ED Review (04/01/22)

April 1, 2022

PRESIDENT’S BUDGET REQUEST

 

On March 28, President Biden submitted to Congress his budget request for Fiscal Year 2023.  The budget details his vision to expand on the historic progress the country has made over the last year and deliver on the agenda he laid out in his State of the Union address -- to build a better America, reduce costs for families, advance equity, and grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out.  “Budgets are statements of values,” the President asserted, “and the budget I am releasing today sends a clear message that we value fiscal responsibility, safety and security at home and around the world, and the investments needed to continue our equitable growth and build a better America” (fact sheet and President’s statement). 

The President requested $88.3 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education, a $15.3 billion (20.9%) increase from the 2021 enacted level (less rescissions). 

Specifically, the request:

• supports students through COVID-19 pandemic response and recovery, including a $1 billion investment to boost the number of counselors, nurses, psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals in schools and a $468 million investment in full-service community schools and partnerships to provide integrated student supports;
• makes historic investments in schools with high-poverty rates to boldly address opportunity and achievement gaps, including $36.5 billion for Title I -- more than doubling the program’s funding compared to the 2021 enacted level -- and a set-aside to support voluntary state and local initiatives to identify gaps in educational opportunities and resources and a path forward to advance equity in student outcomes;
• increases support for children with disabilities, including $16.3 billion for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B grants to states -- a $3.3 billion increase versus the 2021 enacted level, and the largest two-year increase ever -- and $932 million for IDEA Part C grants for infants and toddlers;
• invests in educator recruitment and retention, including $514 million for Education Innovation and Research (EIR) grants, from which the Department would target $350 million toward identifying and scaling effective practices that improve recruitment and retention of staff in education;
• reimagines the high school to postsecondary education transition, including a new $200 million Career-Connected High Schools program that would help partnerships of school districts, institutions of higher education, and employers expand access to early enrollment in career-connected coursework, work-based learning opportunities, and/or career-connected instruction across the last two years of high school and the first two years of postsecondary education;
• makes historic investments in college affordability, including increasing the maximum Pell Grant by $2,175 over the 2021-22 award year and continuing to support expanding federal student aid for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients;
• increases equitable funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) with a boost of $752 million over the 2021 enacted level, including a $450 million initiative to expand research and development infrastructure; and
• supports civil rights enforcement, with $161 million for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) -- a 23% increase compared to the 2021 enacted level -- to ensure that the Department has the capacity to protect equal access to education under the law, such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. 

“It’s my hope that Congress answers the President’s call for continued investments to help our schools hire and support more teachers, school counselors, and other personnel who can nurture the social, emotional, and academic development and mental well-being of our children and youth at this critical time and beyond,” Secretary Cardona noted.  “Across the country, we must focus our efforts on recovery.  That means ensuring all students -- especially those from underserved communities and those most impacted by the pandemic -- receive the resources they need to thrive.  Importantly, this budget also invests in access to affordable higher education and the creation of stronger pathways that meet the demands of our workforce and connect students to well-paying jobs and fulfilling careers.” 

Among the Department’s budget resources are a press release, the budget summary, key highlights, Congressional justifications, the Secretary’s Twitter thread, and a video of the in-person briefing for stakeholders. 

CALL TO ACTION ON TEACHERS

 

In the hours before the budget release, coinciding with his participation at the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Summit on Improvement in Education in San Diego, the Secretary issued a call to action for states, districts, and higher education leaders to tap federal resources and work together to address the nationwide teacher shortage and aid student recovery. 

To increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the profession in the fall and beyond, he is calling on states to commit to establish teaching as a Registered Apprenticeship, invest in evidence-based teacher residency programs, launch or expand loan forgiveness or service scholarship programs, and increase teacher compensation. 

He is calling on districts to commit to increase partnerships between educator preparation programs (EPPs) at postsecondary institutions and districts that support teaching residencies and increase the availability of qualified teacher residents to support educators, students, and staff. 

He is calling on postsecondary institutions and EPPs to increase teacher residency programs and program capacity, work with states to establish teaching as a Registered Apprenticeship, and launch or expand loan forgiveness or service scholarship programs. 

To coincide with the Secretary’s call, the Department released a fact sheet providing concrete examples of how states, districts, and schools are using federal relief aid, including the American Rescue Plan (ARP), to strengthen the teacher pipeline, get more educators into the classroom, and accelerate student recovery. 

TRAVEL LOG 

Secretary Cardona traversed the nation over the last two weeks. 

In New York City, in addition to several media interviews (see CBS Mornings), the Secretary joined a roundtable discussion with faith leaders, highlighting the contributions of faith-based organizations during the pandemic and with ongoing recovery efforts. 

In Chicago, he spoke at the ASCD Annual Conference and visited the Art Institute with students from Harold Washington College.  (Note: Subsequently, the Secretary praised the amazing artwork displayed in classrooms and hallways during his many school visits.) 

In Southern California (1 and 2), he spotlighted recovery efforts and workforce preparation programs while touring schools and community colleges. 

And, in Florida, the Secretary spoke with LGBTQI+ students and families on Transgender Day of Visibility (readout) and visited a school using Title I and ARP funding to support student recovery.  (Note: Earlier, he issued a statement on the state legislation newly signed into law.) 

On that same day, the White House released a comprehensive fact sheet on the Administration’s efforts to advance equality and visibility for transgender Americans (see Secretary Cardona’s video). 

Meanwhile, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten took part in a three-day tour of schools across Pennsylvania and New Jersey featuring promising practices using ARP funding.  (Note: The Department’s #ARPStars Communications Toolkit helps school communities share how they are using ARP funds.) 

Furthermore, Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal visited Morgan State University in Baltimore. 

FOCUS: STUDENT HEALTH 

Last week, Secretary Cardona issued a letter to educators and parents regarding the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) framework for identifying COVID-19 Community Levels, encouraging schools to lead with equity and inclusion to ensure that all students -- including students with disabilities -- have access to in-person learning alongside their peers. 

Also last week, Secretary Cardona and Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra reaffirmed their commitment to children and youth by launching a joint effort to expand school-based health services (letter and list of resources, and “Lessons from the Field” webinar). 

This week, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released the latest round of findings from the School Pulse Panel, examining school learning modes, quarantine prevalence, and mitigation strategies.  (Note: More than half of schools surveyed were offering COVID-19 testing, helping contain the spread of the virus.) 

Also this week, the CDC published new analyses shining light on the mental health of high school students during the pandemic, including a disproportionate level of threats that some students experienced. 

And a reminder: under the ELC Reopening Schools program, CDC is making available five million free rapid COVID-19 tests for K-12 schools each month.  State health departments may request point-of-care and over-the-counter tests for settings and programs serving K-12 students each week through June.  Please contact covidschooltesting@cdc.gov with any questions. 

PEAP 2022 MATERIALS 

Due to national supply chain issues, the Department is unable to print program materials for this year’s President’s Education Awards Program (PEAP).  In lieu of hard copies, the Department has posted the 2022 Excellence and Achievement certificates, as well as congratulatory letters from the President and the Secretary of Education, for download by school principals.  Last year, nearly 1.85 million elementary, middle, and high school graduates from more than 18,750 public, private, and military schools were recognized for their educational accomplishments. 

ODDS AND ENDS 

• To support the continued recruitment of new school bus drivers during the pandemic, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) granted a 90-day extension of its temporary waiver of the “under-the-hood” skills test that is part of a new commercial driver’s license (CDL) application.
• In celebration of Women’s History Month, Deputy Secretary Marten and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy held a fireside chat on the role of Title IX in exposing girls and women to the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.
• The Administration is holding White House Initiative Latino Economic Summits across the country.
• On March 18, President Biden announced his intent to nominate Nasser Paydar as the Department’s Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education, and Secretary Cardona issued a supportive statement.
• The Department achieved consensus with representatives on two proposals for higher education regulations put forth during negotiated rulemaking: a 90/10 rule and an ability to benefit rule.
• The Department announced steps to ensure companies that own institutions of higher education are held responsible for funds owed to the federal government, including liabilities arising from any closed school loan discharges and borrower defense to repayment claims.
• In his latest blog, Institute of Education Sciences (IES) Director Mark Schneider outlines inflation in course grades and titles but stagnation in student performance from the High School Transcript Study.
• Via joint remarks, Peggy Carr, the Commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and Lesley Muldoon, the Executive Director of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), announced plans to “strengthen and reimagine the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), building on its reputation for rigor, quality, and independent, scientific integrity.” 

QUOTE TO NOTE 

“Today kicks off the first day of spring.  Teachers & students know that spring often signals the final stretch of the school year, but with more sunshine & opportunities for learning outside.  We’ve made progress this year -- let’s finish the school year strong!” 

-- Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (3/20/22), in a tweet of encouragement on the start of spring 

UPCOMING EVENTS 

Among other observations, April is Community College Month, the Month of the Military Child, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, National Financial Capability Month, National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month, and Second Chance Month. 

On April 7, from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time, the Department will hold a webinar on strengthening partnerships among states, districts, and higher education to increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the classroom and provide immediate support to schools. 

The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, in conjunction with the Department of Education, will present a Jazz Informance on April 19 at 1 p.m. ET.  Hosted by Secretary Cardona, this event -- a combination of performance with educational information -- will feature five of the country’s most gifted high school music students, 14-time GRAMMY Award-winning legend Herbie Hancock, internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet recording artist Sean Jones, and renowned jazz educator Dr. J. B. Dyas.  It will focus not only on what jazz is and why it is so important to America but also on the American values that jazz represents. (Note: The event will be livestreamed from the Department’s headquarters building on the agency’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts.) 

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