With help from Michael Stratford, Kimberly Hefling, Caitlin Emma, Josh Gerstein and Elana Schor

SCOOP: EXECUTIVE ORDER ON HBCUs ‘IMMINENT': The Trump administration is set to issue an executive order on historically black colleges and universities, and it could go beyond the standard renewal of the White House Initiative on HBCUs issued by every president since Jimmy Carter, according to Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., the president and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Taylor has worked with the White House officials drafting the order, including Omarosa Manigault, who is reportedly spearheading the effort. Taylor told Morning Education that officials this week said the order is “imminent.”

Story Continued Below

— HBCU groups are asking for two things: To move the initiative out of the Education Department (and into the White House) and to include an “aspirational goal” for the amount of dollars spent at HBCUs through government grants and contracts, Taylor said. Taylor was part of a call earlier this week with White House officials and representatives from the UNCF and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education, which is the not-for-profit umbrella organization of the nation's HBCUs. Taylor’s group, the TMCF, represents the nation’s 47 public and publicly supported HBCUs. He said the groups are all on the same page.

— When reached by phone, Omarosa Manigault told Morning Education to email her, and then hung up. She did not respond to emails or text messages. Manigault wrote in USA Today this week that President Trump “has made it clear that the forgotten men and women of our country will be forgotten no more, including — and I would argue especially — African Americans.” The piece focused on Trump's efforts to promote “school choice” programs like charter schools and private school vouchers, and did not mention the HBCU initiative.

— Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited Howard University with Manigault on Thursday. It was part of a celebration for the historically black university’s 150th anniversary. “It was a pleasure to meet with Howard University President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick and several student leaders,” DeVos said in a statement. “We had a robust discussion around the many challenges facing higher education and the important role of HBCUs.”

— Trump has an opportunity here to one-up Barack Obama, who had a rocky relationship with HBCUs. Taylor was very critical of the Obama administration, which he once said "permanently damaged" some of the nation's historically black schools. Taylor said he previously requested that the Obama administration make the same two additions to the executive order that are now being requested from the Trump administration, and “it was never responded to.”

— “I believe this is not going to be your standard renewal,” Taylor said. He first made the pitch for those additions to the executive order to Manigault and the Trump transition team on Jan. 4, he said. When they spoke again earlier this week, Taylor said officials told him he was clear in January and that they just wanted to make sure they understood what he was asking for. “I’m hopeful,” Taylor said. “I would like to think that since it wasn’t the first time they heard this, that it was the second time, that if the reaction was an automatic ‘no,’ then they would have told us that.”

HAPPY FRIDAY AND WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. What do y’all think the movie “Mulholland Drive” is about? It’s on Netflix right now, if you haven’t seen it. I’d like to think I’m about halfway there to getting it. Hit me up: bwermund@politico.com or @BenjaminEW. Share event listings: educalendar@politicopro.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro.

DEVOS TO VISIT D.C. PUBLIC SCHOOL THIS MORNING: After being vilified as an enemy of public schools during her confirmation process, Betsy DeVos is visiting a D.C. public school during one of her first appearances as Education secretary. DeVos will meet with students and teachers at Jefferson Academy, a middle school in Southwest Washington. She’ll be joined by Antwan Wilson, the new chancellor of D.C. Public Schools, according to an Education Department spokesperson.

— The Washington Teachers Union plans to gather parents, former educators and other supporters of D.C. public schools outside of the school to greet DeVos. “It’s more a vigil than a protest,” union President Elizabeth Davis told POLITICO. “We’re not trying to stop her from visiting the school, but like most people who resisted her confirmation, teachers are fearful for what she represents for public education.” Current teachers at the middle school won’t be participating in the union’s demonstration, Davis said, though she said several expressed concerns about DeVos coming to the school.

— An Education Department spokesperson said DeVos “plans to work with all stakeholders,” adding that “she’s always been very supportive of teachers and the vital role that they play.” Michael Stratford has more.

FEDERAL COURT STOPS TRAVEL BAN: A federal appeals court shot down Trump’s attempt to revive the controversial ban late Thursday. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected the Justice Department’s request to lift a Seattle-based judge’s restraining order that blocked authorities from carrying out the limits Trump sought to impose on travel to the U.S. by refugees and by citizens of seven majority-Muslim countries. POLITICO’s Josh Gerstein has more.

TUITION IS A HOT TOPIC: Scott Walker announced this week that he wants to cut tuition by 5 percent in the state’s University of Wisconsin System campuses. The plan would require UW campuses to provide three-year degree options and allow students to opt out of segregated fees for campus student activities. Another 2016 GOP presidential contender, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, reiterated the need this week for his Jan. 31 proposal seeking a tuition freeze for all public colleges and universities, according to the Lantern student newspaper. At the Ohio Newspaper Association’s annual conference, Kasich also questioned how much longer students would want to pay for a high-priced college education “when they can get the same college education provided online.”

— Meanwhile in the battleground state of Florida, a state Senate committee moved forward on a plan to award state funding to public colleges and universities using on-time graduation rates as a factor. The debate was emotional, reports Jessica Bakeman.

— In Texas, lawmakers are considering several ways to rein in tuition, which has more than doubled, on average, over the last 15 years. The Republican chair of the Senate higher education committee has pitched a performance-based model that would require some colleges to meet certain benchmarks, like boosting graduation rates, to earn the ability to raise tuition. Other proposals include freezing tuition at some colleges temporarily, or tying it to inflation.

CHIEFS HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY ASKS: Reform-minded state education chiefs are asking Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to consider a few things if Congress decides to scrap Obama-era accountability regulations under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The group Chiefs for Change penned a letter that says, “we believe that states must meet the letter and spirit of this civil rights law, and we believe that your leadership as secretary will be pivotal in ensuring states do this amidst regulatory uncertainty.” For one, the chiefs think DeVos should make sure states stick to a provision of the regulations that proved unpopular with the conservatives now trying to undo them: the requirement that states come up with “summative” ratings for schools — basically, an overall score or evaluation. “This is essential for parents to have clear and transparent information on the quality of schools to inform strong choices for their children,” the chiefs write to DeVos. “Our state members implement different approaches to this but all include clear single summative ratings to provide effective information to stakeholders.” Read the letter.

HOUSE OVERSIGHT CHAIRMAN DRAWS BOOS OVER ED QUIP: Rep. Jason Chaffetz, the GOP chairman of the House oversight committee, faced sharp questions and fierce pushback Thursday night from hundreds of constituents who packed a town hall meeting in his Utah district. Acknowledging public concerns over Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, Chaffetz noted to his constituents that the House does not have any say in the Senate confirmation of Cabinet nominees. He later drew vocal boos with a quip: “You’re going to like the bill I introduced to abolish the Department of Education." POLITICO’s Elana Schor has more.

PROVIDING ‘LIFE ESSENTIALS’ TO STUDENTS: The education nonprofit DonorsChoose.org — which has helped fulfill teachers’ requests for books, science supplies and technology — launched a new program this week allowing teachers to request “life essentials” for their students. That includes food, personal hygiene products and warm, clean clothes. “When students come to school hungry, cold, uncomfortable, or self-conscious, it’s very difficult for them to focus on learning,” said Charles Best, the nonprofit’s founder. “Teachers are often the first to recognize a student in need, and we want them to have the tools to help.” More.

#FollowFriday: Catherine Lhamon, the chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights — and former head of the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights — is now on Twitter, where she says she plans to “share in the twitterverse conversation on civil rights issues … Onward for civil rights!” Follow her at @CatherineLhamon.

NGOs SPEAK OUT AGAINST TRAVEL BAN: The leaders of more than 175 non-government organizations have sent an open letter to President Trump urging him to give up on the travel ban. The letter is signed by several education groups, including KIPP, Teach For All and Educators for Excellence. “Groups like ours exist to help lift up the poorest and most marginalized with innovative solutions. In our opinion, this ban will make our work to foster peace, sustainability, opportunity and inclusiveness much harder,” the letter says. “We respectfully request, Mr. President, that you do not deny us the right of welcoming people, regardless of their religion or nationality, to our shores.”

ICYMI: D.C. CHARTERS DISCIPLINE STUDENTS AT TWICE NATIONAL RATE: While D.C. Public Charter School Board officials have targeted the issue, and steadily brought down the numbers in recent years, high rates of suspension and expulsion remain a major problem, a new Government Accountability Office report found. The trend is even worse for black students and students with disabilities, who were disproportionately suspended and expelled. From 2011 to 2014, black students, who represented 80 percent of students in D.C. charter schools, accounted for 93 percent of those suspended and 92 percent of those expelled. A response from the D.C. Public Charter School Board, included in the report, says that more-recent data shows that the discipline rates have continued to decline. More on that here.

REPORT ROLL CALL

—The Association of American Universities, in partnership with Research Corporation for Science Advancement’s Cottrell Scholars Collaborative, is out with a new book that details how individual research universities have achieved large-scale transformation of undergraduate STEM education.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

— The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the Leadership Conference Education Fund have four new senior staff members: Mike Zubrensky, chief counsel and legal director; Helaine Greenfeld, senior leadership conference fellow in the policy department; Shin Inouye, director of communications and media relations; and Karely Hernandez, communications manager.

SYLLABUS

— Former Baylor President Ken Starr, who was demoted in the wake of the sexual assault scandal at the school, is being considered for a job in the state department: Sports Illustrated.

— Foster father in LA takes in terminally ill children, even though he knows “they are going to die:” The LA Times.

— Chicago Republicans file ethics complaint alleging Chicago schools sent “a blatantly political letter” home with children: ABC7.

— Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker wants to tie new state funding to law requiring schools to be compliant with collective bargaining law: The Associated Press.

— Iowa schools to get another $40 million from the state in new funding law signed by the governor: The Associated Press.

— Michigan college Republicans apologizing for Valentine’s cards that mocked Jews who died in the Holocaust: The Associated Press.

— New Hampshire governor proposes budget that includes money for full-day kindergarten: The Associated Press.

— Santa Fe city council to take up plan to use a soda tax to pay for pre-school programs: Santa Fe New Mexican.

Don’t throw the paint on me. Follow the Pro Education team. @caitlinzemma (cemma@politico.com), @khefling (khefling@politico.com), @mstratford (mstratford@politico.com), @mrmikevasquez (mvasquez@politico.com) and @BenjaminEW (bwermund@politico.com).