E-Update for February 13, 2023

The information covered below is from February 3, 2023 to February 9, 2023.

Highlights:

• On February 7, President Biden delivered the State of the Union address which called for the need to invest in affordable child care, universal access to preschool, career pathways, and community colleges.
• On February 8, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled, “American Education In Crisis,” exploring issues ranging from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and the resulting decline in achievement scores; parental rights; Title IX – and LGBTQ issues in particular; higher education and student debt relief; and improving workforce development programs, among other topics.
• On February 3, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) led 126 House Republicans in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court in the case considering the Biden Administration’s federal student loan forgiveness plan.

Administration:

President Biden delivers State of the Union address calling for investments in early childhood education and postsecondary education, while Arkansas Governor Huckabee Sanders delivers Republican response: On February 7, President Biden delivered the State of the Union address which highlighted bipartisan accomplishments during the past year, as well as stressed the need to “finish the job.” Related to education and supports for families, President Biden once again used his State of the Union address to call for the need to invest in affordable child care, universal access to preschool, career pathways, and community colleges. Specifically, President Biden said, “If you want to have the best-educated workforce, let’s finish the job by providing access to preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds.” President Biden also reiterated his previous support for career pathways and community colleges saying, “Let’s finish the job, connect students to career opportunities starting in high school and provide two years of community college, some of the best career training in America, in addition to being a pathway to a four-year degree. Let’s offer every American the path to a good career whether they go to college or not.” Other education related priorities that received mentions in the State of the Union address included support for raises for public school teachers, progress toward reducing student debt, increases for Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families, and a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers. Recent bipartisan accomplishments touted by President Biden included access to affordable, high-speed internet through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law and mental health supports for students as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. President Biden also went on to say, “it’s time to pass bipartisan legislation to stop Big Tech from collecting personal data on kids and teenagers online, ban targeted advertising to children, and impose stricter limits on the personal data these companies collect on all of us.”

In the Republican response to the State of the Union address, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders emphasized the theme that Republicans believe that “government exists not to rule the people, but to serve the people.” She contrasted Republican beliefs with a “radical left’s America” where “our children are taught to hate one another on account of their race, but not to love one another or our great country.” Related to education, Governor Huckabee Sanders specifically highlighted Executive Orders that she has signed to “to ban [Critical Race Theory], racism, and indoctrination in our schools.” She then went on to draw attention to a proposed education package that she is releasing which “empowers parents with real choices, improves literacy and career readiness, and helps put a good teacher in every classroom by increasing their starting salary from one of the lowest to one of the highest in the nation.” She concluded, “Republicans are working to end the policy of trapping kids in failing schools and sentencing them to a lifetime of poverty. We will educate, not indoctrinate our kids, and put students on a path to success.”

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

U.S. Department of Education (USED) hosts final “Raise the Bar” event as part of five-part series covering strategies to support academic recovery: On February 9, USED hosted the fifth and final “Raise the Bar” event, which was part of a series of virtual sessions with education leaders, researchers, and stakeholders to discuss evidence-based strategies and programs to boost student literacy and math outcomes. This final event covered two major areas: connecting policy to practice and starting with early learning as key levers to accelerate learning. During his opening remarks, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona raised three of the Department’s priorities he previously outlined for the year: academic excellence, improving learning conditions, and preparing students for global competitiveness. He also emphasized the importance of the instructional core, which includes students, teachers, and content, stating, “When we focus on the instructional core and the solutions, we [can] work for our schools and children.”

Leaders from St. Paul Public Schools, MN, presented their recovery work in the first panel, sharing their approach to spending down American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds through data collection and monitoring. An additional panel featured local and state education leaders from Pittsburgh, PA, Oakland, CA, OH, and KY, who discussed strategies that led to academic recovery for students. As one example, Dr. Wayne Walters, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, spoke about how the district’s priority of deepening engagement led to the formation of a public stakeholder advisory committee to help determine the use of ARP ESSER funds.

Regarding early learning, the event included presentations from Jacqueline Jones, CEO of Foundation for Child Development; Dr. Doug Clements, Distinguished University Professor and Kennedy Endowed Chair in Early Childhood Learning at Denver University; and Dr. Nicole Patton Terry, Director of the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR), and Director of the Regional Education Lab—Southeast at Florida State University (FSU). Dr. Patton Terry presented research showing that implementing evidence-based practices through the science of reading are the most successful in teaching our youngest learners to read. In the final panel, Pam Johnson, Executive Director of Ready to Learn at the Public Broadcasting Service, and Kate Bauer-Jones, Executive Director for Future Forward, spoke about some of the best practices to address academic recovery in early learning. Bauer-Jones emphasized the clear benefits of instruction to our youngest learners because of research backing their neuroplasticity and ability to quickly absorb information and adapt. USED Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten then concluded the event noting, “The whole series proves what we already know: When we work together, all things are possible. With our collective knowledge and tenacity, we can solve any challenge ahead of us.”

USED Secretary Cardona and Deputy Secretary Marten visit school campuses in Nebraska, New York, and Tennessee as part of Administration’s “Raise the Bar: Lead the World” tour: USED Secretary Cardona and Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten visited secondary school campuses in Omaha, Nebraska and Brooklyn, New York, where they learned about different ways the schools promote academic success, career pathways, and mental health programs. In Omaha, Secretary Cardona visited Bryan High School, where he toured its Urban Agriculture, Design & Construction, and Transportation & Logistics academies, and spoke with students about their experience in a career-technical education (CTE) program, as well as mental health supports. Deputy Secretary Marten traveled to the Brooklyn STEAM Center in New York City and met with school leaders to discuss how they can continue to promote academic excellence and prepare students for global competitiveness. School leaders shared information about the school’s pathways for students to choose under their Career & Technical Education Program Model, each of which feature industry-approved curriculum and credentials in Cybersecurity, Full-Stack Development, Construction Technology, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management, Design & Engineering, and Film & Media.

Congress:

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Cassidy and House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Foxx request extension of comment period on USED’s proposed Income-Driven Repayment plans: On February 2, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) wrote a letter to USED Secretary Cardona opposing the Department’s proposed changes to the Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) program and requested an extension of the public comment period. USED announced the proposed changes earlier in January. The changes would amend the existing Revised Pay As You Earn (REPAYE) program to increase the income limits before a borrower has to make payments, and for borrowers with incomes above those thresholds, the proposed rules would cut monthly payments in half from 10% to 5% of discretionary income. The Republican lawmakers commented that this change would “fundamentally break our higher education financing system.” In requesting an extension of the comment period, which is currently set at current 30 days and ends on February 10, Ranking Member Cassidy and Chairwoman Foxx wrote, “You have ignored prior requests to extend comment periods in order to give the American people more time to provide input on your costly rules. Before fundamentally transforming our higher education financing system, we implore you to follow the Clinton-era Executive Order 12866, which strongly suggests at least a 60-day comment period.”

Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Murray joined by Senate HELP Committee Chairman Sanders, House Appropriations Ranking Member DeLauro, and House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Scott at press conference to advocate for child care agenda: On February 7, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) led a press conference with Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), House Appropriations Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), House Education and Workforce Committee Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), and other Congressional Democrats to highlight the need for child care funding and support in the 118th Congress. The press conference shared information on the success of increased funding in the 117th Congress, noting that the ARP helped 200,000 child care providers stay in business and served as many as 9.5 million children across the country. Chairwoman Murray shared, “We have a child care crisis in America. All across [the] country, parents…are stressed trying to figure out how on Earth they will find a child care opening and how they will afford it if they can ever get off a waitlist. And when they can’t find and afford child care—as is all too often the case—parents, and moms in particular, are being forced to leave their jobs, and stay out of the workforce.” Chairwoman DeLauro said, “Child care is critical infrastructure. It is time we step up our investments to help parents return to work, improve the social and emotional learning of children, and help providers administer the highest level of care.”

Senate:

Senate HELP Committee holds an organizational meeting to kick off its work in the 118^th Congress: On February 9, the Senate HELP Committee held an organizational meeting for the 118^th Congress. During his opening statement, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) raised concerns about the high cost of child care and described the child care system as in a “state of disarray.” He discussed how parents can’t find child care slots and the abysmal pay for child care workers. Chairman Sanders also shared his support for apprenticeship programs before mentioning his concerns over artificial intelligence and its potential impact on the workforce. Senate HELP Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) used his opening statement to express his desire to see the committee address the need to reauthorize several authorizing bills that have expired, including the Higher Education Act (HEA) and the Workforce Improvement and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Ranking Member Cassidy added, “Child care and the financing of student loans are two issues that are sure to come before this committee. Both are far too expensive for the families who need them, and both have only gotten more expensive the more federal funding that has been made available. There is certainly bipartisan interest on these issues.” He went on to say, “President Biden’s student loan cancellation policy before the Supreme Court is estimated to cost taxpayers $400 billion. This is on top of the student loan repayment pause that has been extended six times under the Biden Administration and has so far cost taxpayers $195 billion.

During the meeting, other members were also given the opportunity to speak on their education priorities and what they would like to see the Senate HELP Committee focus on in the 118^th Congress. Senate HELP Committee members raised the following:

• Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke about expanding access to high-quality early childhood education and child care, as well as the need to make higher education more affordable.
• Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) discussed how technical and trade programs can provide new opportunities for high school students.
• Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO) described his focus on “full literacy and the need for all third graders to read on grade level. We need to address the learning loss during the pandemic, and we can’t have an entire generation suffer due to the pandemic.” Sen. Hickenlooper also added that there is a “need to rethink” how workforce training is developed and implemented.
• Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) shared his frustration with declines in educational outcomes and expressed a need to focus on reading and writing. Senator Tuberville also said that he is “all in” on STEM programs. Finally, he called for getting parents back in schools.
• Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) called for a hearing on school safety and school climate. He agreed with other Senators’ calls for reauthorization of HEA and felt that there should be room for bipartisan support around accountability.

House:

House Education and Workforce Committee holds first hearing of the 118^th Congress aimed at highlighting the current state of K-12 and postsecondary education: On February 8, the House Committee on Education and the Workforce held a hearing titled, “American Education In Crisis,” exploring issues ranging from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students and the resulting decline in achievement scores; parental rights; Title IX – and LGBTQ issues in particular; higher education and student debt relief; and improving workforce development programs, among other topics. The hearing featured testimony from Virginia Gentles, the Director of the Education Freedom Center at the Independent Women’s Forum; Dr. Monty Sullivan, President of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System; Jared Polis, the Democratic Governor of Colorado; and Scott Pulsipher, President of the Western Governors University (WGU).

In her opening remarks, Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) shared her concern that “the state of this nation’s education system is deeply troubling at every level.” She highlighted her priorities for the committee, specifically the issue of parental rights and her support for the Parents Bill of Rights Act. First introduced last Congress, the Parents Bill of Rights Act “[would] protect the rights of parents to know what their child is being taught in the classroom as well as their right to be heard.” Chairwoman Foxx also discussed related to K-12 education the need to extend “education freedom to more students.” On higher education, Chairwoman Foxx was critical of President Biden’s plan to forgive federal student loan debt and called it an “attempt to enact its retroactive free college agenda.” Lastly, on workforce, Chairwoman Foxx noted that “…a baccalaureate degree is not the appropriate or necessary path for everyone, and we must support all pathways.” Throughout the hearing, Republican committee members generally focused on support for school choice and parental rights.

Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA), in his opening statement, spoke about pandemic-related policies and noted that “Republican politicians sought to force schools to reopen classrooms for full-time, in-person instruction, regardless of whether it was safe or not.” Ranking Member Scott, in contrast, highlighted passage of ARP by Democrats in early 2021 to provide support to help reopen schools and address the impact on student achievement. He was critical of efforts, particularly at the state level to “ban books; censor curriculum and textbooks at every level of learning; and punish teachers for accurately recounting our nation’s history.” On higher education, Ranking Member Scott spoke against efforts by Republican Attorneys General in a number of states challenging the Biden Administration’s student loan proposal. On the issue of workforce development, Ranking Member Scott highlighted his support for “fully-fund[ing] evidence-based job training and apprenticeship programs.” During the hearing, Democratic members spoke in support of a range of federal education programs and the importance of maintaining those investments.

Ms. Gentles spoke in her testimony about “alarming learning loss,…pervasive discipline and mental health issues,…[and] school systems determined to view parents as the enemy.” She also was critical of “federal, state, and local policies that embrace and enforce gender and other divisive ideologies in the K-12 education system. In his remarks, Dr. Sullivan focused primarily on higher education and workforce development. He provided a number of recommendations that he believed would help prepare more students for the workforce, including allowing Pell Grants to be used for workforce programs. Democratic Governor Polis, a former member of the committee when he served in the House, spoke about states “leading the charge in innovative ways to support students and workers of all ages” and provided examples of the work he has led, including highlighting Colorado’s progress on early education with “free, full-day kindergarten and our new free universal preschool program, [saving] families at least $6,000 per year.” He emphasized the importance of funding provided by the ARP and how these funds are continued to be used in Colorado to support students, including a new “High-Impact Tutoring program, which offered 43,000 hours of tutoring to 3,800 students in its first semester.” Mr. Pulsipher, argued that “reimagining access also means acknowledging that learning is no longer a one-and-done journey.” To do that, he recommended working to “ensure students derive real value from their credentials, and institutions must be held accountable for designing programs and learning outcomes that are aligned with the rapidly changing opportunities of our future economy.”

House Education and Workforce Committee Chairwoman Foxx leads Republicans in filing amicus brief in Supreme Court case which will consider the legality of the Biden Administration’s student loan forgiveness proposal: On February 3, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC) led 126 House Republicans in filing an amicus brief to the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) in the case considering the Biden Administration’s federal student loan forgiveness plan. The student loan forgiveness program – which would cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loans for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for non-Pell Grant recipients – is currently on hold and will be considered by the Supreme Court in late February. The Biden Administration has claimed in their original proposal and in their own recently-filed briefs that it has the legal authority to issue loan forgiveness under the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students (“HEROES”) Act. The HEROES Act was signed into law in 2003 by President George W. Bush and grants USED the authority to waive laws around the federal student loan program in the case of a national emergency. In this case, the Biden Administration is citing the act to justify issuing targeted loan cancellation directed at addressing the financial harms of the COVID-19 pandemic. House Republicans claim in their brief that the plan “exploits [the] legislation drafted in the wake of September 11, 2001, meant to assist service members and veterans.” In a press release announcing the brief’s filing, Chairwoman Foxx said that the plan is a “political gambit” and called attention to the Administration’s decision not to pursue loan forgiveness through Congress. Chairwoman Foxx shared, “This administration is bypassing Congress, which is elected by the American people to protect their interests. Congress is the only body with the authority to enact sweeping and fundamental changes of this nature, and it is ludicrous for President Biden to assume he can simply bypass the will of the American people.” A complete list of the Republican members who signed the brief is included in the press release.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jordan subpoenas Biden Administration for withholding documents related to the use of law enforcement during National School Boards Association meetings: On February 3, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) issued subpoenas to Attorney General Merrick Garland, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray, and USED Secretary Cardona regarding the use of federal law enforcement at a November 2021 meetings of the National School Boards Association (NSBA). The subpoenas follow recent oversight inquiries to Biden Administration officials, including Secretary Cardona, and an interview request with former Interim NSBA Executive Director and CEO Chip Slaven. The press release announcing the subpoenas states that since October 2021, Judiciary Committee Republicans have sent over one hundred letters to Biden Administration officials regarding the use of “federal counterterrorism resources against American parents.” The subpoenas require Attorney General Garland, FBI Director Wray, and Secretary Cardona to turn over all documents by March 1, 2023.

House Budget Committee Chairman Arrington identifies possible federal savings for consideration as part of debt limit talks: On February 8, House Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-TX) released a list of federal savings which he is proposing should be considered as part of debt limit talks. According to the list – which was published by CQ – savings could be generated by reinstating work requirements in welfare programs, as well as reducing fraud in the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) program. Specifically, Chairman Arrington recommends requiring Social Security numbers for the CTC and income verification for SNAP. Related to education, Chairman Arrington proposes to “end President Bident’s student loan bailouts,” including ending the student loan repayment moratorium for a savings of $25 billion and prohibiting student loan debt cancellation for a savings of $379 billion. Chairman Arrington also calls for ending “woke-waste,” funded in the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, including $1.2 million for “LGBTQIA+ Pride Centers;” $1 million for a space for “gender-expansive people of color;” $3.6 million for a Michelle Obama Trail in Georgia; and $750,000 for “Transgender and Gender nonconforming and Intersex (TGI) immigrant women in Los Angeles.” (Note: A subscription to CQ is required to view this article).

Upcoming Events (Congress & Administration):

• On February 13 at 7:15 pm, Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will host a town hall titled, “Respecting our Teachers: A Town Hall on the Teacher Pay Crisis in America.” Chairman Sanders intends to highlight the impact of low teacher pay and low teacher morale, among other challenges teachers are facing today. Rebecca Pringle, President of the National Education Association (NEA) and Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), will both speak at the event, and public school teachers will discuss their experiences as educators. The town hall will be livestreamed on Chairman Sanders’ Twitter and Facebook, and more information is here.
• On February 14 at 10:00 am, the Senate Judiciary Committee will host a hearing titled, “Protecting Our Children Online.” The hearing will be held in 216 Hart Senate Office Building and will be livestreamed on the Committee’s website. Witnesses have not yet been announced. More information is here.
• On February 15, the Senate HELP Committee will conduct executive session to markup several nominations. The committee will consider the nomination of Glenna Wright-Gallo to be Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at USED, and the nomination of LaWanda Toney to be Assistant Secretary for Communications and Outreach at USED. The time of the hearing has not been announced, and more information is here.
• On February 16 at 10:00 am, the Senate Agriculture Committee will host a hearing titled, “Farm Bill 2023: Nutrition Programs.” The hearing will take place in 328A Russell Senate Office Building and will be livestreamed on the Committee’s website. Witnesses include Ms. Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Mrs. Cindy Long, Administrator at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information is here.
• ​​From February 28 at 9:00 am to 5:30 pm and March 1 at 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity (NACIQI or Committee) will conduct an open meeting. Among other agenda items, the Committee will review applications for institutional accreditation and elect a new committee chairperson and vice-chairperson. More information is here.
• On March 14 at 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders will conduct an open meeting. The commission will meet to discuss full and draft recommendations by the Commission’s six Subcommittees on ways to advance equity, justice, and opportunity for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities. The Subcommittees are: Belonging, Inclusion, Anti-Asian Hate, Anti-Discrimination; Data Disaggregation; Language Access; Economic Equity; Health Equity; and Immigration and Citizenship Status. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been released. More information is here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On February 14 at 3:00 pm, New America and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading will host an event titled, “Creating Environments and Conditions for Thriving Kindergartners.” Experts will explore the best ways for educators to value the assets and cultures children and families bring to the classroom, as well as what support might be needed from districts and states for educators to support educators in using outdoor spaces for learning and developing kindergartners’ socially and emotionally. The conversation will be moderated by Laura Bornfreund, Senior Fellow and Advisor on Early and Elementary Education with the Education Policy Program at New America, and panelists include: Sheresa Blanchard, Ph.D., Senior Education Researcher at SRI International; Hedy Chang, Executive Director at Attendance Works; Rebecca Colbert, Ph.D., RLA, Senior Director of Design & Engagement at the Early Childhood Health Outdoors Initiative (ECHO), National Wildlife Federation; Ann Kay, Co-Founder & Education Coordinator at The Rock ‘n’ Read Project; and Natalie Walrond, Director at the Center to Improve Social and Emotional Learning and School Safety at WestEd. More information here.
• On February 15 at 12:00 pm, the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research at the American Institutes for Research (AIR) will host a webinar titled, “Where are School Districts on the Road to Recovery? What Comes Next?” The webinar will consider district approaches to learning recovery and discuss what implications they may have for the future. Presenters include Emily Morton, research scientist at NWEA (formerly known as the Northwest Evaluation Association) and Carly Robinson, Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Annenberg Institute at Brown University. More information and registration here.
• On February 15 at 2:00 pm, the GRAD Partnership will host a webinar titled, “Working with Educator Mindsets.” Camille Farrington, Managing Director and Senior Research Associate at the University of Chicago Consortium on School Research, will discuss her research and provide advice for working with educators drawing on the science of learning and development in K-12 settings. More information and registration here.
• On February 16 at 1:00 pm, Opportunity America will host a webinar titled, “UNLOCKING THE FUTURE: Toward a new reform agenda for K-12 education.” Panelists will discuss the political division in education, particularly in the context of pandemic learning recovery. The webinar will also present a new collection of essays that weigh the components of a “new reform agenda.” Speakers include: John Bailey, American Enterprise Institute; Derrell Bradford, 50CAN; Denise Forte, The Education Trust; Tamar Jacoby, Opportunity America; Robin Lake, Center on Reinventing Public Education; Frances Messano, NewSchools Venture Fund; Keri Rodrigues, National Parents Union; Ian Rowe, Vertex Partnership Academies; and Romy Drucker, Walton Family Foundation. More information and registration here.
• On February 16 at 2:00 pm, the Alliance for Early Success and the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative/Raising Child Care Fund will host a webinar titled, “Reset and Renew: What Aligned Campaigns Learned from Setbacks.” The webinar will discuss the recent movements and successes in systems change and investments in early childhood programs, and what leaders have done to reach success in both areas. Systems campaign leaders will present their aligned approaches that led them to change, as well as their setbacks, responses, and lessons learned. More information and registration here.
• On February 17 from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, the Brookings Institution will host an event titled, “Education systems transformation symposium: Collaborative work, local contexts, and false dichotomies.” The Center for Universal Education (CUE) at Brookings will celebrate its 20th anniversary and launch its new 10-year strategy focusing on systems transformation for holistic education, locally defined priorities, and collaboration in bringing research to practice across education ecosystems. The opening and closing sessions will be livestreamed, and more information is here.

Publications (Congress & Administration):

• On February 7, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released new findings from the School Pulse Panel on learning mode, quarantine, learning recovery, and tutoring. Data from survey results collected in December 2022 show that the percentage of public schools offering remote learning (14 percent) in December was significantly lower than previous months, and the percentage of public schools offering full-time in-person instruction in December (99 percent) has not changed. Survey results indicated that the number of both students and staff quarantining because of COVID-19 increased in December, up to 36 percent for students from 30 percent in November and October. Public schools reported that roughly 50 percent of students were behind grade level at the beginning of both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years, up from 36 percent prior to the pandemic. Many schools chose to provide tutoring to support academic recovery; 37 percent provided high-dosage tutoring, 59 percent provided standard tutoring, and nearly 50 percent provided self-paced tutoring. Of the schools that provided high-dosage tutoring, almost half indicated that lack of funding to hire staff inhibited their ability to implement the tutoring program.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On February 7, the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released a new report titled, “ Teacher Prep Review: Building Content Knowledge.” The report reviewed course options and course requirements in social studies and science for aspiring elementary teachers at 437 teacher preparation programs across the country and found significant gaps in sufficient course work. More specifically, the analysis found that only 3 percent of programs require aspiring teachers to complete courses in most of the social studies and science topics an elementary school teacher needs to know in order to promote students’ literacy and learning. In response to the findings, NCTQ developed the Building Content Knowledge: Content Coverage Tool to help programs bolster their teacher training and adequately prepare them to teach essential social studies and science topics.
• On February 9, Gallup and the Lumina Foundation released a new report titled, “Balancing Act: The Tradeoffs and Challenges Facing Black Students in Higher Education.” The study surveyed 12,015 U.S. adults, some enrolled in associate’s or bachelor’s programs, and others with some to no little higher education experience, to unearth challenges that Black learners face pursuing different types of postsecondary education. Findings show that Black students in least racially diverse programs are more likely to feel discriminated against or unsafe. Additionally, Black learners at private, for‑profit schools are more likely to report discrimination than at public and private, non-profit institutions. Black students reported higher rates (nearly double) of having other responsibilities outside of their studies, including being a caregiver, parent, and having full-time employment. Fifty-nine percent of Black bachelor’s students rated “greater flexibility in work or personal schedule” as very important to their remaining enrolled.

Legislation:

Introduced in the House of Representatives:

H.R. 845
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to create a demonstration project to fund additional secondary school counselors in troubled Title I schools to reduce the dropout rate.
Sponsor: Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA)

H.R. 863
A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit a publishing house from knowingly furnishing sexually explicit material to a school or an educational agency, to prohibit Federal funds from being provided to a school that obtains or an educational agency that distributes sexually explicit material, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL)

H.R. 882
A bill to provide grants to State educational agencies to support State efforts to increase teacher salaries, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL)

H.R. 887
A bill to authorize local educational agencies and non-public schools to use funds, services, or assistance provided under section 2001 or 2002 of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for school safety, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Burgess Owens (R-UT)

H.R. 889
A bill to terminate the Department of Education.
Sponsor: Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY)

H.R. 935
A bill to clarify protections related to sex and sex-segregated spaces and activities under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL)

H.R. 938
A bill to abolish the Department of Education and to provide funding directly to States for elementary and secondary education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Barry Moore (R-AL)

H.R. 944
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to require institutions of higher education to disclose certain ties to organizations affiliated with the Government of the People’s Republic of China, the Chinese Communist Party, and the People’s Liberation Army, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX)

H.R. 951
A bill to prohibit educational institutions that require students to provide information with respect to their menstrual cycles from receiving Federal funds.
Sponsor: Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA)

H.R. 953
A bill to establish universal child care and early learning programs.
Sponsor: Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)

H.R. 961
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to increase the period of eligibility for Federal Pell Grants, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI)

H.R. 969
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to expand access to school-wide arts and music programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)

H.R. 971
A bill to direct the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture to conduct a study on Black history education efforts in public elementary and secondary schools, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)

H.J.Res. 28
A joint resolution expressing support for designation of the week of February 6, 2023, through February 10, 2023, as “National School Counseling Week”.
Sponsor: Rep. Linda Sánchez (D-CA)

H.Res. 110
A resolution supporting the goals and ideals of “Career and Technical Education Month”.
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA)

H.Res. 119
A resolution expressing support for designation of March 2023 as Music in Our Schools Month.
Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)

Introduced in the Senate:

S. 300
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for Federal student loan reform.
Sponsor: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

S. 301
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit against tax for qualified elementary and secondary education tuition.
Sponsor: Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

S. 327
A bill to make 5 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

S. 330
A bill to make 2 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

S. 331
A bill to make 1 percent across-the-board rescissions in non-defense, non-homeland-security, and non-veterans-affairs discretionary spending for each of fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
Sponsor: Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)

S. 343
A bill to support the establishment of an apprenticeship college consortium.
Sponsor: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)

S. 360
A bill to address foreign threats to higher education in the United States.
Sponsor: Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX)

S. 364
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to expand access to school-wide arts and music programs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)

S. 388
A bill to establish universal child care and early learning programs.
Sponsor: Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)

S.Res. 54
A resolution expressing support for the designation of March 2023 as “Music in Our Schools Month”.
Sponsor: Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ)