Federal Policy Updates

I wanted to share with you all few federal policy updates below. Please share these updates and information to other state leaders and on your state’s social media platforms. As you are able, please also disseminate through your networks.

 

1. National PTA sent the following letters to Hill last week on equitable services, private school vouchers and child nutrition program waivers.

 

• June 4, 2020 - National PTA joins with 50 organizations urging Congress to pass legislation to rescind the U.S. Department of Education’s equitable services guidance under the CARES Act.

 

• June 2, 2020 - As member of the National Coalition for Public Education, National PTA shares its support of language in the HEROES Act that prevents funding to be use to create private school voucher programs to funnel public dollars to private schools.

 

• June 2, 2020 - National PTA joins 84 national partners in support of extending nationwide child nutrition waivers to September 30, 2020 to safely meet the nutrition needs of the families being hardest hit by the pandemic.

 

2. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pension (HELP) will be holding a hearing on Wednesday, June 10 at 10:00am on “COVID-19: Going Back to School Safely.” You can watch the hearing here.

 

3. If you were not able to attend the CDC Foundation’s, “Evolving Your COVID-19 Strategy: For K-12 Education Leaders” you can view the recording here and view additional resources.   

 

I know may of you and our communities have lots of questions about the reopening of schools. As best I can, I am keeping a running list of resources, articles, etc on reopening schools. Below is what I have collected thus far:

 

School Reopening Resources

 

• Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs, Centers for Disease Control
• School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst COVID-19, American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Resolution in Support of a Safe, Healthy, and District-Specific Reopening Process Informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Guidelines, AASA
• Reopening Schools in the Context of COVID-19: Health and Safety Guidelines from Other Countries, Learning Policy Institute
• A Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities, AFT
• Restart to Recovery, CCSSO
• Data: When Will School Start This Fall?, Ed Week 
• Poll: Teachers, Parents Wary of Returning to Schools Without COVID-19 Vaccine, Ed Week

 

Thank you,

Jacki

 

 

Jacki Ball | Director, Government Affairs

National PTA^®