Judge Royce Lamberth, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, agreed with the plaintiffs鈥� argument that the council has an organized structure, a 鈥渇ixed鈥� membership and a purpose 鈥� to 鈥済ather information or advice from parents鈥� and 鈥渋nform the department鈥檚 approach to educational policy鈥� 鈥� that would qualify it as a formal government advisory group. In that case, it would have to post a public notice, announce meetings and have an official charter.

But he said he couldn鈥檛 make a final ruling for either side until he knows whether the members will give their own individual views or offer consensus opinions as a group.

鈥淣one of the documents in the record indicate what is supposed to happen at council meetings, and defendants represent that there is still no plan for what is supposed to happen,鈥� he said.

For now, he has ordered both the plaintiffs in the case and the Biden administration to offer more details on that point. 

But even if Lambert allows the council to proceed without any changes, it may have less power than some parents originally hoped.

During an August hearing in the case, Chris Edelman, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, argued that the council doesn鈥檛 have to meet the requirements of the advisory committee law because it will act more as a 鈥渟ounding board鈥� for the department.

Some parent leaders appointed to the council thought they鈥檇 have more influence. 

鈥淚t is different from what I thought would happen,鈥� said Matthew John Rodriguez, a Cuban immigrant in Schaumburg, Illinois, picked to represent the nonprofit National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement.

The department announced the parent council in June, and parent leaders tapped to participate thought they鈥檇 start meeting over the summer to prepare for the new school year. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said the council would 鈥渨ork together to serve the best interest of students and ensure they have the academic and mental health support they need to recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future.鈥� But the plaintiffs 鈥� , , and argued that the department did not follow procedures in establishing the group and picked organizations only supportive of the Democrats鈥� agenda. 

Nicki Neily, president of Parents Defending Education 鈥� a conservative watchdog group opposed to teaching and curriculum focused on race and gender 鈥� characterized the judge鈥檚 comments as a partial victory. 

“We are gratified by the District Court’s decision that the council fulfills three of the four requirements of [the act], and are confident that the court-ordered discovery will clearly answer the one outstanding question, vindicating our position,鈥� she said in a statement.

Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union 鈥� one of the organizations asked to appoint members to the council 鈥� said there鈥檚 鈥渘ot enough to go on鈥� to make a comment on Lamberth鈥檚 opinion. But she noted that the judge did rule that , a conservative nonprofit led by former Trump administration officials, doesn鈥檛 have enough 鈥渟tanding to challenge the council鈥檚 ideological balance鈥� because it is not an education-focused organization.

Even if the council doesn鈥檛 get to officially advise the department, Rodriquez said that he still thinks the members will bring valuable perspectives. He has a 27-year-old son who received special education services and is raising a 12-year-old grandson who just entered junior high school. 

鈥淥ur experiences, stories and information we can provide might be able to guide [and] influence how they think,鈥� he said 鈥渙r frame things to make their decisions.鈥�

The delay is significant, experts say, because points to a direct correlation between the closures and lost learning.

Of the nation鈥檚 25 largest districts, those that were in remote learning for at least half of the 2020-21 school year have spent an average of roughly 15% of their relief funds from the American Rescue Plan. 

compiled by the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University shows that Los Angeles Unified, where schools stayed closed until April 2021, didn鈥檛 start spending any of its $2.5 billion until this fall. And the Chicago Public Schools, which reopened the same month, has spent just over 6% of almost $1.8 billion.

鈥淲hat opportunities might we be missing for kids to catch up?鈥� asked Jana Wilcox Lavin, CEO of Opportunity 180 in Las Vegas, where the Clark County School District never fully reopened that year. The nonprofit helped gather ideas from the community on how to use the funds, but the district has so far spent less than a quarter of it. Parents, she said, 鈥渃an鈥檛 point to where they see that money showing up in the classroom.鈥�

The dire consequences of school closures were reinforced last week when the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed sharp declines for 9-year-olds in reading and math since 2020.

From the moment the U.S. Department of Education began distributing $122 billion in relief funds in March 2021, officials emphasized the need to act swiftly to help students make up lost ground.

“It’s hard to argue with the importance of addressing lost instructional time for all students,” Roberto Rodriguez, the department’s assistant secretary for planning, evaluation and policy development, told 社区黑料. “We want to see these dollars put to work now.”

But some districts haven鈥檛 spent the first dollar, much less the minimum 20% specifically spelled out for academic recovery.

The sluggish pace has caught the attention of House Republicans, who last month sent Education Secretary Miguel Cardona asking how districts are using the funds to 鈥渞emedy the acute learning losses brought on by prolonged school closures.鈥� Experts expect the tempo to pick up this fall, but education groups are with the department to stretch the to the end of 2026.

The disconnect is frustrating for parents and local politicians seeking evidence the money is being used to boost student performance.

The reopened on time in the fall of 2020. But as in many urban districts, high percentages of Black and Hispanic families So far, the district has spent just 6.8% of its $804 million.

鈥淲e’re going to get to the end of the next two years and nothing is going to look different for the school system,鈥� said Sue Deigaard, a Houston school board member. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not, so far, demonstrating consistency of any result, nor do I even see the dollars being spent in a way that looks particularly strategic and targeted.鈥�

She points to from the 2021-22 school year showing that third graders not only didn鈥檛 reach the district鈥檚 literacy goal, but performance actually dropped between winter and spring.

District leaders insist they鈥檙e not just sitting on their hands. Projects have been bogged down in supply chain delays and staff vacancies have been difficult to fill. Changes in leadership have also taken a toll: Among the 25 largest districts, 16 have lost at least one superintendent during the pandemic.

While superintendent turnover might not change a district鈥檚 spending plan, it can have a 鈥渃ascading impact,鈥� said David Rosenberg, a partner at Education Resource Strategies, which advises districts on budget issues. 

Staff vacancies and burnout can drag down even the 鈥渉ighest-functioning and most stable district teams,鈥� he said. 鈥淟ayer in superintendent turnover and potential turnover at the level below them and the work gets even more complicated.鈥�

Houston, which superintendent Millard House II has led for about a year, is one district experiencing such churn. 

Click here to view full chart.

August Hamilton, special assistant to House, said he鈥檚 grateful for the federal funds. But he doesn鈥檛 hold out much hope students will make rapid gains.

鈥淚 think we have to understand that you have first graders who never went to pre-K, never went to kindergarten 鈥� a first grader who’s now being asked to take a [state] test in 3rd grade,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat is going to be the challenge of this work. It鈥檚 a long time to have virtual instruction.鈥�

That鈥檚 one reason, he said, why the district moved $6.1 million in relief funds to aid the academic recovery of its neediest students this year. Officials said they no longer needed that money for masks and other COVID mitigation strategies.

鈥楤ackfilling鈥� budgets

To pinpoint spending patterns, 社区黑料 reviewed relief fund data from the and checked it against state figures. Districts provided details on when they fully reopened five days a week in 2020-21 鈥� if they did. And the , led by Brown University economist Emily Oster, offered additional data on the extent to which districts remained open, closed or in hybrid mode.

Districts generally haven鈥檛 made it easy to track how the money is being spent. Some states, like California,  how their districts are spending the 20% targeted specifically for learning loss. But most do not. 

New York state doesn鈥檛 post any information on relief fund spending. The Georgetown lab had to use a public records request to get any data, according to director Marguerite Roza. That showed that New York City, the nation’s largest school system, had spent none of its $4.8 billion. A spokesman for the district, which is tied up in  over its budget, declined to give an actual figure and called it a 鈥渕oving number.鈥� 

The halting pace ignores what researchers say is needed to lift performance in high-poverty districts that spent most of 2020-21 online. The authors of a May said districts need to spend all of their American Rescue Plan funds on extra instruction to help students recover 鈥� not just the 20% the law requires. The longer they wait, the authors wrote, the greater the 鈥渋mplications for future earnings, racial equity and income inequality.鈥�

Districts closed the longest have also seen the most enrollment loss. On average, enrollment in those districts has fallen by 4.4%, according to from the conservative American Enterprise Institute. Because state funding is tied to enrollment, some are now 鈥渂ackfilling鈥� budgets with relief dollars to make up for the losses, said Roza. In fact, she expects spending partly for that reason. 

鈥淚n the ones that were closed longer, it鈥檚 been harder to get kids to come back,鈥� she told 社区黑料. She points to districts such as the Seattle Public Schools, which plugged federal funds into its last year, and the , which described its use of relief dollars as an effort to 鈥渆nsure continuity of existing programs and services.鈥� 

In Los Angeles, enrollment fell almost 6% this year and is expected to drop below a year from now. The district waited to dip into its $2.5 billion because it still all it received from the first two rounds of federal aid, said board member Tanya Ortiz-Franklin. 

Statewide, California schools were among the last to bring students back in person. Unlike some governors, California鈥檚 Gavin Newsom didn鈥檛 order schools to reopen. 

Click here to view full chart.

Several districts in the state never resumed in-person instruction that spring, and some have yet to spend any of their funds from the March 2021 bill. They include the Simi Valley Unified School District, where Ron Todo, associate superintendent of business and facilities, said the district is hanging on to its $13.8 million for now. The deadlines to spend the earlier relief funds are more pressing, and the newest grant, he said, has a 鈥渓onger shelf life.鈥� 

Roza has heard such explanations before. But Congress designed the third round of funding to be different from earlier relief bills: It appropriated almost twice as much as the other packages combined and specifically required districts to address learning loss.

Districts 鈥渟hould be well into鈥� spending it by now, she said.

Under the legislation, districts have to obligate the funds by September 2024, and have through March 2026 to spend them. But Roza asked, 鈥淚f the money was intended to get kids back on track, why wait two years?鈥�

Education advocacy groups, like AASA, the School Superintendents Association, want the department to extend that deadline until the end of 2026. 

鈥淚 definitely have concerns about spending it all in time 鈥� not just for the practicality of getting it done,鈥� Ortiz-Franklin said, 鈥渂ut also strategically to best serve our students鈥� short- and long-term academic and social-emotional recovery.鈥�

Extending the timeline has political ramifications, Roza said during a recent .

鈥淭he accusation will be that we didn’t really need it, or at least if you needed it, you’re not even spending it on the kids that were impacted in the pandemic because they got older and they graduated,鈥� she said. 

In Simi Valley, Todo said his district plans to use the funds this school year for additional elementary counselors, social workers and intervention teachers to help students who have fallen behind. But a plan to get math teachers to work an extra class period met with resistance. 

鈥淲e have teachers who have survived the pandemic, and they are too tired to be in the classroom an extra hour,鈥� he said. Despite the exhaustion, Todo added, he sees a benefit to the current spending deadline: 鈥淲hen there is at least a healthy sense of urgency, we push ourselves a little harder.鈥�

In federal court Wednesday, Chris Edelman, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, said it would likely be mid-September before the meets 鈥渢o better understand how schools and students are coping as they adjust back to the classroom.鈥�

And that鈥檚 only if Judge Royce Lamberth, of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, allows the council to proceed without having to start from scratch. 

On Wednesday, Lamberth denied the plaintiffs鈥� request to put an immediate stop to the council鈥檚 activities, promising to rule before the group meets on whether it violated federal law. 

Under , there are three ways to establish a federal advisory committee 鈥� by statute, presidential order or through a federal agency. The agency involved has to place a notice in the Federal Register, appoint an administrator to the committee and establish a charter outlining the group鈥檚 purpose and how often it will meet. The department hasn鈥檛 taken those steps.

The department had planned to hold the first meeting with parent representatives this summer. Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, one of the groups involved, expected it in July.

After issuing an initial press release, the department put up a second that included an email to get updates on the council鈥檚 work. The notice said the council 鈥渕eets to discuss how children are recovering,鈥� prompting the plaintiffs, three conservative organizations, to argue the department was violating the law. To this date, however, there have not been any meetings.

The lawsuit, filed July 6, argues that the council violated the law鈥檚 requirement that groups giving agencies input on potential rules or legislation be 鈥渇airly balanced.鈥� Cardona, they contend, chose organizations that would fall in line with the department鈥檚 agenda.

鈥淭he department chose organizations 鈥� based on their ability to develop camaraderie so that they would give good advice as a group,鈥� said Christopher Mills, an attorney for the plaintiffs 鈥� the , a conservative nonprofit led by former Trump administration officials, , a political action committee in Loudoun County, Virginia, and , a watchdog group opposed to teaching and curriculum focused on race and gender.

But Edelman countered that the group will function more as a 鈥渟ounding board鈥� for the department, that membership will change over time and that the council won鈥檛 weigh in on specific policy.

In the initial announcement, Cardona described the council as an effort to ensure students 鈥渉ave the academic and mental health support they need to recover from the pandemic and thrive in the future.鈥� For Cardona, who initially faced criticism for making public comments that emphasized the pandemic鈥檚 burden on educators, the council offers a chance for parents to have a more visible role as the department attempts to rebuild trust between schools and families.

鈥淭o have the leadership of the secretary’s office leaning in with good intentions is 鈥� an epic win for all parents across the country,鈥� said Ashara Baker, a mother of a first grader at a Rochester, New York, charter school who was appointed to the council by the National Parents Union. As far as getting the group started, she said, 鈥淭he sooner the better.鈥�

She called the lawsuit 鈥渁 distraction.鈥�

Other committees challenged 

The department currently has , according to its website, including the President’s Advisory Commission on Hispanic Prosperity and the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Tuesday鈥檚 Federal Register, for example, included a meeting for the National Advisory Council on Indian Education.

Education officials aren鈥檛 the only members of the Biden administration who have faced challenges related to advisory committee membership. A former member of an Environmental Protection Agency committee , arguing that the agency removed industry representatives in an attempt to 鈥渟ideline anyone who might dissent from the president鈥檚 climate-change agenda.鈥� They argued that the committee wasn鈥檛 鈥渇airly balanced鈥� as the law requires.

In March, a district court judge denied the plaintiff鈥檚 request to stop the committee from meeting.

The Trump administration, however, had to disband a after a federal judge sided with an environmental advocacy group in a 2018 lawsuit. The plaintiffs argued that potential profiteers from the import of hides, heads and tusks from Africa stacked the committee.

The makeup of the education department鈥檚 parent council is a key focus of the current lawsuit. Erika Sanzi, director of outreach for Parents Defending Education, expressed , calling the chosen groups 鈥淏iden fans鈥� who are 鈥済laringly out-of-step with the majority of frustrated parents who have been showing up in huge numbers to school board meetings across red and blue America.鈥�

Sanzi and Rodrigues have over the Department of Justice鈥檚 warning last fall about against school officials and board members.

It鈥檚 unclear whether Parents Defending Education or Fight for Schools and Families wants to be part of the parent council. Sanzi told 社区黑料 in an email that she didn鈥檛 think the group would address any parent concerns over curriculum.

But the groups on the list 鈥� including Fathers Incorporated, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Military Family Association 鈥� won鈥檛 necessarily determine what the parents have to say, said Patience Peabody, executive director of the Flamboyan Foundation, which supports family engagement efforts, especially in the District of Columbia schools.

鈥淭he member organizations are among the many voices. They are the facilitators. They are bringing the real stories and voices to the table,鈥� she said, adding that the council 鈥渙nly works if that happens.鈥�

Baker, for example, is a charter school parent, but said a lot of families have children in both charter and traditional schools. After remote learning, she said her daughter is still 鈥渟truggling with letters鈥� and hasn鈥檛 begun to recognize entire words. Her charter school didn鈥檛 provide tutoring, so she paid for it herself. 

鈥淲hether it鈥檚 a charter, or district or private school,鈥� she said, 鈥渨e鈥檙e all doing our best and doing what鈥檚 going to get our kids across the finish line.鈥�

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Thursday announced 鈥� a partnership with five leading organizations to bring information and research about out-of-school-time programs together into one 鈥渃entralized, readily available location.鈥� The department will seek applications from an outside organization for a $3-$4 million contract in next year鈥檚 budget to run the initiative. 

鈥淲e鈥檙e at a pivotal point In America’s recovery,鈥� Cardona said during an event in Washington D.C. involving students, education officials and advocates. 鈥淚f we can reopen school during a pandemic, we can make sure students have access to quality programs.鈥�

The event coincided with National Summer Learning Week, but Cardona didn鈥檛 offer specific details on how districts already running this year鈥檚 summer programs can benefit.

Coming a week after Cardona joined with White House officials to announce a new effort to recruit 250,000 , the announcement is the latest from the administration to emphasize urgency in addressing learning loss and students鈥� disconnection from school during the pandemic. According to the department鈥檚 release, the effort builds on two decades of funding for afterschool and summer learning programs in low-income schools through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants.The department seeks $1.3 billion in the fiscal year 2023 budget for 21st Century funding, an increase of $50 million over 2021 and 2022.

鈥淲e know that our young people have lost contact with friends, teachers and mentors over the past two years,鈥� Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said in a statement. The organization is part of the effort, along with the Afterschool Alliance, the National Comprehensive Center, the National League of Cities and the National Summer Learning Association.

The new initiative can be helpful if it advises states how to use existing federal grant programs to pay for summer and afterschool when American Rescue Plan funding dries up, said Nicholas Munyan-Penney, a senior policy analyst at Education Reform Now. This week, the think tank released on how states are already using relief funds for summer school. 

Experts could also help states and districts evaluate which programs improve students鈥� academic performance and mental health outcomes so they can 鈥減hase out less effective programming,鈥� he said.

But Robin Lake, director of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, a think tank that has tracked districts鈥� responses to the pandemic, said the additional funding seems small compared to the need to better understand what works. And it comes when the Institute for Education Sciences, the department鈥檚 research arm, already doesn鈥檛 have enough funding to meet the demand. 

鈥淚t feels a bit like a 鈥榝iddling while Rome burns鈥� moment for the feds,鈥� she said. 鈥淥ur students are facing extraordinary needs. Now is the time for a serious and strategic commitment of resources from the federal government for research and development.鈥� 

The Center鈥檚 research also suggests districts are doing less this year, not more. Its showed a drop in districts planning summer programming, except for students with disabilities. And in June, the Afterschool Alliance released showing that just one in five afterschool providers has received relief funds.

Last summer, many districts also struggled to hire enough staff to meet the demand, despite pay incentives. And the Afterschool Alliance survey showed two-thirds of program leaders were worried they wouldn鈥檛 have enough staff this year. 

Even when districts plan to serve students with disabilities, they often end up cutting back. A Buffalo, New York-area district reduced for special education students because of staff shortages, and the Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland shifted its program for about 175 students because of a lack of staff.

Some parents also question whether districts have done enough outside of the school year to move students back up to grade level. Alicia Aleman, who has three children in California鈥檚 Fresno Unified School District, enrolled them in last year鈥檚 summer program.

鈥淭hey offer programs for math or science, but they鈥檙e only making cookies. They鈥檙e watching movies,鈥� she said, adding that low-income families don鈥檛 have choices because they are working and 鈥渘eed someone to take care of the kids during the summer.鈥� 

This year, she tried to sign up for a program through the city, but 鈥渁ll the spots are taken by the time the flyers go to the community.鈥�

Fresno Unified, however, has significantly expanded summer programs with $40 million in state funding, boosting enrollment from about 4,000 at a limited number of sites last year to roughly 15,000 this year at every elementary school and middle school. The district is contracting with a range of nonprofit organizations and colleges to offer sports and arts camps, with tutoring built in. 

The funding 鈥渁llows us to remove historical barriers [like] making kids get on the bus and go across town,鈥� said Jeremy Ward, the district鈥檚 assistant superintendent for college and career readiness. 鈥淢y biggest fear is that we consider this work as a flash in the pan 鈥� we influse money for a year or two and then we pull back.鈥�

鈥淲e can鈥檛 mobilize fast enough,鈥� said Robert Balfanz, an education professor running the new National Partnership for Student Success, housed at Johns Hopkins University. 鈥淭here are still some lost opportunities.鈥� 

But he said the effort鈥檚 connection to the White House and AmeriCorps 鈥� a national agency that recruits volunteers for community service 鈥� is central to overcoming staffing challenges that have plagued efforts by schools and nonprofit organizations to scale up tutoring efforts since the beginning of the pandemic. 

鈥淓verybody has been trying to solve this in their own little microworld,鈥� he said. 

Working with colleges, large employers like Starbucks and Target, and established nonprofit organizations serving youth, Balfanz said, should develop the Partnership into the national tutoring corps that experts have been recommending for several years. AmeriCorps will also spend $20 million to help organizations recruit and train tutors.

In March, President Joe Biden encouraged Americans to 鈥渟ign up鈥� as volunteers and mentors for students struggling to recover from school closures. The new initiative follows recent showing that learning declines among students were worse in districts slower to return to in-person learning. 鈥淲hat I’m asking for is a level of urgency unlike any level of urgency we’ve had,鈥� Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said last week during the virtual announcement, joined by White House Domestic Policy Adviser Susan Rice. They stressed that districts should be using American Rescue Plan funds for academic recovery through high-quality tutoring, afterschool and summer programs 鈥� and if they aren鈥檛, they should start. 

The law 鈥渞equires that 20% be spent on learning loss. But it is increasingly clear that for many districts, that guesstimate was way too low,鈥� said Marguerite Roza, director of the Edunomics Lab at Georgetown University, who has argued that districts make students鈥� academic progress their 鈥渘orth star鈥� for allocating funds. 

Tennessee is among the states directing relief money toward tutoring. 鈥� which stands for Accelerating Literacy and Learning 鈥� began in the 2020-21 school year and now involves over 80 districts, which provide matching funds to participate. 

Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn said the state has learned lessons from implementation that could benefit the national effort. The state program, she said, contributed to recent showing that performance in English language arts among elementary students is back to pre-pandemic levels, with students making greater gains than they have in five years. Gaps in math due to learning loss are also shrinking. 

But at the district level, students performed better when tutoring was offered during the school day instead of before or after school, and when tutors were paid educators instead of volunteers. Some districts, she said, hire 鈥渟urplus鈥� educators who don鈥檛 yet have a classroom position, retired teachers and those still in teacher preparation programs.

鈥淭here is a general misunderstanding that you can just find a body, put them in a classroom and anybody can tutor,鈥� Schwinn said. That鈥檚 one reason why she said it鈥檚 not 鈥渟uper realistic鈥� to have a 鈥渕eaningful鈥� national program in place for fall.

Roza added that districts have already approved their budgets for the 2022-23 school year and changing them will require school board approval. 

As part of last week鈥檚 announcement, the Education Department launched showing how other states are using the funds. And building on efforts from and , also at Georgetown, the National Center for Education Statistics will track the extent to which schools are spending the money on tutoring and other academic enrichment programs.

鈥淚f your children aren’t getting the support they need, you will have the tools to make sure your principal or superintendent or mayor hear about it,鈥� Cardona said. 鈥淔unding alone is not going to get it done. If anything, you could waste it. We could be looking back five years from now and saying, 鈥楧id we do everything we could have done?鈥� 鈥�

In the American Rescue Plan, Congress set aside more than $1 billion each for summer and afterschool programs, and the department has encouraged districts to use relief funds to enlist community-based organizations to help students catch up and reconnect to school. 

With summer programs already in progress, Cardona urged districts to find a balance between engaging programs that interest students and ensuring that tutoring efforts are tightly connected to what students learn in school. 

Since 2020, the administration has urged districts to use relief funds to help students make up for lost learning over the summer. A new from Education Reform Now highlights how states have fared. It shows that 15 states require districts to join with outside groups to serve students over the summer. But just 10 states have requirements on how long such programs should be and how many hours they should devote to academic instruction.

Arkansas, Connecticut, Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington, D.C. require programs to have one staff member for every 15 students, a ratio backed up by research. The report noted that state officials worry that adding dosage and staffing requirements would discourage programs from applying for grant funds in light of 鈥渨idespread reporting鈥� on vacancies, turnover and stressed-out staff. 

Locating the Partnership at Johns Hopkins, where Balfanz runs the Everyone Graduates Center and is a respected researcher on dropout prevention and improving school climate, increases the focus on using proven strategies. 

鈥淭his is not just somebody helping you with homework every third Sunday. What we need is really high-intensity tutoring. It’s multiple connections with your mentor in a week,鈥� Balfanz said at last week鈥檚 event. 鈥淚f you’re only showing up once every 21 days 鈥� you’re not there to give support in the moment when it’s needed. That’s really what turns the kid around when they know there’s someone there that has their back.鈥�

Jodi Grant, executive director of the Afterschool Alliance 鈥� one of the organizations involved in the Partnership 鈥� said working with AmeriCorps is also a 鈥渢errific way鈥� to address the facing afterschool programs. 

Michael Smith, CEO of AmeriCorps, has the same expectations for school districts.

鈥淲e know that this partnership will lead to an increased pipeline of educators,鈥� he said, noting City Year, Teach for America and the College Advising Corps as proven examples. 鈥淲hen young people are working in the schools, working next to children, they get a spark. They get ignited, and the data is showing us that they stay 鈥� in the education system.鈥�

But first his staff had to respond to the 鈥減andemic鈥檚 aftershocks,鈥� including student learning gaps and parents鈥� loss of work. Now with 106 students 鈥� 99% of them Black and Latino 鈥� the school has leaned on a $1 million grant from the federal Charter Schools Program for new technology, curriculum materials and furniture.

Schools like Long鈥檚 could have a much harder time getting off the ground if the Biden administration鈥檚 plans to revamp the $440 million grant program become final. The U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 would give preference to charters that districts view as potential partners and discourage new applications in communities with voluntary integration efforts. And if districts are losing enrollment 鈥� as they are in D.C. 鈥� new charter schools might not be well-received. 

鈥淎s a Black male who leads a single-site school in Washington D.C., this is extremely concerning,鈥� Long said. 

The rule could significantly alter a program that has given a boost to almost 4,100 existing charter schools 鈥� roughly 53%, according to the department. like KIPP and Success Academy Charter Schools are among the grantees.

Nina Rees, CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said the funds help launch new charters, which typically don鈥檛 receive state and local funding until they begin admitting students. The program is especially important for 鈥渁spiring school leaders of color鈥� who might not have financial backing from a foundation, she said. 

With nearly 65% of charters being single-site schools, Rees added, “these proposed regulations are a direct attack on new schools like this.鈥�

Congress has taken note of the backlash. North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx, ranking member of the House education committee, said in a statement that the 鈥渁dministration is manufacturing authority it doesn鈥檛 have to add unworkable requirements to these charter school grants.鈥� On Monday, the department to comment on the rule from Wednesday to next Monday after six senators for more time. In a statement to 社区黑料, the department said the 鈥渁dministration recognizes that there is a place for high-quality public charter schools and supports continuing important investments.鈥�

The debate comes amid a period of change and growth for the charter sector. Last school year, charters saw their largest jump in enrollment in six years 鈥� a 7% increase. Initial reports from states such as Alabama and Massachusetts show growth is continuing.

At the same time, Democrats have soured on charters in recent years after a long period in which they enjoyed bipartisan support. 

鈥淭he Biden administration breaks that tradition,鈥� said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center. 鈥淚t is clear that they looked around and decided that hewing closely to the wishes of their political patrons in the teachers unions was the way to go. Since they cannot kill us directly, they must resort to attacks on start-up funding.鈥�

Advocates say the department didn鈥檛 consult with them before writing the regulation. North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr鈥檚 letter noted that the department turned down his staff鈥檚 request to meet. 

鈥淚t doesn’t feel like charter school leaders are a valued part of the process,鈥� said Sonia Park, executive director of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition, which promotes efforts to create charters that are more racially balanced. As written, the regulations would 鈥渕ake it very challenging for even a diverse charter to get approval if enrollment is declining in a district,鈥� she said.

She pointed to Prospect Schools in Brooklyn, New York, which opened in September 2020, and Atlas Public Schools in St. Louis, which opened last fall. Both designed their schools to reflect the make-up of their communities, but because enrollment is declining in their , the schools 鈥渨ould have had extreme difficulty in being approved鈥� today, she said.

The department stressed that U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona spoke last year at the National Charter Schools Conference and has gathered input from charter leaders throughout the pandemic. 

One organization the department heard from was The Century Foundation, a progressive think tank that in 2019 for ways the program could promote integration. Halley Potter, a senior fellow at Century and a co-author of the report, said she had a call with the education department before the draft of the rule was issued March 14.

Her report cited showing that charters are more likely than district schools to have student bodies that are more than half Black or Hispanic. In some pockets of the country, however, charter schools are more likely to draw higher-income, white families away from district schools, contributing to racial segregation. Studies have borne this out in and .

Derek Black, a law professor at the University of South Carolina, said in communities with long-standing integration efforts, charters often 鈥渙perate as an exit strategy for white families who are resistant  鈥� consciously or subconsciously 鈥� to more diverse environments.鈥�

Potter called the department鈥檚 proposal an effort to make sure charter schools 鈥渇it in with the context of [their] local community.鈥� 

鈥淚 really hope that we could see a broad base of charter supporters getting on board with this,鈥� she said.

鈥楢 lifeline鈥�

The , begun in 1994 under the Clinton administration, is a competitive grant that provides funding for start-up expenses. Smaller networks have also used funds to add more schools. When Uplift Education, based in Texas, expanded from Dallas to Fort Worth, where it would serve another 2,000 to 3,000 students, the federal grant program supported planning, expanding staff and family engagement efforts, said Rich Harrison, formerly the network鈥檚 chief academic officer. 

Under the proposed rules, states applying for the funds would have to prove that there is 鈥渟ufficient demand鈥� for charters, including support from the local community and evidence that district schools have more students than they can serve. 

In districts with declining enrollment 鈥� a trend across most urban districts nationwide 鈥� new charters would face a tougher time getting approved, said Harrison, now CEO of Lighthouse Community Charter Schools in Oakland. 

鈥淭he anti-charter rhetoric in Oakland is at an all time high,鈥� Harrison said, after the district voted in February to close seven schools. 

Community impact

Charter opponents argue that the grant program has been a vehicle for and financially benefiting for-profit entities. In a commentary for , Carol Burris, executive director of the Network for Public Education, called the new requirements 鈥渟ensible rules of the road鈥� and downplayed the rule鈥檚 impact. 

In a comment to the department, she pointed, for example, to Torchlight Academy, a North Carolina school and grant recipient operated by for-profit Torchlight Academy Schools. The state voted in March to revoke the school鈥檚 charter, citing alleged that benefited the family operating the school. The charter is appealing the state鈥檚 decision, saying it has cut ties with the family.

The proposal would require schools receiving the grant funds to pledge that they won鈥檛 contract with a for-profit organization to assume most or all of the operation of the school. Grantees would also have to make those agreements public.

Karega Rausch, president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, said he appreciates the focus on transparency. But he and other charter advocates have problems with a requirement that states applying for the funds conduct a 鈥渃ommunity impact analysis.鈥� Such a process would have to take 鈥渋nto account the student demographics of the schools from which students are, or would be, drawn to attend the charter school.鈥� 

Rausch said local authorizers, not state officials, should be responsible for determining whether there is adequate demand for a charter school. He added that the department is sending a mixed message.

鈥淵ou can鈥檛 simultaneously say that it鈥檚 a good thing to listen to communities and families and then federally impose specific kinds of schools on communities,鈥� he said.

The education department would give preference to charter applications in which current and former educators are deeply involved in leadership and development of the schools. Another priority for the department is that districts and charter operators work together on issues such as joint teacher training or transportation. At least one district school would have to provide a letter in support of working with the charter. 

Rausch said that provision gives the districts leverage, adding that charter demand has increased because they 鈥渕eet the needs of families鈥� who feel their children aren鈥檛 being well-served in traditional schools.

鈥淲e are all in favor of collaborative efforts, but it鈥檚 got to go both ways,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 want us versus them. That is old politics.鈥�

When her husband recently retired after 22 years, Andujar began to rethink her own career path and recalled her years volunteering in her children鈥檚 schools. She became an educational assistant in a Spanish dual-immersion program in the Clarksville-Montgomery schools, northwest of Nashville.

鈥淚 wasn’t planning to become a teacher, but I noticed how a teacher could transform a student’s life,鈥� she said.

Now she鈥檚 part of an effort to transform educator preparation with the nation鈥檚 first apprenticeship in teaching approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. A partnership between the school district and Austin-Peay State University, the is a 鈥済row-your-own鈥� model in which districts recruit candidates from within their communities and give them extensive on-the-job experience before they take over their own classrooms. With the nation鈥檚 teachers far less racially diverse than the public school students they instruct, many consider the approach an effective way to recruit more Black and Hispanic educators. 

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona highlighted grow-your-own programs in a visit to Tennessee State University last week. He was instrumental in getting Labor Secretary Martin Walsh鈥檚 support for the apprenticeship, according to Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.

He visited Tennessee State University to learn more about its own with Metro Nashville Public Schools and told that it’s important to “make sure that teachers aren’t working three jobs to make ends meet.”

With the nation currently fixed on staffing shortages and the persistent challenges of hard-to-fill positions, efforts to strengthen the teacher 鈥減ipeline鈥� are among policymakers. Over 20 years ago, a major study of a grow-your-own program for paraprofessionals showed that participants were more likely than new teachers to still be teaching after three years. But the model lacks long-term evidence of effectiveness. Experts say the federal government鈥檚 support 鈥� and potential funding 鈥� should help spread the concept.

鈥淟et鈥檚 get rid of this idea of a first-year teacher,鈥� Schwinn told 社区黑料 last month when she announced the new Teacher Occupation Apprenticeship. 

By the time candidates finish the three-year program, she said they鈥檒l not only have a bachelor鈥檚 degree and teacher certification but also experience working under the supervision of a master educator. While the concept isn鈥檛 new, funding for such programs has been inconsistent, according to a from New America, a center-left think tank. The American Rescue Plan offers a new source of support for the model, but that too will run out, Schwinn said.

Access to state and federal funding for apprenticeships, however 鈥渋s a game changer,鈥� Schwinn said. 鈥淚t is that permanent, recurring source of funding.鈥�

Putting 鈥榙reams on hold鈥�

The awarded more than $130 million in grants to 15 states last year for apprenticeships to meet workforce needs across multiple industries. Becoming a with the labor department 鈥� which requires programs to meet specific quality standards 鈥� puts Tennessee鈥檚 program in position to receive funding that would cover both pay and the cost of education for participants, removing a barrier that often keeps lower-income and non-white candidates from pursuing teaching. 

For now, the state is using $20 million in federal relief funds to support 65 grow-your-own programs across the state, including the one in Clarksville-Montgomery, where Scottie Bonecutter is working in a first-grade classroom while earning a degree and certification in special education. 

She grew up in Clarksville, graduated from the district in 2006 and was doing the 鈥渨hole traditional college thing鈥� she said. Just as she began taking core courses to become a teacher, she got pregnant and had her first son.

鈥淚 ended up putting my dreams on hold,鈥� she said. 

She became an educational assistant in the district in 2018. By the time she applied for the residency program last year, she felt more equipped to take advantage of her mentors鈥� expertise.

鈥淣ow that I鈥檓 an adult, I’m not scared to raise my hand and say, 鈥業 have a struggle with this,鈥欌�� she said, adding that the supervising teachers 鈥渁re willing to literally walk us through every single step of every single decision they make. They are willing to explain every single standard that we use in class.鈥�

Sean Impeartice, the district鈥檚 chief academic officer, said sending candidates to college without the support to balance work, education and family life responsibilities is 鈥渆ducational malpractice.鈥� He hires staff members to work as 鈥渇acilitators,鈥� who Bonecutter said, provide 鈥渆motional support, if you have a lot going on at home, at school or in any aspect of life.鈥�

鈥業mproving practice鈥�

But it鈥檚 a challenging time to become a teacher. Entering the field during the pandemic has been a 鈥渂aptism by fire,鈥� said Impeartice.

Because of staff shortages, some residents have already led classes on their own. Learning to teach for the first time in a remote arrangement was an additional hurdle. Andujar spent much of her first year in the program teaching Spanish grammar remotely.

鈥淚 highly dislike Zoom,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not a techie person.鈥�

Growing efforts among conservative lawmakers to restrict curriculum also feel out of 鈥渢ouch with the realities of being a teacher,鈥� said Amaya Garcia, the deputy director of New America鈥檚 Pre-K to 12 program. 

That鈥檚 why incentives, such as full tuition and mentoring support, are important for addressing teacher shortages, she said, adding that recruiting paraprofessionals, like Andujar and Bonecutter, is a 鈥渓ogical and sound investment鈥� for policymakers because many already have some college credit, classroom experience and often hail from the communities they鈥檙e serving. 

Apprenticeships generally receive . Governors of both parties have highlighted the model during this year.

But researchers don鈥檛 know enough about whether participants in grow-your-own programs stay in teaching or improve student learning, Garcia said. In 2001, the Wallace Foundation its $50 million Pathways to Teaching Careers program for paraprofessionals and other non-certified staff and found that 81 percent of participants remained in teaching for at least three years after completing the program, compared to 71 percent for new teachers in general.

There鈥檚 even less data on whether students in high school pathway programs ultimately enter and stay in teaching, even though such programs are growing in popularity.

Just last week, the Chicago Public Schools announced that it wants to expand the number of graduates it hires through its program from about 140 annually to over 500. 

One program that Garcia considers 鈥溾�� is the two-year Bilingual Teacher Fellow program in the Highline Public Schools, near Seattle 鈥� a partnership that began in 2016 with Western Washington University to address a specific need for bilingual teachers.

Sandra Ruiz Kim, formerly a manager in a dental office, was among the first to finish the program in 2018. Now a sixth-grade Spanish teacher at Glacier Middle School, she noticed a difference between those who completed the fellowship and those without such experience. 

鈥淲e were able 鈥� even as first-year teachers 鈥� to have meaningful conversations about improving practice,鈥� she said, adding that the experience also gave her access to a network of colleagues, 鈥渨hich can be vital for career progression in an industry that often depends on professional relationships and word-of-mouth reputation.鈥�

A recent showed that 鈥渉omegrown鈥� teachers 鈥� those who teach in the districts where they graduated 鈥� contribute to small improvements in student performance in English language arts.

That confirms why recruiting teachers from the community can be 鈥渁n impactful strategy,鈥� Garcia said, adding, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be getting more proof points because we鈥檙e going to have more districts like Highline that have been doing this for several years.鈥�

When Education Secretary Miguel Cardona toured South Bend, Indiana鈥檚 Madison STEAM Academy in September, he made a quick impression on the district鈥檚 superintendent, C. Todd Cummings. 

Cummings remembers the secretary鈥檚 interest in COVID protocols, the facility鈥檚 STEM makerspace, and that he spoke Spanish to students at the bilingual school. By the time the visit ended, he came away feeling like he could pick up the phone and call Cardona if needed. 

鈥淗e鈥檚 done a lot to make the department more approachable,鈥� Cummings said. 鈥淗e understands running a district, but he also understands teachers in the classroom.鈥�

Having one of their own helming the U.S. Department of Education has gone a long way toward mending the fractured relationship between district leaders and the agency that existed under Cardona鈥檚 predecessor. Betsy DeVos was the consummate outsider. She warred with unions, made comments that many teachers found , and attempted to direct relief funds meant for the public system to private schools. In contrast, when the former Connecticut state chief meets with superintendents and school leaders, 鈥渉e鈥檚 talking shop鈥� on everything from bell schedules to graduation rates, said Ronn Nozoe, head of the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

But almost a year into Cardona鈥檚 tenure, and with the pandemic showing no signs of abating, his department has sometimes struggled to keep up. COVID-19 has thrust the agency into the public eye almost as much as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and, like the CDC, it has often come under fire for being slow to respond to a fast-changing virus. To some, Cardona鈥檚 camaraderie with educators helps explain why he has sometimes appeared reluctant to embrace another constituency, whose power and visibility has grown with the pandemic: parents. 

Sarah Carpenter, executive director of The Memphis Lift, a nonprofit that trains parents to advocate for their children鈥檚 educational needs, said she hasn鈥檛 forgotten that parent leaders weren鈥檛 asked to speak at Cardona鈥檚 first virtual summit on reopening almost a year ago. 

鈥淭hey know we鈥檙e here, and we鈥檙e just not accounted for,鈥� she said, adding that parents 鈥渋n those communities where this pandemic hit the hardest鈥� should have had a voice. A June event focusing on equity didn鈥檛 feature parents either.

Cardona hasn鈥檛 ignored parents, and often reminds the public that his two teenage children, still attending public school in Meriden, Connecticut, have endured their own disruptions in learning. His first act as secretary was to write to parents and students acknowledging the hardships caused by the pandemic, and he has urged schools to rebuild trust with families.

More recently, when schools began to shift to remote learning because of the Omicron variant, Cardona told 社区黑料, 鈥淥ur parents have done enough.鈥� That same week, the announcement of another round of grants to state came with Cardona鈥檚 statement that, 鈥淢eaningful parent engagement 鈥� has never been more important.鈥�

But observers say his messages tend to emphasize over student recovery. When the department last month to use federal relief funds for teacher pay raises and hiring bonuses, Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University鈥檚 Edunomics Lab, said 鈥渢he balance feels a little off.鈥�

The pandemic has mobilized many parents to take a more central role in their children鈥檚 education, and their frustration over extended school closures likely tipped the Virginia governor鈥檚 race in favor of Republican Glenn Youngkin. 

Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, has tried to drive that point home. She regularly participates in 鈥渟takeholder鈥� meetings with the department, and shares monthly parent survey data with Christian Rhodes, chief of staff for the department鈥檚 Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. But she described the department鈥檚 parent engagement efforts as a 鈥渂ox-checking exercise.鈥�

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not what this moment calls for. It calls for listening to people’s pain,鈥� she said. 鈥淧arents expect to be engaged on a whole new level because we had to hold it down for [schools] while they weren鈥檛 there.鈥�

鈥楴ot a slow-moving moment鈥�

Leaders in education said Cardona has shown skill in managing the mountain of challenges he faced when he entered the job: more than half of schools still not fully open, expectations that he quickly reverse the previous administration鈥檚 stance on students鈥� civil rights, and low morale among what Nozoe called the department鈥檚 鈥渂eat-down career staff.鈥� Cardona, he added, is trying to rebuild an agency that DeVos shouldn鈥檛 even exist.

Cardona said his top priority has been helping schools reopen and stay that way. Others credit him with steering billions in federal aid to states and districts on a short timeline.

鈥淭hey’ve made a huge amount of progress in a very, very difficult time,鈥� said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the California State Board of Education and president and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute, a think tank. She led President Joe Biden鈥檚 transition team for education and as the nominee.

She specifically noted his team鈥檚 work to get the American Rescue Plan funding for schools 鈥渙ut the door with guidance and support for how to spend it鈥� and early efforts to make the CDC鈥檚 鈥渨onky and mysterious鈥� school reopening guidelines more accessible to educators. Recent confusion over whether the agency鈥檚 updated quarantine guidance applied to schools, however, drew fresh .

Some noted that communication from the department often hasn鈥檛 matched the urgency state and district leaders have experienced during the pandemic. 

In November, the department said it was OK to use relief funds to pay for alternate forms of for students in the face of a bus driver shortage. But that was a month after New York , a Democrat, asked for the guidance, and two months after Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker called in the to drive students to school. 

In mid-December, the department issued a on jumpstarting school accountability systems, but state officials started calling for that in September. 

鈥淭hey are slow moving,鈥� said Roza, 鈥渁nd it鈥檚 not a slow-moving moment in public education.鈥�

In an interview with 社区黑料, Cardona said the department responds with guidance when 鈥渨e hear from the field.鈥� He noted the staff鈥檚 efforts to host multiple webinars and respond to questions from educators, but acknowledged that guidance from the department has sometimes lagged. He vowed to do better. 鈥淲e have to stay ahead of things, and we鈥檙e going to continue to improve communications.鈥�

鈥楳ore influence鈥�

As he nears his first year as a cabinet member, Cardona reflected on what the department has accomplished under his leadership. 

While Omicron has led to short-term closures of as many as 5,400 schools, according to a frequently updated , Cardona noted that in-person learning had hit of schools by early December. And he takes pride that the department is addressing problems with Public Service Loan Forgiveness 鈥� a federal program meant to encourage students to go into nonprofit and public sector jobs, like teaching, in exchange for debt relief. Under DeVos, the department denied most requests for relief, and borrowers complained that loan servicers gave on how to meet the program鈥檚 strict criteria. The department鈥檚 management of the program prompted the American Federation of Teachers . Since Cardona started, the department has wiped out roughly $12.7 billion in college debt, including almost $2 billion for the public service program.

鈥淣ot only are we providing some loan forgiveness, but we’re fixing the systems that led to the problems that we have now,鈥� he said, adding that he wants to continue to 鈥渕ake higher education more accessible to more students without having to be tethered in debt for the rest of their lives.鈥�

Before Cardona was confirmed, there was speculation he鈥檇 be overshadowed by Biden鈥檚 White House advisers, who included two former high-level education officials from the Obama administration. More recently, Rodrigues quipped that , president of the National Education Association, likely has more pull with the administration than Cardona.

Conservative pundits have sized him up as Rick Hess, director of Education Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute, described him as 鈥渦nder-the-radar, except when he鈥檚 been waving the flag for partisan administration objectives.鈥�

But those who support those objectives say Cardona has clout with the president. 

鈥淚 think with every passing day, he has more and more influence with the White House,鈥� said American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who first met Cardona when he was a teacher and now has a friendly competition with him over who has visited more states and schools over the past year. By late December, she鈥檇 hit 28 states; he鈥檇 made it to 25.

She said he advocated with the White House for changes to the loan forgiveness program and for putting teachers second in line to receive the first wave of COVID-19 vaccines, after health care workers.

Interestingly, given the coziness many of his critics assume Cardona enjoys with the unions, he has had trouble with the one representing employees in his own department. 

鈥楾he huge political divide鈥�

In early December, the Federal Labor Relations Authority found the department guilty of 14 violations of labor law 鈥� actions that date back to 2018 when the employee union鈥檚 collective bargaining rights. A of federal employees showed that morale within the department had declined far more than in any other agency. Those grievances have continued under Cardona, according to Cathie McQuiston, deputy general counsel with the American Federation of Government Employees.

The complaints involve inconsistent policies for working remotely, employee evaluation procedures and denying staff union representation when they have a dispute.

Under DeVos, the department was 鈥減araded out as an example to other agencies of the kinds of things they should be doing in the Trump administration,鈥� McQuiston said. 鈥淭here has to be a political will to come in and say, 鈥榃e鈥檙e not doing that anymore.鈥� At education, we struggle to get that commitment.鈥�

According to a department spokesperson, efforts to resolve the complaints are ongoing and the agency is 鈥渃ommitted to making sure it is a great place to work.鈥� Both sides are scheduled to meet Thursday.

While addressing internal issues, Cardona was hit with a summer storm of public controversy over mask mandates and school equity initiatives. Superintendents were targeted with death threats, brawls broke out at school board meetings and school leaders tried to make sense of contradictory court rulings and mandates over masks.

鈥淚 wonder whether he anticipated the huge political divide over masks or no masks,鈥� said Deborah Delisle, who served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education in the Obama administration and is now president and CEO of ALL4Ed, a nonprofit education policy organization. 

In August, Cardona departed from his usual cordial tone to take a against states banning local districts from mandating masks. 

鈥淒on鈥檛 be the reason why schools are interrupted,鈥� he said at a , indirectly challenging the governors of Florida and Texas.

But unless Republicans pressed him during Congressional hearings, he avoided the fray over critical race theory 鈥� a legal argument that racism lies at the core of U.S. institutions to intentionally advantage white people 鈥� and even to the controversial 1619 Project and the work of author Ibram X. Kendi from a civics grant program.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 get involved in curriculum issues,鈥� he said during a June budget hearing, but stressed his support for culturally relevant teaching. 鈥淲hen students see themselves in the curriculum, they are more likely to be engaged.鈥�

Some observers suggest he could have done more. 

Hess, at the American Enterprise Institute, said Cardona could 鈥減erhaps carve out room for the serious center鈥� by defending 鈥渁 progressive vision鈥� but denouncing some of the examples that critics have found so , such as asking students to label themselves as 鈥渙ppressed鈥� or 鈥渙ppressor.鈥�

But Julia Martin, legislative director at Brustein and Manasevit, a law firm specializing in education, said there was no political upside for Cardona to wade any deeper into those waters.

鈥淭hese issues, by their nature, are local issues,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here’s no way in many of these instances to come out and make a principled statement that doesn鈥檛 bother some people.鈥�

The typically controversy-averse Cardona is a departure from the activist chiefs who have occupied the department since the No Child Left Behind era. Unlike many of his predecessors, Cardona doesn鈥檛 have a presidential mandate to implement bold reforms. 

鈥淲e’re still in a crisis, versus coming out of a crisis back in 2009,鈥� said John Bailey, a senior fellow at AEI. That鈥檚 when Arne Duncan became secretary under President Obama, with a far-reaching mission to incentivize states to embrace controversial reforms such as overhauling teacher evaluations and adopting Common Core standards.

Even if Cardona had such a mandate, Bailey said, the pandemic leaves him in the position of trying to provide a 鈥渞apid response during an unfolding crisis that continues to play out.鈥�

If the pandemic doesn鈥檛 continue to steal most of Cardona鈥檚 focus, he said he hopes to shift attention in 2022 toward issues a little closer to his heart: 鈥渢eaching and learning.鈥�

As someone who attended a technical high school in his hometown of Meriden, Cardona wants to see 鈥渂etter pathways鈥� for students to two- and four-year schools and the workforce, especially with the jobs that will be created as a result of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill passed in November.

鈥淭here’s funding 鈥� unlike we’ve seen in the 20 years that I’ve been in education,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have an opportunity here to really lift our field 鈥� and to give our students opportunities that they’ve never had.鈥�

Lead Image: Education Secretary Miguel Cardona testified during a Sept. 30 Senate education committee hearing on school reopening. (Greg Nash / Getty Images)

鈥滻 don鈥檛 think we should be considering remote options,鈥� Cardona said Tuesday in an interview with 社区黑料. 鈥淥ur students deserve more, not less, and our parents have done enough to help balance school closures the first year of the pandemic.鈥�

The secretary鈥檚 comments, however, come amid a sharp increase in schools already shifting to remote learning, either because of or . According to , which tracks schools鈥� response to the pandemic, there are 646 school closures this week, up from 356 last week. Following the holiday break, 421 closures are expected, but that鈥檚 still less than a fifth of the number of closures in August, when the Delta variant postponed the return of many students to in-person learning. 

Cardona鈥檚 comments amplified those made by the president in an afternoon news conference Tuesday.

鈥淭oday, we don鈥檛 have to shut down schools because of a case of COVID-19,鈥� Biden said. He urged parents to vaccinate their children and said the best way to protect those under 5, not yet eligible for vaccines, is to ensure their family members and caregivers are fully vaccinated and have had a booster. 鈥淭he science is clear and overwhelming,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e know how to keep our kids safe.鈥�

The president announced several steps to increase COVID testing availability and expand capacity at hospitals. The administration will deliver 500,000 at-home tests to those who want them, starting in January, open more pop-up vaccination clinics, and make emergency response teams available to hospitals.

On Friday 鈥� the last day before the holiday break for many schools 鈥� the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two studies showing that test-to-stay procedures can prevent lost instructional days due to quarantine. Cardona said he didn鈥檛 have a hand in pushing for the announcement before the break, but that, 鈥渙ur teams talk regularly.鈥�

鈥淚 was glad they were able to communicate it early enough,鈥� he said. 鈥淎s we鈥檙e thinking about 2022, we can use test-to-stay, as we鈥檙e thinking about how to utilize the [American Rescue Plan] funds, we can use test-to-stay to limit quarantine and keep our children in school.鈥�

The secretary added that there鈥檚 room for improvement in providing up-to-date numbers on school closures. The National Center for Education Statistics produces data on the percentages of students attending school in-person or remotely, but are released monthly, compared to Burbio鈥檚 weekly update, and in the past, have frequently been months behind. The latest data, released last week, reflects in-person and remote learning as of Dec. 3.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue to refine those systems, especially if there鈥檚 an increase in spread,鈥� he said.

According to the Center on Reinventing Public Education, which has tracked school closings and openings since the beginning of the pandemic, only eight states have provided schools with detailed guidance this school year on when they should consider closing. 

Cardona said it鈥檚 important to not only know what percentage of students are in school, but 鈥渨hat鈥檚 causing potential, short-term remote learning options or what they need in order to keep their schools open.”

Under the protocol 鈥� which many states and districts have had in place for months 鈥� unvaccinated students who are exposed to COVID-19 can remain in school if all students wear masks, don鈥檛 display any symptoms and test twice a week. 

Data suggests 鈥渢hat a school-based [test-to-stay] strategy in a large and diverse county did not increase school transmission risk and might greatly reduce loss of in-person school days,鈥� according to an evaluation of a program in Los Angeles County, one of two studies released with the CDC鈥檚 statement. 鈥淭hus, schools might consider [test-to-stay] as an option for keeping quarantined students in school to continue in-person learning.鈥�

With schools breaking for the holidays and rising concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant, observers said the announcement 鈥� now part of the CDC鈥檚 for schools 鈥� comes just in time. John Bailey, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute who publishes a daily newsletter on COVID-related research, called it 鈥渨elcomed news鈥� that helps schools prepare for the potential Omicron wave in January. But the agency also urged all eligible students to be vaccinated and get a booster shot, and said schools shouldn鈥檛 abandon other safety procedures, including social distancing, improving ventilation and handwashing. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 encouraging that test-to-stay strategies are proving effective both in limiting transmission of the virus and in ensuring that students can remain learning in school, so that entire classrooms or schools do not have to shut down when a case of COVID-19 is discovered in the school community,鈥� Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement.

It鈥檚 unclear, however, how many students those shutdowns have affected. Bailey faulted the Department of Education for not issuing weekly reports on how many students are in quarantine and whether they鈥檙e receiving instruction.

鈥淲e should not be relying on third parties for that data,鈥� he said. 鈥淎n agency that is using civil rights authorities to enforce mask mandates should be curious about the civil rights of kids who are not being served in the midst of quarantines.”

The CDC鈥檚 two studies show that test-to-stay is significantly minimizing disruptions in learning.

Thirty-nine of Los Angeles County鈥檚 78 school districts implemented test-to-stay. In those that didn鈥檛 follow the model, 4,322 students tested positive between Sept. 20 and the end of October, compared to 812 students in the districts that implemented the program.

In Lake County, Illinois, 90 schools implemented test-to-stay between early August and Oct. 29. Just 16 students out of a total 65,384 tested positive. The authors wrote that assuming students would have missed eight school days during a 10-day quarantine, the program 鈥減reserved up to 8,152 in-person learning days鈥� for students that were exposed.

Leah Perkinson, a manager at the Rockefeller Foundation, which has worked with districts to implement testing, called this 鈥渙ne of the happiest days for me throughout this whole entire pandemic鈥� and said the announcement will likely prompt more districts to adopt the strategy. 鈥淪ome people are only willing to move forward when the CDC releases guidance.鈥�

The data, she added, could also inspire other settings, such as child care centers and camps, to see if they can implement test-to-stay.

One challenge, however, is that some rapid COVID tests are not picking up Omicron, according to , director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Disease. 

The two studies also noted complications that limit districts鈥� ability to implement the model, such as staffing shortages, the need for 鈥渞obust contact identification and tracing鈥� and a lack of support from parents. 

鈥淪ome schools reported a shortage of testing supplies, requiring [test-to-stay] participants to access off-site testing, which might have presented a barrier in low-resource school settings,鈥� according to the second evaluation on Lake County, Illinois. 鈥淪tate and local public health and education agencies should strive to ensure that schools in low-resource areas have equitable access to staffing and testing supplies to implement [test-to-stay].鈥�

The Biden administration Thursday stepped up efforts to get more students vaccinated as the school year begins, with the National PTA, pediatricians and sports organizations to reach reluctant families.

The effort includes incorporating vaccines into physical exams for school athletes, featuring pediatricians at back-to-school events and supplying schools with resources to host pop-up vaccine clinics, including sample text messages and letters. Saturday will kick off a 鈥渨eek of action鈥� devoted to promoting the vaccine, with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona visiting a vaccine clinic in Topeka, Kansas, along with training sessions for parents, teachers and student organizations on how to promote vaccines.

鈥淚 remember last year. We were reopening schools and we didn鈥檛 have the science. We didn鈥檛 have the experience. We didn鈥檛 have the lessons learned,鈥� Cardona said Wednesday in remarks after visiting a summer enrichment program at Graceland Park-O’Donnell Heights Elementary Middle School in Baltimore. 鈥淚f you haven鈥檛 gotten vaccinated yet, do it now. This is our number one line of defense.鈥�

Get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for 社区黑料 Newsletter

On Thursday, Cardona聽聽that he’ll also be monitoring how “politics are getting in the way” and whether some families aren’t sending their children to school because they feel it’s not safe without mask requirements. 聽“To me those are adult actions preventing students to their right of public education.”

That message comes as less than 40 percent of the nation鈥檚 12- to 15-year-olds have been vaccinated, . And the rate among 16- and 17-year-olds is less than half. Vaccination rates are higher among white children than Black children. The administration, however, is not only facing resistance from some parents toward the vaccine, but is also seeing growing backlash against mask mandates, with some districts at odds with governors over the issue.

The dissent was clear last week during a virtual town hall for parents where Aaliyah Samuel, a deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Education and experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention attempted to answer parents鈥� questions about the vaccine.

Participants began flooding the chat field with critical comments about the vaccine, remote learning and masks. Others shot back with links to studies on vaccine and mask effectiveness.

In all caps, one person wrote: 鈥淗esitancy comes from the lies and lack of information. Those that have been vaccinated are the ones that are getting infected yet again, creating new variants such as Delta strain.鈥�

Another responded: 鈥淭rump paid for the vaccine and took it.鈥�

Samuel eventually jumped in and shut down the chat function.

鈥淭his is not a place for negative comments to attack individuals. It is a place to share information,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 believe in the information, that鈥檚 your choice, but we鈥檙e sharing the best of the information that we have.鈥�

Thursday鈥檚 White House announcement didn鈥檛 mention the role of the teachers unions in getting more students vaccinated. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten has been on her own this week to encourage parents to send their children to school this fall, while also advocating for a universal mask mandate.

In comments on SiriusXM POTUS鈥檚 鈥淟aura Coates Show鈥� this week, Weingarten called vaccines 鈥渢he big game changer.鈥澛燱hile restating her position that vaccine issues should be negotiated with local affiliates, she said on聽 that she is now more open to mandates for teachers.

“We want to persuade the holdouts,” she said. “But we’re looking at all the alternatives.”