by Alyson Klein | Feb 14, 2017 | Congress, Education Week, ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act, IDEA, No Child Left Behind, Tennessee, US Department of Education, Washington
The prospect of Betsy DeVos as U.S. Secretary of Education has some school choice supporters riding high, while many educators, members of the civil rights community, and disability advocates are taking to the streets in anger, literally.
But what if her nomination is approved? (That looks more likely than not for now, even though a couple of GOP lawmakers said Tuesday they’re not sure about the nominee heading into the full Senate vote.) How much could DeVos really do at the U.S. Department of Education without the help of Congress or state policymakers?
The short answer: Maybe not quite…
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by Alyson Klein | Feb 14, 2017 | Congress, Education Week, Every Student Succeeds Act, Trump Administration, US Department of Education
That big fight over spending rules for the Every Student Succeeds Act has ended not with a bang, but a whimper: U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. is throwing in the towel, withdrawing a proposed regulation for a section of the law known as “supplement-not-supplant” that had strong backing in the civil rights community, but angered state chiefs, advocates for districts, and Republicans in Congress.
The proposal was all but certain to be tossed by a Republican-backed Congress and the Trump administration.
The department’s draft rule, released in August, would have pushed for districts and states to make sure they were spending roughly same amount of money—including for teachers’ salaries—in schools that serve a sizeable population of poor students and less-poor schools…
Read the full article here. May require an Education Week subscription.
by Alyson Klein | Feb 14, 2017 | Alaska, California, Connecticut, Education Week, Every Student Succeeds Act, k-12, Massachusetts, Michigan, Vermont
It’s finally happening: Betsy DeVos, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Department of Education, is set to testify before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee at her confirmation hearing Tuesday.
In the past, confirmation hearings for an education secretary have typically been bipartisan love fests. But that’s not going to be the case this time around.
DeVos’ background as a voucher supporter who has never worked in a government, in a school district, or attended or sent her kids to public school has generated big backlash from educators and civil rights groups. In fact, 38 groups who don’t always see eye-to-eye on K-12 issues—including Democrats for Education Reform and the teachers’ unions—sent a letter Tuesday to Senate education committee leaders expressing big concerns about DeVos’ background and support for vouchers…
Read the full article here. May require an Education Week subscription.
