HOUSE 

House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-VA) wrote a letter to appropriators asking for increased funding for the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants at $1.6 billion. President Trump’s fiscal 2018 and 2019 budgets propose defunding the program entirely.

The Congressional Tri-Caucus, which is composed of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) wrote a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos expressing its disappointment  regarding the implementation of the Every Student Success Act (ESSA).

The House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education held a hearing entitled, “Strengthening Welfare to Work with Child Care” to examine the role of welfare in the child care system.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Scott (VA-03), released a statement after the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced its  final list of priorities last Friday, March 2, 2018.

House Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Scott (VA-03), released a statement after ED’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) released its recommendations for H.R.4508, also known as the “Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform Act” or PROSPER Act.

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies held a hearing entitled “FY19 Budget Hearing – Department of Labor” to discuss funding for a variety of job training programs, including Job Corps and addressing the “skills gap” through apprenticeship programs.

The House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations has requested that Members send their programmatic and language submissions for consideration in the FY 2019 appropriations bill by March 19. Please note that other subcommittees have different deadlines for submissions.

SENATE                 

HELP Committee Raking Member Patty Murray (D-WA) released a comment on the ED’s OIG recommendations to strengthen accountability measures for colleges and programs in the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee announced March 12 votes on several of President Trump’s nominees, including Frank Brogan to be Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education and Mark Schneider to be Director of the Institute of Education Sciences.

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee will accept written testimony from outside witnesses for FY2019 Appropriations. Submissions are due by June 1, 2018.

ADMINISTRATION

Secretary DeVos  announced the Department will award Broward County Public Schools a Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV) grant.

Secretary DeVos met with students, teachers and administrators at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Some news outlets are reporting that Secretary DeVos said at a news conference in Parkland, Florida, that schools should be given the option of arming school staff, potentially including teachers, who are “expert in being able to defend” schools, but she was also clear that the move should not  be mandatory.

Addressing the nation’s Chief State School Officers, Secretary DeVos delivered remarks regarding progress under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

ED’s Office of Inspector General released its recommendations for H.R.4508 also known as the “Promoting Real Opportunity, Success, and Prosperity through Education Reform Act” or PROSPER Act.

A U.S. Federal District Court Judge in Maryland upheld President Trump’s move to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. This decision contrasts with earlier decisions issued in the Ninth Circuit against the Administration’s move.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that renewal applications for DACA will continue to be processed due to court injunctions.

President Trump nominated Jon Parrish Peede for the position of Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Peede joined NEH in April 2017 and is currently the Senior Deputy Chairman.

Secretary DeVos announced today that more students who attended Charlotte School of Law can now be eligible for a closed school discharge.

ED will publish a notice in the Federal Register on Monday, March 12 stating that it is the Department’s view that State regulation of servicers of loans under the Direct Loan program are preempted by Federal law.

EVENTS

Penn Hill Group plans to provide clients with a summary of the following event next week:

• March 14: Senate Committee on the Judiciary: “See Something, Say Something: Oversight of the Parkland Shooting and Legislative Proposals to Improve School Safety”
• March 15: House Committee on Appropriations hearing: “FY 2019 Budget Hearing – Department of Health and Human Services”
• March 15: House Science, Space and Technology Committee: “An Overview of the National Science Foundation Budget Proposal for Fiscal Year 2019”
• March 15: House Education and the Workforce Committee: “Strengthening Access and Accountability to Work in Welfare Programs”

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES 

Penn Hill Group provides a list of grant opportunities and summaries for select grants. Please visit our website for more information