September 20, 2019

BACK TO SCHOOL TOUR

 

 

Secretary DeVos and four other senior Department officials traveled to 18 states this week as part of the Department’s annual back to school tour.  This is the third year this Administration has embarked on a tour to highlight learning environments where educators and elected leaders are rethinking education.  This year’s tour focused specifically on how the Secretary’s Education Freedom Scholarships proposal will help supplement state and local initiatives to expand education options for all students.

 

The Secretary’s first stop was St. Marcus Lutheran School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  This school serves 900 students, nearly all of whom benefit from the 30-year-old Milwaukee Parental Choice Program that provides school tuition scholarships to qualified low-income students who reside within the boundaries of the city’s school district.  The Secretary toured the school, hosted a roundtable discussion with students, parents, educators, and policymakers on the importance of education freedom, and delivered keynote remarks (press release, photos, and video).

 

“I’ve come to Milwaukee -- the birthplace of education freedom -- to stand on the shoulders of giants and say: Now is the time to ignite a new birth of freedom for all of America’s students,” the Secretary declared in her Back to School address, which was live-streamed on Facebook (video).  “We have a bold plan to do just that -- an American education freedom agenda.  The freedom to learn.  The freedom to grow.  The freedom to advance.  The freedom to pursue the education that works for you.  Students in control of their pathway to a successful education, career, and life.  Families in control of how, when, and where their students will learn best.  Teachers in control of their classrooms and their careers.  States and communities -- not Washington, D.C. -- in control of local decisions.”

 

Next, in Illinois, the Secretary visited Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove (photos) and Jefferson High School in Rockford (photos), where she observed classrooms centered on a range of skills (from entrepreneurship to forensics) and heard about dual enrollment and career preparation opportunities available to students.

 

Then, in Indiana, the Secretary visited Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis (photos), where students work on a series of community-based projects throughout the year to prepare for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) degrees and careers, as well as met with students and leadership affiliated with Purdue Global, the university’s online college for working adults (photos).

 

Then, crossing Cleveland, Ohio (1 and 2), the Secretary visited the Great Lakes Science Center, where community partnerships drive STEM workforce development programs in advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies.  She toured the center, as well as the on-site MC2STEM High School (photos).  She also saw EDWIN’s Leadership and Restaurant Institute, where formerly incarcerated individuals are given the opportunity to learn a skilled and in-demand trade in the culinary arts (photos and video).  Additionally, the Secretary visited E Prep and Village Prep Cliffs Campus, where she learned about the school’s innovative teaching methods and adaptive computer-based instruction (photos).  Moreover, she toured Cuyahoga Community College’s Manufacturing Technology Center floor (photos).

 

Then, in Pennsylvania, the Secretary stopped by Harrisburg Catholic Elementary School.  There, joined by Speaker of the House Mike Turzai and other stakeholders, she participated in an education freedom roundtable (photos).  Earlier, she had the privilege of visiting Gettysburg National Military Park with area homeschool families for an out-of-the-classroom learning experience (photos).

 

Finally, in Michigan, the Secretary toured the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, where students engage in hands-on learning environments for in-demand jobs, and will visit Detroit Edition Public School Academy.

 

As for the other senior officials:

·       Deputy Secretary Mitchell Zais visited Idaho, Montana (including the Crow Indian Reservation), South Dakota (including the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation), and North Dakota (including with Minot Air Force Base-connected students);

·       Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education Frank Brogan visited Georgia and Mississippi;

·       Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services Johnny Collett visited Kansas and Missouri (see below); and

·       Assistant Secretary for Career, Technical, and Adult Education Scott Stump visited Arizona (1 and 2), New Mexico, Nevada, and West Virginia.

 

Throughout the tour, senior officials, the Department, and local schools were using #EducationFreedomTour.

 

POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS FOR ALL

 

 

On the tour, Assistant Secretary Collett visited the University of Missouri at Kansas City’s Volker Campus, where he held a roundtable with students and faculty about the Propel Program -- a transition program for young adults with intellectual disabilities that allows them the opportunity to explore employment and education on campus.  He also issued a Department-produced question-and-answer guide making clear that Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and vocational rehabilitation (VR) funds can be used to help students and youth with disabilities access valuable education options, including dual enrollment, comprehensive transition, and other postsecondary education programs.  Jointly prepared by the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) and the Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), the guide describes how state educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and State VR agencies may coordinate to assist students and youth with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities, in preparing for postsecondary success.

 

HBCU WEEK CONFERENCE

 

 

Last week, President Trump and Secretary DeVos joined students, educators, college presidents, and community leaders at the annual Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week Conference (video).  This year’s conference was the largest ever, with more than 1,800 attendees, and it focused on a critical theme: enhancing HBCU competitiveness.

 

The President kicked-off the week by declaring September 9 as the inaugural National HBCU Colors Day.  He called “upon all Americans to observe [HBCU] week with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities and to boldly, joyfully, and proudly don institutional colors.”

 

Also that day, at the conference, the Secretary sat down for a conversation with Johnny Taylor, Chair of the President’s Advisory Board on HBCUs (photos 1 and 2).  They discussed breaking down silos between education and employers, so all students can be prepared for successful careers.

 

On September 10, the President delivered remarks at the conference, spotlighting his Administration’s strong commitment to HBCUs (fact sheet and video).

 

The President also announced that 40 faith-based HBCUs will have “equal access” to federal support for capital improvements because of a Department of Justice opinion declaring restrictions unconstitutional.

 

CENSUS 2020

 

Statistics in Schools is a free U.S. Census Bureau program that uses census data to create classroom materials for PK-12 schools.  New activities designed for the 2019-20 school year highlight the 2020 Census and the importance of making sure everyone is counted -- especially children.  Census responses drive decisions on the allocation of more than $675 billion in federal funds to states and communities, including support for school programs and services such as Title I, special education grants to states, Head Start, and the National School Lunch Program.  (Note: The Census Bureau’s materials are a potential resource for educators.  The Department of Education does not control, direct, or encourage any information in a curriculum, and the use of materials is strictly a state and local matter.)

 

ADDRESSING SEXUAL ABUSE

 

The Department announced on September 12 that it had reached a resolution agreement with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) that will require significant structural and procedural changes within the district in order to protect students from sexual assault and abuse.  The Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) concluded that, for years, CPS’s management, handling, and oversight of complaints of student-on-student and adult-on-student sexual harassment violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  “The Chicago Public Schools have inexcusably failed, for quite some time, to provide their students with the basic protections required by law,” OCR Assistant Secretary Kenneth Marcus stated.  “I am glad that CPS has now agreed to make a number of serious, substantive changes to come in compliance with Title IX.  These issues must be addressed to ensure that all students in CPS have an opportunity to learn in a safe educational environment free from the threat of sexual harassment or sexual assault.”

 

ODDS AND ENDS

 

·       In separate proclamations, President Trump recognized National Hispanic Heritage Month (spanning September 15 to October 15) and Constitution Day/Citizenship Day (September 17).

·       A new Department-produced video captures young students at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (see also “A Day at the Zoo,” a guide to help make a student’s trip to a local zoo a great hands-on educational opportunity).

·       Another video shares Kayla’s second chance education story.

·       On the Homeroom blog, Assistant Secretary Brogan and Dr. Mindy Brashears, the Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, chatted about supporting schools in creating plans to ensure and sustain food safety.

·       The Department announced in the Federal Register the availability of $165 million in funding and application deadlines for disaster recovery education assistance programs: Immediate Aid to Restart School Operations, Temporary Emergency Impact Aid for Displaced Students, and Emergency Assistance to Institutions of Higher Education.

·       The Department’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) has a redesigned web site, offering new resources, streamlined navigation, trending content, and improved access to funding opportunities and timelines.

·       The Department’s Institute of Education Sciences (IES) released its latest biennial report to Congress.

·       A National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Data Point examines career and technical education (CTE) course-taking among public school graduates from city, suburban, town, and rural high schools.

·       In preparation for the U.S. Semiquincentennial in 2026, the National Endowment for the Humanities’ (NEH) “A More Perfect Union” initiative provides funding opportunities for humanities projects that promote a deeper understanding of American history and culture and that advance civic education and knowledge of the core principles of government.

·       “Education at a Glance,” the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) annual report, compares education systems in 36 member countries and a number of partner countries using a range of indicators, such as student participation and achievement, public and private spending, conditions for students and educators, and the state of lifelong learning (blog post).

 

QUOTE TO NOTE

 

“The future of our nation is secured through the vigilance of our people: The brave men and women who tore through the gates of hell [on 9/11] to save the hurt and the wounded.  The servicemembers who honor the friends who perished by continuing their exceptional life of service.  The moms and dads who endure the loss of their soulmates and fill their children’s lives with all of the adoration in the world.  The sons and daughters who suffered grave loss, and yet through it all, persevere to care for our neighbors, defend our homeland, and safeguard our nation.  Each of your lives tells the story of courage and character, virtue and valor, resilience and resolve, loyalty and love….  [W]e make a sacred vow to carry on this noble legacy.  Today and every day, we pledge to honor our history, to treasure our liberty, to uplift our communities, to live up to our values, to prove worthy of our heroes, and above all -- stronger than ever -- to never, ever forget.”

 

-- President Donald Trump (9/11/19), in remarks at the September 11 Pentagon Observance Ceremony

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

On September 25, starting at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time, watch the 2019 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools, District Sustainability Awardees, and Postsecondary Sustainability Awardees receive their plaques live on YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook.

 

A reminder: Students and their families can begin submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) on October 1.

 

Hold the date: On November 6, the Department will host its second annual Faith Leaders Summit to hear directly from local leaders about innovative approaches to student-driven education.

 

 

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