Policy by the People Agenda 

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

1. U.S. Department of Education announces $95 million in awards to support student wellness and mental health:  On May 15^th, the Biden-Harris Administration announced it awarded over $95 million across 35 states to continue supporting mental health services in schools and increase the school-based mental health professionals’ workforce. The awards were issued as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act enacted in June 2022. To date, the Administration has awarded 264 grants in 48 states and territories totaling $286 million.  

2. Secretary Cardona testified before the House Committee on Education and the Workforce on President Biden’s budget request for FY24: On May 16^th, Secretary Cardona sat before the Republican-led House Committee on Education and the Workforce to provide testimony on the President’s budget priorities and requests for education in the upcoming fiscal year, totaling $2.2 billion.  

3. Biden Administration issued new guidance on school discipline: On May 26^th, in a joint guidance letter issued by the Education and Justice Departments, the Biden Administration strengthened civil rights protections for students facing school discipline. The letter highlights the role racial discrimination often plays in the discipline process, with Black, Latino, and Native students disproportionately facing more harsh punitive measures than their White and Asian peers. 

4. President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Reach Debt Ceiling Deal: On June 3rd, President Biden signed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 ending the nation’s risk of defaulting on its debt obligations and putting in place caps on spending for the next two years. The deal was reached after lengthy negotiations with Republican leaders.  

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

Events 

• Upcoming Event: The U.S. Department of Education will kick off its Pre-Application Support and Technical Assistance webinar series to support the FY 2023 Full-Service Community Schools Grant Competition on June 13^th at 2:00pm. More information and registration can be found here. 
• Upcoming Event: Education Week is hosting the webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices on June 13^th from 2-3:00 pm EDT. More information and registration can be found here. 
• Upcoming Event: Education Commission of the States is hosting the webinar Partnering for Success: Shifting Formulas for Student Success on June 14^th at 1:00 pm EDT. More information and registration can be found here. 
• Upcoming Event: The Hunt Institute is hosting the webinar Race & Education: Supporting the Mental Health & Educational Needs of LGBTQIA+ Students on June 27^th at 2:00 pm EDT. More information and registration can be found here. 
• Past Event: Workforce GPS hosted the workshop Understanding Participant Experience: RESEA Evaluation Technical Assistance. More information and registration can be found here. 
• Past Event: FSG hosted the webinar Leveraging Historic Federal Funding: How Do We Collectively Get Ready? More information can be found here. 
• Past Event: FutureEd hosted the webinar Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls: State Expansion of Education Savings Accounts. More information can be found here. 

Resources 

• The National Center for Teacher Residences: Annual Report: NCTR Annual Impact Report 
• Learning Policy Institute: Report: State Strategies for Investing in Community Schools 
• Collective Impact Forum: Podcast: Centering Parent Voice and Leadership to Support Early Relational Health 
• Children’s Funding Project: Database: Federal Funding Stream for Children and Youth Service 
• FutureEd: Explainer Piece: The New Wave of Public Funding of Private Schooling, Explained 

Funding Opportunities 

• Federal Register: Department of Education 
  • NIA: FY23 Full-Service Community Schools Grant Competition (Deadline to apply is August 8) 
    • Call for Peer Reviewers (Deadline to apply is July 17) 
• Federal Register: Labor Department 
  • RFP: Workforce Opportunities for Rural Communities (WORC) Grant (Deadline to apply is June 13) 

IEL Policy Highlights 

• On June 5, IEL released its 118^th Congress Policy by the People agenda. This policy agenda was directly informed and validated by the leaders in our networks and will guide our federal policy and advocacy for the next two years. 
• IEL is seeking feedback to include in its public comment on Full-Service Community Schools indicators and measures. Fill out this Padlet to share your thoughts.  
• IEL hosted 4,200 attendees for the Annual Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference in Philadelphia, PA June 7-9^th. Almost 300 attendees participated in the Action Alert to encourage their Representatives and Senators to increase funding for Community Schools and Statewide Family Engagement Centers in FY 2024. 
• IEL and the Coalition for Community Schools signed on to the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education & Related Agencies to request $2.4 billion for Title II, Part A in FY 2024. These dollars, if appropriated, will help to combat the ongoing teacher shortage “by providing strong support and professional learning for teachers, principals, and other school leaders by investing in Title II, Part A, the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).” 
• IEL and the Coalition for Community Schools sign on to the National PTA’s letter to the leadership of the House and Senate Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education & Related Agencies to request at least $25 million in funding for Statewide Family Engagement Centers in FY 2024. 
• On May 16th, Coalition for Community Schools Director José Muñoz and Northeast Deputy Director Joline Collins took part in the New Jersey Community Schools State Coalition Spring Convening, along with other key partners advancing the strategy in their state. José served as the keynote speaker, expanding on the national opportunity for Community Schools.