education policy

What education policy experts are watching for in 2022

Subscribe to the brown center on education policy newsletter, daphna bassok , daphna bassok nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy @daphnabassok stephanie riegg cellini , stephanie riegg cellini nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy michael hansen , michael hansen senior fellow - brown center on education policy , the herman and george r. brown chair - governance studies @drmikehansen douglas n. harris , douglas n. harris nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy , professor and chair, department of economics - tulane university @douglasharris99 jon valant , and jon valant director - brown center on education policy , senior fellow - governance studies @jonvalant kenneth k. wong kenneth k. wong nonresident senior fellow - governance studies , brown center on education policy.

January 7, 2022

Entering 2022, the world of education policy and practice is at a turning point. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to disrupt the day-to-day learning for children across the nation, bringing anxiety and uncertainty to yet another year. Contentious school-board meetings attract headlines as controversy swirls around critical race theory and transgender students’ rights. The looming midterm elections threaten to upend the balance of power in Washington, with serious implications for the federal education landscape. All of these issues—and many more—will have a tremendous impact on students, teachers, families, and American society as a whole; whether that impact is positive or negative remains to be seen.

Below, experts from the Brown Center on Education Policy identify the education stories that they’ll be following in 2022, providing analysis on how these issues could shape the learning landscape for the next 12 months—and possibly well into the future.

I will also be watching the Department of Education’s negotiated rulemaking sessions and following any subsequent regulatory changes to federal student-aid programs. I expect to see changes to income-driven repayment plans and will be monitoring debates over regulations governing institutional and programmatic eligibility for federal student-loan programs. Notably, the Department of Education will be re-evaluating Gainful Employment regulations—put in place by the Obama administration and rescinded by the Trump administration—which tied eligibility for federal funding to graduates’ earnings and debt.

But the biggest and most concerning hole has been in the  substitute teacher force —and the ripple effects on school communities have been broad and deep. Based on personal communications with Nicola Soares, president of  Kelly Education , the largest education staffing provider in the country, the pandemic is exacerbating several problematic trends that have been quietly simmering for years. These are: (1) a growing reliance on long-term substitutes to fill permanent teacher positions; (2) a shrinking supply of qualified individuals willing to fill short-term substitute vacancies; and, (3) steadily declining fill rates for schools’ substitute requests. Many schools in high-need settings have long faced challenges with adequate, reliable substitutes, and the pandemic has turned these localized trouble spots into a widespread catastrophe. Though federal pandemic-relief funds could be used to meet the short-term weakness in the substitute labor market (and mainline teacher compensation, too ), this is an area where we sorely need more research and policy solutions for a permanent fix.

First, what’s to come of the vaccine for ages 0-4? This is now the main impediment to resuming in-person activity. This is the only large group that currently cannot be vaccinated. Also, outbreaks are triggering day-care closures, which has a significant impact on parents (especially mothers), including teachers and other school staff.

Second, will schools (and day cares) require the vaccine for the fall of 2022? Kudos to my hometown of New Orleans, which still appears to be the nation’s only district to require vaccination. Schools normally require a wide variety of other vaccines, and the COVID-19 vaccines are very effective. However, this issue is unfortunately going to trigger a new round of intense political conflict and opposition that will likely delay the end of the pandemic.

Third, will we start to see signs of permanent changes in schooling a result of COVID-19? In a previous post on this blog, I proposed some possibilities. There are some real opportunities before us, but whether we can take advantage of them depends on the first two questions. We can’t know about these long-term effects on schooling until we address the COVID-19 crisis so that people get beyond survival mode and start planning and looking ahead again. I’m hopeful, though not especially optimistic, that we’ll start to see this during 2022.

The CTC and universal pre-K top my list for 2022, but it’s a long list. I’ll also be watching the Supreme Court’s ruling on vouchers in Carson v. Makin , how issues like critical race theory and detracking play into the 2022 elections, and whether we start to see more signs of school/district innovation in response to COVID-19 and the recovery funds that followed.

Electoral dynamics will affect several important issues: the selection of state superintendents; the use of American Rescue Plan funds; the management of safe return to in-person learning for students; the integration of racial justice and diversity into curriculum; the growth of charter schools; and, above all, the extent to which education issues are leveraged to polarize rather than heal the growing divisions among the American public.

Early Childhood Education Education Policy Higher Education

Governance Studies

Brown Center on Education Policy

Vanessa Williamson

April 29, 2024

Sopiko Beriashvili, Michael Trucano

April 26, 2024

Richard V. Reeves, Ember Smith

Get Email Updates from Ballotpedia

First Name *

Please complete the Captcha above

Ballotpedia on Facebook

  Share this page

  Follow Ballotpedia

Ballotpedia on Twitter

Education policy in the united states.

• 1.1 Colonial era
• 1.2 Founding era
• 1.3 Civic education
• 1.4.1 Common schools
• 1.4.2 Religious schools
• 1.4.3 Role of the federal government
• 1.5.1 Secondary schools
• 1.5.2 Progressives
• 1.5.3 Role of federal government
• 2 Current education policy
• 3 Major federal legislation
• 5 External links
• 6 Footnotes

Education policy refers to the plan and underlying principles for educating students. The goals of educational policy have evolved in the United States as society and culture have changed, and are continually being debated and revised.

In the United States, education policy has been important since the first settlements of the Puritans, when the goal was mainly religious. Today many see the goal of education as learning skills necessary to participate in a global economy. While it is generally agreed that gaining certain fundamental knowledge and skills is important for individual success and happiness, civic order and economic prosperity, there is still much disagreement about what should be learned and how it should be taught.

Major educational policy issues involve the following questions:

• Who should be educated and by whom?
• What should be taught, and who decides this?
• Where and when should students be educated?
• Who is responsible for the delivery of education?
• How much should education cost and who should pay for it?
• What are the standards for measuring success?
• What should and can be done to correct failure?

The interested parties or immediate stakeholders include: students, parents, teachers, school administrators, professors and education schools, elected and non-elected officials, reformers and businesses which rely on an educated work force.

Education policies often pit these stakeholders against each other and often come down to who should decide what is best for children. One main tension has been between the rights of parents to determine how their children are educated, and public authority which passes laws, collects taxes and sets up schools for the common good of society. Within the government, there is often tension is between local, state and federal offices over control of various aspects of education content, funding and delivery. In addition, groups such as teachers’ unions, parents' groups and reform organizations often disagree with each other and among themselves about the most basic issues.

Traditionally in the United States, education has been primarily the responsibility of parents and local and state government. The U.S. Constitution says nothing about education, and therefore, according to the 10th Amendment, the role of the federal government is limited. [3] Education is funded largely by local and state government, with the federal government contributing less than 13 percent of total education expenditures for elementary and secondary education in the fiscal year 2011-2012. [4]

However, since education is overseen and carried out by so many different state and local entities there is much variation and inequality among school systems. For this reason, some reformers advocate giving the federal government a larger role in setting policy and standards. Others argue for greater local and parental control, and fear that a distant bureaucracy cannot serve the best interests of their children.

Colonial era

Education in America in the early years was primarily private and religious, and focused mainly on learning to read and write in order to read the Bible and new laws of the settlements. The first education law was enacted by the Massachusetts General Court in 1642 requiring parents and guardians to “make certain their charges could read and understand the principles of religion and the laws of the Commonwealth.” [5] Most children were taught at home, but because not all parents could or would comply, the Massachusetts Law of 1647, the Old Deluder Satan Act, was enacted to require that “towns of fifty families hire a schoolmaster who would teach children to read and write. Towns of a hundred families must have a grammar schoolmaster who could prepare children to attend Harvard College.” [6] The first government-owned and operated public high school, Boston Latin School, was founded in 1635. [7]

The prominent minister, Cotton Mather, following Martin Luther and the Reformation in Europe, preached in the strongest terms for the establishment of schools to prevent degeneracy and social disorder:

The religious component of education was predominant, and the Latin schools provided a classical education meant to prepare young men to study theology or law at Harvard. Girls were educated mainly at home or in Dame schools, which were private homes where women taught rudimentary reading and writing while tending their homes. [9]

Founding era

By the time of the American Revolution, education in the colonies was less influenced by Europe and geared more toward practical matters of commerce and agriculture. In 1749 Benjamin Franklin founded the private Philadelphia Academy offering a practical, more secular curriculum. During the 17th and 18th centuries there were many different types of private or semi-public arrangements for the education of children, with curricula ranging from traditional Latin and Greek curricula to more practical utilitarian studies typical in English grammar schools. Academies combined elements of both. [10]

There was also great inequity as to who was educated. Generally girls were educated at home, and few students from poor families, American Indians, or African Americans were educated formally, except by Quakers who established charity schools to serve these groups.

Civic education

Thomas Jefferson viewed educating the common man as important for promoting and preserving the democratic ideal; in order to preserve their liberty, citizens needed not just reading and arithmetic to manage their affairs, but also an understanding of history to understand their rights and duties. Benjamin Rush, a prominent doctor and founding father, called for public schools in Pennsylvania , and even a national system of education. Many opposed this plan because they did not want to pay for it through higher taxes. He argued that all would benefit because education would lead to less crime and degeneracy. Nevertheless, there were still few completely publicly funded schools, and nothing approaching a standard curriculum or unified theory of education. Early schooling involved primarily learning to read for religious purposes, and learning some rudimentary arithmetic. After the revolution, civic literacy became an added component, as seen in Noah Webster’s first “textbook” in 1783. This was a speller that emphasized patriotic and moral values of the newly independent colonies while teaching grammar and spelling. [11] [12]

The 19th century

Common schools.

In the 1820s Massachusetts and then Connecticut passed laws requiring every town to choose a school committee to organize public schools into a unified system. The chief advocate of government schools, or “common schools,” was Horace Mann, who was appointed Secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education in 1837. He introduced age-grading, and also set up "normal schools" to train teachers. He argued for free public schooling as the best way to civilize children both morally and socially. In response to the great wave of Roman Catholic immigration beginning in the 1840s, public schooling was seen as a way of integrating children of immigrants, and counteracting the presumed bad influence of immigrant parents. This began the “Common School Movement,” during which local governments set up non-sectarian schools for the general populace paid for by local and state governments. Critics of the movement included Catholics who complained of religious bias, taxpayers who did not want to pay for public schools for someone else's children, and those who saw government control as trampling individual liberty and parental rights. [13]

Despite these objections reformers succeeded during the second half of the century in getting all states to set up systems of common schools. Local schools boards, school districts and teachers' associations came into existence. The Southern states lagged behind the North, and it was not until after the Civil War that they set up legally mandated schools, which were racially segregated. By 1900 the majority of children aged 6-13 were enrolled in government elementary schools. As the power of the educational establishment expanded, there was a sense among some reformers, bureaucrats, politicians and teachers, that parents were "unfit guardians" and children must be "forced into school," according to one Massachusetts Teacher article written in 1851. The Wisconsin Teacher Association in 1865 was not alone in declaring that "children are the property of the state." [14]

Religious schools

Although the public schools were officially non-sectarian the inherited Protestant bent to the teaching prompted Catholics and Lutherans to set up a parallel system of parochial schools to preserve their religion and culture. Opposition to parochial schools led to the so-called " Blaine amendments ," which prohibited the use of public funds for parochial schools. Although the original amendment proposed in 1868 ultimately was not passed by Congress, such amendments were adopted by many states and still affect school choice policy today.

Role of the federal government

In addition to expanded state control of schools, the federal government began to play a role. In 1862 Congress passed the first Morrill Act which granted land to set up colleges in agricultural and mechanical arts.The original Department of Education was created in 1867 to help the states establish effective school systems by collecting information on schools and teaching.The Second Morrill Act in 1890 made the federal Office of Education responsible for administering support to land-grant colleges and universities. [15] [16]

The 20th Century

By the end of WWI in 1918, roughly two-thirds of children were enrolled in government schools, and all states had compulsory attendance laws. Oregon amended its Compulsory Education Act, making it illegal for students to attend non-government run schools, but this was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1925 in the case of Pierce v. Society of Sisters.

Secondary schools

The reforms of the early 20th century focused mainly on expanding secondary schools, and has been called by some the "high school movement" or second transformation of American education. It concentrated on increasing graduation rates by diversifying the academic programs to include not only traditional foundational subjects, but also vocational training. In 1917 the Smith-Hughes Act and the 1946 George-Barden Act focused federal involvement on agricultural, industrial and home economics training for high school students. [16] Educational "administrative progressives" did succeed in changing the face of public education based on the new "educational science." They changed high schools to include different tracks and electives, increased professionalism of the educational bureaucracy and instituted standardization of curricula, testing and even building design. They advocated for consolidation of schools and districts, more centralized administration, increased spending and expanded school services. In the cities they drastically reduced the number of board members and delegated decision-making to experts, including superintendents and central staff. In the countryside, smaller school districts were consolidated into large districts, drastically reducing the influence of local schools boards and lay people and increasing the power of administrators. These administrative progressives believed the federal education department should lead the states in reorganization and regulation. State Departments of Education grew to regulate and standardize their states' school systems. Whereas in 1890 there was, on average, one staff member for 100,000 students, in 1970 the ratio was one to 2,000. [18]

These reforms instituted by a new powerful education elite was very successful in educating more students through the secondary school level than anywhere else in the world. Between 1900 and 1950 the number of children aged 5 to 19 enrolled in school increased from 50 to 80% respectively. Students spent many more days in school.

Progressives

During the early part of the century, the Progressive education movement led by John Dewey sought to reform society through education. They challenged the earlier aim of public schooling to achieve cultural uniformity and to educate dutiful citizens. Instead these idealistic reformers focused on individual development and emphasized experiential learning and critical thinking, and "opposed a growing national movement that sought to separate academic education for the few and narrow vocational training for the masses, preparing workers for their vocational roles." Although some progressive education ideas were seen as too radical at the time, they survived mainly in education schools and continue to inspire educational alternatives to a "regime of standardization and mechanization" in secondary schooling. [19]

Role of federal government

In the second half of the century, the federal government continued to play an ever-increasing role in education. After the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union, in 1958 Congress passed the "first example of comprehensive Federal education legislation," the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) which "included support for loans to college students, the improvement of science, mathematics, and foreign language instruction in elementary and secondary schools, graduate fellowships, foreign language and area studies, and vocational-technical training." [16]

Segregation in public schools continued until 1954 when it was outlawed by the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education . During 1960s and 1970s, with the passage of laws such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 , Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which prohibited discrimination based on race, sex and disability, the Department's mission came to include that of ensuring equal access to education. In 1965, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) launched a comprehensive set of programs, including the Title I program of federal aid to disadvantaged children and the Higher Education Act which authorized assistance for postsecondary education, including financial aid programs for needy college students.

In 1980 the Department of Education became a cabinet level agency. Despite the objections of critics, including President Reagan who wanted to abolish it, the federal agency's involvement in elementary and secondary programs, as well as postsecondary education continued to expand. There was also a growing sense that the quality of public education had been declining since the mid-1960s. This led to the comprehensive 1983 study "A Nation At Risk" , which recommended more rigorous standards, merit pay and other reforms in order to increase national competitiveness.

In response to the devastating findings of the report, the "School Choice" movement, led by Milton Friedman, noted free-market economist, began among parents and reformers calling for more school choice and accountability, and significantly less state involvement. By 2000 education options such as homeschooling, vouchers, tuition tax credits and charter schools had increased significantly throughout the country. These reforms have been somewhat controversial and opposed by some in the educational establishment and teachers' unions. [21]

Current education policy

In the 21st century, two major policy issues have been most prominent: school choice and academic performance . Parents have been demanding more alternatives and a more active role in choosing schools that they believe will provide better education for their children. Reform groups and federal and state government agencies have been wrestling with the issue of education standards, and whether there can or should be common standards for all educational instruction and achievement.

To administer and oversee its programs, the Department of Education today has the third largest budget of all the Cabinet-level departments, though it has the smallest staff, with 4,400 employees. [22]

• No Child Left Behind Act : In 2001 the United States Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act , (NCLB) which instituted education reform based on the philosophy that setting high standards and establishing measurable goals for schools would improve individual outcomes for public school students. The legislation required states to develop standardized tests and to give these assessments to all students at certain designated grade levels in order to receive federal funding. Each individual state was responsible for developing its own standards. The bill passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. [23] Many critics of No Child Left Behind have denounced its requirement of and emphasis on standardized testing, and believe it was not sufficiently funded.
• Race to the Top : On June 24, 2009, President Barack Obama and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced a $4.35 billion competitive grant fund named the Race to the Top Fund. The competition, created by the U.S. Department of Education , was created to promote innovation and improve achievement in state and local K-12 education. The program was funded by the ED Recovery Act, a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act . States were awarded funds for achieving performance standards, implementing reforms, complying with Common Core standards , building comprehensive data systems and turning around low performing schools. The goal for this plan was to provide incentives for effective reform efforts and reward states and districts for implementing these reforms. To become eligible, states needed to satisfy a "Common Core" of achievement standards. States proposed sweeping reform objectives and then submitted grant proposals for programs they believed would achieve the objectives outlined. Proposals were measured against a scoring criteria, and grants were awarded. The Department of Education then measured states' progress towards their target objectives as the grant renewal process proceeded. Several states were unable to meet proposed targets in Race to the Top funded programs. As a result, grant allocation slowed significantly after three initial rounds. In 2012, President Obama announced a $400 million expansion of the program--the Race to the Top District competition--in which school districts, rather than state school systems, may apply for Race to the Top program grants. [24] [25] [26]
• Common Core : The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an American education initiative that outlines quantifiable benchmarks in English and mathematics at each grade level from kindergarten through high school. These benchmarks were developed by a working group assembled by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers in 2008 through 2009. Common Core standards have drawn attention since their finalization in 2009 among groups concerned about several different elements included in the reforms, including the impact of standardized testing on academic achievement . A total of 43 states have approved Common Core standards as of June 20, 2014. Alaska , Nebraska , Texas and Virginia have not adopted the standards. Indiana , Oklahoma and South Carolina adopted the Common Core standards but repealed them in 2014. Minnesota has only adopted the English-language arts requirements from the Common Core standards.
• Online learning : Online learning is a rapidly expanding type of education not only in the United States, but throughout the world. Although the first virtual classroom was an experiment that used closed circuit television and an early computer network, online education has improved alongside technology. Courses taught in a studio or college in New England can be viewed or taken by students around the world. Students in elementary or secondary schools can take online courses through their districts or virtual charter schools . Critics assert that learning online is a poor substitute for classic instruction while proponents insist that the difference in education quality is negligible at its worst and improving gradually. Regardless, the National Center for Education Statistics reported that around 5.5 million college students took at least one online class in 2012. This data only accounts for a small number of students who participate in online education, as students of all ages and from anywhere in the world can potentially take classes online. [27] [28] [29]

Major federal legislation

• 1862: First Morrill Act provided the first federal aid for higher education by donating land for setting up colleges. [30]
• 1890: Second Morrill Act gave the Office authority to establish a support system for land-grant colleges and universities.
• 1896: U.S. Supreme Court case, Plessy v. Ferguson , legalized segregation in "separate but equal" schools.
• 1917: Smith-Hughes Act extended federal aid to vocational education programs.
• 1946: Georgia-Barden Act established agricultural, industrial and home economics classes.
• 1944: GI Bill authorized assistance to veterans for postsecondary schools.
• 1954: U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education , outlaws segregation precedent set in Plessy v. Ferguson .
• 1958: National Defense Education Act (NDEA) supported loans for college students, improved science, technology and foreign language support in elementary and secondary schools and provided fellowships in response to the Cold War.
• 1964: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act prohibited discrimination based on race, color or national origin in public schools.
• 1965: Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act gave federal aid to schools in poor rural and urban areas.
• 1965: The Higher Education Act authorized federal aid for poor postsecondary students.
• 1970: Standardized tests were given to public schools and the results are reported to the government and public in an effort to hold educators accountable.
• 1972: Title IX of the Education Amendments prohibited discrimination based on sex in public schools.
• 1973: Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibited discrimination based on disability in public schools.
• 1980: The Department of Education was officially formed by Congress.
• 2001: No Child Left Behind Act program increased education funding and established standards-based testing reforms.
• 2010: Race to the Top program encouraged states to compete for federal grants in education.
• U.S. Department of Education
• School board elections portal
• Glossary of education terms
• Academic performance
• No Child Left Behind Act

External links

• ED.gov, U.S. Department of Education, "Policy Overview."
• Common Core State Standards Initiative
• Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers
• Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium
• National Education Association
• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• National Governors Association
• National Conference of State Legislatures
• ↑ PBS.org , "School: The Story of American Education," accessed April 28, 2014
• ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
• ↑ ' The U.S. Department of Education , "Laws and Guidance," accessed June 27, 2014
• ↑ The Federal Role in Education , at Ed.gov," accessed April 10, 2014
• ↑ Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute , "A Brief History of Education in America", accessed April 10, 2014
• ↑ University of Notre Dame , "Massachusetts Education Laws of 1642 and 1647", accessed April 10, 2014
• ↑ Boston Latin School Association , "Boston Latin School History"," accessed April 11, 2014
• ↑ "The Education of Children," ca. 1700," accessed April 10, 2014
• ↑ Chesapeake.edu , "Colonial Education, Education for Boys and Girls," accessed April 18, 2014
• ↑ Early National Education ," accessed April 10, 2014
• ↑ Education Encyclopedia - State University.com , "Common School Movement - Colonial and Republican Schooling, Changes in Antebellum Era, The Rise of the Common School," accessed April 11, 2014
• ↑ Education in the Revolutionary Era, accessed on April 10, 2014
• ↑ Coulson, Andrew J., Market Education: The Unknown History , Transaction Publishers: 1999, pp. 82-83
• ↑ ' www.britannica.com , "Land-Grant College Act of 1862," accessed April 18, 2014
• ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 U.S. Dept of Education , "The Federal Role in Education," accessed April 18, 2014
• ↑ Pierce v. Society of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and, 268 u.s. 510 (1925), accessed, April 14, 2014
• ↑ Tinkering Toward Utopia, A Century of Public School Reform , by David Tyack and Larry Cuban, (Harvard University Press: 1995), p. 19
• ↑ University of Vermont , John Dewey Project, "A Brief Overview of Progressive Education," accessed April 21, 2014
• ↑ "A Nation At Risk," April 1983.
• ↑ U.S. Department of Education, "The Federal Role in Education," accessed September 30, 2014
• ↑ Josie Canales, James Frey, Cathy Walker, Sherry Freeland Walker, Suzanne Weiss and Anna West, Education Commission of the States, "No State Left Behind: The Challenges and Opportunities of ESEA 2001," accessed January 28, 2014
• ↑ Huffington Post , "Race To The Top For Districts Piques Interest Of Chicago And Los Angeles Mayors," March 3, 2012
• ↑ Ed.gov, "Race to the Top District Competition," accessed February 27, 2014
• ↑ Ed.gov, "Race to the Top Fund," accessed February 27, 2014
• ↑ Chronicle , "Exactly how many students take online courses?" accessed January 16, 2015
• ↑ SayCampusLife.com , "History of online education," accessed January 16, 2015
• ↑ U.S. Department of Education , "Evaluation of evidence-based practices in online learning: a meta-analysis and review of online learning studies," accessed September 12, 2014
• ↑ ourdocuments.gov , "Morrill Act (1862)," accessed April 18, 2014
• Education policy tracking
• Education policy concepts and issues
• Education policy terms and definitions

Ballotpedia features 487,517 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. Click here to contact our editorial staff or report an error . For media inquiries, contact us here . Please donate here to support our continued expansion.

Information about voting

• What's on my ballot?
• Where do I vote?
• How do I register to vote?
• How do I request a ballot?
• When do I vote?
• When are polls open?
• Who represents me?

2024 Elections

• Presidential election
• Presidential candidates
• Congressional elections
• Ballot measures
• State executive elections
• State legislative elections
• State judge elections
• Local elections
• School board elections

2025 Elections

• State executives
• State legislatures
• State judges
• Municipal officials
• School boards
• Election legislation tracking
• State trifectas
• State triplexes
• Redistricting
• Pivot counties
• State supreme court partisanship
• Polling indexes

Public Policy

• Administrative state
• Criminal justice policy
• Education policy
• Environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG)
• Unemployment insurance
• Work requirements
• Policy in the states

Information for candidates

• Ballotpedia's Candidate Survey
• How do I run for office?
• How do I update a page?
• Election results
• Send us candidate contact info

Get Engaged

• Donate to Ballotpedia
• Report an error
• Newsletters
• Ballotpedia podcast
• Ballotpedia Boutique
• Media inquiries
• Premium research services
• 2024 Elections calendar
• 2024 Presidential election
• Biden Administration
• Recall elections
• Ballotpedia News

SITE NAVIGATION

• Ballotpedia's Sample Ballot
• 2024 Congressional elections
• 2024 State executive elections
• 2024 State legislative elections
• 2024 State judge elections
• 2024 Local elections
• 2024 Ballot measures
• Upcoming elections
• 2025 Statewide primary dates
• 2025 State executive elections
• 2025 State legislative elections
• 2025 Local elections
• 2025 Ballot measures
• Cabinet officials
• Executive orders and actions
• Key legislation
• Judicial nominations
• White House senior staff
• U.S. President
• U.S. Congress
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Federal courts
• State government
• Municipal government
• Election policy
• Running for office
• Ballotpedia's weekly podcast
• About Ballotpedia
• Editorial independence
• Job opportunities
• News and events
• Privacy policy
• Disclaimers

Education policies and strategies

Education is a complex system with many interconnected subsystems and stakeholders. Any decision taken on one component at one level of education brings change to other components and subsystems. This interconnectedness requires policy and decision-makers to ensure that coherent and consistent education policy and strategic frameworks are in place from a sector and system perspective. Emerging challenges such as rapid digitalization, increasing inequality and disruptions caused by climate change, pandemics and conflicts, demand that countries develop resilient and sustainable policies and strategies on which to build efficient, relevant and transformative education systems.

What you need to know about education policies and strategies

Education is one of the largest public sectors often taking up 15-20% of a government's total budget and employing many teachers as civil servants. All education sub-sectors (from early childhood to higher education and beyond) as well as different elements of education (e.g. teachers, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment) must work in sync to support a learner’s lifelong and life-wide learning, as well as their successful social and economic integration. Therefore, education ministries need to define coherently and systemically what the system should achieve, the policy priorities and strategies to deploy to implement that vision and development options and actions that are executable, measurable and accountable. In countries with several ministries in charge of the education and training sector, developing sector-wide education policies and programmes can help overcome incoherence and the development of different plans in isolation that can often contradict one another.

Supporting countries to build and improve their education systems to meet the needs of a changing world is at the core of UNESCO’s work. At the global level, UNESCO develops and advocates for public goods to enable strategic policy-making. These include SimuED, an education sector simulation model that can help countries to develop forward-looking yet feasible education policies and strategies.

UNESCO helps governments to strengthen legal and policy frameworks in relation to education systems as well as improving management efficiency and accountability, financing, data collection and analysis and learning assessment, all with the targets of the 2030 Agenda in view. This is part of UNESCO's rights-based approach to education with States having the main responsibility to respect, protect and fulfil the right to quality education for all throughout life and is carried out through education policy reviews and other technical and capacity development support.

UNESCO also emphasizes the importance of happiness in education as the foundation for better learning. Its  Happy Schools Project  aims to improve learning experiences by focusing on well-being, engagement, a sense of belonging at school, and helps foster a lifelong love of learning. The project targets the happiness of the  school  rather than individual students because schools are sites of holistic, sustainable community development that include teachers, parents, staff and school leaders. Faced with many crises and challenges, schools around the world are struggling to determine how to support teachers, learners, and communities while also prioritizing supplemental learning.  The project emphasizes that schools can be powerful places to combat the negativity that stunts learning, both cognitive and non-cognitive.

Upon request from countries, UNESCO undertakes activities according to the country’s needs which may start with an education policy review or supporting the development of education sector policies and plans. It also promotes policy dialogue and debate based on evidence and insights drawn from analytical work and research. Working mainly through its institutes such as its  International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP) , UNESCO helps to build national capacities on developing and implementing education policies to realize the country’s education and national development visions. 

Strengthening the resilience, quality and equity of education systems

A framework to support governments to position school happiness as a key target

through UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning

was allocated to education and training during the pandemic

spend below international benchmarks for public education spending

achieved international target of allocating 0.7% of GNI to official development assistance

highlighted the need to support psycho-social and mental well-being of students and teachers

Education policy working papers

This series documents experiences of countries in the area of education policy development and system strengthening.

Planipolis, by UNESCO International Institute for Educational Planning

Planipolis is a portal of national education plans and policies,  key education frameworks and monitoring report. It provides a single entry to official education resources for national policy makers, donors and partners. 

Have you met Malia? She explains why educational planning is the backbone of stronger, more resilient, and quality-focused education systems. Educational planning is also a key to her attaining all of her dreams and aspirations.

Publications

Monitoring SDG 4: education finance

Resources from UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report.

Resource Documents

Pursuing an "every child thrives" public school system in north carolina.

This slideshow shares the findings of the North Carolina part of the Price of Opportunity Project. It answers the question: What would it take practically and financially to move North Carolina from its current “slight equalization” model of public schools to the high-quality education children deserve—a standard we call, “Every Child Thrives”? This work was conducted in collaboration with the North Carolina Justice Center and EveryChild North Carolina. Click through to the page to download an interactive PowerPoint.

Taking Equal Opportunity Rhetoric Seriously: Envisioning and Costing-Out a P–12 Public School System in North Carolina Where Every Child Thrives: A Working Document

The mythical great equalizer school system: exploring the potential to make it real, students lose out as cities and states give billions in property tax breaks to businesses − draining school budgets and especially hurting the poorest students, key policy issues in school finance in the covid-19 and federal stimulus era, see all resource documents, why what looked like good news for charter schools actually wasn’t, see all nepc reviews, nepc review: public education at a crossroads: a comprehensive look at k-12 resources and outcomes (reason foundation, february 2024), nepc review: k-12 school choice calculator (reason foundation and edchoice, january 2024), nepc review: still a good investment: charter school productivity in nine cities (university of arkansas department of education reform, november 2023), nepc review: the cost-effectiveness of wisconsin’s private school choice programs (school choice wisconsin, september 2023), nepc review: from surviving to thriving: k-12 choice and opportunity for rural texas students and teachers (the heritage foundation, august 2023), see all policy memos, how the practices of schools of opportunity illustrate recent research on learning, evaluating research that alleges funding disparities between charter and district schools, how charter schools undermine good education policymaking, the outsourcing of discrimination: another scotus earthquake, centering students’ past and present to advance equity in the future, see all policy briefs, time for a pause: without effective public oversight, ai in schools will do more harm than good., the potential for land use and housing reform to address school segregation and educational opportunity, the conflict over parents’ rights, how discriminatory censorship laws imperil public education, section 504 plans: examining inequitable access and misuse, see all research briefs, we need better education policy. summit public schools shows why., virtual schools in the u.s. 2023, virtual schools in the u.s. 2021, profiles of for-profit and nonprofit education management organizations: fifteenth edition, big claims, little evidence, lots of money: the reality behind the summit learning program and the push to adopt digital personalized learning platforms, see all blog posts of the day.

NEPC's  Blog Post of the Day  features a selection of interesting and insightful blog posts that apply a researcher perspective to important education policy issues. The views expressed by the bloggers are entirely their own. If you have read or written a research-related blog that you would like to have considered for reposting as a  Blog Post of the Day , please email us at  [email protected] .

Teacher in a Strange Land: DIS-Information in Schools

Nancy bailey’s education website: the public ed threat behind the knowledge building curriculum, david labaree on schooling, history, and writing: when is school the answer to what social problems, curmudgucation: heritage foundation versus immigrant children, larry cuban on school reform and classroom practice: do screens help kids learn (jessica grose) (guest post by jessica grose), see all newsletters.

Jeannie Oakes, In Our Hearts Forever

Project estimates price tag for equal educational opportunity in k-12, paying for college: how do students’ views differ by social class, gutiérrez, lópez, finnigan honored, are science of reading laws based on science, see all podcasts.

NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Paula Arce-Trigatti and Caitlin Farrell About Research-Practice Partnerships

NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Jonathan Feingold and Joshua Weishart

NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Van Lac, Ariel Reyes, and Carolina Montez-DeOca About Youth-Led Research

NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Matthew Kelly About the History of School Finance

NEPC Talks Education: An Interview With Adrienne D. Dixson About Critical Race Theory

This Seemingly Benign Education App Seems Harmless. It Isn’t.

New report provides reality check on virtual schools, current initiatives.

NEPC organizes initiatives to inform education policy discussions and close opportunity gaps for young people.

Schools of Opportunity: 10 Research-Based Models of Equity in Action

This new book tells the stories of exemplary public high schools that are using research-based practices for closing opportunity gaps in student learning. The practitioner-research author teams describe how these schools are creating challenging, engaging and supportive environments for their teachers and students.

Closing the Opportunity Gap

Closing the Opportunity Gap brings together top experts who offer evidence-based essays that paint a powerful picture of denied opportunities. They also describe sensible, research-based policy approaches to enhance opportunities.

Price of Opportunity

What would it take to close the vast opportunity gaps blocking the success of public-school students in the United States? NEPC’s costing-out study, called the “Price of Opportunity,” seeks to identify and estimate the cost of the resources and programs required to achieve this ambitious goal. The study also considers the balance between educational, social, and economic policy systems needed to eliminate opportunity gaps.

NEPC Resources: Experts

Nepc resources: topics and experts.

Topical Resources: It’s easy to find all of the NEPC publications related to your topic of interest listed in one place by using the drop-down menu below.

Experts: NEPC Fellows have a wide range of expertise bearing on education policy issues. They also have considerable experience speaking with members of the media, policy makers, and community members about their work. Search for topic-area experts using the drop-down menu below, and feel free to contact a fellow directly.

NEPC Resources: Topics

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, sponsors research, produces policy briefs, and publishes expert third-party reviews of think tank reports. NEPC publications are written in accessible language and are intended for a broad audience that includes academic experts, policymakers, the media, and the general public. Our mission is to provide high-quality information in support of democratic deliberation about education policy. We are guided by the belief that the democratic governance of public education is strengthened when policies are based on sound evidence and support a multiracial society that is inclusive, kind, and just.

Mobile Menu Overlay

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW Washington, DC 20500

FACT SHEET: How the Biden- ⁠ Harris Administration Is Advancing Educational   Equity

As Schools Reopen, Vital PK-12 Investments Will Address Disparities, Build Back Our Schools on a Stronger and More Equitable Foundation, and Enable America to Compete Globally

The last year and a half have been extraordinarily challenging for America’s students. As we prepare for the 2021-2022 school year, the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to helping every school safely open for full-time, in-person instruction; accelerate academic achievement; and build school communities where all students feel they belong.    At the same time, President Biden understands that addressing the immediate impact of the pandemic is not enough. For too many Americans—including students of color, children with disabilities, English learners, LGBTQ+ students, students from low-income families, and other underserved students—the promise of a high-quality education has gone unfulfilled for generations. Studies show the remarkable benefits of preschool programs , but such programs are too often out of reach for children of color and low-income children. Dramatically unequal funding between school districts means some children learn in gleaming new classrooms, while students just down the road navigate unsafe and rundown facilities . Amid a nationwide teacher shortage , high-poverty school districts struggle to attract certified staff and experienced educators. And students of color and children with disabilities face disproportionately high rates  of school discipline that removes them from the classroom, with lasting consequences. With 53 percent of our public school students now students of color, addressing these disparities is critical for not only all our children, but for our nation’s collective health, happiness, and economic security. Consistent with the President’s Executive Order , the Administration is committed to advancing educational equity for every child—so that schools and students not only recover from the pandemic, but Build Back Better. As First Lady Dr. Biden says, “Any country that out-educates us is going to outcompete us.” We will meet the challenges of the coming decades only by harnessing the full potential of every young person. Taken together, the unprecedented investments already made in the American Rescue Plan—along with those proposed in the Build Back Better Agenda—will devote historic and vitally-needed resources that unlock opportunity for millions of Americans. These investments in evidence-based approaches will shore up schools struggling with the aftermath of COVID-19, tackle inter-generational educational disparities, address the holistic needs of children, and incentivize states to help our schools rebuild on a stronger and more equitable foundation. To support the equitable education of every child at every step, the Administration will:

• Safely reopen schools and support students, particularly those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic;
• Invest in high-quality early childhood education, including providing universal pre-school for all three and four-year-olds and access to affordable child care;
• Address the national teacher shortage by improving teacher preparation, strengthening pipelines for underrepresented teachers, and supporting current teachers;
• Upgrade and build new public schools and child care centers;
• Expand college and career pathways for middle and high school students;
• Make a historic $20 billion investment in high-poverty Title I schools;
• Fund additional transformational investments to support the needs of the whole child, including community schools that provide wraparound services like afterschool programs, and hiring more counselors, social workers and school psychologists.

ADVANCING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN The President made clear on Day One of this Administration that safely reopening schools was a national priority, signing an Executive Order that launched a comprehensive effort across the White House, Department of Education, and Department of Health and Human Services to safely reopen schools. The Department of Education has worked to support states and school districts in implementing CDC guidance for safe operations, and engaged education leaders across the country to collect and share best practices. The Administration has prioritized K-12 educator, staff, and child care vaccinations, and increased access to and awareness of vaccines among adolescents and their parents. States, school districts, and schools are supported in this work by the American Rescue Plan’s historic and needed investment in our schools. This included $130 billion to support the safe reopening of schools and address the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students—including $122 billion through the American Rescue Plan’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ARP ESSER). This funding is being used to help schools safely operate, implement high-quality summer learning and enrichment programs, hire nurses and counselors, support the vaccination of students and staff, and invest in other measures to take care of students. Thanks to these efforts—combined with the Administration’s aggressive vaccination push and the hard work of state, district, school leaders, educators, and parents—the percentage of K-8 schools offering only remote instruction dropped from 23 percent in January to only 2 percent in May. The American Rescue Plan recognizes and addresses the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on underserved students . Districts and states must spend a combined minimum of 24 percent of total ARP ESSER funds on evidence-based practices to address lost instructional time and the impact of the coronavirus on underserved students, such as summer learning and enrichment programs, comprehensive afterschool programs, and tutoring. School and district leaders must ensure that these efforts respond to students’ social and emotional needs as well. ARP ESSER includes a first-of-its-kind maintenance of equity requirement to ensure that high-poverty school districts and schools are protected from funding cuts. The American Rescue Plan also includes additional funding for students with disabilities, students experiencing homelessness, Tribal education, nutrition security, broadband access, and child care for low-income families. ADVANCING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IN THE BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA The resources in the American Rescue Plan, however, are not enough to address the deep educational inequities that have existed in our country since its founding. President Biden’s Build Back Better Agenda directly addresses longstanding educational inequities and will revitalize our education system so that students have the opportunities to learn and prepare for jobs in tomorrow’s economy, which includes ensuring the needs of the whole child are addressed. Make a historic investment to support students in high-poverty schools . To ensure that every student—including those from underserved and under-resourced communities—can learn and thrive, the President’s discretionary budget request provides an additional $20 billion in funding for Title I schools. These investments will help address long-standing funding disparities between under-resourced school districts and wealthier districts:

• Providing meaningful incentives to examine and address inequalities in school funding systems. There is a $23 billion annual funding gap between white and nonwhite districts, and gaps between high- and low-poverty districts as well. A 2018 report from The Education Trust found that the highest poverty districts receive 7 percent less per pupil in State and local funding than the lowest poverty districts.
• Promoting competitive teacher pay. In 2017, public school teachers earned 18.7 percent less in weekly wages than their peer group of college educated workers, up from only 1.8 percent less in 1994. In many states, teachers with ten years of experience who head a household of four may qualify for public assistance.
• Increasing preparation for, access to, and success in rigorous coursework. Black and Native American students participate in AP coursework at half the national average . While 87% of low-poverty schools provide calculus, only 45 percent of high-poverty schools do. Lack of access to and preparation for success in mathematics and science coursework ultimately has a negative impact on the outcomes achieved by Black and Latino students in high-paying, in-demand STEM fields .   

Boost early childhood care and education The President’s Build Back Better Agenda makes historic investments in our youngest learners, so that every child can succeed, paving the way for the best-educated generation in U.S. history. Establishing universal preschool Preschool is critical to ensuring that children start kindergarten with the skills and supports that set them up for success in school. However, children of color are less likely to have access to high-quality preschool programs, resulting in disparate educational outcomes before students even enter kindergarten . Research shows that kids who attend preschool programs are more likely to take honors classes and less likely to repeat a grade, do better in math and reading , and are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college . Impacts are particularly strong for children from low-income families , and children with disabilities benefit from inclusive, accessible preschool programs with their peers . President Biden’s plan would establish a national partnership with states to offer free, high-quality, accessible, and inclusive preschool for all three-and four-year-olds. This will benefit five million children, and save the average family $13,000 a year on preschool tuition. This historic investment in America’s future will prioritize high-need areas first, establishing universal programs in these communities, so that all students can access them, facilitating the creation of diverse classrooms that are best for all students. It will also enable communities and families to choose the setting that works best for them, whether that’s a preschool classroom in a public school, family child care provider or child care center, or a Head Start program. The President’s plan supports low student-to-teacher ratios, high quality standards, and inclusive classroom environments. Make high-quality child care affordable and accessible High-quality early care and education helps ensure that children can take full advantage of education and training opportunities later in life, especially for children from low-income families and children of color, who disproportionately lack access to good child care options and who face learning disparities before they even can go to preschool. President Biden’s proposal will ensure that low- and middle-income families can access affordable, high-quality, child care. The most hard-pressed working families would pay nothing, and families earning 1.5 times their state’s median income would spend no more than 7 percent of their income on child care for their young children. The plan will also provide families with a range of inclusive and accessible options to choose from, from child care centers to family child care providers to Early Head Start programs. Child care providers will receive funding to support the true cost of quality early childhood education, which will allow them to provide care that is accessible and inclusive of children with disabilities. The President’s investments in child care and preschool will also support early childhood educators, more than nine in ten of whom are women and more than four in ten of whom are women of color. One report found that nearly half rely on public income support programs. The President’s plan establishes a $15 minimum wage for these educators and ensures those with similar qualifications as kindergarten teachers receive comparable compensation and benefits. And the President’s proposal will extend the American Rescue Plan’s expanded Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit so that families can instead choose to get a credit for up to half of their child care expenses, saving up to $8,000 per year. Invest in our teachers.  Few people have a bigger impact on a child’s life than a great teacher. Unfortunately, the U.S. faces a large and growing teacher shortage . Before the pandemic, schools needed an estimated additional 100,000 certified teachers , resulting in key positions going unfilled, the granting of emergency certifications, or teachers teaching out of their certification area. Shortages disproportionately impact students of color and rural communities. In schools with the highest percentage of students of color, the percentage of teachers who are uncertified is more than three times as large as in schools with the lowest percentage of students of color. The percentage of teachers in their first or second year of teaching is 70 percent higher . While access to teachers of color benefits all students and has a particularly strong impact on students of color , only around one in five teachers are people of color, compared to more than half of public school students. The Build Back Better Agenda will increase support for teacher preparation and invest in Grow Your Own programs and year-long, paid teacher residency programs. These programs have a significant impact on student outcomes and teacher retention , and are more likely to enroll underrepresented teacher candidates, including candidates of color . The plan would also invest in teacher preparation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Tribal Colleges and Universities, and Minority-Serving Institutions. The President has also called for increased investments in certifications in high-demand areas like special education and bilingual education, and is urging Congress to invest in programs that leverage teachers as leaders, such as high-quality mentorship programs for new teachers. These investments will improve the quality of new teachers, increase retention rates, and grow the number of teachers of color—all of which will improve student outcomes like  academic achievement and  high school graduation rates , resulting in higher long-term earnings, job creation, and a boost to the economy . As more teachers stay in the profession, districts will save money on recruiting and training, and can invest more in programs that directly impact students. Expand career pathways for middle and high school students. Strong dual enrollment programs increase college enrollment, and graduation. High-quality career and technical education models have significant positive effects on high school graduation, increase college enrollment, and improve wages . The President’s plan would provide more students with access to high-quality career and technical education programs that expand access to computer science; connect underrepresented students to careers in STEM and in in-demand, high-growth industry sectors; that include partnerships with institutions of higher education, employers, and other stakeholders; and that allow students to engage in quality work-based learning opportunities, earn a credential, and/or earn college credit. Eliminate inequitable school infrastructure conditions . According to one national study, there is a $38 billion gap between the current infrastructure spending on schools and actual infrastructure needs. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives American school infrastructure a grade of D+. Students of color are more likely to attend schools with rundown and unsafe facilities . Poor physical school conditions are associated with increased rates of student absenteeism, with one study finding poor ventilation associated with a 10 to 20 percent increase in student absences . While the American Rescue Plan provides critical resources for improving ventilation systems, it does not provide sufficient resources to address all health and safety needs, let alone long-overdue investments to increase energy efficiency, ensure our schools have the technology and labs to prepare students for jobs in tomorrow’s economy, or build new buildings where needed. President Biden’s plan supports investments to upgrade and build new public schools, ensuring that all our children have equal access to healthy learning environments that prepare them for success. It also invests in upgrading child care facilities and increasing the supply of child care in areas that need it most. Addressing lead in schools . There is no safe level of lead exposure for children. Lead can slow development and cause learning, behavior, and hearing problems in children, as well as lasting kidney and brain damage. Communities of color are at a higher risk of lead exposure. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework would make significant investments towards the elimination of all lead pipes and service lines in the country, and reduce lead exposure in our schools and child care facilities, improving the health of our country’s children, including in communities of color. Increasing broadband access for students and families . Broadband internet is critical to learning. Yet, by one definition, more than 30 million Americans live in areas where there is no broadband infrastructure that provides minimally acceptable speeds. In urban areas, there is a stark digital divide: a much higher percentage of white families report having a home broadband internet than Black, or Latino families . Native families in their tribal communities also lack sufficient access to high-speed internet. One Michigan study found that 47 percent of students who lived in rural areas had broadband access at home, compared to 77 percent of those in suburban areas. The last year made painfully clear the cost of these disparities, particularly for students who struggled to connect while learning remotely. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework would make historic investments in building “future proof” broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas, so that we finally reach 100 percent high-speed broadband coverage. Electrifying school buses for safe student travel . One study finds that when children ride buses with clean air technologies, they experience lower exposures to air pollution, less pulmonary inflammation, and reduced absenteeism. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework would make a down payment on electrifying our yellow school bus fleet. Increase support for children with disabilities. All children, including those with disabilities, should be provided the services and support they need to thrive in school and graduate ready for college or a career. The discretionary request provides an historic $2.6 billion increase for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) grants that support special education and related services for children with disabilities in grades preschool through 12. This funding would, for the first time in eight years, increase the federal share of the cost of providing services to children with disabilities, and is a significant first step toward fully funding IDEA. The discretionary request also includes an additional $250 million for IDEA Part C, which supports early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities or delays, and funds services that have a proven track record of improving academic and developmental outcomes. This increase in funding would be paired with reforms to improve access to these vital services for underserved children, including children of color and children from low-income families. Prioritize the physical and mental well-being of students. The discretionary request provides $1 billion to increase the number of counselors, nurses, and mental health professionals in schools, prioritizing high-poverty schools. Support full-service community schools. Community schools play a critical role in providing comprehensive wrap-around services to students and their families, from afterschool to adult education opportunities to health and nutrition services. The discretionary request increases funding for these schools from $30 million to $443 million, an over ten-fold increase. Foster diverse schools. Schools play vital roles in bringing communities together. But, too many of the nation’s schools are still largely segregated by race and class , mirroring their communities. The discretionary request includes $100 million for a new voluntary grant program to help communities develop and implement strategies to build more diverse student bodies. As part of their application, applicants would be required to demonstrate strong student, family, teacher, and community involvement in their plans. Applicants would have flexibility to develop and implement school diversity plans that reflect their individual needs and circumstances, and improve educational opportunities and outcomes for students.

Stay Connected

We'll be in touch with the latest information on how President Biden and his administration are working for the American people, as well as ways you can get involved and help our country build back better.

Opt in to send and receive text messages from President Biden.