent with the Regulatory Flexibility Act. To further advance regulatory transparency, the U.S. Department of Transportation should resume publication of the Monthly Significant Rulemaking Report, which offered more frequent updates on the development economically significant rules. This report ceased regular publication during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the end of the first Trump administration, was published only twice during the Biden administration, and was then terminated by the second Trump administration, also without explanation.
* * *
Table 1: U.S. Department of Transportation Rulemaking Projects First Published in the 2026 Unified Agenda
Agency ... Stage of Rulemaking ... Title ... RIN
OST ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Subtitle B of Title 2 on Federal Financial Assistance ... 2105-AF44
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Eliminating T-8 Report of All Cargo Operations ... 2105-AF41
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Technical Corrections to DOT Operating Administration Titles ... 2105-AF42
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Updates to Aviation Economic Procedural Regulations ... 2105-AF43
OST ... Final Rule Stage ... Rescinding Portions of Department of Transportation's Title VI Regulations to Conform More Closely With the Statutory Text and to Implement Executive Order 14281 ... 2105-AF45
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernizing to Electronic Payments ... 2120-AM16
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Flexibility Enhancements of Weather Reporting Systems ... 2120-AM17
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Improving Emergency Medical Kit Efficacy and Flexibility in Commercial Airline Operations ... 2120-AM18
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Removal of the Federal Aviation Administration Aviation Safety Inspector Observation of Pilot-in-Command Requirement ... 2120-AM20
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Requirements for Certain Aircraft to be Equipped with Interference Tolerant NextGen Radio Altimeter Systems ... 2120-AM21
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Space Launch and Reentry Licensing and Permitting User Fees ... 2120-AM22
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Removal of FAA Third-Class Medical Certificate Requirement for Military Pilot Trainees ... 2120-AM23
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Flight Operations: Pilot requirements; Use of oxygen ... 2120-AM24
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernizing Medical Standards For Certain Low-Risk Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Cases ... 2120-AM25
FAA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Streamlined Launch and Reentry License Requirements Improvement ... 2120-AM26
FAA ... Final Rule Stage ... 25 Hour Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) Requirements for Existing Aircraft ... 2120-AM19
FHWA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Standards and Requirements - Buy America Standard for Electric Vehicle Chargers ... 2125-AG29
FHWA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ... 2125-AG30
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... English Language Proficiency, Out of Service Criteria ... 2126-AC99
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) Program for Strengthening Certification Requirements of Training Providers ... 2126-AD00
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Passenger Carrier Regulations in 49 CFR Part 374 ... 2126-AD01
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Standards for Broker and Freight Forwarder Qualifications/Knowledge ... 2126-AD02
FMCSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Standards ... 2126-AD03
FMCSA ... Final Rule Stage ... Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (NDCDL) ... 2126-AC98
FMCSA ... Final Rule Stage ... Technical Amendments ... 2126-AD04
NHTSA Prerule Stage ... Automated Driving Systems (ADS) Performance Assessment ... 2127-AM99
NHTSA ... Prerule Stage ... Seat Belt Assurance System Compliance Option for Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" ... 2127-AN01
NHTSA ... Prerule Stage ... Amending Bumper Standard 49 CFR part 581 ... 2127-AN02
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 110 to Accommodate ADS-equipped Vehicles ... 2127-AM96
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernize FMVSS No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection" ... 2127-AM97
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernize FMVSS No. 122a, "Motorcycle Brake Systems" ... 2127-AM98
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 135 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles ... 2127-AN00
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 126, Electronic Stability Control Systems for Light Vehicles, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN03
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 201 and FMVSS No. 208 to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN04
NHTSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Modernization of FMVSS No. 111, Rear Visibility, to Accommodate ADS-Equipped Vehicles. ... 2127-AN05
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Litigation Protections for System Safety Program and Risk Reduction Program Information ... 2130-AD62
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Amendments to Streamline and Modernize Regulations Pertaining to New Safety Technology ... 2130-AD63
FRA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) ... 2130-AD64
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Major Capital Investment Projects ... 2132-AB62
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Charter Service ... 2132-AB63
FTA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Revisions to Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) Regulations Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act ... 2132-AB64
SLSDC ... Final Rule Stage ... Seaway Rules and Regulations: Periodic Updates, Various Categories ... 2135-AA59
SLSDC ... Final Rule Stage ... Tariff of Tolls ... 2135-AA60
PHMSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Hazardous Materials: Providing Regulatory Relief for Last Mile Delivery of Retail Products ... 2137-AG20
PHMSA ... Proposed Rule Stage ... Hazardous Materials: Advancing Safety of Highway, Rail, and Vessel Transportation ... 2137-AG21
Source: Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Unified Agenda of Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions, 2026
Note: RIN = Regulation Identifier Number, a unique alphanumeric code assigned by the Regulatory Information Service Center to each rulemaking project listed in the Unified Agenda. An explanation of Stage of Rulemaking terms can be found on page 13 of the Introduction to the Unified Agenda from the Regulatory Information Service Center.
* * *
Marc Scribner is a senior transportation policy analyst at Reason Foundation.
* * *
Original text here: https://reason.org/commentary/trumps-department-of-transportation-unevenly-advances-deregulation-as-transparency-declines/
Health Foundation Responds to British Prime Minister's Devolution Plans
LONDON, England, Aug. 1 -- The Health Foundation issued the following statement by Interim Director of Health and Inequalities David Finch:
* * *
Health Foundation responds to Prime Minister's devolution plans
Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on devolution, David Finch Interim Director of Health and Inequalities, at the Health Foundation, said:
'People's health is influenced by many factors, including decent housing, good jobs and reliable transport, and these can be very different depending on where you live. That's why it makes sense to give local areas greater power to design solutions ... Show Full Article LONDON, England, Aug. 1 -- The Health Foundation issued the following statement by Interim Director of Health and Inequalities David Finch: * * * Health Foundation responds to Prime Minister's devolution plans Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on devolution, David Finch Interim Director of Health and Inequalities, at the Health Foundation, said: 'People's health is influenced by many factors, including decent housing, good jobs and reliable transport, and these can be very different depending on where you live. That's why it makes sense to give local areas greater power to design solutionsthat reflect their community's needs.
'When done well, devolution can help to improve health and reduce inequalities by taking a preventative approach to public services, joining up support across sectors and focusing on the outcomes that matter most locally.
'But it will be important to ensure that places with weaker economies and less ability to raise revenues locally don't get left behind, which could risk a further widening of existing inequalities, with local areas supported to build the capability needed to make these reforms work over the long term.
'Improving health is not only important for people's quality of life but is also key in supporting the government's mission to boost growth and living standards in every part of the country.'
* * *
Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/media-office/press-releases/health-foundation-responds-to-prime-minister-s-devolution-plans
* * *
Health Foundation responds to Prime Minister's devolution plans
Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on devolution, David Finch Interim Director of Health and Inequalities, at the Health Foundation, said:
'People's health is influenced by many factors, including decent housing, good jobs and reliable transport, and these can be very different depending on where you live. That's why it makes sense to give local areas greater power to design solutions ... Show Full Article LONDON, England, Aug. 1 -- The Health Foundation issued the following statement by Interim Director of Health and Inequalities David Finch: * * * Health Foundation responds to Prime Minister's devolution plans Responding to the Prime Minister's remarks on devolution, David Finch Interim Director of Health and Inequalities, at the Health Foundation, said: 'People's health is influenced by many factors, including decent housing, good jobs and reliable transport, and these can be very different depending on where you live. That's why it makes sense to give local areas greater power to design solutionsthat reflect their community's needs.
'When done well, devolution can help to improve health and reduce inequalities by taking a preventative approach to public services, joining up support across sectors and focusing on the outcomes that matter most locally.
'But it will be important to ensure that places with weaker economies and less ability to raise revenues locally don't get left behind, which could risk a further widening of existing inequalities, with local areas supported to build the capability needed to make these reforms work over the long term.
'Improving health is not only important for people's quality of life but is also key in supporting the government's mission to boost growth and living standards in every part of the country.'
* * *
Original text here: https://www.health.org.uk/media-office/press-releases/health-foundation-responds-to-prime-minister-s-devolution-plans
Lumina Foundation Issues Commentary: Hidden Student Success Strategy? Rethink Course Scheduling
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, July 31 -- The Lumina Foundation issued the following commentary by Strategy Director for Research and Evaluation Wendy Sedlak and Grantmaking Portfolio Director Wayne Taliaferro:
* * *
A hidden student success strategy? Rethink course scheduling.
A student's course schedule is one of the most consequential (and often overlooked) factors shaping whether they stay on track for their degree or credential.
Yet the path to earning a degree or credential remains unnecessarily difficult for far too many students. Beyond juggling work, family, financial, and academic demands, ... Show Full Article INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, July 31 -- The Lumina Foundation issued the following commentary by Strategy Director for Research and Evaluation Wendy Sedlak and Grantmaking Portfolio Director Wayne Taliaferro: * * * A hidden student success strategy? Rethink course scheduling. A student's course schedule is one of the most consequential (and often overlooked) factors shaping whether they stay on track for their degree or credential. Yet the path to earning a degree or credential remains unnecessarily difficult for far too many students. Beyond juggling work, family, financial, and academic demands,they can also encounter barriers created by the institutions themselves. Administrative friction points such as registration, enrollment, and course access can disrupt momentum and, in some cases, derail progress altogether.
Colleges can't control every challenge students face. But they can look at whether their own systems help or hinder progress. By reducing unnecessary roadblocks, they can make it easier for students to move through their programs. Scheduling isn't just an operational decision. It's a student success one.
When students can't access the courses they need, run into course availability issues, struggle to build schedules around their lives, or are unable to plan ahead, progress can quickly stall. Delayed completion often means additional costs, lost time, and a greater risk that students will stop out before earning a credential.
A required course that's unavailable can delay graduation. A class offered only during working hours can force students to choose between their paycheck or their education. Courses that routinely conflict with one another can slow students' progress. These are consequences that far too many students face.
Of course, scheduling reform is not as simple as it sounds. Colleges must balance a range of dynamics and demands, from faculty availability and workloads to department structures and course sequences, as well as the realities of physical space, available resources, and change management, among many other considerations. The complexity is real, but so is the need and opportunity for change.
The shift is less about creating a perfect schedule than about recognizing that scheduling decisions are student success decisions.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is helping colleges rethink scheduling through its Student-Centered Course Scheduling initiative. AASCU is working with over 30 institutions to redesign how courses are offered, sequenced, and staffed, using data to better align course availability with student demand. The work combines data, policy review, cross-campus collaboration, and continuous improvement to transform course scheduling from an administrative exercise into a student success strategy. With support from Lumina Foundation, AASCU recently expanded the initiative to bring these strategies to more colleges.
Participating institutions use real-time data to identify capacity constraints, add sections where demand is highest, resolve conflicts between required courses, revisit outdated scheduling policies, and build multi-term schedules that give students greater confidence about what courses will be available in future semesters. Rather than rebuilding schedules each term, institutions continuously evaluate whether course offerings are helping students make steady progress toward a credential.
Early results show that, across AASCU's pilot institutions, completion of first-year English and math courses increased by 12 percent, and students earned an average of 1.4 additional productive credits per year. Individual campuses also improved classroom utilization, reduced scheduling conflicts, and increased the number of students taking full course loads. These are all solid indicators that better scheduling can help students maintain momentum toward graduation.
Recent research from our partners at Persistence Plus reinforces this idea. Through their work on continuous enrollment, they found that students value greater predictability, clearer pathways, and fewer administrative hurdles that can interrupt their momentum. Campus administrators understand this, too. The findings point to a simple but powerful insight: students are more likely to persist when institutions make it easier to keep moving forward.
Student-centered scheduling isn't the magical fix for every issue facing higher ed. But it addresses one challenge within an institution's control.
When students can reliably enroll in the courses they need, when they need them, they're more likely to maintain momentum, complete their programs, and, ultimately, earn the credential they came for.
* * *
About the Authors
Wayne Taliaferro directs Lumina's grantmaking portfolio focused on enhancing student success at two- and four-year colleges.
Wendy Sedlak, Ph.D., is the strategy director for research and evaluation at Lumina Foundation, which works to help all Americans continue to learn and train after high school. Before joining Lumina, Sedlak worked at Equal Measure, where she directed projects to benefit students, including many complex national systems-change evaluations.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.luminafoundation.org/news-and-views/a-hidden-student-success-strategy-rethink-course-scheduling/
* * *
A hidden student success strategy? Rethink course scheduling.
A student's course schedule is one of the most consequential (and often overlooked) factors shaping whether they stay on track for their degree or credential.
Yet the path to earning a degree or credential remains unnecessarily difficult for far too many students. Beyond juggling work, family, financial, and academic demands, ... Show Full Article INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, July 31 -- The Lumina Foundation issued the following commentary by Strategy Director for Research and Evaluation Wendy Sedlak and Grantmaking Portfolio Director Wayne Taliaferro: * * * A hidden student success strategy? Rethink course scheduling. A student's course schedule is one of the most consequential (and often overlooked) factors shaping whether they stay on track for their degree or credential. Yet the path to earning a degree or credential remains unnecessarily difficult for far too many students. Beyond juggling work, family, financial, and academic demands,they can also encounter barriers created by the institutions themselves. Administrative friction points such as registration, enrollment, and course access can disrupt momentum and, in some cases, derail progress altogether.
Colleges can't control every challenge students face. But they can look at whether their own systems help or hinder progress. By reducing unnecessary roadblocks, they can make it easier for students to move through their programs. Scheduling isn't just an operational decision. It's a student success one.
When students can't access the courses they need, run into course availability issues, struggle to build schedules around their lives, or are unable to plan ahead, progress can quickly stall. Delayed completion often means additional costs, lost time, and a greater risk that students will stop out before earning a credential.
A required course that's unavailable can delay graduation. A class offered only during working hours can force students to choose between their paycheck or their education. Courses that routinely conflict with one another can slow students' progress. These are consequences that far too many students face.
Of course, scheduling reform is not as simple as it sounds. Colleges must balance a range of dynamics and demands, from faculty availability and workloads to department structures and course sequences, as well as the realities of physical space, available resources, and change management, among many other considerations. The complexity is real, but so is the need and opportunity for change.
The shift is less about creating a perfect schedule than about recognizing that scheduling decisions are student success decisions.
The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is helping colleges rethink scheduling through its Student-Centered Course Scheduling initiative. AASCU is working with over 30 institutions to redesign how courses are offered, sequenced, and staffed, using data to better align course availability with student demand. The work combines data, policy review, cross-campus collaboration, and continuous improvement to transform course scheduling from an administrative exercise into a student success strategy. With support from Lumina Foundation, AASCU recently expanded the initiative to bring these strategies to more colleges.
Participating institutions use real-time data to identify capacity constraints, add sections where demand is highest, resolve conflicts between required courses, revisit outdated scheduling policies, and build multi-term schedules that give students greater confidence about what courses will be available in future semesters. Rather than rebuilding schedules each term, institutions continuously evaluate whether course offerings are helping students make steady progress toward a credential.
Early results show that, across AASCU's pilot institutions, completion of first-year English and math courses increased by 12 percent, and students earned an average of 1.4 additional productive credits per year. Individual campuses also improved classroom utilization, reduced scheduling conflicts, and increased the number of students taking full course loads. These are all solid indicators that better scheduling can help students maintain momentum toward graduation.
Recent research from our partners at Persistence Plus reinforces this idea. Through their work on continuous enrollment, they found that students value greater predictability, clearer pathways, and fewer administrative hurdles that can interrupt their momentum. Campus administrators understand this, too. The findings point to a simple but powerful insight: students are more likely to persist when institutions make it easier to keep moving forward.
Student-centered scheduling isn't the magical fix for every issue facing higher ed. But it addresses one challenge within an institution's control.
When students can reliably enroll in the courses they need, when they need them, they're more likely to maintain momentum, complete their programs, and, ultimately, earn the credential they came for.
* * *
About the Authors
Wayne Taliaferro directs Lumina's grantmaking portfolio focused on enhancing student success at two- and four-year colleges.
Wendy Sedlak, Ph.D., is the strategy director for research and evaluation at Lumina Foundation, which works to help all Americans continue to learn and train after high school. Before joining Lumina, Sedlak worked at Equal Measure, where she directed projects to benefit students, including many complex national systems-change evaluations.
* * *
Original text here: https://www.luminafoundation.org/news-and-views/a-hidden-student-success-strategy-rethink-course-scheduling/
Foundation for Economic Education Posts Commentary: How Education Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Regulatory Challenges
DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by Denise Lever, founder of Baker Creek Academy and TrailblazED Microschool Leadership Forge:
* * *
How Education Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Regulatory Challenges
Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance.
-
When the state fire marshal called in the early days of running my microschool, I wasn't sure what to think. We had worked closely with our local fire department and town government. Our learning center had been inspected, ... Show Full Article DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by Denise Lever, founder of Baker Creek Academy and TrailblazED Microschool Leadership Forge: * * * How Education Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Regulatory Challenges Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance. - When the state fire marshal called in the early days of running my microschool, I wasn't sure what to think. We had worked closely with our local fire department and town government. Our learning center had been inspected,approved, and operating successfully for years. I had no reason to think that there was another layer of oversight that we had not navigated yet. I wondered what would trigger this new round of scrutiny? Was this a legitimate regulatory issue, or overreach?
As a former wildland firefighter, I had spent years assessing structures, studying fire behavior, and making the hard decisions on which buildings we were likely to save and which ones we might have to walk away from. A general fire inspection did not intimidate me.
However, I realized that I didn't know enough to determine whether this fire marshal inquiry was legitimate or not.
Then the inspection revealed that this was about educational occupancy, not fire safety.
The fire marshal's finding nearly cost us everything. Our learning center couldn't move forward with a lease renewal. We couldn't book vendors for our summer programs, or market our upcoming founders' retreat. We didn't even know if we could finalize enrollment for next semester. I hadn't anticipated that tutoring the three Rs could trigger an entirely new level of regulations. Unfortunately, I hear some version of this story regularly from the founders I coach.
When founders start education businesses, the conversations revolve around the learners. Founders focus on curriculum, culture, families, vision, and mission. Then months, and sometimes years, later, the questions shift to different concerns.
"Do I need a business license?" "Where do I get insurance?" "How do I know who has jurisdiction?" and, eventually, "Do you know a good lawyer?"
Many founders willingly invest hundreds of hours learning about child development, curriculum, and how to build a learning community culture. What many don't anticipate is that bringing that vision to life also requires understanding lease agreements, zoning, employment law, insurance, building codes, and a host of other regulations that have little to do with education and everything to do with operating a successful education business.
Building a successful learning community requires far more than understanding how children learn. The challenge isn't a lack of vision or commitment to compliance. It's the breadth of knowledge required to turn that vision into reality.
One of the clearest signs that the education entrepreneurship movement is maturing isn't that more founders are finding the courage to build new learning environments. It's that organizations are emerging to help these founders succeed and their programs to prosper.
Over the last few years, I have begun to see a pattern that reminds me of my homeschooling journey. People aren't just solving these problems for themselves. They are sharing what they have learned with others. Mentors answer late-night emails to offer support. Long-time operators share their hard-won experience at conferences and on podcasts. Founder groups connect newcomers to resources, networks, and coaches.
This is what healthy communities do: they pass along knowledge that enables others to blossom.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Lynn Swanson, Chief Counsel for Education at Stand Together, when I guest hosted Kerry McDonald's LiberatED Podcast.
I asked Lynn what drove Stand Together to develop the Edupreneur Resource Center (ERC). Her answer reinforced what I had been seeing in my own work with education entrepreneurs.
As innovative learning environments began emerging across the country, many edupreneurs found themselves trying to navigate a legal and regulatory landscape they had never encountered before. Lynn explained that the ERC grew out of the recognition that this complexity had become "a barrier to the growth of a vibrant marketplace of education alternatives for families."
The ERC was designed with two purposes in mind: helping founders understand the regulatory landscape in which they operate, and supporting education entrepreneurs when they face regulatory overreach or intervention.
One of the most enlightening insights Lynn shared was that perfect compliance is very hard to achieve. Regulations overlap, agencies have different jurisdictions, codes change, and interpretations can vary. Lynn also said, "Don't assume you are wrong." Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance.
The ERC offers micro-courses, state-specific compliance guides, practical checklists, and personalized guidance. Most importantly, the ERC helps founders navigate a complex regulatory landscape with greater confidence.
Healthy ecosystems don't simply produce entrepreneurs. They produce knowledge, relationships, and support systems that help entrepreneurs to flourish.
Looking back, the lesson learned isn't how to prepare for a fire inspection. It's how a knowledge gap could grow to an existential crisis and threaten everything we've built.
Baker Creek Academy wasn't just my business. It was the learning community our families had intentionally chosen as an alternative to the traditional system. If I failed to understand the regulations that govern our program, families could lose the alternative they trusted me to provide.
I realized that my responsibility extended beyond the learners I guide and the founders I lead. I had a duty to understand the regulatory terrain well enough to protect the learning community we had built.
Founders don't have the luxury of remaining experts only in education. Families are not only trusting us with their children, but with building stable and sustainable programs that they can count on. We must become good stewards of not only our mission and vision, but the programs we built to serve them.
The ERC is significant because it helps create the conditions where educational freedom can flourish. Through shared knowledge, guidance, and support, founders are building environments that are both innovative and sustainable. Importantly, the ERC is strengthening the broader ecosystem by making it easier for the next generation of edupreneurs to serve families with confidence.
Education pluralism depends on more than courageous founders. It depends on experienced founders, mentors, and organizations willing to invest their knowledge so that others can thrive.
* * *
Denise Lever is the founder of Baker Creek Academy and TrailblazED Microschool Leadership Forge. A former wildland firefighter and longtime homeschool mom, she now leads a growing network of self-directed microschools and mentors education founders nationwide.
* * *
Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/how-education-entrepreneurs-can-overcome-regulatory-challenges/
* * *
How Education Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Regulatory Challenges
Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance.
-
When the state fire marshal called in the early days of running my microschool, I wasn't sure what to think. We had worked closely with our local fire department and town government. Our learning center had been inspected, ... Show Full Article DETROIT, Michigan, July 31 -- The Foundation for Economic Education posted the following commentary by Denise Lever, founder of Baker Creek Academy and TrailblazED Microschool Leadership Forge: * * * How Education Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Regulatory Challenges Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance. - When the state fire marshal called in the early days of running my microschool, I wasn't sure what to think. We had worked closely with our local fire department and town government. Our learning center had been inspected,approved, and operating successfully for years. I had no reason to think that there was another layer of oversight that we had not navigated yet. I wondered what would trigger this new round of scrutiny? Was this a legitimate regulatory issue, or overreach?
As a former wildland firefighter, I had spent years assessing structures, studying fire behavior, and making the hard decisions on which buildings we were likely to save and which ones we might have to walk away from. A general fire inspection did not intimidate me.
However, I realized that I didn't know enough to determine whether this fire marshal inquiry was legitimate or not.
Then the inspection revealed that this was about educational occupancy, not fire safety.
The fire marshal's finding nearly cost us everything. Our learning center couldn't move forward with a lease renewal. We couldn't book vendors for our summer programs, or market our upcoming founders' retreat. We didn't even know if we could finalize enrollment for next semester. I hadn't anticipated that tutoring the three Rs could trigger an entirely new level of regulations. Unfortunately, I hear some version of this story regularly from the founders I coach.
When founders start education businesses, the conversations revolve around the learners. Founders focus on curriculum, culture, families, vision, and mission. Then months, and sometimes years, later, the questions shift to different concerns.
"Do I need a business license?" "Where do I get insurance?" "How do I know who has jurisdiction?" and, eventually, "Do you know a good lawyer?"
Many founders willingly invest hundreds of hours learning about child development, curriculum, and how to build a learning community culture. What many don't anticipate is that bringing that vision to life also requires understanding lease agreements, zoning, employment law, insurance, building codes, and a host of other regulations that have little to do with education and everything to do with operating a successful education business.
Building a successful learning community requires far more than understanding how children learn. The challenge isn't a lack of vision or commitment to compliance. It's the breadth of knowledge required to turn that vision into reality.
One of the clearest signs that the education entrepreneurship movement is maturing isn't that more founders are finding the courage to build new learning environments. It's that organizations are emerging to help these founders succeed and their programs to prosper.
Over the last few years, I have begun to see a pattern that reminds me of my homeschooling journey. People aren't just solving these problems for themselves. They are sharing what they have learned with others. Mentors answer late-night emails to offer support. Long-time operators share their hard-won experience at conferences and on podcasts. Founder groups connect newcomers to resources, networks, and coaches.
This is what healthy communities do: they pass along knowledge that enables others to blossom.
I recently had the opportunity to interview Lynn Swanson, Chief Counsel for Education at Stand Together, when I guest hosted Kerry McDonald's LiberatED Podcast.
I asked Lynn what drove Stand Together to develop the Edupreneur Resource Center (ERC). Her answer reinforced what I had been seeing in my own work with education entrepreneurs.
As innovative learning environments began emerging across the country, many edupreneurs found themselves trying to navigate a legal and regulatory landscape they had never encountered before. Lynn explained that the ERC grew out of the recognition that this complexity had become "a barrier to the growth of a vibrant marketplace of education alternatives for families."
The ERC was designed with two purposes in mind: helping founders understand the regulatory landscape in which they operate, and supporting education entrepreneurs when they face regulatory overreach or intervention.
One of the most enlightening insights Lynn shared was that perfect compliance is very hard to achieve. Regulations overlap, agencies have different jurisdictions, codes change, and interpretations can vary. Lynn also said, "Don't assume you are wrong." Develop enough understanding to ask informed questions, document decisions, and know when to seek guidance.
The ERC offers micro-courses, state-specific compliance guides, practical checklists, and personalized guidance. Most importantly, the ERC helps founders navigate a complex regulatory landscape with greater confidence.
Healthy ecosystems don't simply produce entrepreneurs. They produce knowledge, relationships, and support systems that help entrepreneurs to flourish.
Looking back, the lesson learned isn't how to prepare for a fire inspection. It's how a knowledge gap could grow to an existential crisis and threaten everything we've built.
Baker Creek Academy wasn't just my business. It was the learning community our families had intentionally chosen as an alternative to the traditional system. If I failed to understand the regulations that govern our program, families could lose the alternative they trusted me to provide.
I realized that my responsibility extended beyond the learners I guide and the founders I lead. I had a duty to understand the regulatory terrain well enough to protect the learning community we had built.
Founders don't have the luxury of remaining experts only in education. Families are not only trusting us with their children, but with building stable and sustainable programs that they can count on. We must become good stewards of not only our mission and vision, but the programs we built to serve them.
The ERC is significant because it helps create the conditions where educational freedom can flourish. Through shared knowledge, guidance, and support, founders are building environments that are both innovative and sustainable. Importantly, the ERC is strengthening the broader ecosystem by making it easier for the next generation of edupreneurs to serve families with confidence.
Education pluralism depends on more than courageous founders. It depends on experienced founders, mentors, and organizations willing to invest their knowledge so that others can thrive.
* * *
Denise Lever is the founder of Baker Creek Academy and TrailblazED Microschool Leadership Forge. A former wildland firefighter and longtime homeschool mom, she now leads a growing network of self-directed microschools and mentors education founders nationwide.
* * *
Original text here: https://fee.org/articles/how-education-entrepreneurs-can-overcome-regulatory-challenges/
FFRF Victory: Missouri Fire Department Removes Christian Flag
MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
* * *
FFRF victory: Missouri fire department removes Christian flag
The City of Diamond Fire Department in Missouri has quickly removed a Christian flag from outside its fire station after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised constitutional concerns.
The department confirmed that the flag has been taken down following FFRF's recent complaint and later stated publicly that it has done so "in compliance with constitutional law."
FFRF wrote to Fire Chief Rebecca Dunn a few days ago after ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF victory: Missouri fire department removes Christian flag The City of Diamond Fire Department in Missouri has quickly removed a Christian flag from outside its fire station after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised constitutional concerns. The department confirmed that the flag has been taken down following FFRF's recent complaint and later stated publicly that it has done so "in compliance with constitutional law." FFRF wrote to Fire Chief Rebecca Dunn a few days ago afterreceiving a report that the department was flying a Christian flag outside its fire station alongside the American flag and the department's own flag. Since the department selects and controls which flags are displayed on public property, FFRF explained that the display constituted impermissible government speech by conveying official favoritism toward Christianity over all other religions and nonreligion.
"The Fire Department knows that citizens interact with and rely on firefighters during some of the most urgent and vulnerable times of their lives," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote. "Minority religious and nonreligious citizens should not be made to feel like outsiders in their own community because the Fire Department flies a Christian flag outside of its building."
FFRF noted that the Christian flag has increasingly become associated with the Christian nationalist movement, including its prominent display during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Government entities must avoid displaying symbols that communicate religious or ideological favoritism.
FFRF appreciates the prompt remedy of this major constitutional violation by the City of Diamond Fire Department, thus ensuring that members of the community know the department serves residents of every faith -- and of none.
"Fire departments exist to protect every member of the community equally," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Flying a Christian flag from a government facility sends the chilling and unacceptable message that Christians are favored insiders while everyone else is an outsider. We appreciate that the department recognized its constitutional obligation to remain neutral on matters of religion and acted quickly to make certain that all residents know they are equally welcome."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 41,000 members, including more than 400 members in Missouri, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-victory-missouri-fire-department-removes-christian-flag/
[Category: Religion]
* * *
FFRF victory: Missouri fire department removes Christian flag
The City of Diamond Fire Department in Missouri has quickly removed a Christian flag from outside its fire station after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised constitutional concerns.
The department confirmed that the flag has been taken down following FFRF's recent complaint and later stated publicly that it has done so "in compliance with constitutional law."
FFRF wrote to Fire Chief Rebecca Dunn a few days ago after ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF victory: Missouri fire department removes Christian flag The City of Diamond Fire Department in Missouri has quickly removed a Christian flag from outside its fire station after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised constitutional concerns. The department confirmed that the flag has been taken down following FFRF's recent complaint and later stated publicly that it has done so "in compliance with constitutional law." FFRF wrote to Fire Chief Rebecca Dunn a few days ago afterreceiving a report that the department was flying a Christian flag outside its fire station alongside the American flag and the department's own flag. Since the department selects and controls which flags are displayed on public property, FFRF explained that the display constituted impermissible government speech by conveying official favoritism toward Christianity over all other religions and nonreligion.
"The Fire Department knows that citizens interact with and rely on firefighters during some of the most urgent and vulnerable times of their lives," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote. "Minority religious and nonreligious citizens should not be made to feel like outsiders in their own community because the Fire Department flies a Christian flag outside of its building."
FFRF noted that the Christian flag has increasingly become associated with the Christian nationalist movement, including its prominent display during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Government entities must avoid displaying symbols that communicate religious or ideological favoritism.
FFRF appreciates the prompt remedy of this major constitutional violation by the City of Diamond Fire Department, thus ensuring that members of the community know the department serves residents of every faith -- and of none.
"Fire departments exist to protect every member of the community equally," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Flying a Christian flag from a government facility sends the chilling and unacceptable message that Christians are favored insiders while everyone else is an outsider. We appreciate that the department recognized its constitutional obligation to remain neutral on matters of religion and acted quickly to make certain that all residents know they are equally welcome."
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With about 41,000 members, including more than 400 members in Missouri, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-victory-missouri-fire-department-removes-christian-flag/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Urges Ky. School District to End Pastor Access to Middle School Students
MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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FFRF urges Ky. school district to end pastor access to middle school students
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the Fayette County Public Schools system immediately stop allowing pastors from a local church to proselytize middle school students through school-sponsored activities.
A concerned community member has informed the state/church watchdog that pastors from the Southern Heights Baptist Church have been proselytizing students at Jessie Clark Middle School ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF urges Ky. school district to end pastor access to middle school students The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the Fayette County Public Schools system immediately stop allowing pastors from a local church to proselytize middle school students through school-sponsored activities. A concerned community member has informed the state/church watchdog that pastors from the Southern Heights Baptist Church have been proselytizing students at Jessie Clark Middle Schoolby allegedly allowing two pastors from the church to lead the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. An official post from the Southern Heights Baptist Church Facebook page shared that on April 16, the pastors led an FCA meeting for students at the middle school and that "three students gave their lives to Christ." Additionally, the middle school named one of the pastors a "character coach" for the middle school lacrosse team, apparently to encourage "growth in character, leadership and faith as they develop as athletes and individuals."
FFRF is urging the district to investigate these reports and, if confirmed, immediately end the unconstitutional arrangement.
"Students in secondary schools may organize religious clubs, but these must be entirely student-initiated and student-led and take place during noninstructional time," FFRF Patrick O'Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude has written to the school district's chief legal officer.
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the district to allow staff members or an outside adult to lead a religious club for students, FFRF emphasizes. Public schools may not show favoritism toward, or coerce, belief in or participation in religion. Here, it appears that Fellowship for Christian Athletes meetings are led by the pastors, violating both the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act.
Student-athletes are especially susceptible to unconstitutional coercion. Students know their coaches control their playing time and positions, directly affecting opportunities for scholarships and recruitment. When coaches and the school allow an outside adult to serve as a "character coach" to the lacrosse team as part of official team activities, student-athletes will no doubt feel that going along with religious activities, interacting with the "character coach," and at least appearing to agree with the person's religious beliefs is essential to pleasing their coaches and being viewed as a team player. It is unrealistic and unconstitutional to put student-athletes in the position of choosing between allowing their school to violate their constitutional rights to maintain good standing in the eyes of their coach and peers, or openly dissenting at the risk of retaliation or isolation.
And by allowing this proselytization, Jessie Clark Middle School needlessly marginalizes students, families and community members who are nonreligious or who belong to minority religions that do not follow Christianity. As much as 38 percent of the American population is non-Christian, including the almost 30 percent who are nonreligious. More than half of Generation Z (those born after 1996) is non-Christian, including 43 percent who are nonreligious. The school district should strive to be welcoming and inclusive of all students, not just those who subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity.
The school district must investigate the situation and ensure that Jessie Clark Middle School ceases granting religious representatives access to students for the purpose of proselytizing them.
"Public schools are not recruiting grounds for local churches," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Students have the constitutional right to decide for themselves what religious beliefs, if any, they will embrace. School officials should never use their positions to give pastors privileged access to impressionable students."
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The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members and chapters across the country, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Kentucky, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-urges-ky-school-district-to-end-pastor-access-to-middle-school-students/
[Category: Religion]
* * *
FFRF urges Ky. school district to end pastor access to middle school students
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the Fayette County Public Schools system immediately stop allowing pastors from a local church to proselytize middle school students through school-sponsored activities.
A concerned community member has informed the state/church watchdog that pastors from the Southern Heights Baptist Church have been proselytizing students at Jessie Clark Middle School ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF urges Ky. school district to end pastor access to middle school students The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding that the Fayette County Public Schools system immediately stop allowing pastors from a local church to proselytize middle school students through school-sponsored activities. A concerned community member has informed the state/church watchdog that pastors from the Southern Heights Baptist Church have been proselytizing students at Jessie Clark Middle Schoolby allegedly allowing two pastors from the church to lead the school Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. An official post from the Southern Heights Baptist Church Facebook page shared that on April 16, the pastors led an FCA meeting for students at the middle school and that "three students gave their lives to Christ." Additionally, the middle school named one of the pastors a "character coach" for the middle school lacrosse team, apparently to encourage "growth in character, leadership and faith as they develop as athletes and individuals."
FFRF is urging the district to investigate these reports and, if confirmed, immediately end the unconstitutional arrangement.
"Students in secondary schools may organize religious clubs, but these must be entirely student-initiated and student-led and take place during noninstructional time," FFRF Patrick O'Reiley Legal Fellow Charlotte R. Gude has written to the school district's chief legal officer.
It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for the district to allow staff members or an outside adult to lead a religious club for students, FFRF emphasizes. Public schools may not show favoritism toward, or coerce, belief in or participation in religion. Here, it appears that Fellowship for Christian Athletes meetings are led by the pastors, violating both the First Amendment and the Equal Access Act.
Student-athletes are especially susceptible to unconstitutional coercion. Students know their coaches control their playing time and positions, directly affecting opportunities for scholarships and recruitment. When coaches and the school allow an outside adult to serve as a "character coach" to the lacrosse team as part of official team activities, student-athletes will no doubt feel that going along with religious activities, interacting with the "character coach," and at least appearing to agree with the person's religious beliefs is essential to pleasing their coaches and being viewed as a team player. It is unrealistic and unconstitutional to put student-athletes in the position of choosing between allowing their school to violate their constitutional rights to maintain good standing in the eyes of their coach and peers, or openly dissenting at the risk of retaliation or isolation.
And by allowing this proselytization, Jessie Clark Middle School needlessly marginalizes students, families and community members who are nonreligious or who belong to minority religions that do not follow Christianity. As much as 38 percent of the American population is non-Christian, including the almost 30 percent who are nonreligious. More than half of Generation Z (those born after 1996) is non-Christian, including 43 percent who are nonreligious. The school district should strive to be welcoming and inclusive of all students, not just those who subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity.
The school district must investigate the situation and ensure that Jessie Clark Middle School ceases granting religious representatives access to students for the purpose of proselytizing them.
"Public schools are not recruiting grounds for local churches," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Students have the constitutional right to decide for themselves what religious beliefs, if any, they will embrace. School officials should never use their positions to give pastors privileged access to impressionable students."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members and chapters across the country, including hundreds of members and a chapter in Kentucky, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-urges-ky-school-district-to-end-pastor-access-to-middle-school-students/
[Category: Religion]
FFRF Stops School-Organized Religious Club at Ala. Elementary School
MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release:
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FFRF stops school-organized religious club at Ala. elementary school
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully stymied a proposed school-organized religious club in the Madison City Schools (Ala.) system that aimed to indoctrinate elementary school students.
A concerned district parent reported that the principal of Madison Elementary School, near Huntsville, advertised the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club using an official school communication sent to parents. The May ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF stops school-organized religious club at Ala. elementary school The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully stymied a proposed school-organized religious club in the Madison City Schools (Ala.) system that aimed to indoctrinate elementary school students. A concerned district parent reported that the principal of Madison Elementary School, near Huntsville, advertised the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club using an official school communication sent to parents. The May12 communication from the principal told parents that the coach was starting a fellowship club at the elementary school next year, and the message invited parents to attend a "planning kickoff." According to a flyer for the club, students would unite their "passions, faith and athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ" if they joined the club.
Additionally, on May 13, the coach sent a communication to parents via what appeared to be an official district platform to again advertise the club and encourage parents to send their children to the "first FCA huddle" in the elementary school's gym. The coach's communication made it clear that he was the one starting the club at Madison Elementary School, not students. The parent expressed concern that elementary-age students were likely to view the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club as a "school-endorsed religious activity."
FFRF pointed out how the club would have been a direct violation of students' rights.
"It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for an elementary school to organize, lead or encourage student participation in a religious club like the FCA, especially when that club is clearly run by an adult staff member and not students," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
Elementary students cannot realistically initiate and operate a religious club independent of adult involvement. Because the club was organized and promoted by school employees through official district communications, it constituted unconstitutional government endorsement of religion rather than protected student religious expression. Madison Elementary School should strive to be welcoming and inclusive of all students, not just those who subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity, FFRF emphasized.
Following FFRF's letter, the district confirmed that the proposed club would not move forward.
"We have discussed this matter with the interim superintendent and with the principal of Madison Elementary School," the district's legal officer responded. "Madison Elementary School has not implemented the FCA club that was considered in the spring and will not do so."
FFRF is once again pleased to champion students' rights.
"FFRF firmly believes in students' right to be free from religious indoctrination," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Young children are especially susceptible to viewing school-sponsored religious activities as official endorsements of faith. We're pleased the district chose to uphold its constitutional obligations and ensure all students are equally welcome."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members across the country, including hundreds of members in Alabama, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
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Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-stops-school-sponsored-religious-club-at-ala-elementary-school/
[Category: Religion]
* * *
FFRF stops school-organized religious club at Ala. elementary school
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully stymied a proposed school-organized religious club in the Madison City Schools (Ala.) system that aimed to indoctrinate elementary school students.
A concerned district parent reported that the principal of Madison Elementary School, near Huntsville, advertised the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club using an official school communication sent to parents. The May ... Show Full Article MADISON, Wisconsin, July 31 -- The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued the following news release: * * * FFRF stops school-organized religious club at Ala. elementary school The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully stymied a proposed school-organized religious club in the Madison City Schools (Ala.) system that aimed to indoctrinate elementary school students. A concerned district parent reported that the principal of Madison Elementary School, near Huntsville, advertised the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club using an official school communication sent to parents. The May12 communication from the principal told parents that the coach was starting a fellowship club at the elementary school next year, and the message invited parents to attend a "planning kickoff." According to a flyer for the club, students would unite their "passions, faith and athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ" if they joined the club.
Additionally, on May 13, the coach sent a communication to parents via what appeared to be an official district platform to again advertise the club and encourage parents to send their children to the "first FCA huddle" in the elementary school's gym. The coach's communication made it clear that he was the one starting the club at Madison Elementary School, not students. The parent expressed concern that elementary-age students were likely to view the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club as a "school-endorsed religious activity."
FFRF pointed out how the club would have been a direct violation of students' rights.
"It is inappropriate and unconstitutional for an elementary school to organize, lead or encourage student participation in a religious club like the FCA, especially when that club is clearly run by an adult staff member and not students," FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district.
Elementary students cannot realistically initiate and operate a religious club independent of adult involvement. Because the club was organized and promoted by school employees through official district communications, it constituted unconstitutional government endorsement of religion rather than protected student religious expression. Madison Elementary School should strive to be welcoming and inclusive of all students, not just those who subscribe to a particular brand of Christianity, FFRF emphasized.
Following FFRF's letter, the district confirmed that the proposed club would not move forward.
"We have discussed this matter with the interim superintendent and with the principal of Madison Elementary School," the district's legal officer responded. "Madison Elementary School has not implemented the FCA club that was considered in the spring and will not do so."
FFRF is once again pleased to champion students' rights.
"FFRF firmly believes in students' right to be free from religious indoctrination," FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. "Young children are especially susceptible to viewing school-sponsored religious activities as official endorsements of faith. We're pleased the district chose to uphold its constitutional obligations and ensure all students are equally welcome."
* * *
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to defending the constitutional principle of separation between state and church and educating the public on matters relating to nontheism. With more than 41,000 members across the country, including hundreds of members in Alabama, FFRF is the largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics and humanists) in North America. For more information, visit ffrf.org.
* * *
Original text here: https://ffrf.org/news/releases/ffrf-stops-school-sponsored-religious-club-at-ala-elementary-school/
[Category: Religion]