This week in Washington was another quiet week for federal policy with the Independence Day holiday. Congress is out of town until July 10, when they will return to continue work on fiscal year 2024 appropriations bills and other key legislation. Neither the House nor the Senate Appropriations Committee has released a draft of its Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), Education and Related Agencies funding bill, and there is no clear timing on projected markups of these bills, so advocacy continues to be critical. Here are some additional notes as we await Congress’s return from recess:
- Perkins Plan Submissions and Revisions for FY 2024: The Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Adult Education (OCTAE) has released guidelines for states to receive FY 2024 Perkins grant awards through submission of new or revised Perkins state plans and/or updated state-determined performance levels (SDPLs). Submissions will be due by COB on May 10, 2024. Read the full memo here.
- Analysis of National Data Illustrates CTE Teacher Shortages: ACTE recently analyzed the National Center for Education Statistics 2020-21 National Teacher and Principal Survey (NTPS)for relevant CTE teacher data such as demographics, distribution, vacancies, and salaries and credentials, among other topics. Learn more from the survey here.
- President Biden Announces New Actions on Student Loans: In the wake of the Supreme Court decision blocking President Biden’s proposal to forgive up to $20,000 in student loans for most Americans, the administration announced new stepsto aid borrowers. Learn more about these new actions here.
- Committee for Education Funding Sends Letter on FY 2024 Appropriations: On July 6, ACTE’s coalition partner, the Committee for Education Funding (CEF), sent a letter to leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as leadership of the Labor, HHS and Education subcommittees, opposing the significant cuts planned for FY 2024 appropriations bills.
- Department of Labor Launches Youth Employment Works: The Department of Labor has launched the Youth Employment Works strategy to center young people at the heart of the workforce development conversation. The strategy will focus on efforts that can offer seamless access to supportive services and workforce development opportunities for youth and young workers, increase public and private commitments to youth and young adult career pathways, philanthropy across all sectors to invest in high-quality pathways for young people, and offer guaranteed paid work experiences. Learn more about the strategy here.
- Additional Funding for Broadband Internet Announced: The Department of Commerce has announced funding for each state and U.S. territory and the District of Columbia for high-speed internet infrastructure deployment through the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) initiative created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Comments