Federal Education News and Events

Education News Headlines

Committee News and Schedule, Schedule for House and Senate Floor:

House Committee on Education and the Workforce:

NEW: March 6: Full committee markup of H.R. 803, The SKILLS Act—“Supporting Knowledge and Investing in Lifelong Skills Act”

  • 10:00 a.m., 2175 Rayburn House Office Building
  • This markup will be webcast.
  • Penn Hill Group will cover the markup live on Twitter.

Press release: House Republicans Introduce Legislation Blocking Obama Administration from Waiving Successful Welfare Work Requirements

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions:
NEW: March 7: Full committee hearing on “Safe and Supportive Schools: Lessons from the Field”

Press release: Harkin Applauds First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” Initiative to Improve Physical Activity in American Schools

Events:

March 1: National Policy Forum on Competency-Based Education
Presenters: Susan Patrick, President and CEO, International Association of K-12 Online Learning
Chris Sturgis, President, MetisNet
Paul Leather, Deputy Commissioners, New Hampshire Department of Education
Virgel Hammonds, Superintendent, RSU 2 School District, Maine
12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m., Capitol Hill, Room TBA
Register to attend

March 4: Webinar on The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Challenges for School Leadership
Panelists: Laurie Barron, EdD, Principal, Smokey Road Middle School (GA);
Adam Gray, Mathematics Teacher, Boston Latin School (MA);
John Jenkins, EdD, Regional Director of New York, School Leaders Network
Dana Markow, PhD, Vice President, Youth and Education Research, Harris Interactive
Dennis White, Chief Executive Officer and President, MetLife Foundation
Bob Wise, President, Alliance for Excellent Education
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Register and submit questions

March 7: Office of Vocational and Adult Education Community College Webinar series: efforts to transform adult education to better prepare adult learners to successfully transition to postsecondary education
Speakers: Barbara Endel, Jobs for the Future
Judy Alampreses, Abt Associates
The webinar will also highlight the work of LaGuardia Community College to build bridge programs that ease the transition of students from ABE and GED programs to postsecondary education and training.
1:00 p.m.
Register

March 7: Webinar: "Doing Away With Debt: Using Existing Resources to Ensure College Affordability for Low and Middle-Income Students”
Michael Dannenberg and Mamie Voight will discuss their new report
"Doing Away With Debt: Using Existing Resources to Ensure College Affordability for Low and Middle-Income Families," which proposes redesigning the federal financial aid system by consolidating and targeting at least 10 grant, loan, and higher education tax related programs - separate from the Pell Grant - to finance a 'no debt' guarantee to students from low-income families and 'no interest loan' guarantee to students from middle income families.
Panelists -- Robert Moran of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, Travis Reindl of the National Governors Association, and Rory O'Sullivan of the Young Invincibles
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Register

March 13: The National College Access Network hosts a briefing on “Reimagining Federal Student Aid”
Participants: Michael Dannenberg, Director of Higher Education and Education Finance Policy, The Education Trust
Jason Delisle, Director of Federal Education Budget Project, New American Foundation
Kim Cook, Executive Director, National College Access Network
Moderated by Zakiya Smith, Lumina Foundation
Also will include a Congressional Staff Panel
9:00 – 11:45 a.m., Capitol Visitor’s Center
Click here to register for the NCAN Policy Briefing.

March 14: The Center on Education Policy (CEP) will release “States’ Perspectives on Waivers: Relief from NCLB, Concern about Long-Term Solutions,” a state survey report offering insight on states’ early experiences with NCLB waivers
Panel One: Peter Zamora, Director of Federal Relations, Council of Chief State School Officers
Joan Wodiska, Education & Workforce Committee Director, National Governors Association
Daria Hall, Director of K-12 Policy Development, The Education Trust
Michele McNeil, Assistant Editor, Education Week
Panel Two: Jamie Fasteau, Senior Education Policy Advisor, House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Bill Knudse, Education Policy Advisor, Senator Lamar Alexander
Michael Gamel-McCormick, Senior K-12 Education Policy Advisor, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Brad Thomas, Senior Education Policy Advisor, House Committee on Education and the Workforce
9:30 a.m., George Washington University, Jack Morton Auditorium, 805 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC
For more information and registration: awein@gwu.edu

March 14: Briefing on “Driven by Data: Using Student Surveys and Other Tools to Accurately Measure School Safety and the Learning Environment”
Panelists: Jay Gleaton, CEO, Pride Surveys
Jack Pollard, Ph.D., Pride Surveys
Allan Porowski, Fellow, ICF International
Jean Ajamie, Director, School Safety and Prevention, Arizona Dept. of Education
10:30 – 11:45 a.m., Senate Visitors Center Rooms 203-02, Capitol Visitors Center, Washington, DC
RSVP to Jon Terry at jon.terry@capitolyouth.com

March 20: AACTE releases a report about the state of the teacher preparation profession using data collected from the AACTE Professional Education Data System.
Panelists: Martha Kanter, Under Secretary, Department of Education
Rick Ginsberg, Dean, University of Kansas School of Education
Bob Swiggum, Chief Information Officer, Georgia Department of Education
Barnett Berry, Founder and Partner, Center for Teaching Quality
9:30 – 10:30 a.m., National Press Club, First Amendment Lounge, Washington, DC
RSVP

March 22: ETS’s 14th Angoff Memorial Lecture: Inferences About Teachers Based on Student Test Scores
Speaker: Edward H. Haertel, Jacks Family Professor of Education at Stanford University
2:00- 3:30 p.m., National Press Club, Washington, DC
RSVP

U.S. Department of Education and the Administration:

  • Press release: Pennsylvania, Texas, Wyoming Request Flexibility from No Child Left Behind
  • Speech: Supporting and Strengthening School Leadership – Remarks of Secretary Duncan to the National Association of Secondary School Principals National Conference
  • Press release: Department of Education Asks School Leaders to Initiate New Efforts to Reduce Gender-Based Violence
  • ESEA Flexibility Website. Thirty-four states and D.C. have been approved for waivers. Approved waivers and other materials from Rounds One and Two.

Federal Education Training and Grant Opportunities, Notices:

DOL Employment and Training Administration: Notice of Availability of Funds and Solicitation for Grant Applications for Intermediary Organizations Serving Juvenile Offenders in High-Poverty, High-Crime Communities. Applications due April 15, 2013.

Today’s Federal Register

Yesterday in Congress:

H.R.459 : STEM Visa Act of 2013

  • Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] (introduced 2/4/2013)
  • Cosponsors (None)
  • Latest Major Action: 2/28/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration And Border Security.

H.R.890 : To prohibit waivers relating to compliance with the work requirements for the program of block grants to States for temporary assistance for needy families, and for other purposes.

  • Sponsor: Rep Camp, Dave [MI-4] (introduced 2/28/2013)
  • Cosponsors (3)
  • Latest Major Action: 2/28/2013 Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.919 : To promote industry growth and competitiveness and to improve worker training, retention, and advancement, and for other purposes.

  • Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (introduced 2/28/2013)
  • Cosponsors (None)
  • Latest Major Action: 2/28/2013 Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.

S.403 : A bill to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.

  • Sponsor: Sen Casey, Robert P., Jr. [PA] (introduced 2/28/2013)
  • Cosponsors (1)
  • Latest Major Action: 2/28/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

S.406 : A bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for new program review requirements.

  • Sponsor: Sen Lautenberg, Frank R. [NJ] (introduced 2/28/2013)
  • Cosponsors (3)
  • Latest Major Action: 2/28/2013 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.