E-Update for the Week of February 19, 2019
Highlights:
- On February 14, USED Office of the Inspector General released a report titled, “Federal Student Aid: Additional Actions Needed to Mitigate the Risk of Servicer Noncompliance with Requirements for Servicing Federally Held Student Loans.” The report highlighted the need for the Department to take greater actions when addressing the failure of loan servicing companies to meet federal standards for collecting student loans.
- On February 12, House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Kristin Gillebrand (D-NY) introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act). The bill would provide 12 weeks of paid leave for a pregnancy, birth or adoption of a child, recovery from an illness, or caring for an ill family member.
- On February 12, the House Education and Labor Committee held a full Committee hearing titled, “Underpaid Teachers and Crumbling Schools: How Underfunding Public Education Shortchanges America’s Students.” The hearing focused on various federal investments in public education, including those for school construction and infrastructure improvements, Title I programs, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs.
Congress:
Warren, Clark call on DeVos to reconvene School Safety Commission: Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education (USED) Secretary Betsy DeVos calling on the Secretary to reconvene the Federal Commission on School Safety. The Congresswomen argue the Commission should continue to explore school safety, with a particular focus on the role of guns in school shootings. “In light of the continued threats facing our schools, our communities, and our children, we urge you to re-open the Commission to more fully examine the evidence that access to firearms contributes to the high rate of gun violence in the United States, and particularly to the dangers facing schools,” the Congresswomen write, in part. The full letter is here.
February 15, 2019
DeLauro, Gillebrand introduce paid family leave bill: House Appropriations Subcommittee for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (Labor/HHS) Chairwoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Kristin Gillebrand (D-NY) introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act). The bill would provide 12 weeks of paid leave for a pregnancy, birth or adoption of a child, recovery from an illness, or caring for an ill family member. “When Americans don’t have access to paid leave, it hurts low-income workers, it worsens the wealth gap for women, it exacerbates racial inequality, and it prevents small businesses from being able to compete with the biggest corporations,” stated Senator Gillebrand. A press release is here.
February 12, 2019
House:
Scott on Parkland shooting anniversary, ‘…we witnessed another mass shooting at an American school’: House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) released a statement on the one-year anniversary of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. “For many of us, that day will always be remembered for the mixture of shock, frustration, and profound grief we felt as we witnessed another mass shooting at an American school,” the statement read in part. The Chairman’s full statement is here.
February 14, 2019
House Education Committee hearing focuses on school funding, infrastructure needs: The House Education and Labor Committee held a full Committee hearing titled, “Underpaid Teachers and Crumbling Schools: How Underfunding Public Education Shortchanges America’s Students.” The hearing focused on various federal investments in public education, including those for school construction and infrastructure improvements, Title I programs, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) programs. In his opening remarks, Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) highlight the need for additional federal funding, specifically for Title I programs. ” In the 2017-2018 school year, Congress gave schools less than a third of the full authorization amount for the basic grant program,” he stated. Further, the Chairman referenced his recently re-introduced “Rebuild America’s Schools Act,” which would provide $100 billion in grants and tax credits to support improvements to school infrastructure. In her opening remarks, Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) argued it is not the place of the federal government to simply infuse more money into public schools. Instead, the Ranking Member highlighted “opportunity zones” as an example of how private-public partnerships can help meet the needs of public schools and low-income communities. The Chairman’s full opening remarks are here. The Ranking Member’s opening remarks are here. A recording of the hearing is here.
February 12, 2019
Administration:
U.S. Department of Education (USED):
USED Inspector General finds Department failed to address loan servicers not meeting federal standards: USED Office of the Inspector General released a report titled, “Federal Student Aid: Additional Actions Needed to Mitigate the Risk of Servicer Noncompliance with Requirements for Servicing Federally Held Student Loans.” The report highlighted the need for the Department to take greater actions when addressing the failure of loan servicing companies to meet federal standards for collecting student loans. The report indicated the Department is aware of the shortcomings of these companies, but “rarely” took actions to address them. Doing so resulted in student borrowers not having access to the most favorable repayment terms. The full report is here. A statement by Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) is here.
February 14, 2019
USED extends Pell Grants for incarcerated persons pilot program: USED announced it would be expanding the pilot program that allows incarcerated persons the ability to use Pell Grants to pay for higher education costs. The program began during the Obama administration and is now in its fourth year. “… we don’t want to deny any student the opportunity to receive the education they want and need while we wait to get conclusive results. We believe that this population is worth the investment while we continue to evaluate the program,” stated Liz Hill, spokesperson for the Department. More information is here.
February 13, 2019
USED releases FAQ on FERPA, data sharing between schools and local law enforcement: USED released a revised FAQ document titled, “School Resource Officers, School Law Enforcement Units and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).” The document was a result of a recommendation made in the Federal Commission on School Safety final report, which highlighted the need for clarification and additional guidance regarding how FERPA prevents or allows the sharing of student information with various stakeholders, including school resource officers (SROs) and local law enforcement. “FERPA is an area where widespread confusion remains, and this clarification will give local school leaders and law enforcement the tools they need to protect student privacy while ensuring the health and safety of students and others in the school community,” stated Secretary DeVos. The document does not prescribe how districts should address the sharing of information between stakeholders but outlines how the law prevents or allows such sharing. A press release is here. The FAQ document is here.
February 12, 2019
Publications (Outside Organizations):
- On February 15, the American Council on Education published a report titled, “Race and Ethnicity in Higher Education: A Status Report.” The report compiles examines multiple indicators as they relate to higher education – both access and attainment – such as race, ethnicity, age, and location. Key findings of the report include identifying that in 2017 approximately 40 percent of U.S. adults ages 25 and older had attained an associate’s degree or higher; that Asian Americans had the highest percentage of attaining a bachelor’s degree (30.7%), while Hispanic Americans had the lowest percentage (12.2%); and for all Americans, there was an increase of five percentage points for attaining a bachelor’s degree since 1997. The full report is here.
- On February 12, the National Consumer Law Center published a report titled, “The Dark Side of Payroll Withholding to Repay Student Loans.” The report is in response to Senate HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander’s (R-TN) recent remarks regarding reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA), during which he expressed a desire to include automatic payroll deductions for those with student loans. Key findings of the report include identifying that families on income driven repayment plans averaged a change in their income five times per year; automatic deductions do not account for borrowers with inconsistent work hours nor do they account for those in seasonal employment; and many borrowers would be forced to pay their student loans before basic necessities such as rent, heat, food, or prescription medications. The full report is here.
Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):
- On February 21 at 9:00 am, the Learning Policy Institute is hosting an event titled, “Reaching for Equity and Excellence: California’s Educational Progress and the Path Ahead.” The event, which features Linda Darling-Hammond, will explore how California has attempted to achieve educational equity and how the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom will build upon this work. Such efforts include the state’s school-financing system, the use of standards and assessments, and an evaluation of best practices. More information and registration are here.
Legislation:
H.R.1153
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to award institutions of higher education grants for teaching English learners.
Sponsor: Rep. James Langevin (D-RI)
H.R.1161
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to develop a plain language disclosure form for borrowers of Federal student loans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
H.R.1168
A bill to advance STEM education, provide for improved worker, training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)
H.R.1190
A bill to prohibit an alien who is not in a lawful immigration status in the United States from being eligible for postsecondary education benefits that are not available to all citizens and nationals of the United States.
Sponsor: Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)
H.R.1192
A bill to improve school safety.
Sponsor: Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-WI)
H.R.1197
A bill to establish a pilot program to promote public-private partnerships among apprenticeships or other job training programs, local educational agencies, and community colleges, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA)
H.R.1225
A bill to establish, fund, and provide for the use of amounts in a National Park Service and Public Lands Legacy Restoration Fund to address the maintenance backlog of the National Park Service, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Bureau of Indian Education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)
H.R.1229
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness program under title IV of such Act if the individual’s period of consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school of the defense dependents’ education system under the Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)
S.460
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the exclusion for employer-provided education assistance to employer payments of student loans.
Sponsor: Senator Mark Warner (D-VA)
S.461
The “HBCU Propelling Agency Relationships Towards a New Era of Results for Students Act”
Sponsor: Senator Tim Scott (R-SC)
S.468
A bill to amend title II of the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for teacher, principal, and other school leader quality enhancement.
Sponsor: Senator John Cornyn (R-TX)
S.532
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide that an individual may remain eligible to participate in the teacher loan forgiveness program under title IV of such Act if the individual’s period of consecutive years of employment as a full-time teacher is interrupted because the individual is the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces who is relocated during the school year pursuant to military orders for a permanent change of duty station, or the individual works in a school of the defense dependents’ education system under the Defense Dependents’ Education Act of 1978 due to such a relocation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD)