February 19, 2024
Appropriations
There is good news and bad news. The good news is that Congress has made some important moves towards finalizing FY24 appropriations. Leadership has determined top line numbers and made subcommittee allocations (Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Veteran Affairs, Agriculture, etc.). The bad news is that those allocation numbers are not public. What we do know is that other programs in our “pot” (LHHS) have had some changes that require increases, meaning that cuts will have to be made elsewhere. At this point, level funding for education will be a win. AESA sent a letter to Congress last week encouraging them to protect education funding and prioritize the critical formula programs. Congress is working towards the March 1 deadline – but has few working days left. Read the full letter here.
National Education Technology Plan
USED released its 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. This is the most recent iteration of a document that has its roots in the 2000 Educate America Act, and was most recently updated in 2016. Unlike previous versions that operated more to capture snapshots of the status of ed tech, this issue is more proactive and focuses on three big gaps that are restricting the ability of technology to be transformative in education. Those three areas are:
- Digital Divide: how students use technology to enhance learning
- Digital Design Divide: opportunities for education professionals to expand their learning/PD to allow them to develop/implement learning technologies that are enhanced by technology
- Digital Access Divide: addressing opportunities for students and educators to gain equitable access to educational technology
Check it out here: landing page or PDF
Dept. of Energy Technical Assistance
A possible opportunity for your members: The Department of Energy has developed the Efficient and Healthy Schools Program to provide 1:1 technical assistance support for rural and underserved schools to improve energy performance and indoor air quality. This support includes developing facility and sustainability plans, finding funding opportunities, and identifying solutions to energy-related challenges. The program meets one-on-one with every interested district to get to know them and their needs.
Access the fact sheet here and learn how to join here.
Title IX regulations have moved to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) meaning that we could see it as soon as April.
Other regs we are waiting for:
- Dept. of Labor Overtime Rule – raising the minimum threshold to $55,000
- School Nutrition Guidelines