{"id":19218,"date":"2024-09-13T14:41:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T20:41:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/?p=19218"},"modified":"2024-09-13T14:41:44","modified_gmt":"2024-09-13T20:41:44","slug":"ed-review-09-13-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/2024\/09\/13\/ed-review-09-13-24\/","title":{"rendered":"ED Review (09\/13\/24)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING<\/b><\/p>\n

On September 4, President Biden issued a\u00a0statement<\/a>\u00a0on the school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers.<\/p>\n

\u201cJill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all the survivors whose lives are forever changed,\u201d he asserted.\u00a0 \u201cWhat should have been a joyous back to school season\u2026has now turned into another horrific reminder of how gun violence continues to tear our communities apart.\u00a0 Students across the country are learning how to duck and cover, instead of how to read and write.\u00a0 We cannot continue to accept this as a new normal.\u201d<\/p>\n

And, Secretary Cardona posted online on\u00a0September 4<\/a>\u00a0(\u201cBack to school season should be a time that students, teachers & schools look forward to — instead, it\u2019s been plagued by gun violence.\u00a0 It has to stop.\u201d) and\u00a0September 5<\/a>\u00a0(\u201cFighting for public education means fighting for all of our students, teachers & school staff to feel safe in their schools\u2026.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had enough.\u00a0 I urge Congress to act.\u201d)<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BACK TO SCHOOL: BUS TOUR<\/strong><\/p>\n

Last week, Secretary Cardona visited five Midwestern states as part of his 2024\u00a0Back to School Bus Tour<\/a>, showcasing the many ways that schools, families, and communities are doubling down on accelerating student learning and raising the bar in education.\u00a0 He was joined by White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Mandy Cohen, and Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack — as well as several Congressional members and national, state, and local leaders — for stops along the route, underscoring the Biden Administration\u2019s commitment to bolster academic recovery, invest in mental health services, strengthen and support the teaching profession, increase college access and affordability, and build career pathways.\u00a0 This year\u2019s tour also celebrated public education as the American system that opened the door for so many of the nation\u2019s success stories: from astronauts to astrophysicists, writers to engineers, musicians to mathematicians, and innovative entrepreneurs in the private sector to great leaders in the public sector (posts\u00a01<\/a>,\u00a02<\/a>, and\u00a03<\/a>).<\/p>\n

On September 3, the Secretary traveled across\u00a0Wisconsin<\/a>.\u00a0 He started at\u00a0Jackson Elementary School<\/a>in Green Bay, where he observed classrooms and participated in a\u00a0student pep rally<\/a>.\u00a0 Next, he visited the\u00a0Oneida Nation<\/a>to learn more about the elementary school\u2019s multilingual program and ways leaders are preserving native language and tribal culture (see\u00a0grant announcement<\/a>).\u00a0 Then, he ended the day at\u00a0Wisconsin Heights Middle\/High School<\/a>\u00a0in Mazomanie, to elevate supporting students and teachers in rural schools.<\/p>\n

He also defended the merits of public education over private schools in an\u00a0op-ed<\/a>\u00a0published in the\u00a0Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/i>\u00a0(post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

On September 4, the Secretary hit\u00a0Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; and Valparaiso, Indiana<\/a>.\u00a0 At the\u00a0United Way of Greater Milwaukee<\/a>, joined by Tanden and Cohen, he participated in a roundtable discussion on supporting the academic recovery of students (see\u00a0grant announcement<\/a>).\u00a0 In Chicago, he visited an\u00a0adult learning center<\/a>for students with disabilities and dropped by a\u00a0PSLF clinic<\/a>at City Hall (post<\/a>).\u00a0 Later, at\u00a0Ivy Tech Community College\u2019s Valparaiso Campus<\/a>, he observed work stations and engaged with career and technical education students (post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

That same day, the White House issued a\u00a0fact sheet<\/a>\u00a0outlining additional actions by the Administration to drive academic success for all students, including a\u00a0new resource<\/a>\u00a0for educators on evidence-based strategies for increasing student literacy and math achievement; a\u00a0joint resource<\/a>\u00a0from the Departments of Education and Transportation highlighting ways to provide safe, reliable transit options to get students to and from school and support attendance; and the launching of the\u00a0Attendance Champions Challenge<\/a>\u00a0to hear directly from young people on creative solutions to address chronic absenteeism (post<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a new study from the Ad Council, with support from the Overdeck Family Foundation, offers\u00a0guidance<\/a>\u00a0for how school leaders, educators, community partners, and others might more effectively encourage families to send their children to school consistently.<\/p>\n

On September 5, the Secretary made three stops in\u00a0Michigan<\/a>.\u00a0 First, at\u00a0Grand Rapids Community College<\/a>, joined by Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal and National Education Association (NEA) President Becky Pringle, he spoke with educators who have benefitted from PSLF (post<\/a>).\u00a0 Second, at\u00a0Glencairn Elementary School<\/a>\u00a0in East Lansing, he observed classrooms and facilitated a\u00a0conversation with teacher apprentices and mentors<\/a>\u00a0(see\u00a0grant announcement<\/a>).\u00a0 Finally, at\u00a0Cass Tech High School<\/a>\u00a0in Detroit, he participated in a student mental health town hall.<\/p>\n

On September 6, the Secretary concluded the tour by visiting three sites in\u00a0Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania<\/a>:\u00a0Keystone Oaks High School<\/a>, for the\u00a0launch of an Educators Rising program<\/a>;\u00a0Faison K-8<\/a>, joined by Vilsack and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten, for a\u00a0conversation on full-service community schools<\/a>; and\u00a0Obama Academy 6-12<\/a>, joined by Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten, for a\u00a0family engagement block party<\/a>\u00a0(post).<\/p>\n

As the tour wrapped, the Department released\u00a0state-by-state fact sheets<\/a>\u00a0detailing specific actions and investments of the Biden Administration to strengthen K-12 schools and postsecondary institutions and support all students, educators, and families (see also\u00a0press release<\/a>\u00a0with national data).<\/p>\n

Supplemental to the tour, in each state, Department senior officials hosted additional stakeholder engagements to discuss bright spots, challenges, and how the agency can assist.\u00a0 Deputy Secretary Marten also visited\u00a0Madison, Wisconsin<\/a>, and\u00a0Erie and West Middlesex, Pennsylvania<\/a>.\u00a0 In\u00a0state leadership roundtables<\/a>, staff heard from elected officials, educators, and other stakeholders.\u00a0\u00a0Rural mental health roundtables<\/a>\u00a0brought together students, educators, and professionals to identify barriers and solutions. \u00a0Plus, during parent engagements, staff heard from state and local family engagement leaders, multilingual families, and community organizations (recap Instagram reels\u00a01<\/a>,\u00a02<\/a>, and\u00a03<\/a>).<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

FEDERAL STUDENT AID<\/b><\/p>\n

The Department recently announced\u00a0additional details of the subsequent beta testing period<\/a>, ahead of making the 2025-26 Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA\u00ae) available to all students and contributors on or before December 1.\u00a0 High schools, community-based organizations (CBOs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), and state entities may submit the\u00a0interest form<\/a>\u00a0to participate in Beta 2 (launching in mid-October), Beta 3 (launching in early November), and Beta 4 (launching in mid-November).\u00a0 In the first beta testing period — starting October 1 — CBOs and the IHEs they work with will collectively help the agency meet its goals of working with hundreds of students and their contributors at in-person FAFSA form completion events and of testing FAFSA processing with IHEs (see also\u00a0Electronic Announcement<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Organizations participating in Beta 1 include Alabama Promise, Bridge2Life, CollegeAIM, Education is Freedom, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, and the Scholarship Fund of Alexandria.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

REMINDER: FRESH START FOR BORROWERS<\/b><\/p>\n

The deadline for federal student loan borrowers to apply for Fresh Start, a temporary Department program that can help borrowers move their federal student loans out of default, is fast approaching.\u00a0 Those with loans in default must act by September 30 to avoid the resumption of collections activities on their full debt amount.<\/p>\n

Fresh Start enrollment can open the door to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans and loan forgiveness programs, such as Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF).\u00a0 Also, enrollment restores federal student aid eligibility for individuals looking to continue or complete their education.<\/p>\n

To learn more about Fresh Start, please visit\u00a0StudentAid.gov\/freshstart<\/a>\u00a0and watch this\u00a0recorded webinar<\/a>.\u00a0 To sign up (in just 10 minutes!), go to\u00a0myeddebt.ed.gov<\/a>\u00a0or call the agency\u2019s Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ENFORCING CIVIL RIGHTS<\/b><\/p>\n

In her back to school message, Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon shared updated compendia of Office for Civil Rights (OCR) resources to support\u00a0elementary and secondary schools<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0colleges and universities<\/a>\u00a0in fulfilling their obligations to protect students\u2019 civil rights.\u00a0 The binders include fact sheets, Dear Colleague letters, and other policy documents to assist school communities with meeting responsibilities under Title VI of the\u00a0Civil Rights Act of 1964<\/i>, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin — including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics; Title IX of the\u00a0Education Amendments of 1972<\/i>, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex; and Title II of the\u00a0Americans with Disabilities Act<\/i>\u00a0and Section 504 of the\u00a0Rehabilitation Act of 1973<\/i>, which prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.\u00a0 OCR has also produced two videos for the 2024-25 school year.\u00a0 The\u00a0first video<\/a>\u00a0explains how OCR protects students from discrimination.\u00a0 The\u00a0second video<\/a>\u00a0focuses on Title VI protection for students on the basis of shared ancestry and ethnic characteristics.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Moreover, this week, OCR released new resources to help schools comply with the 2024 amendments to Title IX regulations — which went into effect August 1.\u00a0\u00a0One resource<\/a>\u00a0spotlights the new and updated requirements for Title IX coordinators, who play a critical role in ensuring compliance with their schools\u2019 Title IX obligations.\u00a0\u00a0Another resource<\/a>\u00a0clarifies prohibitions on sex discrimination on the basis of pregnancy or related conditions and parental, family, or marital status (press release<\/a>).<\/div>\n
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<\/div>\n
ODDS AND ENDS<\/b><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

President Biden issued proclamations for\u00a0National Grandparents Day<\/a>\u00a0(September 8),\u00a0National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week<\/a>\u00a0(September 9-15), and\u00a0Patriot Day\/National Day of Service and Remembrance<\/a>\u00a0(September 11).<\/p>\n

The President also issued a new\u00a0Executive Order<\/a>\u00a0on investing in America and American workers — with the Department of Education among the implementing agencies.<\/p>\n

Check out this\u00a0back to school playlist<\/a>\u00a0for teachers to use in their classrooms.<\/p>\n

Watch these three finalists for National Principal of the Year share their\u00a0top tips for fellow principals<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On September 10, the Department announced\u00a0$251 million in grant awards<\/a>\u00a0to 27 recipients (state agencies, non-profit organizations, and postsecondary institutions) to ensure individuals with disabilities have access to in-demand, good-paying jobs, under the\u00a0Disability Innovation Fund program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OCR announced that the University of Illinois has entered into a\u00a0resolution agreement<\/a>\u00a0to ensure compliance with Title VI of the\u00a0Civil Rights Act<\/i>, regarding alleged harassment of students based on national origin (including shared Jewish, Palestinian, Arab, and\/or Muslim ancestry) (press release<\/a>).<\/p>\n

The President announced his\u00a0intent to nominate<\/a>\u00a0Adam Gamoran as Director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and Secretary Cardona issued a\u00a0supportive statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And read this blog post from Acting IES Director Matthew Soldner: \u201cEvidence Whac-a-Mole? \u00a0How Living Evidence Hubs Can Strengthen the What Works Clearinghouse<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

QUOTE TO NOTE<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cAs a student who grew up in an economically disadvantaged community, the local public school was my pathway to success.\u00a0 I came to value the strong foundation my public education provided me.\u00a0 And as a father whose two children attended public schools, I understand deeply a parent\u2019s desire to provide the best possible education for your child.\u00a0 For many students across the country, the local public school is their first and best option.\u00a0 When we undermine and underfund public schools — or create a system of publicly funded private education that is selective of which students they educate — we create a system of haves and have-nots.\u00a0 Such a system cannot power the next generation of American Dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

— Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona (9\/3\/24), from an\u00a0op-ed<\/a>\u00a0published in the\u00a0Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/i><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

UPCOMING EVENTS<\/b><\/div>\n

Although registration is now closed for the\u00a0National HBCU Week Conference<\/a>\u00a0next week in Philadelphia, interested parties may still participate in the career and recruitment fair on September 15 (media advisory<\/a>).<\/p>\n

September 17 is\u00a0Constitution Day\/Citizenship Day<\/a>, commemorating the anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787.\u00a0 In recognition of this special day, Congress has mandated that every educational institution receiving federal funding and every federal agency hold an annual educational program about this seminal document.\u00a0 The Department will hold its annual program — which anyone may\u00a0watch online<\/a>\u00a0— on September 17 from 1 to 2 p.m. Eastern Time, with guests speakers from the Congressional Research Service (CRS) discussing a new podcast series on the Constitution and from the Department\u2019s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) discussing the American History and Civics grant program.\u00a0 (Note: To assist students and educators in their studies, the program will feature resources from\u00a0CRS<\/a>, as well as the\u00a0National Archives and Records Administration<\/a>, the\u00a0Library of Congress<\/a>,\u00a0and the\u00a0U.S. Census Bureau<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

The next \u201cLessons from the Field\u201d session — on September 18, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. ET — will focus on\u00a0school climate changes that build protective factors to prevent suicide<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  GEORGIA SCHOOL SHOOTING On September 4, President Biden issued a\u00a0statement\u00a0on the school shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, which claimed the lives of two students and two teachers. \u201cJill and I are mourning the deaths of those whose lives were cut short due to more senseless gun violence and thinking of all […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,266],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19218","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-of-interest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19218","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19218"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19218\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19222,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19218\/revisions\/19222"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19218"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19218"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sehd.ucdenver.edu\/impact\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19218"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}