Articles of Interest
VB’s Bevel named 2023 Outstanding Middle School Principal of Va. | WAVY.com
Hanover school board softens on one provision of book policy
Updates: 2 fatally shot, 5 wounded after Huguenot High School graduation
Alexandria approves agreement to keep police in schools after long debate
DOE Updates
EDUCATION FUNDING AVOIDS LARGE SCALE CUTS IN DEBT CEILING DEAL
Last week, the House and Senate passed legislation that would address the country’s debt limit through 2025, apply spending limitations to the appropriations process, and rescind some funds from COVID-era relief bills. The House passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) on a bipartisan vote of 314-117 on Wednesday. The Senate did the same on Thursday by a vote of 63-36.
The FRA caps non-defense discretionary spending for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 at roughly $704 billion, followed by a 1 percent increase in discretionary spending in FY 2025 and also includes a section that rescinds unspent funds from the various emergency COVID spending bills. According to the Administration’s analysis, the total available for rescission in education accounts is $391 million—a small amount when compared to the total of $190 billion sent to states and districts.
The passage of the bill sets the stage for action on FY 2024 appropriations bills, and the House Appropriations Committee is expected to markup bills throughout the month of June. The Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill will still be among the last developed and debated, and education advocates will continue to make their case for adequate investments.
Many Republican and Democrat members of Congress, as well as several education organizations, praised the efforts to find a compromise that avoids severe cuts to education and social services but still guarantees the country will pay its bills. The default deadline was considered to be June 5th.
To read more about the debt ceiling legislation deal and education funding, click here.
Important Virginia Literacy Updates – Spring 2023
The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) is among the most comprehensive early literacy policies in the nation. The objective of the VLA is to improve literacy outcomes for all K-8 students. Superintendent’s Memo 98-23 covers key literacy updates:
1. Instructional Materials Review – Cycle II: Call for Materials
2. Instructional Materials Review – Cycle I Results
3. Statewide Training Opportunity for Reading Specialists
4. Early Literacy Screener 5. Early Intervention Reading Initiative for 2023-24 SY
K-12 School Innovation Planning (K12 SIP) Grant
Individual school divisions or consortia of school divisions are eligible to submit proposals meeting the intent of the RFP document. Proposals may target one or more schools in each participating school division. School divisions awarded planning grants must be prepared to implement their innovative reform models over two years beginning with the 2024-2025 school year. Completed proposals must be received electronically by the VDOE no later than 4 p.m. on July 14.
Virginia Health and Physical Activity Institute
VDOE extends an invitation to all administrators and teachers to attend and be presenters at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Virginia 2023 Health and Physical Activity Institute, which will be held July 9-12, 2023, at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The primary objective of the initiative is to improve the quality of health and physical education instruction and provide support for implementing the Virginia Board of Education standards of learning for health and physical education, which enhance the wellness and educational performance of Virginia’s students. Read more today!
Celebrate with Authors and Literacy Experts-July 13- 14
Longwood’s Summer Literacy Institute will be held on campus and focus on critical thinking and reading. Join authors Jennifer LaGarde, Terry Catasús Jennings and Jarrett J. Krosoczka in addition to a variety of concurrent sessions, celebrating children’s and young adult’s literature. Earn professional development recertification points or graduate credits.
Ed. Department Updates
FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT
On June 3, President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which, among other actions, suspends the public debt limit through January 1, 2025; increases the limit on January 2, 2025, to accommodate the obligations issued during that suspension, and establishes new discretionary spending limits.
“[This bipartisan budget agreement] is an important step forward that reduces spending while protecting critical programs for working people and growing the economy for everyone,” the President emphasized in a statement. “The agreement represents a compromise, which means not everyone gets what they want. That’s the responsibility of governing. And, the agreement is good news for the American people, because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost.”
“I know bipartisanship is hard and unity is hard, but we can never stop trying, because in moments like this one — the one we just faced, where the American economy and the world economy is at risk of collapsing — there is no other way,” the President subsequently explained in an Oval Office address. “No matter how tough our politics get, we need to see each other not as adversaries but as fellow Americans. Treat each other with dignity and respect. Join forces to…lower the temperature and work together to pursue progress, secure prosperity, and keep the promise of America for everybody.”
On Twitter, Secretary Cardona praised the President for “averting a crisis with this deal and for protecting our student debt relief plan in full.” The agreement ends the suspension of federal student loan payments on August 30. Yet, it does not affect the Administration’s targeted student debt relief plan. (Separately, the President vetoed a Congressional resolution that would have canceled the plan — see the President’s veto message and the Secretary’s response. The U.S. Supreme Court is still considering a legal challenge.)
Furthermore, in a letter responding to a measure in the agreement that rescinds some unobligated funding, the Department assured grantees that federal pandemic relief aid for K-12 schools have been committed.
TITLE IX RULEMAKING
The Administration is committed to ensuring all students are guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex. To that end, amending the Department’s regulations implementing Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a top priority.
The proposed regulations released by the agency in July 2022 are historic. They would strengthen protections for students who experience sexual harassment and assault at school and protect LGBTQI+ students from discrimination. The agency received more than 240,000 public comments on the proposed rule, nearly twice as many comments as it received during its last rulemaking on the same issue. Reviewing and considering the comments takes time and is essential to ensuring the final rule is enduring. Therefore, the Department is updating the Spring Unified Agenda to reflect an anticipated date of October 2023 (see Homeroom blog).
Similarly, the Department is updating its agenda for the final athletics rule to reflect an anticipated date of October 2023. This proposed rule received over 150,000 public comments.
