A roundup of what you need to know in education trends and topics the week of August 22. 

Brace Yourselves, Trump Education Reform Proposals Could be Coming

Last week, presidential hopeful Donald Trump said we should be on the lookout for the release of education reforms drafted alongside his daughter, Ivanka Trump.

This holds promise for individuals interested in how Trump would handle educational policy; for the first time since he began his campaign, they might get an actual idea of where Trump stands on education. 

Talk about huge.

Zika Virus as a Back-to-School Topic

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are hoping that you and your school will make Zika a back-to-school topic this year.

The CDC is counting on schools to spread messages of prevention to help contain the virus’ spread.

Read more here to find resources on how to do so.

Federal Judge Denies Obama Administration’s Transgender Guidance from Withholding Funding

A federal judge from Texas has ruled that the Departments of Education and Justice do not have the authority to withhold funding if a state, district or school chooses to violate its guidance and deny transgender students from using the facilities they prefer as opposed to the ones their gender dictates.

While the ruling does not comment on whether or not transgender students are protected from discrimination by Title IX law, it does rule that it is not within the Obama administration’s power to make the call.

The Obama administration is expected to immediately appeal the ruling, meaning a long battle over transgender rights in schools has just begun. 

Google Classroom Updates are Designed to Make Your Life Easier

Google is back at it again with the classroom updates.

The new updates make it easier for teachers to engage parents as well as provide students with more opportunities to learn via Google Expeditions.

Read about the new features here.