CTE Policy Watch: A blog for CTE advocates

House Dems Introduce Revised COVID-19 Relief Bill

On Monday, House Democrats introduced a new $2.2 trillion pandemic relief package as part of a last-minute attempt to find a bipartisan solution prior to both chambers leaving town until after the November 3 elections.

The proposal largely mirrors the HEROES Act, the $3.4 trillion package passed by the House in May, including an extension of the $600 expanded unemployment insurance, an additional round of $1,200 tax rebate checks, and more money for small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), among other provisions. In order to pare the proposal down by $1.2 trillion, the major differences come from large cost-saving measures. These cutbacks include a reduction in state and local government aid from $916 billion to $436 billion; reductions for hospitals and other health care providers of about $50 billion; a reduction of housing rental assistance by about $50 billion; a reduction of U.S. Postal Service aid by $10 billion. In addition, the PPP would lose $146 billion in previously appropriated funds that went unspent.

There is good news for education in the bill though, as the new bill more than doubles the education request to $225 billion, including over $200 billion for an education stabilization fund and some additional targeted resources. See below for a specific breakdown of education funding.

ED’s Education Stabilization Fund - $208.1 Billion

Funding is allocated to states based on a combination of the number of school-aged children and the number of Title 1-eligible children. Funding is not dependent upon schools reopening and can be used for the types of services and supplies that were allowed under the CARES Act. Funding is divided as follows:

• $175 billion for elementary and secondary education
• $27 billion for public postsecondary education, with 75% based on the number of Pell Grant-eligible students; funds can be used for an institution’s needs and for grants to students
• $4 billion for governors to use on education, including restoring state and local education support
• $2 billion for Bureau of Indian Education, tribal colleges and outlying areas
• Maintenance of effort – states must maintain the percent of their budgets spent on education in fiscal year (FY) 2019 for FYs 2020 through 2022, with further specific assurances for K-12 funding and higher education.

Higher Education $11.9 Billion
This section has funding for private institutions of higher education, and the allowable uses reflect those for public institutions in the Education Stabilization Fund. It includes:

• $3.5 billion for Historically Black Colleges and Universities and for Minority-Serving Institutions
• $7 billion for private, non-profit institutions of higher education (page 168)
• $1.4 billion for institutions with unmet need related to coronavirus
• $20 million for Howard University
• $11 million for the National Technical Institute for the Deaf
• $11 million for Gallaudet University

K-12 School Facilities - $5 Billion

These funds are to respond to coronavirus and can be used for repairs and improvements to support student health needs, including improvements to allow outdoor teaching.  Federal funds are not normally allowed to be used for physical school maintenance cost.

 

Other Education-Related Funding

• $32 million for Institute of Education Sciences (IES) – Funding is for the National Assessment of Educational Progress Assessment Act for reading and math assessments in 2021.
• $7 million for the Office of Inspector General
• $57 billion for child care – Provides $7 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant for providers and $50 billion for a state Child Care Stabilization Fund  
• $12 billion to close the homework gap and $3 billion for emergency home connectivity – The $12 billion is for schools and libraries to fund Wi-fi hotspots and devices
• $2.1 billion for worker training
• $1.7 billion for Head Start
• $350 million for the Corporation for National and Community Service
• $175 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• $135 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services

A vote on this bill is expected later this week, but has not been officially scheduled yet. Speaker Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Mnuchin have a call scheduled for Tuesday to continue negotiating a bipartisan package. Assuming talks do not lead to an agreement, the House will vote, and likely pass, this proposal prior to leaving for October recess. Although there is little expectation that this will lead to a bipartisan deal, ACTE continues to advocate on behalf of our members and the CTE community for much needed support.

Tonight 9PM: First Presidential Debate

The first of three presidential debates between President Trump and former vice president Joe Biden will take place tonight at 9 p.m. ET at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. The debate is scheduled to be 90 minutes long with no commercial breaks and is going to be moderated by Chris Wallace (Fox News Sunday). Unlike most debate formats, there will be no opening statements and it will be split into six 15-minute segments. The six topics are the Trump and Biden records; The Supreme Court; COVID-19; the economy; race and violence in cities; and the integrity of the election.

For more information about the debate or its format, please visit the Commission on Presidential Debates. To watch the debate on TV or stream online, please visit C-SPAN for live coverage.

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

DC Digest: September 21-27

Last week was National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week week, and many organizations and the Department of Education (ED) celebrated the week with different activities. On the Hill last week, the House passed a bill on Tuesday to fund the government through December 11. Funding for the government runs out at the end of the fiscal year on September 30, so the Senate will need to pass the bill and have it signed into law by the President before then to avoid a government shutdown. Here are some other happenings from last week:

• Rethink Adult Ed Challenge: As a part of National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, ED announced the Rethink Adult Ed Challenge to expand career opportunities for adult learners through pre-apprenticeship programs. Community colleges, correctional facilities, community-based organizations and other eligible providers are able to compete in this challenge with the prize funds totaling $750,000 to help create innovative and high-quality pre-apprenticeship programs in industries. The submission deadline for Stage 1 is November 25 by 11:59 p.m. ET. 
  
  
• Webinar on Reopening Schools: ED hosted a webinar on Wednesday with a panel of five educators from public and private schools to discuss innovative ways schools were exploring to reach all students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Read an overview and find a link to the recording here.
  
  
• Proposed Priorities for Innovation and Modernization Grants: ED published a  proposal in the Federal Register for revised priorities, requirements, definitions and selection criteria for the next round of Perkins Innovation and Modernization Grants. The Assistant Secretary can use these for competitions to identify projects that will incorporate evidence-based and innovative strategies to improve CTE in future rounds of the grant competition. 
  
  
• 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools Announced: ED announced the 2020 National Blue Ribbon Schools. This year, 367 schools were recognized based on their “overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups.” The awards ceremony will be held virtually on November 12 and 13. 
  
  
• CEF Research Briefing: On Wednesday, The Committee for Education Funding (CEF) hosted a research briefing entitled, “How Money Matters in Education.” The panelists discussed recent research that suggests that if money is invested wisely into the education system, it leads to improved student learning and more equitable outcomes. Further, they used these findings to make the case that federal policymakers need to more adequately invest into our education system. To watch the recording, click here.
  
  
• ED Announces Winners of Reimagine Workforce Preparation Grants: On September 25, the Department of Education’s Office of Career Technical and Adult Education announced the winners of its recent grant competition under the Education Stabilization Fund of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Eight states, including Alabama, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Michigan, Nevada, New York, and Hampton University in partnership with the Commonwealth of Virginia, were awarded a total of $126 million to expand educational opportunities through short-term, career pathways or sector-based education and training programs, and to support local entrepreneurship through business incubators.

ACTE Launches Election Watch 2020

On November 3, voters all across the country will head to the ballot box. Every seat in the U.S. House of Representatives will be on the ballot, along with one-third of U.S. Senate seats. Eleven states will have a governor's election, and many also have state legislative and local elections, and ballot initiatives.

As CTE advocates, you can play an important role in framing the dialogue this election season. In addition to supporting candidates that embrace CTE, advocates can attend town halls and meetings, posing questions to prospective policymakers about how they will support CTE. At the federal level, with Perkins now reauthorized the major issues in the new Congress could include reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, an infrastructure bill and more. Additionally, securing robust, forward-looking investments in CTE through the appropriations process will become even more of a priority as we continue to work to implement Perkins V and the need for skilled training increases due to the current economic situation and high unemployment rates.

You can follow ACTE's continuing coverage of the 2020 election here on the CTE Policy Watch Blog. To learn about voting information, voter registration, grassroots efforts and more, visit Nonprofit Vote.

 

Note: ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not—and will not—support or oppose any candidate for public office.

House Education Committee Votes to Overhaul National Apprenticeship Act

Last Week, the House Education and Labor Committee advanced, in a 26-16 party line vote, a proposal to overhaul and modernize the National Apprenticeship Act of 1937. It will now head to the full House of Representatives for consideration.

The National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 (H.R. 8294) would amend the existing national apprenticeship program to include both pre-apprenticeships and youth apprenticeships, while also defining guidelines for registered apprenticeship programs. Additionally, it would codify the Office of Apprenticeship within the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor, specifies that it is to be headed by an Administrator, and outlines the responsibilities of the Office. It would also create a National Advisory Committee on Apprenticeships. To fund the provisions under the proposal, it authorizes over $3 billion between fiscal years (FY) 2021 and 2025.

Using the job losses due to the pandemic as a backdrop, in his opening statement, Chairman Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (D-VA) stated, “There is no better time than now to invest in this proven program to help people get back to work.” Committee Democrats echoed his sentiments, arguing that the registered apprenticeship program is a proven successful system that leads to high-wage careers and has a near perfect job placement rate upon completion.

On the other hand, committee Republicans opposed the proposal since it only sought to amend the registered apprenticeship system and did not mention other types of apprenticeship programs, like Industry Recognized-Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). They argued that the registered apprenticeship program “isn’t the only way for the federal government to support apprenticeships.” Continuing that these other apprenticeship programs, namely IRAPs, allow employers more flexibility and innovation opportunities to adapt more efficiently in a quickly evolving 21st century economy.

ACTE has endorsed the National Apprenticeship Act of 2020 and Is actively advocating for its passage.

DC Digest: September 14-20

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced last week that the House will plan to remain in session after October 2, the scheduled end of session, until there is a COVID-19 relief package. However, no new agreements have been reached, and it is unclear whether this will remain the case if progress is not made soon. The schedule is also likely to be impacted by the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Byder Ginsberg, who passed away over the weekend. Now the main focus for Senate Republicans and the White House is shifting toward trying to fill this vacancy before the November elections. Here is the rest of the news from DC this week:

• Briefing on Worker and Business Needs: On Thursday, the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce hosted a briefing titled “Investing in America’s Workforce: An Imperative for Workers and Businesses.” Members of the panel included state and local leaders from the education, workforce and business community and discussed the necessary role of Federal policy and investment to meet needs of workers and businesses.
• Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus COVID-19 Relief Proposal: The Congressional Problem Solvers Caucus released  a new COVID-19 relief proposal, which includes about $1.5 trillion in funding overall. It includes education funding for secondary and higher education, broadband access, childcare providers, student loan forbearance through the end of the year and more. However, neither the Republicans or Democrats seemed to want to support this proposal, and it is unlikely to move forward.
• House Passed Rural STEM Education Act: The House passed the Rural STEM Education Act which authorizes $120 million for the National Science Foundation between 2020-2025 to award grants for research to improve rural students’ access to and participation in the fields of STEM. The Act also directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to carry out a prize competition for ideas to deploy affordable and reliable broadband connectivity to underserved rural communities. 
• Senate Hearing on Reforming the FAFSA: The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a largely bipartisan hearing on reforming the FAFSA, and invited five experts on the matter to contribute to the discussion. The proposed changes to the FAFSA that were discussed were to lower the number of questions from 108 to around 33, streamline the financial data verification process and prevent families from long delays that can potentially lead to losing aid. The Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of state and district education leaders, also released a report on suggestions about how the FAFSA should be changed. The report can be found here. 
• New Apprenticeship Bill Introduced in the House: Susan Davis (D-CA), the Chairwoman of the Higher Education and Workforce Investment House Subcommittee, introduced a bill to reauthorize the National Apprenticeship Act to create nearly 1 million registered apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship over the next five years. The bill also calls for $3.5 billion over five years to scale-up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for workers and employers and expand apprenticeships into new in-demand industry sectors and occupations.
• New Web Tool to Access School Spending Data Per Student: The Department of Education has launched a new web tool that can be accessed by parents and educators to show how much money each school spends per student. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires schools to submit funding information called Per Pupil Expenditure (PPE), and from this data, this new tool can help educators and local leaders understand their funding levels and the funding differences between schools. 
• New CDC Resource to Determine the Risk of COVID-19 in Schools: New guidance from the CDC helps schools evaluate the levels of vulnerability for the transmission of COVID-19 within schools. The guidance is color-coded, and uses specific health-related indicators and other strategies the school might use such as masks, social distancing, cleaning and others to help determine the risk level of each school.

National Voter Registration Day

September 22 marks the ninth annual National Voter Registration Day, which is a nonpartisan, civic holiday that seeks to create broad awareness of voter registration opportunities to ensure all eligible voters have the opportunity to do so in the upcoming elections. To date, nearly 3 million voters have registered to vote on the holiday. With only 42 days until the November elections, it is critically important that everyone who is eligible to vote is registered and has a plan in place for how to vote in a timely and safe manner.

Take time today to make sure you are registered in your current location! If you are already registered to vote, we encourage you to double check your registration status, find your polling location, or apply for an absentee ballot. To help assist in any questions you may have about the registration or voting process, below is a list of resources and information.

• Voting In Your State
• Check Your Voter Registration Status
• Register to Vote
• Vote by Mail Policies by State
• Find Your Polling Location
• Same Day Registration by State
• Voting Rights for people with past felony conviction by State

 

ACTE is a nonpartisan organization that does not support or oppose any candidate for public office.

DC Digest: September 7-13

Annndddd we’re back! Congress is back in session after the August recess and Labor Day holiday, which means the DC Digest is back from its brief hiatus. Activity on the Hill was primarily focused on a new COVID-19 relief package this week, which we have more details on below. Congress is also trying to work with the White House to come up with a plan to keep the government funded for the rest of the year as the end of the fiscal year approaches on September 30. Here are a couple of other notes from the week: 

• Extended Deadline for Postsecondary Institutions to Apply for CARES Act Funding: The Department of Education (ED) has extended the deadline for approximately $13 billion in CARES Act funding to give colleges extra time to apply for their share of the funding. The new deadline to apply is September 30, after which the ED will calculate and redistribute any funds that were not claimed.
• New Senate “Skinny” COVID-19 Relief Proposal: The Senate GOP released their new COVID-19 relief package on Tuesday, called the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. This proposal would allocate roughly $500 billion to focus on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs. The proposal did not pass the Senate on Thursday, making a new COVID-19 relief package unlikely in the near future. 
• ACTE Letter to the Senate on the Latest COVID-19 Relief Bill: ACTE sent a letter to the Senate expressing our concerns with the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools and Small Businesses Act. We believe that this latest COVID-19 relief package falls short in addressing the resources needed for the nation’s workforce systems, including CTE, and are concerned about requirements for funding linked to physical reopening. 
• Rep. Thompson Supports Investing CTE: Rep. Glenn Thompson (R-PA), co-chair of the House CTE Caucus, wrote an op-ed for The Hill expressing the need for CTE to help build a highly-skilled, trained workforce, which is needed now more than ever before due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Thompson emphasizes that CTE is the way to bridge the skills gap for students who are entering the workforce for the first time, learning a new skill or reentering the workforce . 

Senate GOP Introduces New “Skinny” COVID Relief Proposal

On Tuesday afternoon, Senate Republicans released the Delivering Immediate Relief to America’s Families, Schools, and Small Businesses Act, an approximately $500 billion proposal for the next round of relief funding, focusing on some of the more pressing healthcare, education and economic needs.

Some of the larger provisions of the new proposal include a $300 per week federal unemployment benefit through the end of the year, an additional round of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding and liability protections from coronavirus-related lawsuits. It also includes $16 billion for coronavirus testing and a provision that would make a Treasury Department loan to the Postal Service, authorized under the CARES Act, forgivable.

More specifically for education, the proposal mirrors the HEALS Act, the Senate Republican’s July proposal, and calls for $105 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund. Of the $105 billion, the Elementary and Secondary Education fund would receive $70 billion, with two-thirds of that  conditioned on local education agencies meeting certain requirements around in-person reopening. Higher education institutions would receive $29 billion with funding being allotted based on the number of Pell Grant recipients. The last $5 billion would go to the Governors’ Emergency Relief Fund, which could be used for any emergency grants for any part of education. Although the proposal does not include dedicated funding for CTE programs, CTE educators and programs could certainly benefit from funds allocated to the Education Stabilization Fund.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) announced that he expects to vote on the proposal later this week, but it is not expected to meet the required 60 vote threshold to pass. Democratic leaders have already called this proposal a non-starter because they believe it does not come close to addressing the problems at hand and they largely see it as a political exercise to try and protect vulnerable Republican Senators in their upcoming reelection bids. Negotiations between congressional leaders and the White House have been at a stalemate since being derailed last month.

We are continuing to advocate for critical resources for CTE and workforce programs to be included in the next relief package to ensure learners are prepared for labor market needs, particularly as the economy begins to rebuild after the pandemic. We need your help to emphasize this message with Congress. Click here to ask your Members of Congress to support the inclusion of funds for CTE, as provided in the Relaunching America’s Workforce Act, in the next relief package.