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Federal Update: April 24, 2013
posted by: Ruthie | April 24, 2013, 09:11 PM   


Head Start Cuts Still to be Determined

In the wake of federal sequestration and subsequent budget cuts, low-performing Head Start centers were told to anticipate a major loss of grant money. However, the Office of Head Start has yet to specify which centers will be affected.

 

"We don't want to say yet that there are any 'losers'," said Yvette Sanchez Fuentes, the director of Head Start, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. "Officially, we are issuing the notice of award on July 1. Until then, nothing can happen."

The competition for funds marks the first time in the 48-year history of Head Start that centers have to prove why they deserve funding. The federal office is also monitoring Head Start centers, employing a new "case management" model.

"We're going to visit our incumbents and our brand-new ones during the first year [of their grants]," said Ms. Sanchez Fuentes. "We're absolutely going to be giving them the technical assistance and the support that they need, and we're going out and making sure they are implementing what they agreed to implement."

While many Head Start centers may fear the approaching budget cuts, the increased accountability and oversight is good news according to many experts.


 

New Gun Legislation Fails in Congress

In the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, leaders nationwide began to debate education issues ranging from gun control and security to mental health and access to treatment. Congress is no longer considering the gun violence measure after a key vote on bolstering background checks failed to gain sufficient support.

"The measure would have been the first major congressional response to the massacre at Sandy Hook, and included some school safety and mental health provisions," said Ed Week's Alyson Klein, "The measure would have allowed districts to use existing funds to bolster school climate and partner with community mental health centers.
Additionally, the legislation would have authorized grants for states and local governments that want to upgrade their security infrastructure – purchasing things like lights, fences, and surveillance equipment, changing classroom locks and doors, and training teachers on security measures.

Further decisions about gun control and school safety are currently being debated on a state level. Gun control advocates maintain their commitment to seeing legislation passed on the federal level.



NCLB Waivers Continue to Garner Interest

The No Child Left Behind (NCLB) regulatory waiver process continues to prove a source of contention among lawmakers, as Republican leaders search for their own solutions. While 34 states have currently been approved for flexibility from provision of the NCLB Act, many Republicans on the House Education and the Workforce Committee have some questions about waiver implementation.

Sent in a letter to Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, committee questions included: Why were certain waiver requests denied? What was the number of meetings and level of communication necessary to gain a waiver? What is the biggest challenge in waiver implementation? How can a state lose its waiver and how will it revert back to its current system?

While all parties agreed that NCLB must be fixed, congressional leaders allege the waiver process circumvents Congress and is not being handled fairly.

These incisive questions indicate the political challenges of NCLB waivers. While reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act would put an end to the waiver process, there is no indication that this legislation will occur in the near future. In the meantime, lawmakers continue to hash out the details of the NCLB waiver process.



Secretary Duncan Requests Help for Implementing Common Core

While 45 states and the District of Columbia have adopted Common Core State Standards (CCSS), due to recent opposition, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has urged the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to be more vocal and forceful in their support of Common Core Standards.

Indiana, Alabama, South Dakota, and Georgia are among several states searching for ways to back out of the controversial standards. Educators have complained about their hasty implementation and parents across the nation have started a campaign to "opt" their children out of the Common Core-aligned standardized tests. However, some educators are incredulous at the opposition, arguing that the previous system of each state having its own standards promoted ineffective and unequal education among the states.

Lawmakers are also divided on the issue of CCSS. While both Republicans and Democrats were previously on board with the initiative, both sides now have qualms about the new standards. Many democrats believe the Common Core lacks sufficient research and believe the CCSS aligned standardized tests will not be better than current tests. Similarly, Republicans oppose the new initiative, criticizing it as a federal intrusion on states' right.

Regardless of the various opinions concerning Common Core, the truth is significant money has already been spent, at both the state and federal level, to get the ball rolling on implementation.

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