September Policy News Round-Up
The government avoided a shutdown, a new report was released on challenges faced by families with disabilities looking for child care, and Congress held a hearing on teacher preparation. Learn more about what NCLD was up to in September!
Congress Passes a Continuing Resolution to Avoid a Government Shutdown
On September 25, Congress passed a stop-gap spending bill, or a continuation of current funding, to fund the federal government through December 20, averting a government shutdown. Although lawmakers still face disagreements over major funding levels, this bill temporarily alleviates those conversations and provides more time for negotiations later in the year. Notably, the decision to pass the stop-gap bill allows members of Congress to focus more on the upcoming election on November 5.
New GAO Report on Child Care Challenges for Individuals with Disabilities
A new report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that many families of children with disabilities and parents with disabilities struggle to find and use child care. According to the report, various barriers to programs affected family wellbeing. For example, parents had difficulty finding information about programs that could serve children with disabilities. They also had trouble communicating with their childcare providers, and some parents had to leave their jobs because they could not find full-time care for their children with disabilities. GAO found that some childcare providers made changes to their spaces and programs to help meet the needs of families with disabilities, including adding one-on-one supports for children.
Education and Workforce Subcommittee Holds a Hearing on Teacher Preparation and Teacher Shortages
The House Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee held a hearing on September 25 on “Innovative Teacher Preparation.” The hearing highlighted nationwide challenges to hiring and retaining quality teachers and explored potential solutions. During the hearing, witnesses noted that schools are struggling to recruit and retain teachers, and enrollment in teacher education and preparation programs has also decreased in the past decade. Potential answers the Subcommittee discussed included team-based education models. Teacher shortages are persistent in all areas of education and are especially a challenge among special education. The hearing ultimately stressed the importance of this issue on Capitol Hill.
Ways and Means Holds a Markup for the Educational Choice for Children Act
The House Ways and Means Committee held a markup on the problematic Educational Choice for Children Act (H.R. 9462) in mid-September. The Educational Choice for Children Act would create a tuition tax credit program that would divert funds away from public education and into private schools. Vouchers are especially for underserved students with disabilities, and many private schools are not equipped to serve them. The bill passed out of Committee on a party-line vote. Still, Democrats introduced amendments to point out flaws in the legislation, such as one from Rep. Beyer, requiring schools to demonstrate admission policies that do not consider whether or not a student has an IEP. Several education groups, including the National Coalition for Public Education (NCPE), have sent letters to the Ways and Means Committee expressing their opposition to the bill. NCLD Policy Manager Nicole Fuller serves as a co-chair of NCPE.
In Case You Missed It
- The Education Trust and All4Ed released a report on college and career counseling called “A Vision for Equitable Pathways”
- The School Superintendents Association released a report on “School District Spending of American Rescue Plan Funding.”
- The US Department of Education held an event on civil rights and mental health on September 24. Speakers included young advocates, families, and experts.