Learning Forward Advocacy
On Monday, July 12, 2021, the House Labor Health Human Services (HHS) and Education Appropriations Subcommittee approved by voice vote a FY22 spending bill that would increase Department of Education funding by 41%, and by and large, would make the same major investments in Title I, IDEA, and mental health that President Biden sought in his full FY22 proposed budget. Also, on the K-12 side of the ledger, the bill would improve on the President’s proposals in many other key programs, including a $150 million funding increase for the Title II professional development program and an $85 million increase for the Title IV flexible block grant program. For higher education, the bill would increase maximum Pell awards by $400, invest more funding to strengthen Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and plus-up several existing college access programs. The full committee will mark-up this bill on July 15th.
At Monday’s Labor HHS Education bill mark-up, Republicans signaled strong opposition to the bill as written. Full committee ranking member Kay Granger (R-TX) declared that the bill’s overall 40% increase in size over last year is “simply too high,” particularly in light of the fact that so many institutions supported had already received significant funding through the COVID-19 relief acts. She also suggested that many of these institutions lacked the capacity to handle even more money.
Below is a chart showing how key programs fared in the President’s FY22 budget, the FY21 Omnibus Appropriations Act and the FY22 House Appropriations version (Not all funding levels available yet):
| FY22 House Approps Mark | FY22 Biden Budget Proposal | FY21 Omnibus | Change House FY22/FY21 Omni |
|
| Title I | $36.757B | $37.247B | $16.537B | +$19.53B |
| Title II-A (Teacher Effectiveness) | $2.293B | $2.149B | $2.143B | +$150M |
| Title IV-A (SSAE Block Grant) | $1.305B | $1.220B | $1.220B | +$85M |
| Charter Schools | $440M | $440M | 0 | |
| CTE Grants | $1.485B | $1.47B | $1.342B | +$150M |
| Title III — English Language | $1B | $917M | $797.4M | +$203M |
Bernstein Strategy Group’s Founder and President, has over 25 years of experience in education, technology, privacy, appropriations, and telecommunications policy. Jon began his Washington, DC tenure in 1994 as a Legislative Fellow for Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). He later became legislative counsel for The Lightspan Partnership, an educational software company. In 1997, Jon moved on to lobby for the National Education Association, leaving there in 1999 to commence work for the Federal Communications Commission. He departed the Commission in 2001 to begin work in private practice and launched BSG in 2005. Today, Jon works closely with many of the major K-12 education associations as co-chair of both the Education and Libraries Networks Coalition and the Homework Gap Big Tent Coalition and as Executive Director of the National Coalition for Technology in Education and Training. He also helps lead the Principals Group, which focuses on professional development funding and related issues. He received his BA from Colgate University and his JD from the Northwestern University Law School.
Evidence, evidence, evidence
Evidence of impact is not optional. From your ESSA plans to Title II to talking with your district superintendent, everyone wants to know when professional development is making an impact and how you know. Learning Forward is here to help. We invite you to join your peers from across the U.S. to share your successes here.
Tell us what Title II funds in your school or district, and most important, what outcomes you see as a result. Outcomes might include improved graduation rates or assessment scores, improvements for specific populations of students, or other indicators that students are experiencing more meaningful learning.
ESSA Toolkits
A New Vision For Professional Learning: A Toolkit to Help
States Use ESSA to Advance Learning and ImprovementSystems. This toolkit helps leaders leverage professional learning as
an essential tool in overcoming systemic inequities and guaranteeing
excellence for all.
Agents for Learning Toolkit: A Guide to Amplifying Teacher
Voice and Stakeholder Engagement. This toolkit suggests ways to cultivate teacher voice and agency in policy decisions and the implementation of professional learning.
Webinar series: Speak up for Title II
Learning Forward hosted a series of advocacy webinars designed to help educators build their advocacy skills. Each free webinar provides background information, the legislative status of Title II, and offers practical steps for how you can engage in this critical fight.
Past advocacy updates:
Update from Capitol Hill: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona advocates in the Senate for big education increase
By Jon Bernstein |
FY22 Appropriations process underway
By Melinda George |
Learning Forward Advocacy
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Need help?
Melinda George
Chief Policy Officer
Washington, DC
Email Melinda
800-727-7288
