Biden budget aims to reduce increase in education aid
Republicans are unlikely to accept President Joe Biden's fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, so think of it more as a wish list than a budget.
The budget announced last week would set aside more funding for high-needs schools and students with disabilities, and ensure that four-year-olds receive free pre-school education. This includes an $82 billion request to the U.S. Department of Education.
The release of the document comes days after Biden's State of the Union address, in which he announced increases in teacher pay and increased support for preschool, tutoring, summer learning, career and technical education. He called for expanded access.
There is virtually no chance the proposal will go into effect as Republicans control one chamber of Congress and seek to cut domestic spending, but Biden's budget represents his priorities as he seeks re-election in November. ing.
The budget proposal proposes $3.9 billion more than the Department of Education's 2023 budget and $2.8 billion more than projected spending in 2024, before Congress passes a final budget.
In past years, Mr. Biden's budget proposals have included requests for much larger increases in education funding than this year's request. This modest increase is the result of legislation that Congress allowed to avert a government shutdown last spring.
U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the proposed spending plan should be considered in context. Last year, Republicans proposed a budget that would cut Title I funding provided to schools in low-income areas by 80%, and former President Donald Trump proposed cuts to education spending every year of his term.
As expected, Biden's budget proposal drew praise from teachers' union leaders but criticism from congressional Republicans.
“President Joe Biden's budget shows that he values the voices of parents and educators and that his vision for our country is one where all students always come first.” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.
But Rep. Virginia Foxx (R), chair of the House Education and Labor Committee, said this would “lead the nation into even more unsustainable and irresponsible debt.”
Legal settlement clarifies what's permissible under Florida's disputed 'Don't call me gay' law
Is it clear now?
Educators trying to figure out what's permissible under Florida law banning instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity finally got official answers after a lawsuit settlement last week. .
Permissions under the settlement include allowing teachers and students to discuss their LGBTQ+ identities and families, having safe space stickers in classrooms, and allowing students to join Gay-Straight Alliance clubs. This includes participating in extracurricular activities such as, and wearing clothing that is inconsistent with the Gay-Straight Alliance. “A student's gender is assigned at birth.”
Advocacy groups and families filed a lawsuit two years ago against the state Department of Education and the school board challenging the constitutionality of the Parental Rights in Education Act, or “Don't Tell Me I'm Gay.''
The same article prohibits “classroom instruction by school personnel or third parties regarding sexual orientation or gender identity” from kindergarten through third grade of high school, or “in a manner that is not appropriate for the student's age or development according to state standards.” ” is prohibited.
The state expanded the ban to high schools last year. Dozens of states have followed suit with similar legislation.
“Florida's infamous 'don't tell me gay' law has caused a disturbing wave of fear, anxiety, and confusion for nearly two years,” said Roberta Kaplan, lead attorney for the plaintiffs. “By providing much-needed clarity, this settlement represents a major victory for thousands of LGBTQ+ students, teachers, parents, and their allies across Florida.”
The governor's office also said in a statement, “Thanks to the governor's leadership, we won.” [Ron] DeSantis, this law will remain in place and children will be protected from radical gender and sexual ideologies in the classroom. ”
Although the law specifically mentions prohibiting “guidance” about sexual orientation and gender identity, educators decry the ambiguity about what qualifies as guidance, resulting in a chilling effect across the state. states that this will occur.
The agreement resolves future legal proceedings.
As federal pandemic aid nears end, employee layoffs are starting to increase.
The fiscal cliff is just around the corner.
Take the Fort Worth, Texas area for example. The school board approved 133 layoffs last month amid an expected $44 million budget deficit, largely due to the end of federal coronavirus relief funds. Of those, 129 received pandemic assistance assistance.
The school is one of many school districts facing a harsh reality. Schools will not have enough funding next year to do everything they are currently doing, and there will be layoffs.
In Howard County, Maryland, district leaders are considering cutting 348 jobs to cover a projected $103 million budget shortfall. The total budget is expected to be approximately $1.1 billion.
The story is similar in neighborhoods from Pasadena, California, to Little Rock, Arkansas, to Buffalo, New York.
Over the past four years, ESSER funds have strengthened budgets and protected school districts from the fiscal impacts of declining student enrollment, rising costs of employee salaries and benefits, and widespread inflation.
Even as ESSER funds are depleted, some states are scaling back investments in K-12 education. However, academic recovery and student mental health needs continue to pose significant challenges and costs.
Budget constraints are no surprise to most school districts that have announced or are considering layoffs. School finance experts have warned since Congress approved pandemic aid for 2020 and 2021 that districts could face a funding cliff if they don't prepare for the end of the grant period. Ta.
In particular, financial experts advised school districts not to use most of the funds for recurring expenses such as staff salaries. Some school districts moved forward anyway, planning to cut staff once ESSER funds ran out, or hoping to find alternative funding sources to keep valuable employees on the payroll beyond 2024.
Some school districts, such as Mansfield Schools in Texas, have been able to come up with next year's budgets that don't cost anyone their jobs. But even there, stability may not last, said Michelle Trongaard, the district's deputy superintendent for business and finance. “We're on the brink” of having to make layoffs, she said. She said, “We don't have to make a decision today, but we need to discuss it.''
First batch of FAFSA data sent to universities in each country
Finally, the wait may be over. After months of delays and technical issues, some universities are beginning to receive the federal data they need to compile financial aid proposals for new students.
The U.S. Department of Education said it sent a batch of student records to “dozens of schools” on March 10 and is making final updates before sending more. It has not been revealed which school.
The delay shortened the time schools have to assemble financial aid packages by May 1, the usual deadline for students to enroll in college. Many universities are waiting on the federal government to extend enrollment deadlines, leaving families wondering how much help they will receive to pay for college.
A review of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid has delayed the normal rollout of forms from October to late December. The department subsequently soft-launched a new version to address lingering bugs in the system, but many families reported being unable to access the forms.
This delay has a knock-on effect across higher education. FAFSA information is used to award state and federal education grants and is used by schools to assemble financial aid packages for prospective students. On the other hand, families often have only a vague idea of how much they will have to pay, which can be a deciding factor when choosing a university.
Advocates worry that the holdup could deter some students, especially those who are already undecided, from pursuing higher education altogether.
The repeated delays have been a stain on the Biden administration, which has blamed Congress for denying requests for additional funding to overhaul information systems and revamp the decades-old application process.
Congressional Republicans say the Government Accountability Office has opened an investigation into the administration's response to the review.
Most teenagers are happy without a working phone
Contrary to speculation from observations, nearly three-quarters of teens say they feel happier and more at peace when they don't have a cell phone. Yet, they are free to use the device anyway.
In a new report released last week, the Pew Research Center found that despite the positive association with not using phones, most teens do not limit their phone or social media use. discovered.
The study comes as policymakers and child advocacy groups become increasingly concerned about teens' relationship with cell phones and social media.
Last fall, dozens of states, including California and New York, arrested Meta Platforms, the owner of Instagram and Facebook, for intentionally and intentionally designing features that were addictive to young people. In addition, he was accused of contributing to the youth mental health crisis. In January, the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X, and other social media companies appeared before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee to testify about the harm their platforms cause to young people. And the House of Representatives passed a bill last week that could lead to an outright ban on TikTok.
Despite the growing concerns, most teens say their smartphones make it easier to be creative or pursue hobbies, with 45% saying their smartphones make it easier to be creative or pursue hobbies. They say that their grades at school have improved because of this. Most said the benefits of owning a smartphone outweighed the harms for people their age. According to Pew, nearly all his teens (95%) have access to a smartphone.
The poll was conducted from September 26th to October. February 23, 2023, among his sample of 1,453 single-parent teens.
About half of parents say they limit the amount of time their children can use their phones, while a similar proportion do not.
Additionally, 42 percent of teens say smartphones have made it harder to learn good social skills, while 30 percent say they've made it easier.
