E-Update for April 7, 2017

Highlights:

• Congress will be out of session for the Easter recess from April 8 to April 23 and will reconvene on April 24. When Congress returns, members will need to consider a bill to fund the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 before the current CR expires on April 28.

• April 3 was the initial deadline for states to submit consolidated state plans to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). 10 states have submitted their plans thus far.

• On April 4, the House Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, which reauthorizes and makes changes to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to assist state and local leaders in supporting at-risk youth and juvenile offenders.

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA):

10 States Submit ESSA Plans for Review: The initial deadline for states to submit consolidated state plans to USED under ESSA was April 3. USED will have 120 days to review and approve or disapprove of the plans. Additional plans are also expected to be submitted by May 3 for those states in which governors are currently reviewing their plans. The remainder of plans will then be submitted by states by September 18. Ten states have submitted their plans: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Tennessee, Vermont, and Washington, D.C.
April 3, 2017

Democratic Members Send Letter to USED Secretary Devos Regarding ESSA Stakeholder Engagement Requirements: Democratic members of Congress, led by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Senator Robert Casey (D-PA), sent a letter to USED Secretary Betsy DeVos asking the Department to enforce stakeholder engagement requirements under ESSA. In the letter, the members expressed concern that the Department removed stakeholder consultation requirements from the revised ESSA consolidated state plan template.
April 3, 2017

Congress:

House:

House Education and the Workforce Committee Approves H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017: The House Education and the Workforce Committee approved H.R. 1809, the Juvenile Justice Reform Act of 2017, which reauthorizes and makes changes to the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act to assist state and local leaders in supporting at-risk youth and juvenile offenders. Regarding the bill, House Education and the Workforce Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) stated “By enhancing accountability, oversight, and prevention, the bill will help state and local leaders better serve at-risk youth in their communities.” The bipartisan bill was introduced by Rep. Jason Lewis (R-MN) and House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Scott. Rep. Lewis’s statement can be found here and Chairwoman Foxx’s statement here.
April 4, 2017

House LHHS Appropriations Subcommittee Holds Hearing on Job Training Programs: The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS) Appropriations Subcommittee held a hearing entitled, “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs,” which focused on the oversight and effectiveness of job training programs supported by the federal government. During his opening statement, Chairman of the Subcommittee Tom Cole (R-OK) discussed the need to improve federal investments in job training programs to better meet the needs of program participants, employers, and taxpayers.
April 4, 2017

House Ranking Members Send Letter on Rights of Undocumented Students: Ranking Members of the House Committees on Education and the Workforce, Judiciary, Homeland Security, and the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security sent a letter to USED Secretary DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly regarding undocumented students’ right to public school education. In the letter, the Ranking Members wrote, “To assuage increasing apprehensions, we request that the Department of Homeland Security issue a statement making clear that, in spite of other changes in enforcement policy, the sensitive locations policy remains in full effect, at schools and other localities.”
April 3, 2017

College For All Legislation Introduced in the House and Senate: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced S. 806 and H.R. 1880, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act to ensure College for All. The bill would “make public colleges and universities tuition-free for working families and… significantly reduce student debt.” The bill is co-sponsored by a number of House and Senate Democrats, including Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA).
April 3, 2017

House Democrats Hold Forum on Civil Rights Under the Trump Administration: House Democrats, including House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) and House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI), held a forum entitled, “Civil Rights Under the Trump Administration – The First 100 Days.”  The forum focused on the impact of the Trump Administration’s appointments, policies, and orders on the protection of civil rights.
April 6, 2017

Senate:

Ranking Member Murray Comments on USED Contracts With Student Debt Collectors: Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a statement regarding reports that USED may reconsider a Obama Administration decision to stop contracting with four companies that collect student loans on behalf of the federal government after these companies were found to be in violation of consumer protection laws. Ranking Member Murray stated, “As President Trump and Secretary DeVos consider whether they should allow taxpayer funding to go to shady debt collectors that violated consumer protection laws and have a record of defrauding students, I have some advice for them: don’t do it.”
April 4, 2017

HELP Committee Ranking Member Murray Comments on Pell Grant Eligibility Restoration: Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Murray also released a statement on USED’s announcement to restore Pell Grant eligibility to students who attended now-closed schools, including Corinthian Colleges and ITT Tech. In USED’s April 3 announcement, the Department stated that students will be receiving information regarding their adjusted Pell Grant eligibility. USED’s announcement can be found here.
April 4, 2017

Administration:

Transition Updates:

• On March 6, President Donald Trump announced the nomination of Eric D. Hargan to be Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services. Eric D. Hargan is currently a shareholder in GreenbergTraurig and specializes in transactions, health care regulations and government regulations. He previously served as the Deputy Secretary and Deputy General Counsel for the Department of Health and Human Services under the George W. Bush administration. The press release can be found here.
• On March 31, President Trump announced his intent to nominate Carlos G. Muñiz to serve as General Counsel at USED. Mr. Muñiz is currently an attorney at McGuireWoods and has previously worked as Deputy Attorney General of the State of Florida and as Deputy General Counsel to the Governor of Florida. The press release can be found here.
• The White House has yet to make an official announcement, but it is being reported that Candice E. Jackson will be named USED’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (a position that does not require Senate confirmation).  She may also serve as the Acting Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights.  Jackson currently works in private practice, including anti-discrimination and civil rights litigation, in California and Washington states, and is the author of “Their Lives: The Women Targeted by the Clinton Machine.”

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

This week, USED Secretary Betsy DeVos visited the following schools and institutes of higher education:

• On April 5, First Lady Melania Trump, USED Secretary DeVos, and Queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan visited Excel Academy Public Charter School, during which the women participated in a listening session with students, teachers, and parents and visited classrooms. The listening session focused on the importance of learning life skills and community engagement. The White House press release can be found here and USED Secretary DeVos’s statement here.
• Today, USED Secretary DeVos will visit Miami-Dade Public Schools’ Royal Palm Elementary School and Miami-Dade College. USED Secretary DeVos also visited three schools in Miami, Florida on April 6: CARE Elementary, Florida International University’s Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and SLAM Charter School.
• On April 3, USED Secretary DeVos visited Kimberly Hampton Primary School in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, a U.S. Department of Defense-funded school, in honor of Month of the Military Child. After the visit, USED Secretary DeVos stated, “We have a responsibility to ensure every child has access to a quality education, especially those children whose parents dedicate their lives to the service of our country.” Secretary Devos’s statement can be found here.

Publications:

NCER Releases Report on Academic Mindsets and Behaviors: The Institute of Education Sciences’ National Center for Education Research (NCER) released a report entitled “Growth mindset, performance avoidance, and academic behaviors in Clark County School District.” The report found that students’ reported beliefs and behaviors varied significantly depending on their race, ethnicity, English learner status, grade level, and prior achievement.
April 2017

CFPB Releases “Consumer Response Annual Report:” The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released the “Consumer Response Annual Report,” which includes information about consumers’ student loan complaints. The report states that the most frequent student loan complaints are related to dealing with a lender or servicer when making payments, managing an account, and requesting information about a loan.
March 31, 2017

NCER and NCSER Release Report on Technology Research: NCER released a “Compendium of Education Technology Research Funded by NCER and NCSER: 2002-2014” to provide information about NCER and National Center for Special Education Research (NCSER) projects that focus on technology for classrooms, schools, and education research.
March 30, 2017

Legislation:

S. 806
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act to ensure College for All.
Sponsor: Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT)

S. 840
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to allow the Secretary of Education to award Early College Federal Pell Grants.
Sponsor: Senator Rob Portman (R-OH)

S. 844
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to consider certain time spent by members of reserve components of the Armed Forces while receiving medical care from the Secretary of Defense as active duty for purposes of eligibility for Post-9/11 Educational Assistance, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)

S. 848
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to encourage entrepreneurship by providing loan deferment and loan cancellation for founders and employees of small business startups, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH)

S. 850
Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act of 2017
Sponsor: Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)

H. Res. 245
A resolution expressing support for designation of April 23 as “Barbara Johns Day” to highlight the important role Ms. Barbara Rose Johns (Powell) played in the Civil Rights Movement, in Brown v. Board of Education and the desegregation of schools, and her role in the history of the United States and the lives of United States citizens.
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Garrett (R-VA)

H. Res. 251
A resolution expressing support for designation of the week of April 9, 2017, through April 22, 2017, as National Young Audiences Arts for Learning Week.
Sponsor: Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY)

H.R. 1864
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow local educational agencies to use Federal funds for programs and activities that address chronic absenteeism.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)

H.R. 1880
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act to ensure College for All.
Sponsor: Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)

H.R. 1921
A bill to amend the Head Start Act to authorize block grants to States for prekindergarten education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN)

H.R. 1922
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to establish fair and consistent eligibility requirements for graduate medical schools operating outside the United States and Canada.
Sponsor: Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX)

H.R. 1937
A bill to provide loan forgiveness to borrowers of Federal student loans who agree to delay eligibility to collect social security benefits, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Garrett (R-VA)

H.R. 1949
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act to combat campus sexual assault, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)

H.R. 1956
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amounts of educational assistance payable under Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep. David Roe (R-TN)

H.R. 1957
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.
Sponsor: Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA)