Federal Updates

In September, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued four new resources for schools, stakeholders, students with disabilities, and their families. These documents outline the rights of students with mental health disabilities and the responsibilities of elementary and secondary schools, as well as colleges and universities under Section 504 of…

I wanted to take a moment to share an incredible opportunity Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA) had this week with the U.S. Department of Education. During a roundtable with our many partners, we tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing schools across Michigan, including mental health, special education, and ongoing funding issues. I…

This week, the U.S. Department of Education has released three documents to assist chief state school officers with implementing key aspects of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). School improvement guidance for public comment: designed to support States in identifying schools for additional support, partnering with these schools to develop improvement plans, and deploying…

By Noelle Ellerson Ng, Associate Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy, AESA  On the heels of last month’s 5th circuit court decision which challenges the constitutionality of the funding mechanism for the universal service fund (Read related blog posts here and here), the 5th circuit has granted the FCC its requested stay. (A stay is a ruling by the court in civil…

By Tara Thomas, Policy Analyst, AESA  On August 1, 2024, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) proposal. The bill increased funding for the Department of Education (ED) by $1 billion, including increases for Title I (+280 million) and IDEA (+295 million). This proposal is in stark contrast…

By Noelle Ellerson Ng, Associate Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy, AESA  Background: The Universal Service Fund is a $8 billion decades-old mechanism created by Congress in 1996 to support vital communications investments where the marketplace falls short: connecting schools and libraries to high-speed internet; helping rural hospitals adopt telemedicine; ensuring low-income households have basic communications services;…

On July 24, the 5th Circuit struck down the funding mechanism for the universal service fund, which includes the E-Rate program. E-Rate provides $4.7 billion annually for schools and libraries to receive broadband and Wi-Fi services. This is an extreme decision that contradicts two rulings from other circuits as well as a previous three judge panel of…

As schools prepare to implement amended Title IX regulations on August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new resources to support schools in those efforts. The resources are:   Title IX Regulations: Pointers for Implementation, which supports schools by listing key components of the 2024 Title IX regulations…

On July 24, the 5th Circuit Court handed down its decision in the case Consumers Research et. al vs. the FCC, where the plaintiffs argued that using E-rate funds for Wi-Fi on school buses exceeds the FCC’s authority to provide internet access in schools and libraries. Read early coverage on the case here.   Quick Summary: In…