| | | | | |  | | By Bianca Quilantan | Editor's Note: Weekly Education is a weekly version of POLITICO Pro's daily Education policy newsletter, Morning Education. POLITICO Pro is a policy intelligence platform that combines the news you need with tools you can use to take action on the day's biggest stories. Act on the news with POLITICO Pro. REOPENING SCHOOLS CONVERSATION INTENSIFIES AS FALL DRAWS NEAR: Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, unveiled a five-step plan on how he would reopen the nation's schools. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has been ramping up the pressure on schools to reopen for in-person instruction, going as far as threatening to cut federal education funding if they don't reopen (again) on "Fox News Sunday." Biden and Trump agree that students need to learn, but with slightly more than 100 days until the election, here's their latest in the reopening schools debate: TRUMP: The president's advisers have said that Trump is on board with giving schools more money to help them reopen this fall. But, in an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace, Trump once again threatened school funding, saying: "When they don't open their schools, we're not going to fund them." BIDEN: The former vice president unveiled a five-step roadmap for how his administration would help schools reopen. His plan leans on local decision-making and wearing masks, and also asks for more money for schools. | | | BEYOND THE COVID-19 HURDLE TO REOPENING SCHOOLS, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON: — A new report from the American Federation of Teachers, one of the country's largest teachers unions, projects up to 1.4 million public education jobs will be lost without more federal emergency aid. The report comes as Congress returns from recess and is expected to turn to the next economic relief package. — Speaking of that next stimulus legislation, the White House said it wants 10 percent of the bill's education pot to go toward nonpublic schools and Education Freedom Scholarships. — The first preliminary injunction hearing in a case challenging Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' new Title IX rule is scheduled for Friday. The rule, which governs how colleges address sexual assault on campus, goes into effect on Aug. 14. IT'S MONDAY, JULY 20. WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. WHAT ARE SOME ED POLICY ISSUES YOU'RE LOOKING AT BEFORE THE ELECTION? Ping me at bquilantan@politico.com with your answer. Send tips to your host or to my colleagues, Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com, Michael Stratford at mstratford@politico.com and Nicole Gaudiano at ngaudiano@politico.com. Share event listings: educalendar@politicopro.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro. | | | | HAPPENING WEDNESDAY – COVID-19 AND CALIFORNIA'S HOUSING CRISIS : Tens of thousands of Californians bounce from one place to another, living in overcrowded housing in impoverished neighborhoods, in cars, or on the streets. How has Covid-19 exacerbated this already critical issue? Join POLITICO reporters Joanne Kenen and Victoria Colliver and a lineup of expert guests for a virtual conversation on what role social determinants of health, like housing, will have in post-Covid-19 recovery efforts in California. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | AFT REPORT SAYS SCHOOLS NEED HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN AID: The report, "A Time to Act: the Importance of Investment in Public Education and Other State and Local Services in the time of COVID-19," argues that if the federal government fails to give more money to public schools and colleges, "nearly 1.4 million public education jobs will be lost and schools throughout the country will be forced to meet remotely indefinitely." The union also estimates that schools need a "half-trillion dollars to safely reopen our nation's preK-12 public school system." — "Congress has a choice — either fund our future and tackle the virus, or meekly surrender to the triple crisis of the pandemic, the economic recession and structural racism," said AFT President Randi Weingarten. "We're facing an unmitigated disaster — and we hope our cries for help are heeded before it's too late." | | | ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE TO DOMINATE AGENDA FOR NEXT FEW WEEKS: Congressional leaders are expected to begin negotiations on another emergency aid package in the coming days, with a shared goal of signing something into law within three weeks, POLITICO's Sarah Ferris and Heather Caygle report. — The House is scheduled to depart for recess on July 31, with the Senate following the week after, but House members have been advised not to make plans the first week of August. — The White House has signaled that it would sign another relief package with more money for education "if it's reasonable and it meets a lot of demands," White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told reporters on Friday. — Such demands include taking "a very strong look at the White House's proposal for emergency relief for these schools, and also education freedom scholarships, because that disproportionately helps our lower income communities," Conway said. DeVos' Education Freedom Scholarships proposal, which promotes school choice, has been stuck in Congress and hasn't gained much traction. HOUSE HEARING ON REOPENING SCHOOLS THIS WEEK: A House Education and Labor panel will hold a hearing on safely reopening schools on Thursday at 10:15 a.m. — Witnesses have not been announced. Chair Bobby Scott (D-Va.) had invited CDC Director Robert Redfield, or a designee, to testify, but the committee on Friday said the White House had blocked CDC officials from participating at this week's hearing. Aides, speaking on background, said the committee was told that Redfield would not appear, at the direction of the White House. Redfield had been asked to discuss the immediate needs of K-12 public schools as many districts look to reopen in the fall. — Separately, the CDC confirmed that more guidance for opening schools won't be released until later this month. "These science- and evidence-based resources and tools will provide additional information for administrators, teachers and staff, parents, caregivers and guardians, as together we work towards the public health-oriented goal of safely opening schools this fall," a CDC spokesperson said. EDUCATION GROUPS REMEMBER REP. JOHN LEWIS: Lewis, a long-serving Democratic congressman from Georgia and civil rights movement icon, died on Friday at 80. — "In Congress, he was essential to every single step forward for our HBCUs and our students," said Michael L. Lomax, president and CEO of United Negro College Fund. "He was a fierce advocate for the marginalized and powerless, including first generation and low income college students. He empathized with them and knew their inherent value and power because he was once one of them at Fisk University." | | | TITLE IX PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION HEARING IN DEMOCRATIC AGs LAWSUIT: The hearing will take place via phone or video conference at 2 p.m. on Friday before D.C. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols. This will be the first of four lawsuits challenging the new Title IX rule to get to the hearing stage. — The multistate suit from the attorneys general of 17 states and the District of Columbia argues that the Education Department violated the Administrative Procedure Act with its new rule because it acted outside of its statutory authority. The lawsuits also say the rule is arbitrary, capricious and an abuse of discretion. — Texas, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota and Tennessee defended DeVos' new policy in an amicus brief. They asked the court to deny the motion for a preliminary injunction. FEDERAL COURT ORDERS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO ACCEPT NEW DACA APPLICATIONS: The District Court of Maryland ruled that the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program must be restored to its pre-Sept. 5, 2017, status. That means the Obama-era program must continue the way it was before the Trump administration began to wind down the program, which includes accepting new applications. | | | | JOIN THURSDAY AT 1:30 p.m. EDT – A GLOBAL RALLYING CRY: The Black Lives Matter movement has gone global with anti-racism protests sweeping cities around the world. What does the racial reckoning look like abroad? Join Global Translations author Ryan Heath for a conversation on how the fight for equality has become a worldwide rallying cry following the killing of George Floyd. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | | HOWARD UNIVERSITY TO SET UP RAPID COVID-19 TESTING ON CAMPUS: Howard University President Wayne Frederick, on Sunday's "Meet the Press," told host Chuck Todd that the school plans to sign an MOU with an unnamed company this week to set up a way to conduct rapid testing so it can reopen using a hybrid on-campus model this fall. The school will have a lab and be able to conduct testing internally to "have a very good turnaround time," Frederick said. — "We have to be realistic that we're bringing students from 46 states and 71 countries. Obviously there are travel bans in place and U.S. embassies are not necessarily issuing visas, so international students may have a difficulty in returning," he told Todd. "But bringing people from hot spots is going to be a challenge. So we also are looking at having students tested before they come and self-quarantining prior to their trips as well and obviously making tests available on campus." | | | DEVOS ANNOUNCES EDUCATION CHOICE GRANTS FOR NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS: DeVos' "Accessing Choices in Education" grant competition would award a total of $15 million to allow tribes, or education entities partnering with tribes, to set up a variety of education options and services from which parents or students can choose, the department said. — "This pandemic has made very clear that education needs to be more adaptable and student-centered," DeVos said in a statement. "Tragically, too many Native American students lack access to a high quality education option that meets their unique needs." — DeVos also said the grants would empower "tribes to select the range of resources to offer students including things like tutoring, educational or technology supplies, and Native language, history or culture courses. In turn, parents and students are then empowered to select the resources that are the right fit for them." BLEW TO APPEAR AT EDUCATION WRITERS ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE: James Blew, assistant Education secretary for policy, planning, and evaluation, is expected to talk about the Trump administration's priorities for education during the pandemic in a virtual discussion with NPR's Steve Drummond. The conversation will take place 11 to 11:45 a.m. on Friday at EWA's 73rd National Seminar. ALSO AT EWA: House Education and Labor Chair Bobby Scott (D-Va.) will share insights into the outlook for federal education legislation in the coming year. The conversation, moderated by The Washington Post's Laura Meckler, is scheduled for Friday from 12 to 12:45 p.m. | | | — A national survey of LGBTQ youth mental health from the Trevor Project found that 40 percent of LGBTQ respondents "seriously considered attempting suicide" in the past 12 months. | | | — Jane Norman, our beloved POLITICO Pro Education and Budget & Appropriations editor, will be the new States Newsroom Washington bureau chief. Her last day was Friday. We're going to miss her. Join us in wishing her the best of luck in her new adventure! — Bill Carver will be the interim president of the North Carolina Community College system. He will replace Peter Hans, who was selected to lead the University of North Carolina system. Carver was previously the president of Nash Community College. | | | — California's top higher education officials urge voters to support affirmative action in hiring and admissions: EdSource — Proposed $25 million cut to colleges would result in layoffs, reduced student services, higher education system says: The Nevada Independent — International students can study in the U.S. this fall — if they can get here: NPR — Trump sours on online learning that his administration evangelized: POLITICO — Will the pandemic blow up college in America? POLITICO Magazine | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
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