E-Update for the Week of June 28, 2021
Highlights:
- On June 24, after weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan group of 21 Senators developed a compromise framework to invest $1.2 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure, and President Joe Biden has agreed to the proposal.
- On June 24, USED Secretary Cardona appeared in front of the House Education and Labor Committee for a hearing examining the policies and priorities of the Department and the Department’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request.
- On June 23, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled Mahoney Area School Districts v. B.L, in which the Court ruled in favor of a student who had been suspended from a cheerleading team due to inflammatory content she posted on social media over the weekend.
Coronavirus Updates (as related to education):
Administration:
U.S. Department of Education (USED):
USED reinforces commitment to equity with first installment of Equity Summit Series: USED held a virtual summit titled, “Building Equitable Learning Environments in Our Schools,” during which the Department discussed and highlighted the need to support students holistically as they return to schools in-person. USED Secretary Cardona noted how the investments from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act and the prospective funding included in the proposed American Families Plan are intended to support the creation of learning environments that are focused on supporting students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental well-being. Secretary Cardona mentioned the event several times during a recent hearing in front of the House Education and Labor Committee (see below) and underscored the importance of creating schools that “wrap their arms” around all students and provides them a safe, judgement free space to thrive and recover. The event featured a panel discussion moderated by USED Deputy Secretary Cindy Marten which was intended to highlight various practices and approaches of practitioners from across the country. A press release is here.
June 22, 2021
Non-Coronavirus Updates:
Congress:
Bipartisan compromise reached on infrastructure package, road ahead still includes several potholes: After weeks of negotiations, a bipartisan group of 21 Senators developed a compromise framework to invest $1.2 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure, and President Joe Biden has agreed to the proposal. The framework includes funding to address several areas of the country’s physical infrastructure and includes $65 billion to expand access to broadband; $55 billion for water infrastructure, which includes the replacement of lead pipes for 400,000 schools and child care settings; and $7.5 billion for electric buses, including electrifying school buses. While the agreement has been reached and agreed to, there is still a long road ahead for the package in both the Senate and the House. The president, echoing calls from more progressive Members, stated that he will not sign the infrastructure package unless Congress sends him the bill alongside a larger spending package related to his American Jobs Plan and American Families Plan, which will likely move through the budget reconciliation process – a budgetary procedure that allows legislation to bypass the legislative filibuster in the Senate and only needs 51 votes to pass. Similarly, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stated that the House will not vote on the infrastructure bill until after the Senate passes a reconciliation bill. The posturing from the White House and Democratic leadership is intended to help ensure that moderate Democrats agree to the reconciliation package, which could provide upwards of $4 trillion in additional spending – including funding for expanded access to child care, universal preschool, community college, and school infrastructure. The compromise framework is here, and a press release is here.
June 24, 2021
Senate:
Warren calls for $700 billion for child care programs in next reconciliation package: On June 23, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Economic Policy Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “The Role of Child Care in an Equitable Post-Pandemic Economy.” During the hearing Subcommittee Chairwoman Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) highlighted the need for more robust funding to support expanded access to child care so that working parents, especially working mothers, can reenter the workforce. Additionally, during the hearing the Chairwoman discussed a recent bicameral letter she led that urged congressional leaders to ensure that at least $700 billion is included in the upcoming reconciliation package. Chairwoman Warren called for mandatory funding over 10 years to support long-term, structural investments in child care. A recording of the hearing is here and the Senator’s letter is here.
June 23, 2021
House:
Cardona defends FY22 budget, recent policy decisions in front of House Education and Labor Committee: USED Secretary Cardona appeared in front of the House Education and Labor Committee for a hearing examining the policies and priorities of the Department and the Department’s fiscal year (FY) 2022 budget request. During the hearing, the Secretary highlighted the investments proposed in the president’s budget request, and also described how the Department is working with states to develop their American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary Schools Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plans. Democratic Members were interested in how the Department is supporting marginalized students, but also pushed the Secretary to describe how he would address rising levels of student loan debt and support borrowers as they face a restart to repayment once the current freeze ends on September 30. Republican Members, on the other hand, were heavily interested in the ongoing debate around Critical Race Theory and questioned the Secretary about his role in promoting curricular decisions. Additionally, Republicans sought information about how the Department is holding institutions of higher education accountable for reporting foreign investments as well as for improving student outcomes. Secretary Cardona reinforced several positions during the hearing including his continued support for high-performing public charter schools, while recognizing the need for improved oversight and accountability of low-performing programs; his belief that there needs to be significant improvement in career and technical education (CTE) programs and better alignment between K-12 and higher education programs; and his commitment to using Title IX to protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. A recording of the hearing is here, and a press release is here.
June 24, 2021
Foxx, Smith call for increased transparency on federal education relief funding: House Education and Labor Committee Ranking Member Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and House Budget Committee Ranking Member Jason Smith (R-MO) sent a letter to USED Secretary Miguel Cardona “demanding transparency” into the use of federal relief funds issued to K-12 and higher education institutions. “Democrats peddled their nearly $2 trillion bailout bill as the key to helping restore education, only to have it revealed later that 70 percent of elementary and secondary education spending would not even happen until – at the earliest – 2023,” the Members write. In the letter, the Members express concern about the Department’s “weak leadership on reopening schools,” and request information on USED’s oversight on how institutions of higher education and school districts are spending their allocated federal funds by July 1. A press release is here.
June 22, 2021
Supreme Court and U.S. Federal Courts:
SCOTUS rules in favor of student in school free speech case: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Mahoney Area School Districts v. B.L, in which the Court ruled in favor of a student who had been suspended from a cheerleading team due to inflammatory content she posted on social media over the weekend. In an 8-1 ruling, the Court stated that while “public schools may have a special interest in regulating some off-campus student speech, the special interests offered by the school are not sufficient to overcome [the student’s] interest in free expression in this case.” The Court’s ruling is here. A Washington Post article is here.
June 23, 2021
Upcoming Events (Congressional and Administration):
- On June 29 at 2:00 pm, the House Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee will hold a hearing titled, “Expanding Access to Higher Education and the Promise It Holds.” No witnesses have been announced. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):
- On June 28 at 10:00 am, the Brookings Institution will hold an event titled, “Examining the Effects of Student Debt Cancellation.” The webinar will examine the disproportionate effects of growing student loan debt on wealth-poor communities, assess the various proposals for debt cancellation, and discuss how these various proposals could have ameliorative effects on the racial wealth gap. More information and registration are here.
- On June 28 at 10:30 am, the Thomas B. Fordham Institute will hold an event titled, “Seeking a Truce in the Civics and History Wars: Is Educating for American Democracy the Answer?” The event will examine the Roadmap for Educating the American Democracy (EAD) released earlier this year by the National Endowment for the Humanities and U.S. Department of Education (USED). More information and registration are here.
- On July 1 at 2:00 pm, the Bipartisan Policy Center will hold a book discussion titled, “Jonathan Rauch’s The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth.” The webinar will discuss Rauch’s new book, which raises questions about the role of colleges and universities in our pluralistic democracy. More information and registration are here.
Publications (Administration):
- On June 23, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published a report titled, “Barriers that Constrain the Adequacy of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Allotments.” The study identifies the barriers that SNAP participants face when trying to achieve a healthy diet through a nationally representative survey of SNAP participants. Key findings include identifying that 88 percent of SNAP participants reported facing some type of barrier to achieving a healthy diet throughout the month; that the most common barrier overall, reported by 61 percent of SNAP participants, was the affordability of foods that are part of a healthy diet; and that both affordability and lack of cooking equipment or storage were associated with household food insecurity. The full report is here.
- On June 23, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) published a report titled, “Time to Lead: An Illustrative Look at How Elementary School Principals Spend Their Workweek.” The report examines how principals, who play a role in helping teachers improve their instruction, spend their time. Key findings include identifying that other tasks (outside providing instructional support) occupied a majority of principals’ time; that principals spent more than one-third of their time on instructional support to teachers on average, split fairly evenly between direct and indirect support; and that principals provided less feedback and indirect instructional support to teachers later in the school year. The full report is here.
Legislation:
H.R.4053
A bill to provide Federal student loan relief for teachers who work in a military impacted community.
Sponsor: Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX)
H.R.4076
A bill to amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to give the Department of Education the authority to award competitive grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist at-risk students in middle school and high school in developing cognitive and social-emotional skills to prepare them for success in high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce.
Sponsor: Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL)
H.R.4090
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to make college affordable and accessible.
Sponsor: Rep. Josh Harder (D-CA)
H.R.4097
A bill to support educational entities in fully implementing title IX and reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA)
H.R.4106
A bill to amend the Stop Student Debt Relief Scams Act of 2019 to make technical corrections.
Sponsor: Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI)
H.R.4108
A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to establish a pilot grant program to make grants to school food authorities to provide 100 percent plant-based food and milk options, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-NY)
H.R.4110
A bill to amend the Fair Credit Reporting Act to remove adverse information for certain defaulted or delinquent private education loan borrowers who demonstrate a history of loan repayment, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)
H.R.4122
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program.
Sponsor: Rep. Brian Babin (R-TX)
H.R.4145
A bill to establish a matched savings program for low-income students.
Sponsor: Rep. Susie Lee (D-NV)
S.2165
A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow parents of eligible military dependent children to establish Military Education Savings Accounts, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE)
S.2186
A bill to support educational entities in fully implementing title IX and reducing and preventing sex discrimination in all areas of education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)
S.2198
A bill to amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to give the Department of Education the authority to award competitive grants to eligible entities to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs to assist at-risk students in middle school and high school in developing cognitive and social-emotional skills to prepare them for success in high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce.
Sponsor: Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL)
S.2217
A bill to increase the participation of historically underrepresented demographic groups in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and industry.
Sponsor: Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)