The ongoing pandemic has had massive implications for people all across the world. First and foremost, ACTE and its staff hope that you are staying safe, and we are keeping everyone affected by this terrible virus in our thoughts. We realize that COVID-19 has had a tremendous impact on, among other things, education. This running thread aims to provide resources and updates that may be useful for CTE professionals.
RESOURCES
- ACTE Resources on Distance Learning
- CDC Coronavirus Webpage
- CDC Guidance on School Closures
- State-specific COVID-19 Education System Actions (Excellence in Education)
- U.S. Department of Education Coronavirus Webpage
- U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet on Online Learning for Students with Disabilities
- U.S. Department of Education Fact Sheet on Grant Funds During the Coronavirus Crisis
- U.S. Department of Education Allocations for the CARES Act
- News Story Featuring ACTE Board Members on Distance Learning in CTE
RELEVANT ENACTED LAWS
- Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Phase I): The law provides $8.3B in emergency funding for various federal agencies in light of COVID-19. Funding is provided for, among other things, vaccines and medical supplies, grants to public health agencies and organizations, small business loans, emergency preparedness, and humanitarian assistance. The bill was signed into law on March 6. The text of the law can be found here, and a detailed summary here.
- Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Phase II): The law includes new paid sick leave provisions for certain workers, and it expands the Family and Medical Leave Act to additional employers. The law also provides additional funding for unemployment insurance and coverage for COVID-19 testing. The bill was signed into law on March 18 and will take effect on April 2. The text of the law can be found here, and a detailed summary here.
- Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (Phase III): The CARES Act is a wide-ranging, more than $2 trillion package that includes a variety of provisions, from direct assistance to Americans to hospital funding, unemployment insurance, and small business and corporate relief. On the education front, the law allows Federal Work Study payments to continue, doesn't penalize students who dropped out of school from Pell Grant eligibility, allows additional flexibility on the student loan front, provides the Secretary of Education with certain waiver authority, defers student loan payments/principal/interest for 6 months on all federally owned loans without penalty, provides local workforce boards with additional flexibility under WIOA, and exempts teachers from certain requirements related to TEACH grant obligations or Teacher Loan Forgiveness if they can't finish the teaching year. It also appropriates $30.9 billion to the Department of Education, including for a stabilization fund for states and local school districts, $13.5 billion in formula funding to states through the ESSA formula and $14.25 billion in higher education funding to meet a variety of coronavirus-related needs, and more. You can read the text of the bill here, a summary of various provisions here, and summary of appropriations here. You can also find a summary of the education-related provisions released by the Congressional Research Service here. ACTE has also written a specific blog post on the law, available here. The Department of Education has released the allocations for Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act, which you can find here.
ACTE Letters to Federal Policymakers
- ACTE, Advance CTE Response to the HEROES Act and Lack of Dedicated CTE Funding (5/13/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Urging Inclusion of School Infrastructure Legislation in future COVID-19 Relief Package (5/7/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Urging Inclusion of 501(c)(6) Nonprofits in Coronavirus Relief (4/30/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Urging Broadband Affordability Measures in Coronavirus Relief Package (4/29/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Supporting Legislation Funding Emergency Connectivity Fund to Support Distance and Remote Learning (4/29/20)
- ACTE and Advance CTE Letter on Concerns Regarding Certain Coronavirus Student Aid Exclusions (4/23/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Endorsing Funding to Support Distance and Remote Learning for Students Without Home Internet (4/22/20)
- ACTE and Advance CTE Coronavirus-related Funding, Waiver and Policy Priorities (4/8/20)
- Cross-Organizational Letter Requesting Workforce Development Investments in Fourth Stimulus Package (4/1/20)
- ACTE & Advance CTE Letter on CTE-related Coronavirus Investment Priorities (4/1/20)
- Requesting Emergency Stimulus Funding to Support Nonprofit Associations (3/24/20)
- ACTE and Advance CTE Concerns Related to Coronavirus Pandemic (3/20/20)
RUNNING UPDATES THREAD
June 30
- CDC Released New Guidance on COVID-19 Testing in Education: As school districts and colleges consider whether to reopen campuses, on June 30 the CDC offered additional recommendations on testing in colleges and K-12 settings. The guidance does not recommend universally testing every student, but instead using testing strategically as one component of a comprehensive mitigation strategy. Guidance is provided on how to handle testing individuals with signs or symptoms of COVID, those who are asymptomatic but may have been exposed and those that are asymptomatic without known exposure.
- New Senate Bill Proposes $1 Billion for CTE: On June 30, Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced S. 4112, the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act, which includes significant resources to help educational institutional respond to the pandemic. You can read more about this bill in a detailed blog post, and see ACTE’s statement of support.
- Senate HELP Committee Holds COVID-19 Update Hearing: The latest in a series of hearings by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee was titled, “COVID-19: Update on Progress Toward Safely Getting Back to Work and Back to School.” It featured panelists from governmental health agencies (FDA, CDC, NIH and the Department of Health and Human Services) sharing their thoughts on both health and education-related impacts of the coronavirus.
June 19, 2020
- Department of Education Releases New Competitive Grant: The Department of Education announced the creation of the Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grant program, a $127.5 million competitive grant aimed to “provide students the opportunity to develop new skills, provide innovators and inventors the resources to expand existing businesses or build new ones, and encourage institutions of higher education to foster business development and innovation as America begins to recover from COVID-19-related disruptions to education and our economy.”
June 18, 2020
- House Education Committee Hosts Member Briefing: On Thursday, the House Education and Labor Committee Democrats hosted a member briefing focused on their $15.6 billion COVID-19-related workforce investment bill, H.R. 6646, the Relaunching America's Workforce Act. During the briefing, Members discussed how Congress can help workers sharpen their skills and quickly reenter the workforce in the face of the current economic decline. Watch here
June 15, 2020
- House Committee Holds Hearing on COVID-19's Impact on Education: The House Education and Labor Committee held a full Committee hearing entitled, “Budget Cuts and Lost Learning: Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Public Education." The purpose of the hearing was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted state and local government revenue and how projected state and local government budget shortfalls will further exacerbate education investments and program quality.
June 11, 2020
- ED Rule Limits Coronavirus Aid Eligibility: A new rule from the U.S. Department of Education would prohibit funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) from flowing to students who, among other things, do not have a high school diploma or equivalent. ACTE opposes this rule, and has previously sent a letter to the Department on this issue. You can read ACTE's summary of the rule here.
June 10, 2020
- Senate Hearing on Reopening K-12 Schools: The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions held a hearing on the challenges, prospects, and plans for reopening K-12 schools in the fall in light of the coronavirus. The hearing saw general agreement about the overarching importance of reopening schools, and senators discussed testing and public health, the digital divide, and various academic opportunities and resources. Read ACTE's summary of the hearing here, or watch the hearing here.
June 5, 2020
- PPP Extension Signed into Law: President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which extends the time PPP loan recipients have to spend funds and qualify for loan forgiveness.
June 4, 2020
- Hearing Held on Reopening of Postsecondary Institutions: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee held a hearing exploring students’ possible return to postsecondary institutions in-person in the fall.
May 20, 2020
- CDC Guidance on School Reopening: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidance on the reopening of schools. Included in the guidance is that staff should wear face coverings, desks should be six feet apart, cafeterias should be closed, and class sizes should be small. Read an Education Week write-up of the guidance here, or the full guidance here.
May 12, 2020
- House Democrats Release $3T Package: House Democrats have released the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act. The $3T package includes $90 billion for an education stabilization fund that would be distributed to states who would then provide subgrants at both the K-12 and postsecondary levels. The bill also includes CTE-related waivers. Read the full bill here, or ACTE's summary blog post here.
May 1, 2020
- $1B Perkins Proposal Introduced: House Education and Labor Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) introduced a coronavirus relief package that, among other things, includes $1B for Perkins and another $2B for community college and industry partnerships. Read ACTE's joint press release here, the bill text here, and a section-by-section summary of the bill here.
April 30, 2020
- ED Announces Additional CARES Act Funding for Smaller Postsecondary Institutions: The Department of Education has announced that some postsecondary institutions will be eligible for additional emergency relief funding to bring them up to $500,000. Read ACTE's blog on the topic here, and the Department's announcement here.
- ED Issues Fact Sheet on Equipment/Supplies: The Department of Education released a fact sheet providing additional details on the ability of federal grantees and subgrantees to repurpose equipment and supplies purchased with federal funds to help combat the coronavirus. Find the fact sheet here.
April 27, 2020
- Sec. DeVos Declines Waivers for FAPE, LRE: Secretary Betsy DeVos announced that she would not seek waiver authority from Congress related to the Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) and Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) requirements within the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In a news release, the Department reiterated the Secretary's "long-held position that individualized education must take place for all students."
April 23, 2020
- ED Announces $13.2B for K-12 Coronavirus Relief: As part of the CARES Act, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos has announced that $13.2B in emergency relief funds have been made available to states for distribution to local education agencies. The funds are intended to support K-12 learning for students who have been impacted by the coronavirus. In its announcement, the Department touted a streamlined application process and flexibility within the use of funds. Find additional details and the full news release here.
April 21, 2020
- ED Makes Additional $6.2B Available for Higher Ed: On Tuesday, the Department of Education announced an additional $6.2 billion would become available to higher education institutions through the CARES Act. You can read ACTE's blog post on this funding here, or the Department's news release here.
April 14, 2020
- ED Releases Guidance on PPE Donations: The Department of Education has released guidance that permits CTE programs to donate PPE and other medical equipment purchased with federal funds. Programs donating/loaning items must keep appropriate records. Read the full guidance here and ACTE's blog on the subject here.
- Ed Announced $3B in Education Grants: The Department o Education announced it would make $3 billion in emergency education funding available to governors through block grants. The funding, authorized by the CARES Act, is intended to be flexible to allow governors to determine how it can best meet the needs of students and institutions. Read more about the announcement here.
April 10, 2020
- ED Releases Second Q&A Guidance on Coronavirus: The Department of Education issued its second Q&A response document offering guidance on CTE and coronavirus-related matters. In the document, the Department clarified that states can extend local recipients' one year local applications by three months, that stakeholder engagement need not be in-person and that performance data on core indicators is not required for state and local recipients for FY 2019-20. You can read the full guidance here and ACTE's blog on the guidance here.
April 9, 2020
- ED Releases CARES Act Distribution: The Department of Education has released the allocations it will make to institutions under the CARES Act, which you can find here. Secretary DeVos announced that this funding to postsecondary institutions will be distributed immediately. The formula used weighs the number of full-time students who are Pell-eligible, among other things. You can read the full press release on the announcement here.
April 8, 2020
- ED Fact Sheet on Grant Funds During Pandemic: The Department of Education released a fact sheet on several questions related to the use of grant funds during the coronavirus pandemic. The questions involved compensation for employees paid through grants but who could not work during the crisis, conferences/trainings that were canceled due to the coronavirus and travel insurance purchases. Read the fact sheet here.
April 2, 2020
- All 50 States Granted Federal Statewide Testing Waiver: The U.S. Department of Education has granted waivers to federal requirements in ESSA around statewide testing to every state, in addition to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Bureau of Indian Education. This is the first such broad-sweeping waiver granted since the requirements were first imposed. Read more in Education Week here.
March 31, 2020
- OCTAE Releases Some Guidance: On Tuesday, the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education within the U.S. Department of Education released guidance related to CTE and the coronavirus. The guidance included an extension for states to submit their Perkins V plans, clarification that states may award a Perkins V subgrant to local recipients prior to fully approved local applications, and confirmation that states may provide local Perkins V recipients additional time to complete their local applications. You can read the guidance here, or ACTE's summary here.
March 27, 2020
- President Trump Signs CARES Act Into Law (Phase III): On Friday, President Trump signed the CARES Act into law. This is the third coronavirus-related package to be enacted. The signing came after a voice vote in the House of Representatives earlier in the day. See the "Relevant Enacted Laws" section above for a summary of the legislation.
- Sec. DeVos Speaks at Coronavirus Task Force Briefing: Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos spoke at the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing on Friday to share the Department of Education's efforts to address the global pandemic. The Secretary acknowledged school closures across the country and the challenges of distance learning. She pitched the Department's coronavirus website, and touched on a variety of relevant proposals, including a new proposal to provide microgrants to teachers to help them adapt to online education. You can read the Secretary's full remarks here.
March 25, 2020
- Senate Passes CARES Act (Phase III): Late Wednesday evening the Senate passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on a bipartisan 96-0 vote. See the "Relevant Enacted Laws" section above for a summary of the legislation.
- Collection on Defaulted Federal Student Loans Stopped: The Department of Education has ordered private collection companies to stop any collection actions on defaulted federal student loans until further notice. The order is retroactive to March 13. This is projected to impact roughly 9 million student loan borrowers in default.
March 23, 2020
- House Democrats' Coronavirus Package Directs $60B to Education (Phase III): House Democrats introduced their coronavirus response stimulus package, which would create a $50 billion fund for education, with at least $15B aimed directly at K-12 and another $15B earmarked for institutions of higher education, and another ~$10B for emergency relief. Grants would be based on both population and Title I ESSA numbers. Additionally, the bill provides relief to student loan borrowers, allows Federal Work Study payments to continue, extends federal student aid, and supports child care providers, among other things. You can find the text of the bill here, and a summary of the education-related provisions here.
March 22, 2020
- Senate Fails to Pass Republican Coronavirus Bill (Phase III): On Sunday, the Senate failed (47-47) to pass a procedural hurdle required to advance legislation offered by Republican leadership. Most notably for CTE, the bill did include grants to states for elementary and secondary education. The majority of these funds would be required to be provided to local education agencies as subgrants, and the bill specifically stated that any activity authorized under Perkins (among other laws) would be an acceptable use of funds. You can read the text of the bill here, and a summary of the bill and politics surrounding the vote here.
March 21, 2020
- ED Releases Fact Sheet on Special Ed Online Learning: Amid some confusion and uncertainty surrounding how school districts are to provide for students with disabilities as closures continue across the country, the U.S. Department of Education released a fact sheet to clarify that federal law does not prevent online learning opportunities from being offered to students with disabilities. You can find the fact sheet here, and more background on the issue here.
March 20, 2020
- Announcement on Standardized Testing, Student Loans: President Trump announced that the U.S. Department of Education would not enforce standardized testing rules on K-12 schools in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the President announced that federal student loan borrowers would have the option to pause payments for at least 60 days without incurring a penalty.
March 19, 2020:
- Senate Republicans Releases Coronavirus Response Proposal (Phase III): A wide-ranging proposal from Senate Republicans called the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) would include a number of education-related provisions. Among other things, the bill would allow the Secretary of Education to waive a number of requirements related to Perkins, HEA and ESSA; would ensure student grants and aid continues regardless of any school interruption; and would suspend student loan payments for three months without the accrual of interest, with the possibility of the Secretary extending this for another three months. The bill would also provide direct payments to Americans in certain income brackets, loans to businesses and corporations, and delayed tax filings, among other things. You can find the text of the bill here, and a summary of the education-related provisions here.
March 18, 2020:
- President Signs Coronavirus Relief Package (Phase II): The President signed into law a bipartisan proposal, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, originally negotiated by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. The law extends paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave to certain workers, provides funding for SNAP, free testing, and welfare benefits. You can read the text of the law here, or a summary here.
- DOL Announces National Health Emergency Dislocated Worker Grants: The U.S. Department of Labor announced a $100 million grant fund for dislocated workers to address the impacts of COVID-19. States, outlying areas and Indian Tribal Governments are eligible to apply for the grants, which will be used for both disaster-relief employment and employment and training activities. You can learn more about the grant and the application process here.
March 17, 2020:
- Trump Administration Proposes $100M School Stimulus: A proposed $100M in supplemental funding for the Department of Education would be available to both k-12 and postsecondary institutions, and funneled through Project SERV, which aims to assist schools following traumatic events. Funds could be used for cleaning and distance/online learning, among other things. Additionally, the Administration is proposing additional spending for loan servicing, telework for Department of Education staff, and cleaning for Indian Education program facilities. Read the full proposal here.
- Department of Education Suspends Some College Accreditation Requirements: To limit interruptions in postsecondary education as a result of the inability to conduct in-person inspections, the Department of Education has given accreditors the go-ahead to conduct virtual site visits. Additionally, accreditors now have the power to extend accreditation for institutions facing renewal or loss of status if the accreditor is unable to perform a site visit or hold a hearing.
- House, Senate Education Democrats Release Coronavirus Bill (Phase III): Leaders of the House and Senate Education Committees released the Supporting Students in Response to Coronavirus Act. The legislation provides $3B in new funding for a variety of purposes, including cleaning facilities, providing meals, preparing for extended school closures, emergency aid for postsecondary students. Read the fact sheet here and full proposal here.
March 14, 2020
- House Passes Coronavirus Bill (Phase II): A bipartisan proposal to provide, among other things, financial assistance, paid sick and family leave, and guaranteed free testing overwhelmingly passed the House. Read ACTE’s summary of the legislation here.
March 6, 2020
- President Signs Emergency Coronavirus Funding Bill (Phase I): President Trump signed legislation providing $8.3B in Coronavirus-related funding. The bulk of the funding is allocated to the Department of Health and Human services for prevention, medical supplies and vaccine research, among other things. The text of the law can be found here, and a detailed summary here.
Comments