E-Update for the Week of February 16, 2021
Highlights:
- On February 12, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance titled, “Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation” to help education leaders in making decisions on how to safely bring students back into classrooms and/or remain open.
- On February 11, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee favorably reported the nomination of Dr. Miguel Cardona to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (USED).
- On February 9, the House Education and Labor Committee held a full Committee markup of a coronavirus relief bill allowing up to $357 billion in deficit spending, including $130 billion in relief funding for elementary and secondary schools, $40 billion for higher education, and $30 billion for early childhood education.
Biden Administration:
Nominations:
HELP Committee reports Cardona out of Committee, floor vote pending: The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee favorably reported the nomination of Dr. Miguel Cardona to serve as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education (USED). Cardona’s nomination was reported out of Committee on a bipartisan 17-5 vote. Senators who voted against the nomination include Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Braun (R-IN), Roger Marshall (R-KS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), and Tim Scott (R-SC). During the Committee meeting, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) stated that, “Cardona has the background, qualifications, and temperament to serve as Secretary. He’s stressed the need for students to get back in school. Dr. Cardona understands that one-size-fits all approaches from Washington won’t work. And he says there are excellent examples of charter schools, so I hope my Democratic colleagues hear that as well.” A confirmation vote by the full Senate for Dr. Cardon’s nomination has not yet been scheduled. A press release is here.
February 11, 2021
Statements:
White House officials outline Biden Administration higher education priorities: Carmel Martin, Deputy Director for Economic Mobility within the White House Domestic Policy Council, and Michelle Asha Cooper, acting Assistant Secretary for the Office of Postsecondary Education, delivered remarks to the Community College National Legislative Summit. Martin noted that President Joe Bien is committed to “investing in high-quality education and training programs beyond the investments made in the American Rescue Plan” and expressed that the president seeks to work with Congress in a bipartisan basis to move his agenda forward. Cooper and Martin both described the president’s higher education agenda, which mirrored many of the president’s policies introduced when he was campaigning. Specifically, they described that the president is committed to making community college tuition free; establishing a new grant program to assist community colleges in increasing student retention and completion; investing $50 billion in “high-quality” job-skills training programs; doubling the maximum Pell Grant award; reducing student loan repayments to no more than 5 percent of discretionary income and forgiving loans after 20 years of payments; removing the underlying barriers that result in inequities for students; and protecting students from “predatory institutions” and ensuring that for-profit institutions “prove their value.” A POLITICO article is here. (Note: A subscription to POLITICO Pro is here.)
February 9, 2021
FLOTUS commits Biden Administration to making community college free: Dr. Jill Biden, First Lady of the United States, delivered remarks to the Community College National Legislative Summit. During the event, Dr. Biden stated that “[the Administration is] going to make sure that everyone has access to free community college and training programs.” She also described that the Administration will ensure that students have the support to finish their programs and will invest in programs, “that prepare our workers for jobs of the future.” A POLITICO article is here. (Note: A subscription to POLITICO Pro is required.)
February 9, 2021
Budget and Appropriations:
Senate Appropriations Committee undergoes significant shakeup in subcommittee chairs: The Senate Appropriations Committee announced the new Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members for the Committee during the 117th Congress. For the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS) Appropriations Subcommittee, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) will continue as Chairwoman and Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) will continue as Ranking Member. Senator Patty Murray will also serve as the Chairwoman of the Senate HELP Committee. Additionally, Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) will join the Senate Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee as a new Member and Senator James Lankford (R-OK) will no longer serve on the Subcommittee. A press release is here.
February 12, 2021
House Education and Labor Committee markups up education relief funding bill, budget reconciliation moves closer to completion: The House Education and Labor Committee held a full Committee markup of a coronavirus relief bill allowing up to $357 billion in deficit spending, including $130 billion in relief funding for elementary and secondary schools, $40 billion for higher education, and $30 billion for early childhood education. During the markup, Republicans offered 32 amendments which were all rejected. The bill, which was developed based on reconciliation instructions to the Committee included in the recently passed budget resolution, was then adopted by the Committee along a party-line vote of 27-21 during the early morning hours of February 10. The Committee’s relief bill will now be merged with bills being drafted by 12 other House committees to create a $1.9 trillion relief package funding in line with President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which will only require a simple majority for passage rather than the typical 60-vote threshold in the Senate. It is expected that the full House could consider the broader coronavirus relief package the week of February 22. Following House passage, it is likely the Senate will consider the House resolution, rather than having committees draft a separate Senate resolution, with the goal of getting a relief bill to President Biden for signature by mid-March. A press release from House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) is here. A press release from Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is here. A recording of the markup, along with the committee bill, is here.
Of note, the bill differs from prior coronavirus relief packages in that no funding would be provided for a Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund and a Maintenance of Equity provision is newly included to ensure state and school district funding is not reduced disproportionally for schools serving economically disadvantaged students. Additionally, relief funding for elementary and secondary education would newly require states and districts to reserve funds to address “learning loss.” Specifically, states would be required to reserve 5 percent of their allocation and school districts would reserve 20 percent of their allocations to implement “evidence-based interventions to address learning loss, such as summer learning, extended day comprehensive afterschool programs, and extended school year programs.”
The House Committee on Oversight and Reform and the House Ways and Means Committee were among the other House committees conducting markups of their bills as part of the coronavirus relief package the week of February 8. The House Committee on Oversight and Reform adopted its bill, which will provide $350 billion in coronavirus relief to state and local governments which, in part, will support local elementary and secondary education. Additionally, the House Ways and Means Committee adopted its bill, which will provide emergency assistance for vulnerable children, families, and workers, emergency assistance through home visiting programs, and support for child care for workers. A recording of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform markup, along with the committee bill, is here. A recording of the House Ways and Means Committee markup is here and information on the committee bill as introduced is here.
February 9, 2021
Coronavirus Updates (as related to education):
Administration:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
CDC, USED release new guidance on school reopening: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new guidance titled, “Operational Strategy for K-12 Schools through Phased Mitigation” to help education leaders in making decisions on how to safely bring students back into classrooms and/or remain open. The guidance emphasizes that face masks and social distancing of at least six feet should be prioritized for teachers and students in K-12 schools and provides certain health equity considerations education leaders should take into account. In a press conference announcing the guidance’s release, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters that teacher vaccinations can also serve as an “additional layer of protection” atop masking, distancing, hand-washing, facility cleaning, and rapid contact tracing, plus quarantines for the infected. Director Walensky also urged states to prioritize school educators for vaccinations; however, the guidance states that access to vaccines “should not be considered a condition for reopening schools for in-person instruction.” The full document is here. A press release from House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) is here. A press release from Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) is here.
Relatedly, USED released new guidance titled, “COVID-19 Handbook Volume 1: Strategies for Safely Reopening Elementary and Secondary Schools” alongside the CDC’s operational strategy for school reopening on February 12. The first volume of the handbook aims to guide educators on masking and physical distancing and is intended to supplement the CDC operational strategy. The second volume, which is anticipated to be released in the coming weeks, will provide specific strategies to address the disruption created by COVID-19 for students, educators, and parents, including meeting the social, emotional, mental health and academic needs of students and supporting educator well-being. A press release is here, and the full document is here.
February 12, 2021
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS):
HHS Child Care Office outlines state plan requirements for CCDBG relief funding: Last week, the Office of Child Care within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released materials outlining the information that each state – through their lead agency –will be required to provide on their planned use of the $10 billion in Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds made available under the coronavirus relief package which passed in December, the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations (CRRSA) Act. According to the materials (which appear to still be under review by OMB), each state will be required to submit a letter no later than February 25 that describes the following, but not limited to: (1) whether the state plans to use CRRSA funds to provide direct child care services; (2) whether the state plans to use CRRSA funds to provide resources, supplies, and/or technical assistance to child care providers to support implementation of health and safety practices and policies in line with guidance from state and local health departments and the CDC; (3) whether the state plans to use CRRSA funds to support the stability of the child care sector to help child care providers pay for increased operating expenses; and (4) whether the state plans to use CRRSA funds to provide assistance to Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF)-eligible child care providers not participating in the subsidy system prior to the coronavirus pandemic. States that have not yet finalized how they plan to use CRRSA funds prior to February 25 must submit any tentative or partial plans and provide the status and timeline for finalizing those plans. Additionally, information on final use of funds will be collected through a separate report due by October 31, 2022. Materials outlining the information states will be required to provide is here (click on link under Instrument File).
Week of February 6, 2021
Congress:
Senate:
Murphy leads Senate Democrats in asking for summer learning to be prioritized in Senate education relief bill: Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) was joined by 12 other Senate Democrats in sending a letter to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) urging the leaders to dedicate funding for summer education and activity programs that serve low-income children in the next pandemic relief package, citing ongoing concerns about learning loss. In the letter, the Senators wrote that Congress must provide dedicated assistance for summer enrichment programs, “not only to improve academic achievement, but also to provide opportunities for play and exercise, to learn a new hobby or skill, develop leadership and teamwork skills, and to help students address the trauma of COVID-19.” Though the Members acknowledged school systems can already use existing federal aid to support summer enrichment programs, they argued “countless competing challenges” facing schools make it hard to prioritize and operate those initiatives. A press release is here. The full letter is here.
February 10, 2021
Murray urges FCC to open E-Rate program to support remote learning: Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA), along with 34 other Senators, sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) urging the Commission’s new leadership to utilize the E-Rate Program to help close the homework gap and connect millions of students to online learning opportunities. In the letter, the Senators request that the Commission “leverage the E-Rate program to begin providing connectivity and devices for remote learning,” by providing every school library with Wi-Fi hotspots and other connectivity devices to loan out to students who lack reliable internet access at home. A press release is here. The full letter is here.
February 5, 2021
House:
Foxx seeks information on how COVID relief funding has been used: House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) wrote a letter to Acting OMB Director Rob Fairweather requesting details on unused COVID-19 relief funds. In the letter, Ranking Member Foxx wrote that while she remains committed to working with the new Administration to effectively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, she wants a full understanding of how previous funding, passed in five separate, bipartisan bills that deliver trillions of dollars in relief has been used. “It is essential that appropriated funds are going to assist those in need,” she wrote, “including helping schools safely reopen and getting the economy back on track.” The full letter is here.
February 5, 2021
Non-Coronavirus Updates:
Congress:
Senate:
Casey, Murray introduce Child and Dependent Tax Credit bill: Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA) and Senate HELP Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA), along with more than 25 other Senate Democrats, introduced S.271, the “Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) Act.” The bill would expand the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to help families pay for the costs of child care. The bill would also make the CDCTC fully refundable, allow the full credit to be available to families with income under $125,000, increase the maximum credit allowed, and index benefits to inflation. “Families are facing unprecedented struggles in getting quality child care – and this bill will put more money in their pockets so they can afford the child care they need,” said Chairwoman Murray. A press release is here.
February 10, 2021
House:
House Education and Labor Committee announces Subcommittee chairs: House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) announced the new Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members for the Committee during the 117th Congress. Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members include Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Chair Gregorio Kilili Camacho Sablan (D-CNMI) and Ranking Member Burgess Owens (R-UT); Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Investment Chair Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Ranking Member Greg Murphy (R-NC); Subcommittee on Workforce Protections Chair Alma Adams (D-NC) and Ranking Member Fred Keller (R-PA); Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Chair Mark DeSaulnier (D-CA) and Ranking Member Rick W. Allen (R-GA); Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services Chair Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) and Ranking Member Russ Fulcher (R-ID). Additionally, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) will serve as Committee Vice Chair. A press release from Committee Democrats is here. A press release from Committee Republicans is here.
February 8, 2021
House passes National Apprenticeship Act reauthorization, Senate path unclear: The House passed H.R.447, the “National Apprenticeship Act of 2021” by a bipartisan vote of 247-173. The bill would invest more than $3.5 billion over five years in expanding access and opportunities to Registered Apprenticeship (RAs), youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeships programs. Amongst other provisions, the bill strengthens the connections between USED and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) through an interagency agreement to support the creation and expansion of youth apprenticeships, college consortiums, and data sharing agreements. A fact sheet on the bill is here. A press release from Committee Democrats is here. A press release from Committee Republicans is here.
February 5, 2021
Upcoming Events (Congressional and Administration):
- On February 19 at 10:00 am, the House Labor/HHS Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “COVID-19 and the Child Care Crisis.” Witnesses will include Melissa Boteach, Vice President, Income Security and Child Care/Early Learning, National Women’s Law Center, and Georgia Goldburn, Director, Hope Child Development Center, among other witnesses yet to be announced. A webcast of the hearing will be available here.
Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):
- On February 16 at 1:00 pm, the Wallace Foundation will hold an event titled, “How Do Principals Affect Students and School? A New Synthesis and Its Implications.” The webinar will discuss a new report commissioned by the Wallace Foundation that strengthens the evidence illustrating the impact that effective and high-quality principals can have on student outcomes. More information and registration are here.
- On February 16 at 1:00 pm, Third Way will hold an event titled, “How 2020 Changed the Way Americans View Higher Education.” The webinar will discuss recent public opinion polling on perceptions of higher education, and what they may mean for the long-term sustainability of the sector. More information and registration are here.
- On February 17 at 4:00 pm, the Urban Institute and WorkRise will hold an event titled, “The Role of Race, Labor Markets, and Education in Building an Equitable Recovery.” The webinar will feature discussions on the importance of educational attainment for economic mobility and how educational attainment may not act as a buffer against the economic hardship during recessions equally across racial and ethnic groups. More information and registration are here.
- On February 19 at 2:00 pm, the Aspen Institute will hold an event titled, “Future of College Sports: Reimagining Athletes’ Rights.” The webinar will discuss the upcoming Supreme Court case and recent congressional interest in name, image, and likeness rights for college athletes. Featured speakers include Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA). More information and registration are here.
- On February 23 at 1:00 pm, Whiteboard Advisors will hold an event titled, “What Does It Mean for Schools to be Digitally Ready in 2021 and Beyond?” The webinar will focus on what existing federal funds are available to support digital and remote learning, and how educators and policymakers can leverage those funds. More information and registration are here.
- On February 24 at 10:00 am, the Brookings Institute will hold an event titled, “Opportunity Zones: The early evidence.” The webinar will discuss research on Opportunity Zones, which were created by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and what impact they have had on low-income communities. More information and registration are here.
- On February 24 at 4:00 pm, the Science of Learning and Development (SoLD) Alliance will hold an event titled, “Who Gets to Thrive? Accelerating Equity for All Learners in All Settings.” The webinar is the fifth part of a series that examines the importance of learning environments on student experiences. Panelists will discuss approaches to training and building capacity for adults to support the creation of healthy and supportive learning environments for all students. More information and registration are here.
- On February 25 at 2:00 pm, the Brookings Institute will hold an event titled, “Addressing education inequality with next generation community schools.” The webinar will discuss how community schools, through policy actions at the federal, state, and local levels, can support the recovery from the pandemic – especially in consideration of the pandemic’s disproportionate impacts on schools and neighborhoods of color. More information and registration are here.
Publications (Outside Organizations):
- On February 9, the Fordham Institute published a report titled, “Robbers or Victims? Charter Schools and District Finances.” The report summarizes a study of district-level fiscal data from 2000 to 2017 to estimate the impact that independent charter schools may have on districts in which they exist. A key findings of the report was that, in most states, an increase in the percentage of students attending charter schools was associated with a significant increase in their host school district’s total revenue per pupil; total spending per pupil; local revenue per pupil; and per-pupil spending on support services. The full report is here.
- On February 2, EdResearch for Recovery published a report titled, “Accelerating Student Learning with High-Dosage Tutoring.” The report summarizes a meta-analysis of studies related to tutoring interventions and how they can be designed to be most effective on student learning recovery. Key findings of the report include identifying that tutoring increased student achievement by an additional three to 15 months of learning across grade levels; that high-dosage tutoring, which is tutoring that is more than 3 days a week of extra instruction, is one of the few-school based interventions that had positive effects on reading and math achievement; and that tutoring is one of the most impactful interventions for students from lower-income families. The full report is here.
- On January 13, the Fordham Institute published a report titled, “Bridging the Covid Divide: How States Can Measure Student Achievement Growth in the Absence of 2020 Test Scores.” The report summarizes a study of district level data in Missouri to identify how student achievement growth can be measured in the absence of data. Key findings of the report include identifying that district and school growth estimates based on a single-year gap convey similar information to growth estimates based on data with no gap year; that student subgroup growth estimates based on gap-year data can also be reliably estimated; and that only 27 percent of students attend schools that can generate growth measures if two consecutive years of testing data are missing. The full report is here.
Legislation:
H.R.920
A bill to amend the Act entitled “Act to provide for the establishment of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in the State of Kansas, and for other purposes” to provide for inclusion of additional related sites in the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC)
H.R.987
A bill to establish a grant program for domestic maritime workforce training and education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)
H.R.995
A bill to amend the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants for purposes of reducing child abuse and neglect due to the substance use disorder of a parent or caregiver.
Sponsor: Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA)
H.R. 998
A bill to establish an offshore wind career training grant program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. William Keating (D-MA)
H.R.1003
A bill to support the provision of library services and technology to meet the needs stemming from the coronavirus.
Sponsor: Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI)
H.R.1023
A bill to amend title 9 of the United States Code to prohibit predispute arbitration agreements that force arbitration of disputes arising from private education loans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA)
S.270
A bill to amend the Act entitled “Act to provide for the establishment of the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in the State of Kansas, and for other purposes” to provide for inclusion of additional related sites in the National Park System, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE)
S.271
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to enhance the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit and make the credit fully refundable.
Sponsor: Sen. Bob Casey Jr. (D-PA)
S.284
A bill to support the provision of library services and technology to meet the needs stemming from the coronavirus.
Sponsor: Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI)