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National and State Organizations Call on the Department of Education to Prioritize Equity and Transparency in Funding for America’s Most Vulnerable Students
Stimulus Bill Spurs Action Among Education and Civil Rights Groups
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 1, 2020) – Yesterday, the Collaborative for Student Success, along with 11 organizations representing the education and civil rights communities, sent a joint letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos.
President Donald Trump signed into law last week the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that provides $13.5 billion in relief and support funding for K-12 education.
This funding is intended to aid states in addressing the needs of our most vulnerable students during school closures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding is designed to help ensure students have access to meals, that online learning opportunities are expanded and that needed services are provided to all students, including students with disabilities and English learners.
The letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urges the Education Department to ensure that basic reporting of the intended and actual use of the funds be required by state education agencies as they tap into these resources. To ensure that the billions of dollars of additional funding are used as intended, basic systems of transparency must be established and enforced by Secretary DeVos and monitored by the department’s Office of Inspector General.
In addition, our organizations advocated for the creation of an online system to collect and make public information on how states, districts, and schools are using CARES Act funds, as well as how these investments have directly impacted the education of disadvantaged students. As stated, “Keeping a public record of stimulus expenditures will help all stakeholders share best practices and learn from each other so that we can support learning while combatting the adverse effects of this pandemic.”
The Collaborative for Student Success, along with our national and state partners, remain committed to advocating for strong systems of accountability that ensure students’ needs are prioritized and met.
Read the full letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos here.
About the Collaborative for Student Success
At our core, we believe leaders at all levels have a role to play in ensuring success for K-12 students. From ensuring schools and teachers are equipped with the best materials to spotlighting the innovative and bold ways federal recovery dollars are being used to drive needed changes, the Collaborative for Student Success aims to inform and amplify policies making a difference for students and families.
To recover from the most disruptive event in the history of American public schools, states and districts are leveraging unprecedented resources to make sure classrooms are safe for learning, providing students and teachers with the high-quality instructional materials they deserve, and are rethinking how best to measure learning so supports are targeted where they’re needed most.