Policy by the People Agenda

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

1. Congress Passes Continuing Resolution to Avoid Government Shutdown: On January 18^th, Congress passed a short-term spending bill to keep the government operating until early March. The bill, signed by President Biden, pushes the deadline to pass a federal budget for fiscal year 2024 until March 1^st for part of the government and March 8^th for the remaining agencies.
2. The U.S. Department of Education Awards $25 Million for Career Connected High Schools: On January 24^th, the U.S. Department of Education announced the first awardees of the Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools grant program, providing 19 grants totaling $25 million to “build the capacity of education and workforce systems to partner with businesses and industry to develop new high-quality career-connected high school programs for more students.”

Events

• Past Event: On January 11^th, Secretary Cardona joined Vice President Harris in Charlotte, NC, to highlight the latest actions by the Biden-Harris Administration to reduce gun violence. They convened educators, counselors, parents, gun safety advocates, and local and state leaders to announce new funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act that will help schools throughout the state and across the country increase access to mental health resources for their students. More information can be found here.
• Past Event: Secretary Cardona joined White House Domestic Policy Advisor Neera Tanden, governors, and state education leaders from across the nation to unveil the Biden-Harris Administration’s new “Improving Student Achievement Agenda.” The agenda is focused on proven strategies that will accelerate academic performance for all children in school. The event was held on January 17^th, 2024, and more information can be found here.
• Past Event: The House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held the hearing “Preparing Students for Success in the Skills-based Economy” on January 18^th. More information on the hearing and the recording may be found here.
• Past Event: The President’s Advisory Commission on Advancing Education Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics held a meeting on January 26^th. More information can be found here.

Resources

• Have You Heard?: Podcast: Episode #170 Can We Please Stop Taking About Harvard?
• The 74: Report: Thousands of Schools at Risk of Closing Due to Enrollment Loss
• ExcelinEd: Article: The Future of Education Policy: 7 Trends State Lawmakers Need to Know for 2024
• FutureEd: Explainer: Navigating the Artificial Intelligence Revolution in Schools

IEL Policy Highlights:

• In partnership with the Teachers College at Columbia University, IEL hosted 25 graduate students in Washington, D.C., for the Federal Policy Institute (FPI), an annual, five-day intensive mini semester on education policy. During FPI, students traveled to the Hill, visited the U.S. Department of Education, and heard from speakers from the Domestic Policy Council, The Heritage Foundation, AERA, NEA Foundation, Penn Hill Group, and many more.
• The Coalition for Community Schools led a sign-on letter encouraging Congress to fund the Full-Service Community School Grant Program at $150 million in fiscal year 2024. The letter, sent to Congressional Leadership and Appropriations Leadership in both chambers, had sign-ons from 228 national, state, and local organizations.
• IEL and the Coalition for Community Schools, along with over 400 other organizations, endorsed The Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024, which would provide an additional $7 billion in funding to operate for another year and, therefore, give time to produce a permanent solution. The goals of this piece of legislation align with the policy agenda of IEL and the Coalition for Community Schools of ensuring that more children and families have access to high-speed reliable internet. The bill was introduced by U.S. House Representatives Yvette Clarke(D-NY-9), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Michael Lawler (R-NY-17), Marcus Molinaro (R-NY-19), and Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-4) and U.S. Senators JD Vance (R-OH), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV). The bill was introduced on January 10, 2024.