Thread by @AndrewUjifusa, Thread: For months, the education world has wondered, "Will Congress help schools [...]

Thread: For months, the education world has wondered, "Will Congress help schools with another aid bill?"

This is the week we could get much closer to answers. (Welcome back, senators.) Here& #39;s @educationweek reporting from @EvieBlad and me that might be helpful background. 1/16

Here& #39;s a checklist from two weeks ago with several key things to watch for in any final virus aid agreement on Capitol Hill when it comes to schools: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/national-virus-bailout-schools-ten-things.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 2/16

What to Watch for in Any New Coronavirus Bailout for Schools

Schools are at the epicenter of America's anxiety, making it more likely that Congress will approve a new coronavirus bailout for schools. Here are 10 potential key elements of a COVID bailout.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/national-virus-bailout-schools-ten-things.html

A key GOP senator says there should be federal $ for states to give to schools that have "meaningful plans" to hold face-to-face classes.

But for Senate Democrats, any attempt to condition money on reopening school buildings is a nonstarter. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/schools-federal-money-kids-classrooms-senator.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 3/16

Schools Should Get Federal Money to Help Put Kids in Classrooms, Top Senator Says

The Tuesday comments from Sen. Lamar Alexander, head of the Senate education committee, are a signal that, as school districts wrestle with how to start a new school year, the challenge of physically...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/schools-federal-money-kids-classrooms-senator.html

The White House has tried to turn the screws by suggesting that schools that don& #39;t reopen buildings perhaps shouldn& #39;t get new federal virus relief. It& #39;s been a divisive rhetorical move.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/trump-rielief-funding-school-reopening-covid.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 4/16

White House to States: Reopen School Buildings or Risk Additional Relief Funds

The White House will seek to condition future COVID-19 relief funds on whether states' reopen school buildings, Vice President Mike Pence said Wednesday. The Trump administration launched an aggres...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/trump-rielief-funding-school-reopening-covid.html

During the week of July 6, the Trump administration pushed loudly and without much equivocation for schools to reopen.

Donald Trump, in fact, literally tweeted during that week, "SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!"

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/white_house_school_reopen_political_pressure.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 5/16

White House Ratchets Up Political Pressure to Reopen School Buildings

President Donald Trump made his most forceful push yet for schools to reopen their buildings, and he is seeking to leverage the issue for his re-election campaign.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/white_house_school_reopen_political_pressure.html

Trump threatened to withhold funding from schools that don& #39;t hold in-person instruction. But that& #39;s something he doesn& #39;t have any clear authority to do.

Does that sound like a fact-check is coming? Yep. Here it is: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/fact-check-trump-power-school-aid-cut-off-threats.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 6/16

Fact Check: Trump Lacks Clear Power to Deliver on Threats to 'Cut Off' School Aid

Due to federal education law and other factors, President Donald Trump's repeated warnings that he could cut off funding to schools that don't restart in-person classes might go nowhere.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/fact-check-trump-power-school-aid-cut-off-threats.html

Meanwhile, Betsy DeVos says if schools don& #39;t reopen buildings, they should lose a share of their full federal aid. That aid, she& #39;s said, should go to families.

She& #39;s echoed Trump& #39;s demands but otherwise brought little clarity to the public debate: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/devos_provides_little_clarity.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 7/16

DeVos Provides Little Clarity on School Reopening Push

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos brought little clarity to the Trump administration's aggressive push to reopen schools in a pair of television interviews Sunday.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/devos_provides_little_clarity.html

The voucher system DeVos is talking about seems like a long shot.

But for weeks, the Trump administration has also pushed hard for federally backed tax-credit scholarships in any new aid bill. Will they get them? http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/trump_administration_signals_s.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 8/16

Trump Team Signals Support for More School Relief, Private School Choice Plan

As Trump officials voiced support for additional aid for K-12 schools, opponents criticized a report that the White House will push for a private school choice plan in the next relief package.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/trump_administration_signals_s.html

Meanwhile, days after Trump sought to use the American Academy of Pediatrics& #39; recommendations to justify his aggressive push to reopen school buildings, the group joined with several education organizations to urge: Don& #39;t politicize school repenings. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/pediatricians_dont_politicize_school-reopening-trump.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 9/16

Pediatricians and Education Groups: Don't Politicize School Reopenings

Days after President Donald Trump sought to use its recommendations to justify an aggressive push to reopen school buildings, the American Academy of Pediatrics has joined with several education...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/pediatricians_dont_politicize_school-reopening-trump.html

Even the last aid package Congress passed has been beset by bickering and division. It spawned a relatively unusual specimen, even in the torrid education politics of DeVos& #39; time as education secretary: a big multi-state lawsuit over her K-12 policy. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/states-lawsuit-devos-rule-virus-relief-private-school.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 10/16

States Sue to Stop DeVos Rule on Virus Aid for Private School Students

Several states have announced a legal challenge to overturn a recently published rule from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos about how much federal coronavirus relief public school districts must set...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/states-lawsuit-devos-rule-virus-relief-private-school.html

Meanwhile, what do Congressional Democrats want?

Sen. Patty Murray has pitched $175 billion in direct aid for schools in a new coronavirus aid bill. That& #39;s part of a $430 billion package that includes help for child care. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/06/democrats_education_child_care_packages_virus_relief.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 11/16

Democrats Push Big Education and Child Care Virus Relief Packages

There's growing pressure for schools to resume in-person instruction this fall as concerns intensify about school closures' impact on children, parents, and the economy.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/06/democrats_education_child_care_packages_virus_relief.html

But the HEROES Act, the Democrats-only aid bill approved by the House about two months ago contains just $58 billion in direct aid for schools.

So have Dems and other education lobbying groups undercut their case for a larger K-12 relief bill? http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/05/heroes-act-education-funding-house-passes.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 12/16

House Passes COVID-19 Bill With Aid for Schools. It Has Slim Chances in Senate

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a new $3 trillion coronavirus relief bill Friday that includes additional aid for K-12 schools, but which has little chance of becoming law.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/05/heroes-act-education-funding-house-passes.html

And data collected by a federal watchdog indicates that schools haven& #39;t spent most of the virus relief they received in a bill Trump signed nearly four months ago.

Why has that money been spent so slowly? See if you think the answers hold water: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/schools-coronavirus-relief-aid-spent-congress.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 13/16

Schools Haven't Spent Much Coronavirus Relief Money From Congress. Here's Why.

A federal watchdog's report indicated that less than 1 percent of CARES Act aid had been made available to local schools. Let's explore why districts haven't spent down a lot of that relief.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/schools-coronavirus-relief-aid-spent-congress.html

Meanwhile, Joe Biden just released his own blueprint for reopening schools safely.

"Forcing educators and students back into the classroom in areas where the infection rate is going up or remaining very high is just plain dangerous," Biden said. http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/biden_school_reopening_plan.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 14/16

Biden's School Reopening Plan: National Guidelines, Local Decisions, More Funding

Schools need more funding and clear federal guidelines to reopen safely in the wake of the COVID-19 shutdowns,former Vice President Joe Biden says.

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/biden_school_reopening_plan.html

But no glossy list of campaign talking points will fix the partisan division that& #39;s afflicting some states as they try to navigate whether, and how, to reopen schools safely: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/state-tension-school-reopening-covid.html">https://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/ca... 15/16

Tension Rises in States Over Who Decides When to Reopen Schools

School administrators in some states are caught up in tensions about who gets the final say about when they can reopen their buildings and what precautions they should take to protect their communi...

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2020/07/state-tension-school-reopening-covid.html

Finally, we talked with educators about how frustrated, appalled, and confused they are with the nation& #39;s political leadership as they try to prepare for an extraordinary, extraordinarily fraught school year that is already haunting their steps. https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/07/16/how-americas-leaders-have-failed-educators-on.html">https://www.edweek.org/ew/articl... 16/16

How America's Leaders Have Failed Educators on COVID-19

Principals and superintendents are caught between politicians’ demands, an anxious public, and experts’ contrary advice about the path forward during the pandemic. The unspoken message: You’re on...

https://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2020/07/16/how-americas-leaders-have-failed-educators-on.html

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