Higher Ed Leadership & Trust: Virginia’s University community is still weighing how President Scott Beardsley’s first six months compare with former leader Jim Ryan, as groups continue pressing for transparency after Ryan’s 2025 resignation. Leadership Turnover: Frank Batten School dean Ian Solomon will step down Aug. 2 to become CEO of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, reshaping leadership in public policy education. Graduate Loan Limits: A federal lawsuit over how “professional degrees” are defined could change borrowing for nursing and education graduate programs, with new caps raising affordability alarms. State Policy Shifts: Oklahoma’s education secretary Dan Hamlin is set to become dean of UT Austin’s College of Education, while Uttarakhand’s Minority Education Act replaces the Madrasa Board with a new minority education authority and NCERT-based textbooks. Special Education Rights: A guest column warns that moving special education oversight to HHS could undermine IDEA inclusion and disability protections. Teacher Workforce Pressure: Oklahoma approved thousands of emergency teaching certificates, signaling ongoing staffing strain. Early Learning Expansion: California’s final budget deal adds 22,700 child care slots and boosts the bilingual teacher pipeline. School Quality Signals: Ofsted reports “great starts” and “impressive outcomes” at Swindon Academy, while Ashton Primary’s latest inspection shows mixed results with achievement, curriculum, and leadership flagged.