December 2022 IEL Federal Policy Update

Policy by the People Agenda

Summary of federal policy action this past month and a look-ahead to the next few weeks/month

1. IDEA celebrates 47 Years: On November 29^th, the U.S. Department of Education recognized the 47^th anniversary of the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), a law that requires students with disabilities to have “a free appropriate education which emphasizes special education and related services designed to meet their unique needs.” The ED’s blog post notes “the rate of students with disabilities who exit high school with a regular diploma has increased from 52% in 1995 to 72% in 2018,” but that progress still needs to be made regarding discipline, restraint, and seclusion for students with disabilities. In response, the Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services released new guidance on how schools can avoid discriminatory practices when engaging in student discipline.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Student Loan Forgiveness Plan Case: On December 1st, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against the Biden Administration’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for eligible borrowers in February. The 26 million borrowers who have applied for loan forgiveness will remain in a holding pattern until the Court issues a ruling but will not be expected to start the repayment process until 60 days after the Court’s ruling or by September 1^st, whichever comes first. Due to the ligation of the forgiveness plan, no debt has been canceled to date.
3. The U.S. Department of Education seeks public comment on the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act Stronger Communities Grant Program by December 19^th. The ED is requesting substantive comments on the following: 1) Identifying questions or answers in the document, by question number, that you think are not clear and provide a suggestion for enhancing clarity; or 2) Providing suggestions for enhancing the document overall, such as an unanswered question. The grant competition is anticipated to open in the spring.
4. K-12 Education and a Divided Congress: Significant movement in education policy is not anticipated in during the 118^th Congress, however, any changes will most likely take place during the appropriations process. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) will become Chair of the House Education and Labor (or Workforce) committee and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will become chair of the Senate HELP Committee.
5. University of California Graduate School Student Strike Ends for Some, Continues for Others: After 48,000 union members walked off the job on November 14^th due to demands for a higher wage and better benefits, postdoctoral and academic researchers have reached an agreement with the University of California, but 36,000 workers remain on strike across all 10 of UC’s campuses. These workers, who often provide critical support to undergraduate programs, make on average $24,000 annually, well below what is needed to meet basic needs in one of the nation’s most expensive states.

Policy-related events and resources of interest, including federal funding opportunities

Events

• Upcoming Event: The Hunt Institute will host the webinar Postsecondary Pathways: Assessing Postsecondary Student Success on December 15th from 2:00pm ET. More information and registration can be found here.
• Upcoming Event: FutureEd will host the webinar Solving the Teacher Shortage Problem on December 15^th at 2:00pm. More information and registration can be found here.
• Upcoming Event:Workforce GPS will host the webinar Using CLEAR to Find Strategies that Address Equity on December 13th from 1:00-2:30 pm ET. More information and registration can be found here.
• Upcoming Event: Brookingswill host the webinar School Finance and Educational Equity on December 16^th from 1:30-2:30 pm ET. More information and registration can be found here.
• Past Event: EducationWeek hosted the webinar Reading, Dyslexia, and Equity: Best Practices for Addressing a Threefold Challenge. More information can be found here.
• Past Event: LPI hosted the webinar Whole Child Policy: Setting a Whole Child Vision. More information and registration can be found here.

Resources

• ECS: Infographic: 2022 Elections: Changes in State Education Leadership
• The Hunt Institute: Report: 2022 Across the Aisle: Bridging the Education Divide
• National Women’s Law Center: Report: Child Care Rescue: Home States are using their ARPA Child Care Funds
• The Education Trust: Report: Educators of Color Make the Case for Teacher Diversity

Funding Opportunities

• Federal Register: Education Department
• Federal Register: Workforce Development

IEL Policy Highlights

• IEL sent a letter to Congressional Leadership, as well as the leadership of the Appropriations Committees in both the House and the Senate, in support of fully funding Full-Service Community Schools in FY23 at $468 million. This letter had 235 sign-ons, setting a record for the Coalition for Community Schools and IEL.
• IEL partnered with Senator Booker and Representative Chu’s offices to reintroduce the DIPLOMA Act in both the Senate and House on December 6, 2022. Review the Fact Sheet to learn more about the DIPLOMA Act.
• IEL staff member Christa Rowland was featured in the Brookings article Community Schools in Idaho are Bolstered by Statewide Networks and Enriched Learning Opportunities.
• Two IEL team members met with Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici’s office to learn how the Coalition for Community Schools and her office can work together to support whole-child development and promote Full-Service Community Schools, including reintroducing the Full-Service Community Schools Expansion Act in the 118^th Congress.