E-Update for the Week of September 27, 2021

Highlights:

• On September 25, the House Budget Committee met to markup the full budget reconciliation package, consisting of proposals from several House committees, to ready the measure for the House Rules Committee.
• On September 23, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) signaled that Democrats will do what is needed to avoid a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution (CR).
• On September 23, during a stop on his Back to School Bus Tour, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona stated that he “wholeheartedly” supports mandatory vaccines for teenagers.

Budget & Appropriations: 

House Budget Committee advances budget reconciliation package, setting up potential action in the House on advancing Democrats’ $3.5 trillion proposal: The House Budget Committee will meet to markup the full budget reconciliation package, consisting of proposals from several House committees, to ready the measure for the House Rules Committee. No major changes to the bill are anticipated during the procedural move, during which the various committee submissions will be compiled, and the minority will have a chance to weigh in on nonbinding motions. However, the step remains necessary ahead of the bill’s introduction in the Rules committee, where major changes to the package could take place. Meanwhile, on September 24, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) expressed his “intention” to bring the bill to the House floor the week of September 27. A recording of the markup is here.
September 25, 2021

Pelosi signals Democrats may blink in light of Republican opposition and remove debt limit suspension from Continuing Resolution this week: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) signaled that Democrats will do what is needed to avoid a government shutdown by passing a continuing resolution (CR). “Whatever it is, we will have a CR that passes both houses by September 30,” Speaker Pelosi said at a press briefing. The comments follow the House passing a stopgap spending measure that would fund the government through December 3 and suspend the debt ceiling limit until December 16, 2022. However, Republicans are anticipated to block the measure in the Senate due to objections with the inclusion of the suspension of the debt ceiling limit. House and Senate Democratic leadership will then have to determine next steps to ensure a stop gap funding measure is in place after September 30 – this could include striking the suspension of the debt ceiling limit from the CR to be addressed at a later date. An article from The Hill is here.
September 23, 2021

Coronavirus Updates (as related to education):

Administration:

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED awards first grant to Florida district after state rescinded funding in light of district’s mask mandate for schools: USED awarded the School Board of Alachua County in Florida $147,719 in funding under the new Project to Support America’s Families and Educators (Project SAFE) grant program. This is the first award the Department has made under Project SAFE, and the funding will support the district’s efforts to “protect students as they return to safe, in-person learning despite the state’s actions to prohibit implementation of strategies to limit the spread of COVID-19.” A press release is here.
September 23, 2021

Cardona puts support behind vaccine mandates for students: During a stop on his Back to School Bus Tour, USED Secretary Miguel Cardona stated that he “wholeheartedly” supports mandatory vaccines for teenagers.  According to reporting from the Washington Post, the Secretary expressed that he believes vaccines are “the best tool that we have to safely reopen schools and keep them open.”  Following his statement, the Secretary noted that governors and health officials should make the decisions for vaccine mandates but did not discuss the role of local school district leaders in such decisions.  An article from the Washington Post is here.
September 23, 2021

Congress:

House:

Energy and Commerce Committee explores impact of COVID on children’s physical and mental health: The Energy and Commerce Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing titled, “Putting Kids First: Addressing COVID-19’s Impact on Children.”  During the hearing, Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) expressed the need for government leaders to “follow the science” to keep children safe from the physical impacts of the pandemic. Chairman Pallone also highlighted the pandemic’s impacts on children’s mental health. Conversely, Ranking Member Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-WA) cited data to suggest that the hospitalization rates for children are significantly lower than other populations and thus less concerning for children.  The Ranking Member did note that children’s mental health has worsened and deserves attention.  The hearing featured testimony from Dr. Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Dr. Margaret Rush, president of the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital; Arthur Evans, chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association; Kelly Danielpour, founder of VaxTeen; and Dr. Tracy Beth Hoeg, epidemiologist and public health expert. A recording of the hearing is here; Chairman Pallone’s opening statement is here; and Ranking Member McMorris-Rodgers’ statement is here.
September 22, 2021

Non-Coronavirus Updates: 

Administration:

U.S. Department of Education (USED):

USED awards nearly $3 billion to programs intended to support postsecondary students of color, parenting students, and college-pathway programs: USED’s Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) awarded more than 5,100 grants, totaling roughly $2.6 billion, to new and existing grantees under programs aiming to support Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs); the TRIO programs; the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) program; the Child Care Access Means Parents in Schools (CCAMPIS) program, and others. “These grants serve a variety of purposes – from increasing students’ readiness for postsecondary education to bolstering the capacity of colleges,” said USED Miguel Cardona. “While each of these programs is unique, together they share the important aim of advancing equity in education and helping every student with dreams and determination to achieve their potential.” A press release is here.
September 23, 2021

USED awards $40 billion to seven grantees for Promise Neighborhoods program: USED awarded over $40 million in Promise Neighborhoods grant funding to seven grantees. The program, which aims to improve academic and developmental outcomes for children living in communities of concentrated poverty, enables education and community leaders to “address the many interlocking impacts” that concentrated poverty can have on students. The Department awarded funding to the South Ward Children’s Alliance of Newark, NJ; the John H. Boner Community Center of Indianapolis, IN; the Lancaster County Partners for Youth in Lancaster, SC; Klamath River Promise, located on Yurok tribal lands in California; Delta Health Alliance of Leland, MS; Broward Up Promise Neighborhood, in Broward County, FL; and Connecticut Children’s of Hartford. A press release is here.
September 22, 2021

Cordray outlines higher education priorities, discusses planning efforts for student loan portfolio: Chief Operating Officer of Federal Student Aid (FSA) Richard Cordray outlined his priorities in a policy speech to the Education Finance Council. During the speech, Cordray said that the Department has begun “advanced planning” for “what may be a significant new phase” in the federally-guaranteed student loan program, and that he’ll insist on new performance and accountability metrics as USED negotiates with federal student loan servicers over the extension of their contracts. On returning to loan repayment next February, Cordray said that restarting monthly student loan payments for tens of millions of borrowers, after a nearly two-year pause, will be a “unique and unprecedented” task. The full remarks are here.
September 16, 2021

Upcoming Events (Congressional and Administration):

• On September 29 at 10:15 am, the House Education and Labor Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee will hold a subcommittee hearing titled, “Back to School: Highlight Best Practices for Safely Reopening Schools.” No witnesses have yet been announced. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On September 30 at 10:00 am, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee will hold a full committee hearing titled, “School Reopening During COVID-19: Supporting Students, Educators, and Families.” The hearing will feature testimony from U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra and USED Secretary Miguel Cardona. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On September 30 at 10:15 am, the House Education and Labor Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee will hold a subcommittee hearing titled, “Protecting Students and Taxpayers: Improving the Closed School Discharge Process.” No witnesses have yet been announced. The hearing will be livestreamed here.
• On September 30 at 10:30 am, the House Energy and Commerce Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a subcommittee hearing titled, “A Level Playing Field: College Athletes’ Rights to Their Name, Image, and Likeness.” No witnesses have yet been announced. The hearing will be livestreamed here.

Upcoming Events (Outside Organizations):

• On September 28 at 1:00 pm, LaundryCares Foundation and the Clinton Foundation’s Too Small to Fail initiative will hold an event titled, “Reimagining Together: Learning in Everyday Spaces.” The event will feature parents and caregivers who will share their vision for their neighborhood spaces. More information and registration are here.
• On September 28 at 2:00 pm, Whiteboard Advisors will hold an event titled, “What’s Next for Higher Education Journalism?” The event will feature a panel of higher education journalists for insight on the key issues driving higher education news cycles today during the next phase of recovery. More information and registration are here.
• On September 28 at 2:00 pm, Education Reform Now (ERN) will hold an event titled, “Assessment Bootcamp Part 3: Making the Case for Statewide Summative Assessments.” The webinar will focus on making the case for statewide summative assessments, including how to better communicate the purposes of each type of assessment, incorporate authentic community engagement in the development of assessment policy, and address common misconceptions about assessments from parents and educators. More information and registration are here.
• On September 28 at 3:00 pm, New America will hold an event titled, “The Kindergarten Exodus: Why, Where and What We Can Do Now.” The event will feature a discussion with district superintendents as they describe how their districts are responding to pandemic-precipitated challenges affecting the early grades. More information and registration are here.
• On September 28 at 7:00 pm, the American Enterprise Institute will hold an event titled, “Sowell, Williams, and Loury: Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites.” The event will focus on modern Black scholars and the importance of bringing their stories and work to students nationwide. More information and registration are here.
• On September 30 at 10:00 am, the Brookings Institute will hold an event titled, “Transforming Education Systems Through Family-School Collaboration.” The event will focus on a new playbook from Brookings’ Center for Universal Education (CUE) titled, “Collaborating to transform and improve education systems: A playbook for family-school engagement.” More information and registration are here.
• On September 30 at 1:00 pm, U.S. News & World Report will hold an event titled, “Addressing the Higher Education Affordability Challenge.” The webinar will feature higher education leaders and experts who will provide strategies and solutions about how to maximize the value of a higher education experience for both students and institutions worldwide. More information and registration are here.

Publications (Outside Organizations):

• On September 23, ACT published a report titled, “Intergenerational Mobility and ACT Scores.” The report features policy recommendations for how colleges, K-12 educators and policymakers can increase intergenerational mobility to reduce income segregation and narrow the intergenerational mobility gap. Key recommendations include ensuring that test scores be used as one of the many measures in a college application process that highlights the holistic learner; encouraging high-achieving students to attend colleges that are good fits and might reap the greatest earnings benefits in the future; and that while increasing access to elite colleges for students from low-income families is absolutely essential, it’s not enough to support students in making it to graduation. The full report is here.
• On September 23, the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions published a report titled, “Lessons from the Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Pathways Program.” The report examines the possibility of seeing HSIs as viable pathways to Ph.D. programs in the humanities, and eventually the professoriate. Key findings include identifying that Latinx faculty across all levels represent 5% of faculty in the U.S.; that Latinx doctorate recipients in all fields accounted for 4.7% of the over 55,000 degrees conferred in 2018; and that research shows that students perform better when they are taught by a diverse, wide cross-section of professors and especially those with similar backgrounds and experiences. The full report is here.
• On September 22, the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools published a report titled, “Voting with Their Feet: A State-level Analysis of Public Charter School and District Public School Enrollment Trends.” The report analyzes charter school enrollment data from 42 states to find that public charter schools experienced enrollment gains amid a historic decline in overall public school enrollment. Other key findings include identifying that California and Arizona saw increased charter school enrollment from nearly every racial and ethnic group; nearly every state with public charter schools saw enrollment increases; and that Illinois, Iowa, and Wyoming are the only states that saw a modest decrease in charter school enrollment. The full report is here.
• On September 22, the Center for American Progress published a report titled, “Budget Reconciliation Must Support a Quality Education for All Students.” The report lays out a series of specific policy recommendations that would improve opportunities for education systems to disrupt inequities exacerbated by COVID-19. Key recommendations from the report include building a stronger child care system that is affordable, accessible, and high-quality, alongside investments in Head Start and preschool programs; reimaging K-12 education to better support students and families, including support for remote learning, different forms of in-person learning, and an overhaul of crumbling school building infrastructure; and strengthening and expanding access to affordable quality physical and behavioral health care. The full report is here.

Legislation:

H.R.5308
A bill to amend section 9A of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require that local school wellness policies include a requirement that students receive 50 hours of school nutrition education per school year.
Sponsor: Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-PA)

H.R.5322
A bill to amend the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010 to establish the position of the Assistant Director and Student Loan Borrower Advocate of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, to establish the Office for Students and Young Consumers of the Bureau, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)

H.R.5327
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to make grants to the parents of students served by local educational agencies that require students to wear face masks during in-person instruction, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)

H.R.5328
A bill to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a grant program to make grants to the parents of students served by local educational agencies that teach critical race theory, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC)

H.R.5337
A bill to establish a National social emotional learning clearinghouse.
Sponsor: Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA)

H.R.5339
A bill to clarify the requirements of authorized representatives under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)

H.R.5342
A bill to prevent harassment at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI)

H.R.5348
A bill to establish eligibility requirements for education support professionals under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL)

S.2778
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.2791
A bill to prevent harassment at institutions of higher education, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Patty Murray (D-WA)

S.2800
A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to support community college and industry partnerships, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)

S.2821
A bill to establish eligibility requirements for education support professionals under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)