Podcasts about secretary devos

The sun has set on Summer vacation and school is back in session. Martha revisits a conversation with former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos on the state of America's education system. Secretary DeVos lays out the work she accomplished during the Trump Administration to advance school choice, weighs in on candidates running on the education reform platform, and talks about how pandemic shutdowns impacted students' learning. Follow Martha on Twitter: @MarthaMacCallum  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, Jason shares his thoughts on a fugitive case that he's been following, of a man who posed as a billionaire to carry out countless security and wire fraud scams. Then, Jason brings on the stupid addressing Al Sharpton's comments that the influx in crime throughout the country is "an uncomfortable situation," and Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor's (D-MI) contradictory clean-energy rhetoric amidst reports that he installed a gas line in his home to heat his fireplace. Later, Jason sits down with former U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to discuss her immense dedication to reshaping the American education system. Secretary DeVos shares anecdotes from her latest book, Hostages No More, and how she wants students as well as their parents to have more involvement in their education. Jason and Secretary DeVos discuss the impact distance learning had on teachers, students, and their families. Keep up with Jason on Twitter: @jasoninthehouse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A new AEI report found that the COVID-19 pandemic caused the largest enrollment declines in the history of American public Schools. 85 percent of school districts across the country had enrollment losses the year after the pandemic started, and almost half of districts saw declines of 3 percent, a seven-fold increase from the prior year. Why are Americans fleeing public schools? In this episode, Naomi and Ian are joined by https://betsydevos.com/ (Betsy DeVos), former secretary of education and author of the new book Hostages No More. Over the last two years, parents have witnessed school closures, mask mandates, and seen the impact of a curriculum focused more on social justice than preparing students for high levels of academic achievement. Secretary DeVos explains the flaws in the public school system that pre-date the pandemic and believes broadening school choice will return a standard of excellence to the classroom. Despite efforts in some states to return to remote learning or require masks in schools, Secretary DeVos is optimistic the public's opposition to these measures will force politicians to put the interests of families and children first. Resources: • https://www.amazon.com/Hostages-No-More-Education-American/dp/1546002014 (Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child) | Betsy DeVos • https://www.aei.org/research-products/report/pandemic-enrollment-fallout-school-district-enrollment-changes-across-covid-19-response/ (Pandemic Enrollment Fallout: School District Enrollment Changes Across COVID-19 Response) | Nat Malkus | American Enterprise Institute Show Notes: • 01:20 | Why are Americans fleeing public schools? • 06:30 | Why is it difficult to address the failings of public school? • 11:10 | The problems with the Department of Education • 16:00 | Should we have a national referendum on what topics should be taught in public school? • 17:30 | The way we run K-12 education is very outdated

According to Betsy DeVos, Every single child in America deserves the freedom to pursue a great education, and every parent deserves to have their voice heard. For the past 35 years, the former U.S Secretary of Education has advocated for school choice for K through 12th grade students across the nation. On today's edition of Family Talk, Dr. Tim Clinton and Secretary DeVos discuss the possibilities and future of our education system, along with her new book, Hostages No More: The Fight for Education Freedom and the Future of the American Child. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/707/29

Tuesday, June 28, 2022 Hoover Institution, Stanford University   The Hoover Institution hosts a Fireside Chat with Secretary DeVos  and Secretary Rice on Tuesday, June 28 from 5:15 - 6:00PM PT. In this timely discussion, DeVos will provide her candid thoughts about serving as Secretary of Education, her battles to put students first, the urgent need to transform America's approach to education to meet the realities of the 21st century, and the dangers of "woke" ideology being force-fed to our kids. She will explain why she believes we are on the verge of finally shifting the balance of power in education in America to expand parental authority and put the unique needs of each individual student first. ABOUT THE SPEAKERS Condoleezza Rice is the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy. From January 2005 to 2009, Rice served as the sixty-sixth Secretary of State of the United States, the second woman and first African American woman to hold the post. Rice also served as President George W. Bush's Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor) from January 2001 to January 2005, the first woman to hold the position. Betsy DeVos is a leader, an innovator, a disruptor, and a champion for freedom. She is the nation's leading advocate for education freedom for students of all ages, having served as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education from 2017-2021. For more than three decades, she has been tireless in her pursuit of public policy reforms that get government out of the way and allow all students the freedom, flexibility, resources and support they need to choose where, when and how they learn. Her advocacy has helped create new educational choices for K-12 students in more than 25 states and the District of Columbia and expanded post-high school education options for students and adult learners alike. Betsy is also an accomplished business leader. She served as Chairman of The Windquest Group, a privately held investment and management firm based in Michigan. She is the former chair of the American Federation for Children, The Philanthropy Roundtable, and the Michigan Republican Party. Betsy is a graduate of Calvin College and is married to entrepreneur, philanthropist and community activist Dick DeVos. Together, they have four children and ten grandchildren. Long before she was tapped by President Trump to serve as secretary of education, DeVos established herself as one of the country's most influential advocates for education reform, from school choice and charter schools to protecting free speech on campus. She's unflinching in standing up to the powerful interests who control and benefit from the status quo in education – which is why the unions, the media, and the radical left made her public enemy number one. Now, DeVos is ready to tell her side of the story after years of being vilified by the radical left for championing common-sense, conservative reforms in America's schools.   In Hostages No More, DeVos unleashes her candid thoughts about working in the Trump administration, recounts her battles over the decades to put students first, hits back at “woke” curricula in our schools, and details the reforms America must pursue to fix its long and badly broken education system. And she has stories to tell: DeVos offers blunt insights on the people and politics that stand in the way of fixing our schools. For students, families and concerned citizens, DeVos shares a roadmap for reclaiming education and securing the futures of our kids – and America.

Major universities are essentially huge businesses with massive infrastructure and numerous employees. They are large housing, food, athletic teams, and healthcare providers and are engaged in construction projects. All public and private roles within universities that receive federal funds are subject to government regulation with the same kinds of human resources problems as regular businesses. Legal issues besiege many universities; unlike corporations, which are used to a regulatory environment, universities are often not well equipped or staffed to address the myriad of legal issues they are facing now. In this episode of Law, disrupted, John is joined by American lawyer and academic administrator Michael K. Young, and partner at Quinn Emanuel's Los Angeles office, former Ambassador Crystal Nix-Hines. Together they discuss the legal issues surrounding higher education.  Firstly, they discuss issues surrounding the changing landscape of universities' role in protecting their students and what those institutions are doing to protect themselves from legal cases and liabilities they are sent. They briefly touch on the cases against Penn State regarding sexual harassment. Does the changing landscape raise questions about the fine line between universities' duty to protect students on and off-campus incidents? This issue leads to John asking whether the political sphere plays a role in this. Former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, changed the law, shifting away from the law created by the Obama administration around sexual harassment, with universities highlighting concerns that Secretary DeVos's standards made it more difficult for students to pursue claims against their alleged offenders. Together they touch on the issues surrounding higher education and sports teams. Athletics budgets have been reduced in recent years, paired with the question of equality of opportunity for all genders, which has made it difficult to pinpoint what equality looks like from a legal point of view. They turn to legal issues surrounding diversity in admissions, and standardized tests, with litigation on this going back a decade. They discuss why the mission of equality is so vital to modern universities and consider the Supreme Court's upcoming consideration of the lawsuits brought against the admissions policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina. They debate whether the Supreme Court is likely to overturn or reaffirm its prior holding in Grutter v. Bollinger, which upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School. Will the Court decide that race cannot be considered a factor in admissions at all?Finally, John wraps up the podcast by asking about the types of issues being litigated in universities right now, with the majority of claims coming from the COVID-19 pandemic; 370 suits against 200 universities as a result of universities shifting to remote learning during the pandemic lockdowns.Created & produced by Podcast PartnersSign up to receive email updates when a new episode drops at: www.law-disrupted.fmMusic by Alexander RossiProducer www.alexishyde.com 

This week, Shannon sits down with the former United States Secretary of Education and Author, Betsy DeVos to discuss her latest book, Hostages No More: The Fight For Education Freedom And The Future Of The American Child. Secretary DeVos reflects on the growing involvement of parents in their children's education, as a result of more than two years of remote learning. Later, Secretary DeVos weighs in on the months leading to the January 6th Capitol riots and former President Trump's response to the 2020 presidential election results. Follow Shannon on Twitter: @ShannonBream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Martha sits down with former Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos to discuss the state of America's education system.   Secretary DeVos lays out the work she accomplished during the Trump administration to advance school choice, weighs in on candidates running on the education reform platform, and talks about how pandemic shutdowns impacted students' learning.   Follow Martha on Twitter: @MarthaMacCallum Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

 Betsy DeVos has spent her entire career fighting for educational and academic freedom. She served as Secretary of Education under President Trump where she continued her fight for students across America. She believes that each student is unique and should have access to a learning environment that caters to their individual needs. Secretary DeVos joins Senator Blackburn to discuss her fight to empower parents, teachers and students across the country so that America can once again lead the way in education. Tune in to this week's episode of Freedom Rings with Senator Blackburn to learn more.

Join America's Roundtable co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy for an in-depth conversation with Honorable Betsy DeVos who served as the 11th U.S. Secretary of Education. Secretary DeVos has been involved in education policy for nearly three decades as an advocate for children and a voice for parents. For 15 years, DeVos served as an in-school mentor for at-risk children in the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Public Schools. Her interactions there with students, families and teachers, according to DeVos, "changed my life and my perspective about education forever." A leader in the movement to empower parents, DeVos has worked to support the creation of new educational choices for students in 25 states and the District of Columbia. Betsy DeVos is the former Chairman of The Windquest Group, a privately held investment and management firm based in Michigan with a diversified consumer product and service portfolio. https://ileaderssummit.org/americas-roundtable-podcasts/ https://ileaderssummit.org/services/americas-roundtable-radio/ https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @BetsyDeVos @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America's Roundtable radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America's economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. America's Roundtable is aired by Lanser Broadcasting Corporation on 96.5 FM and 98.9 FM, covering Michigan's major market, SuperTalk Mississippi Media's 12 radio stations and 50 affiliates reaching every county in Mississippi and also heard in parts of the neighboring states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana and Tennessee, and through podcast on Apple Podcasts and other key online platforms.

My guest on this episode is an intellectual giant, the philosopher and legal scholar Martha Nussbaum. Her work has been kaleidoscopic in scope, covering Greek and Roman philosophy, especially Aristotle, as well as liberalism, feminism, human rights, forgiveness, justice, the arts, the role of emotions and much, much more.  Our conversation is mostly about her new book Citadels of Pride, which tackles the issues of sexual assault and harassment and how to create systems for what she calls forward-looking justice, rather than backward-looking revenge. It is a timely book, covering the controversial issue of Title IX which governs the treatment of assault and harassment claims on college campuses, as well as the strengths and limits of the #MeToo movement. We also talk about the corruption of Division 1 college sports; the problems caused by the legal drinking age; why public shaming is a bad idea (and one that feminists especially should be especially wary of); and how the sin of pride lies at the heart of sexist views of women. We discuss Martha's own experience of being assaulted in 1968 by Ralph Waite, the actor made famous for his role as the father in the The Waltons, her guilt at not naming him earlier, and how much progress has been made in law in the decades since. We also touch on her forthcoming work on animal rights. Martha Nussbaum Martha Nussbaum is a Professor of Law and Ethics at the University of Chicago working across the Law School, the Philosophy Department, the Classics Department, the Political Science Department, the Divinity School, as a member of the Committee on Southern Asian Studies, and as a Board Member of the Human Rights Program. She has numerous appointments and honorary degrees around the globe and is renowned for her work in Ancient Greek and Roman philosophy (especially Aristotle), feminist philosophy, political philosophy, philosophy of the arts, and animal rights. Most recently Martha was awarded the Holberg Prize which recognizes scholars for their work in the arts, humanities, social sciences, law, and/or theology.  More Nussbaum  Read her new book “Citadels of Pride: Sexual Assault, Accountability, and Reconciliation” and her piece “Why Some Men Are Above the Law” in which she first draws attention to her own personal experience.  Watch her Holberg Lecture “Justice for Animals: Practical Progress through Philosophical Theory” on June 8, 2021.  Read Martha's animal rights pieces, “Legal Protection for Whales” and “The Legal Status of Whales and Dolphins”, both co-authored with her daughter Rachel.  Also mentioned Check out Jake Heggie's opera “Dead Man Walking”, based on Sister Helen's book of the same name  Read more about pride as a vice in Dante's Purgatorio and the story of Emperor Trajan  In 1955, Mamie Till-Mobley told her son Emmett to not “look the white folks in the eye” before he travelled to Mississippi  Martha referenced Ishmael Reed's book “Reckless Eyeballing” Read more about Pauli Murray  Mechelle Vinson; and Cheryl Araujo  Read Dan Harmon's public apology to his coworker Megan Ganz  Martha referenced St. Paul in Romans 12:20 in which he said "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head"  Read the Parable of the Prodigal Son Check out this data sheet on D1 Football Sexual Assault Events  Read Obama's “Dear Colleague” Letter and the changes that Secretary DeVos made  Visit the Friends of Animals website, where Martha's daughter Rachel worked The Dialogues Team Creator: Richard Reeves Research: Ashleigh Maciolek Artwork: George Vaughan Thomas Tech Support: Cameron Hauver-Reeves Music: "Remember" by Bencoolen (thanks for the permission, guys!)

This week, Martha sits down with former United States Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, to discuss education during a pandemic. Secretary DeVos feels there are ample ways for students to safely return to school in person for the fall, and strongly encourages parents to send their children back to the classroom because she believes virtual learning is detrimental to the overall learning experience. Follow Martha on Twitter: @MarthaMacCallum 

U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigns in the wake of insurrection at the U.S. Capitol fueled by President Trump’s false claims of electoral fraud. On this week’s Federal Flash, we’ll look back at her controversial legacy and look ahead to how Democrats’ wins in the Georgia Senate races will affect education in the new Congress and new administration in 2021. Secretary Devos’s Resignation View Post U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos resigned in protest the day after a violent mob of President Trump’s supporters breached the U.S. Capitol, disrupting certification of the Electoral College and resulting in the death of five people and numerous injuries. In her resignation letter, she noted that “impressionable children are watching all of this, and they are learning from us. I believe we each have a moral obligation to exercise good judgment and model the behavior we hope they would emulate.” At the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), it is too little, too late. Children have been watching President Trump for four years. As our CEO and President Deborah Delisle said in her response to last week’s insurrection, “The people who acted so repugnantly …, and those who support and encourage them, are destroying our country, and we must do everything in our power to make sure they do not win.” Secretary DeVos had the power to stand against the president’s reckless, immoral behavior long ago, but chose not to act. Our reaction to her eleventh-hour change of heart? DeVos “stayed quiet while her administration locked children in cages and openly supported White supremacists and dangerous conspiracy theories. The time for her to stand up against President Trump was long ago, not two weeks before her gig was up.” Instead, Secretary DeVos oversaw the dismantling of the agency she was tapped to lead, including its division tasked with protecting students’ civil rights and ending racial disparities in education. She left schools to fend for themselves against a global pandemic. She failed to exercise even basic oversight and guidance over implementation of federal laws, including the Every Student Succeeds Act, and advocated for diverting federal funding for public schools to private schools. At All4Ed, we look forward to January 20, when we can begin to restore the U.S. Department of Education’s mission to help ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive and we will work alongside the new secretary to dismantle systems of oppression and tackle long-standing inequities that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Georgia Elects Democratic Senators Speaking of the new education secretary, the election of Georgia Democrats Jon Ossoff and the Reverend Raphael Warnock leaves the U. S. Senate split 50-50, with Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris holding the tie vote. Notably, Warnock—the pastor at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church once led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—will become the first Black senator from the state of Georgia. With Democrats controlling the White House and both chambers of Congress, Dr. Miguel Cardona likely faces a relatively swift and straightforward confirmation process for education secretary—enabling him to begin the work of rebuilding the agency, overseeing federal stimulus funds, and supporting students during the COVID-19 crisis as soon as possible. His confirmation will be shepherded by Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), who will take over as chairwoman of the education committee after serving as its ranking member since 2015. There will be other changes to the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee as well, with the retirements of Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Mike Enzi (R-WY) and with Doug Jones (D-AL) and Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) both losing their reelection bids. What can we expect with Democrats in control? The first item of business will be the confirmation of Dr. Cardona and we don’t expect any major hiccups.

Iowa has unique business-education partnerships to help build a skilled workforce that fits the changing global economy. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos saw two of these projects first hand during a day-long visit to Iowa on October 16, 2020. Secretary DeVos talked with Jeff Stein of the Iowa Business Report via telephone on October 30, 2020.

In today’s Federal Flash, a flurry of activity across multiple federal agencies. First, we cover the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) eleventh-hour reversal to extend waivers that have made it easier for school districts to serve free school meals, plus the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) new guidance that ends state reimbursement for cloth face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) for schools. We also have all the details on Secretary Betsy DeVos’s letter to chief state school officers about spring 2021 assessments. USDA Extends School Meal Waivers In a last-minute decision, the USDA reversed its previous position and extended waivers that allow school districts to more easily serve free meals to students during the pandemic. Specifically, the waivers enable schools to operate their meal programs during the school year as they do over the summer and provide free meals without burdening families with paperwork to verify eligibility. The waivers, which were set to expire this month, have been extended through December 31. As we discussed on our last Federal Flash, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue intended to let the waivers expire, reasoning that the agency lacked authority to implement any extension. But pressure from school administrators, education and school nutrition advocates, and members of Congress—including Republicans—seems to have persuaded him to change course. House Education Committee Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) applauded the USDA’s decision but called it a “temporary solution,” urging the USDA to extend the waivers for the entire 2020–2021 school year. Perdue, however, is contending that there isn’t sufficient funding to do so—which could make school nutrition a top priority as Congress returns to negotiations on another coronavirus relief package. FEMA Ends State Reimbursement for PPE Starting September 15, cash-strapped states must pay for the cost of cloth face coverings and other PPE for schools—expenses states previously were reimbursed for by FEMA. Under FEMA’s new guidance, cloth face masks and PPE in nonemergency settings will be classified as “increased operating costs” for public services and will not be covered by FEMA's Public Assistance Program. Governors and mayors, chief state school officers, district and school leaders, and teachers’ unions had all urged FEMA to continue reimbursement for PPE in schools. Instead, the government is offering schools assistance for PPE through other agencies. A Department of Health and Human Services program, for example, will distribute up to 125 million cloth face masks to schools with an emphasis on high-need students and on schools providing in-person instruction. But it is unclear if these measures will fully meet schools’ needs or enable them to comply with CDC guidelines for reopening. FEMA’s decision comes less than two weeks after Trump Administration guidance that deemed teachers and other school staff "critical infrastructure workers” as part of the president’s continued push for schools to resume in-person instruction this fall. Though that guidance is nonbinding, it has prompted some states and districts to enact policies to declare teachers essential workers, meaning that they’ll be expected to continue to go to work even if they’ve been exposed to COVID-19. CARES Act Funding for Private Schools For the second time in a month, a federal judge has ruled against Secretary DeVos’s rule on providing equitable services to private school students under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The rule encourages districts to set aside CARES dollars for private school students not as they do under Title I but based on the total number of students in private schools, regardless of income.  U.S. District Judge James Donato for the Northern District of California granted a preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Department of Education (ED) from enforcing the ru...

In today’s Federal Flash, we cover the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) refusal to extend waivers that give schools flexibility on where and how to serve students meals during the pandemic and an injunction halting Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s rule on equitable services under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. In addition, we breakdown both political parties’ education platforms—or lack thereof—heading into the 2020 election and the prospects for Senate Republicans’ latest “skinny” coronavirus relief bill. USDA Won’t Extend School Meal Waivers As more school districts plan to continue with online learning exclusively this fall, many students could lose access to free school meals. That’s because the USDA will let certain waivers expire that have enabled schools to serve meals more easily to students during school closures—such as flexibility to set up meal sites in convenient places around the community and to serve all children seeking a meal without any paperwork.   As we discussed in a previous episode of Federal Flash, without the flexibility, students will be able to receive meals only from the school where they are enrolled after being deemed eligible—a change that would create logistical barriers for many families. The expiration of the waivers likely will result in many food service administrators choosing to limit their days of operation and deny uncertified students in need access to healthy meals. Republicans and Democrats have urged Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to extend the waivers through the 2020–21 school year. Perdue responded that the USDA lacked Congressional authority to implement the extension, as it would function like a universal school meals program that has not been authorized by lawmakers. The House Committee on Education and Labor called Perdue’s decision “a major blow,” with Chairman Bobby Scott (D-VA) predicting that “the tragic rise in child hunger across the country will surely get worse.” Now, a broad coalition of governors, state and district superintendents, school administrators, classroom educators, parent groups, and other advocates including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) are calling on Congress to ensure the USDA has the authority to extend these waivers. We’ll keep you posted. Federal Judge Stops Rule that Directs CARES Act Funds to Private Schools Last week, a Washington state judge issued an injunction to stop Secretary DeVos’s rule on providing equitable services to private school students under the CARES Act. The rule encourages districts to set aside CARES dollars for private school students not as they do under Title I, but rather based on the total number of students in private schools, regardless of income. This interpretation received bipartisan criticism that it ran afoul of the law. U.S. District Court Judge Barbara J. Rothstein agreed, finding that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) subverted Congressional intent and hurt students most affected by the pandemic. She also questioned whether Secretary DeVos had the authority to condition CARES Act funds in this manner. However, this is not the only lawsuit challenging the equitable services rule, and attorneys for ED are arguing in a separate case that the injunction only applies to schools in Washington state. We’ll be following these cases as they move through the courts. Democratic Party Adopts 2020 Platform At last week’s Democratic National Convention, the Democratic Party officially adopted its 2020 platform, including tripling Title I funding for disadvantaged students, supporting universal preK, and promoting school integration. In addition, the platform champions diversifying the teacher workforce and increasing educator pay and benefits. It also supports measures to increase accountability for charter schools and advocate for moving away from “high-stakes testing”—ideas that align with teachers’ unions policy p...

Alexander Mercouris, editor-in-chief of The Duran; and Dr. Kenneth Surin, professor emeritus of literature and professor of religion and critical theory at Duke UniversityAlexander- what is behind the increase of migrants crossing the English Channel. Britain and France have agreed this week to increase their efforts to stop migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats, according to a UK government minister who took part in talks in Paris on Tuesday. Immigration minister Chris Philp said that London and Paris were working to develop what he called a "comprehensive action plan" to make the route unviable. Karleigh Webb, journalist, videographer and anti-imperialist, labor and trans rights organizer with the PSL in Connecticut, breaks down new changes to Title IX.Secretary DeVos has taken historic action to strengthen Title IX protections for all students. DeVos' sexual misconduct rule will take effect Friday. Why have these Title IX changes have caused so much controversy?Jim Kavanaugh, writer for ThePolemicist.net, discusses all the hell breaking loose with the post office. The Postal Service is warning some votes might not be counted for the November election. The Washington Post reports 46 states and DC have been told there's no guarantee ballots mailed back to election offices will arrive in time. USPS has been going through sweeping changes to cut costs. One has already caused mail delivery to be delayed by a week in some places. Another has removed 10-percent of mail sorting machines, which could make the slowdown worse.President Trump admits the delay in getting a new stimulus agreement is because he wants to prevent Americans from voting by mail. Democrats are pushing for more money for the post office and states to handle the millions of mail-in ballots expected this year. Trump said on Fox Business' Mornings With Maria that it's a scam. He said denying them the money means he can prevent universal mail-in voting this November.

In this episode of Parenting Impossible, Host Annette Hines and her husband Mark Worthington discuss issues surrounding sending children back to school in the Fall. Annette addresses the additional challenges kids in the special needs community are facing during this transition period and shares her experience with distance learning. "This pandemic has given us an opportunity to look at our educational system for all children with fresh eyes but particularly for our children with special needs," says Annnette. "Let’s put all our preconceived notions aside about education, wipe the slate clean and start fresh. Here are only a few things to consider: As the parent/caregiver, do you have the ability, desire, and time to create your own curriculum for your child? As the parent/caregiver do you require special training that you don’t yet have to teach or care for your child? Has your child responded well to less social stimuli at home? Has your child regressed without their peers? Does your child have a low incidence disability such as blindness, deafness, etc? Does your child require special equipment that you can only get at school such as a vision room or a standing frame? Does your child have a medical condition that will make it too risky to return to a classroom without a vaccine or herd immunity? What else needs consideration? It costs a lot to educate our children in the system that we have. We may want to think through how we rebuild our special education system to be responsive to the educational needs of children and families and let’s actually include families’ voices this time. Secretary DeVos just announced that if schools were not going to reopen then she would hand out the money to families instead to educate their children. Well, why not? We could use it!"

Today’s Federal Flash, covers the backlash over the White House’s push to reopen school buildings full time in the fall. It also shares updates on the House education spending bill for next fiscal year, the Education Department’s postponement of the Civil Rights Data Collection, and a lawsuit to overturn Secretary DeVos’ rule on equitable services under the CARES Act.   The Trump Administration’s Demand to Reopen Schools As coronavirus cases surge across the country, the Trump administration has come out with an aggressive push for full-time, in-person instruction in the fall—arguing that guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on reopening schools safely shouldn’t be a “barrier” for local officials. To persuade schools to follow these demands, the President even threatened to cut funding for districts that begin the school year only offering virtual learning or a hybrid approach.   Trump’s comments faced blowback from many education and public health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, whose guidance was touted by the Administration in its demand for school buildings to reopen. Specifically, pediatricians joined with teachers’ unions and school superintendents to urge against a one-size-fits-all approach to reopening schools, noting that schools and districts must consider local needs and the threat of COVID-19 spread before making decisions about in-person learning. The coalition stated [QUOTE] “schools in areas with high levels of COVID-19 community spread should not be compelled to reopen against the judgment of local experts.”  For now, the President’s threat appears to be an empty one. He has no authority to cut off funding, or tie new requirements to funding, that Congress has already allocated. For example, online schools receive Title I and other funds under ESSA; there is no prohibition against full-time virtual schools. Likewise, in distributing coronavirus relief under the CARES Act, states and districts were encouraged by Secretary DeVos to use the funds on remote learning. Vice President Pence suggested the Administration might leverage future coronavirus funding to urge districts to reopen with students in-person. Secretary DeVos expressed interest in allowing parents to use relief funds as a voucher if the district isn’t fully reopening schools. Both ideas, however, would require Congressional approval. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to drop a coronavirus relief proposal next week, but it is uncertain whether it will include conditions tied to school reopenings. Senate Education Committee chairman Lamar Alexander, however, has suggested that Congress should make some aid available to all school districts, with additional funds for those working to open reopen in-person this fall. Updates will be provided on Senate negotiations as the August recess nears. Congress Unveils Spending Bill for the Department of Education Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its annual spending bill for the Department of Education, which would provide $73.5 billion for the agency in fiscal year 2021, $716 million over the prior fiscal year. This includes a modest $254 million increase for Title I and a $194 million increase for IDEA and a $40 million cut to the federal program for charter school expansion. The House hopes to pass its spending bill prior to the August recess, but the Senate Appropriations Committee has yet to schedule a markup of its own. Therefore, the appropriations process might not make headway for months, raising the prospect that Congress will roll over current spending beyond the end of the fiscal year on September 30.  Education Department Postpones Civil Rights Data Collection In other delays, the Department announced that it will postpone the latest round of Civil Rights Data Collection, or CRDC, to the 2020-21 school year citing uncertainty and unreliability of data due to...

It’s mid-July, schools are supposed to open in the next 4-6 weeks, and COVID-19 cases are rising across the south and southwest. Today on Polilogue, we closely examine two important interviews with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Dana Bash in particular, did a fantastic job questioning Secretary DeVos on the objectives and plans for reopening schools. We also looks at the comments of other public health experts scratching their heads in exasperation at these new COVID-19 spikes. ChaptersIntroductionHighlight / LowlightTwo DeVos InterviewsCOVID-19 PredictionsShow RankingsClosing Shows discussed Face the Nation on CBSState of the Union on CNNFox News Sunday on FOXThis Week on ABCMeet the Press on NBCContact usEmail us at podcast@polilogue.com or you can send us your feedback @PolilogueCast. You can also follow us at @sotonaomi_ and @bsteidle.Support the show: We produce Polilogue out of our own pocket. If you’d like to support the show with a one-time or recurring donation, please visit our donate page here. Thank you!Check out some of our other work: Brendan’s website: www.armisticedesigns.com Naomi's website: www.startwithaquestion.org

In today’s Federal Flash, we cover the largest coronavirus aid package proposed in Congress to date to support education and childcare. Plus, two significant actions affecting private schools: a new rule from Secretary DeVos on equitable services under the CARES Act and a Supreme Court decision on the participation of religious schools in private school choice programs.  Senator Murray's Coronavirus Relief Proposal and How it Improves on the CARES Act This week, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) introduced the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act (CCCERA)—the largest proposed congressional relief package for education yet, totaling $430 billion. On top of the $30 billion already provided under the CARES Act, Senator Murray’s bill would infuse an additional $345 billion in stabilization funding for higher education and K–12 schools. Like CARES, funds would be split between three emergency relief funds for Governors ($33 billion), state departments of education ($175 billion), and institutions of higher education ($132 billion). Funds could be used for a number of activities to help districts reopen safely and improve remote learning, in addition to addressing learning loss and students’ social and emotional needs.   Besides providing more stabilization funds, the Coronavirus Child Care and Education Relief Act improves on the CARES Act in key ways. First, it would increase funding for K–12 programs for historically underserved students, including an additional $11 billion each for Title I and for IDEA, $1 billion for English learners, and $500 million for homeless children and youth. Second, Senator Murray’s bill includes the Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020, which would provide $4 billion to schools through the E-rate program to improve home internet access. Finally, CCCERA has stronger protections to ensure funds are spent equitably. In order to receive funds, states would need to promise to maintain their own education spending for three years and to use funds to supplement, not supplant, state and local dollars. These requirements would help make sure federal funds do more than backfill state cuts.   All4Ed's Position on CCCERA In urging the Senate to pass the bill, All4Ed CEO and President Deborah Delisle said, “This legislation includes much-needed funding for states to avoid massive cuts to education and other key services families need now more than ever”—including money to provide internet and computers to millions of disconnected households. This infusion of essential resources will help ensure that vulnerable students hit hardest by disruptions to the school year—including students of color, low-income students, students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities and English learners—don’t fall farther behind their classmates as schools resume this fall in various forms of structures.”    New Regulation on Equitable Services for Private School Students Senator Murray’s bill would also require districts to calculate the equitable services set-aside based on the number of students from low-income families attending private schools—in contrast to how Secretary DeVos has interpreted the CARES Act. The U.S. Department of Education initially released non-binding guidance stating that districts should calculate the equitable services set-aside based on the total number of students enrolled in private schools in the district, regardless of their income—a different calculation than under Title I. As we’ve discussed before on Federal Flash, after the guidance faced opposition from lawmakers, advocates, and state leaders, Secretary DeVos decided to issue a binding regulation instead.     That rule was published in the Federal Register this week. Unlike most regulations, however, the Department did not issue a proposal first. Instead, it was published as an “interim final rule,” meaning it takes effect immediately.   The rule makes several changes from the guidance.

In today’s Federal Flash, we pay tribute to the life of George Floyd and countless others whose killings show how much more must be done to address systemic racism in our country. We’ll also share new recommendations for prioritizing equity in the response to COVID-19 as well as several items from the U.S. Department of Education (ED). Our Voices Must Be Heard We at the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) are outraged by the horrific killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and countless others. So much more must be done to end the ongoing fatal police shootings and other violence against Black people across the country. In a statement, Deb Delisle, president and CEO of All4Ed, said, “Candid, constructive conversations are long overdue; it is time for action. We at the Alliance for Excellent Education stand with those calling for justice and change in this country: our voices must be heard. We know students of color are disproportionately impacted by violence and trauma with a direct impact on students’ learning and well-being both in and out of school. I hope this unrest brings renewed attention to the differences between life’s realities for White people and people of color, along with the courage to create lasting change.”  All4Ed joined organizations nationwide to bring attention to the trauma this violence causes young people. All4Ed also joined more than 400 civil rights organizations, led by the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, in calling for Congressional action to end police violence. Recommendations for Prioritizing Equity During COVID-19 All4Ed and thirteen other education and civil rights organizations issued recommendations to states and districts for prioritizing equity in the ongoing response to COVID-19. The report, Coronavirus and the Classroom, covers six topics: (1) ensuring equity in fiscal policies; (2) meeting students’ basic needs; (3) expanding and improving remote learning; (4) easing the high school–to–college transition; (5) extending learning time; and (6) determining students’ academic, social, and emotional needs. In a statement, Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the lives of students and families across the country, but it is among our most vulnerable students, including our nation’s 5 million English learners and low-income students, where the educational impact and barriers to learning have been far more acute. It is critical, then, that states and districts take steps that safeguard the academic success of all students during this time. These recommendations are a good foundation for states to build on and put students on a path to success in the upcoming school year.” CARES Act Funding for Private Schools Tensions also are running high in response to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy Devos’s interpretation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act as it relates to private schools. Secretary DeVos is calling on states to send millions of dollars from the CARES Act to private schools based on what many believe to be a flawed reading of the law. As we described in a previous episode of the Federal Flash, DeVos issued guidance to states regarding a policy called “equitable services.” Under Title I of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), children who are at-risk academically and who live in Title I school attendance areas, but enroll in private schools, are entitled to receive “equitable services” from their local public school district such as tutoring and expanded learning time programs. To be clear, these services are provided to a narrow segment of students—those who are at-risk academically and who live in Title I school attendance areas. The CARES Act says that equitable services should be provided in the same manner as under ESSA. Rather than supporting this same population of students, Secretary DeVos has decided to interpret the l...

In today’s bonus episode of the Federal Flash, we’ll summarize what is, and is not, included in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $3 trillion coronavirus relief proposal. We’ll also discuss the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) final Title IX regulations. Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act This week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveiled a $3 trillion proposal called the Health and Emergency Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act to support the nation’s ongoing response to COVID-19. From an education perspective, however, the legislation isn’t as heroic as advocates would have hoped. Leading up to the bill’s introduction, more than seventy education organizations, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), called for substantial investments to offset state and local budget cuts and address the need for extended learning time to help students recover from school closures, plus additional targeted funding to support the most vulnerable students. Further, as noted in our last episode of Federal Flash, organizations and lawmakers alike had sought funding for home internet access. The good news is that the HEROES Act would provide nearly $1 trillion for states, localities, territories, and tribes to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. These funds could support virtually any function of government, including education. However, advocates had called for at least $175 billion for K–12 and higher education so that education wouldn’t have to compete with other state and local demands, like health care, during budget shortfalls. In addition, education advocates had sought at least $25 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Title I, and other funding streams targeted to historically underserved students. In total, the HEROES Act only proposes about $100 billion for education, including nearly $60 billion in stabilization funding for school districts and no funding for specific Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) programs, like Title I, or IDEA. Advocates also had requested at least $4 billion for home internet access through the E-rate program. An estimated 12 million students lack internet at home, which is a major equity problem since school now is available only online and nearly 20 percent of Black and Latino students don’t have home internet access, according to ED. Unfortunately, the HEROES Act only provides $1.5 billion for the E-rate program—less than Speaker Pelosi proposed just a few weeks ago, and less than the amount nearly every Senate Democrat supported in legislation introduced earlier this week. Funding for homeless students, or lack thereof, is another disappointment. In the 2009 stimulus package passed during the Great Recession, Congress doubled funding for the McKinney-Vento Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. In response to COVID-19, advocates called for $500 million for homeless students, but the HEROES Act proposes no direct funding.   In response to the HEROES Act, All4Ed President and CEO Deb Delisle said, “The latest relief package proposed in Congress is not heroic when it comes to helping schools. …We are in an unprecedented crisis that will affect families, especially our youth, for years to come, and both Democrats and Republicans in Congress need to step up for families, educators, and schools.” A summary of the HEROES Act is available at all4ed.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/HEROES-Act-Summary_5.12.20.pdf Title IX Regulations from ED Last week, ED released final regulations regarding how schools are required to respond to allegations of sexual assault and harassment under Title IX, the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in education programs. The new rule replaces Obama-era sexual assault guidance, which Secretary DeVos rescinded in 2017. One of the biggest shifts in the final rule is that school officials can use a different standard to determine whet...

In today’s Federal Flash, we have updates on three coronavirus-related issues: (1) legislation to support home internet access and close the homework gap during the pandemic; (2) a House Education Committee briefing on remote learning and education equity; and (3) new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on equitable services and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Two topics we won’t cover in this edition are the final Title IX regulations released by ED and House Democrats’ new $3 trillion proposed coronavirus relief package. Because there’s been so much news this week, we’ll cover those topics in a second, bonus edition of the Flash this week. Addressing the Homework Gap This week, forty-six Senate Democrats, led by Senators Edward Markey (D-MA), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), introduced legislation to direct $4 billion to the E-rate program to help close the growing homework gap during the pandemic. The legislation is nearly identical to the Emergency Educational Connections Act introduced by Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-NY) in the U.S. House of Representatives, except that it makes one significant change: the Senate bill increases the appropriation from $2 billion to $4 billion. When Congresswoman Meng introduced her bill, education groups believed coronavirus school closures would last only through the current school year. As school leaders have come to suspect the crisis will last much longer, it’s clear that more funding will be needed to ensure students have home internet access so they can participate meaningfully in virtual learning. The Emergency Education Connections Act is supported by more than fifty education-related groups, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed). In urging passage of the bill, All4Ed president and CEO Deb Delisle said, “COVID-19 isn’t just a health crisis, it’s an equity crisis and an education crisis. The homework gap is going to widen the achievement and opportunity gaps unless we provide all students with home internet access and devices so they can participate fully in remote learning, particularly those who have been historically underserved.” For more information, see https://www.markey.senate.gov/news/press-releases/senators-markey-schumer-cantwell-van-hollen-bennet-schatz-and-hassan-lead-colleagues-on-legislation-to-ensure-all-students-have-access-to-internet-during-coronavirus-pandemic. House Briefing on Remote Learning Last week, the House Education Committee held a virtual member briefing titled Remote Learning in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Panelists discussed challenges delivering virtual learning, how schools are working to address equity gaps in remote learning and instruction, and the importance of federal aid to help schools respond to the coronavirus. One witness, Marlon Styles, superintendent of Middletown City School District in Ohio, shared his thoughts in the clip below about equity and students being “logged in” or “logged out.” .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; } Superintendent Styles is one of the nearly 4,000 superintendents who have pledged to use technology to personalize education for all students through All4Ed’s Future Ready Schools® initiative. To hear the rest of Superintendent Styles remarks and watch the full briefing, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhgUcIB5stA&feature=youtu.be&t=1 . ED Guidance Under the CARES Act Across town, ED recently released guidance on equitable services under the CARES Act. The CARES Act included billions in aid to K–12 school districts and according to the legislation,

Pursuant to the CARES Act, Secretary DeVos was required to send a report to Congress with recommendations for waivers to IDEA and other education laws during the COVID-19 pandemic. That report was delivered and posted on 4/27/20 and IDEA waivers related to the provision of a Free Appropriate Public Education for students with disabilities were NOT recommended. Two waiver authorities were proposed in the report: (a) a waiver related to timelines for transition for toddlers from Part C to Part B, and (b) a waiver related to Personnel Preparation grants. The later waiver authority may be of interest to our members involved in OSEP Personnel Preparation grants. Read the entire letter here.

The quest to educate students in the K–12 and higher education systems during the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Today’s Federal Flash covers four coronavirus-related issues: (1) recommendations from U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on further flexibility under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), (2) federal relief for state education agencies to support K–12 schools, (3) new competitive grant funding for states to “rethink” K–12 education and workforce preparation, and (4) COVID-19’s effect on completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). IDEA Provisions Preserved During COVID-19 The wait is over. In a report to Congress released Monday, Secretary DeVos declined to request any significant waiver authority from provisions of IDEA or Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. While she did suggest waiving several smaller provisions related to scholarships for teacher preparation and transitions for children receiving infant and toddler services to early childhood programs, DeVos left the heart of IDEA untouched: the right of a student with a disability to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. Our viewers may recall that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act gave Secretary Devos thirty days to report whether waivers were needed under a slew of federal laws, including IDEA. This set up a showdown between special education administrators, who argued flexibility was needed as they struggled to reach students with disabilities during school closures, and special education advocates, including the Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed), who argued that waivers were unnecessary because IDEA was flexible by design. While Congress still has the final say, Secretary DeVos’s recommendations are a win for advocates who were concerned that IDEA waivers would undercut students’ civil rights. Federal Relief for State Education Agencies In addition to its waiver provisions, the CARES Act provided more than $30 billion for education, including $13.2 billion for K–12 state education agencies. Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) released the application for this Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. States and school districts will receive funding based on their relative share of Title I funding in Fiscal Year 2019. States must distribute 90 percent of funds to districts, including charter schools, and may reserve up to 10 percent of funds to support coronavirus efforts at the state level. In a letter to chief state school officers, Secretary DeVos said she will not “micromanage” how the funds are spent. She did encourage states to think creatively about technology infrastructure and professional development that will help students learn remotely, including by requiring states to explain if they will use funds for these purposes when they apply. State chiefs have until July 1 to apply, and ED expects to obligate funds to states within three business days of receiving a signed certification and agreement. More information, including how much money each state will receive, is available at https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/elementary-secondary-school-emergency-relief-fund/. New Competitive Grants for COVID-19 Relief Also on Monday, Secretary DeVos announced a $307 million grant competition authorized by the CARES Act to support states with the highest coronavirus burden. ED has allocated $180 million for what it has dubbed Rethink K–12 School Models Grants and $127.5 million for Reimagining Workforce Preparation Grants. State education agencies can apply for a Rethink K–12 School Models Grant in three categories aligned with Secretary DeVos’s priorities: (1) microgrants for families to ensure access to technology, (2) statewide virtual learning and course access programs, and (3) new models for providing remote education. Grants

As governors extend stay-at-home orders to slow the spread of COVID-19, thirty-four states and counting have mandated or recommended that schools remain closed for the rest of the school year, affecting 38.6 million children. In today’s Federal Flash, we’ll discuss three coronavirus-related issues: funding for governors to support education, new legislation to close the homework gap, and the clash between special education administrators and advocates regarding waivers from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) during the pandemic. We’ll also cover the federal court decision vacating the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back Obama-era nutrition standards for school meals and the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED’s) proposal to give educators vouchers or stipends to choose their own professional development courses. Education Funding During COVID-19 Our viewers may recall that the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act  provided more than $30 billion for education, including $3 billion for governors. Last week, ED released the application for these funds. Governors can use the emergency aid to provide school districts, colleges, and other education-related entities with resources to respond to the coronavirus. Grants will be awarded based on a state’s student-aged population and poverty levels. In a letter to governors, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called the emergency funds “extraordinarily flexible” but encouraged states to spend funds on expanding and improving remote learning experiences. Each of the three required questions in the application asks states to describe whether they will use funds to support various aspects of virtual learning. Governors have until June 1 to apply, and ED expects to obligate funds to states within three business days of receiving a signed certification and agreement. More information is available https://oese.ed.gov/offices/education-stabilization-fund/governors-emergency-education-relief-fund/. Secretary DeVos also has begun the process of distributing the $14 billion for institutions of higher education included in the CARES Act, but we have yet to hear how and when the $13 billion for K–12 education will be distributed. We’ll keep viewers posted. Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 Meanwhile, Congress continues to debate further coronavirus relief. Lawmakers and the White House have just struck a deal on a $484 billion aid package for small businesses, hospitals, and coronavirus testing, but will there be additional funding for education in future aid packages? Advocates and educators certainly hope so. As part of this effort, the Emergency Educational Connections Act of 2020 was introduced this week by Representative Grace Meng (D-NY). The legislation would create a $2 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to ensure students have home internet access during school closures caused by the pandemic. The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) and many other organizations support the bill, but Congress has extended its recess until early May due to the pandemic, so it likely will be several weeks before we know whether this or any other additional funding will be provided for education. IDEA Requirements During School Closures A clash is brewing among the special education community regarding how to support students with disabilities during school closures. The CARES Act included language giving Secretary DeVos thirty days to tell Congress if she needs authority to waive parts of IDEA. As a result, the Council of Administrators of Special Education and the National Association of State Directors of Special Education recently sent a letter to Congress requesting waivers from timelines, procedures, and fiscal management under IDEA. These groups say that in many situations, meeting IDEA requirements during the pandemic is impossible. On the other hand,

Recorded on May 15, 2019. What’s wrong with public education in the United States? Betsy DeVos, US secretary of education, analyzes the role of government in the US education system and the changes she’s making to the Department of Education. She discusses her proposal to overhaul the federal education system by rolling back government overreach from the previous administration. She argues that states and parents need to be empowered to make better informed and flexible decisions for where students attend schools. Her plan is to offer states the opportunity to enroll in an optional tax-credit program that would enable more parents to choose where their children go to school, including charter schools. Secretary DeVos briefly touches on Title IX. She argues that, even though one sexual assault on a college campus is too many, better protections need to be put into place for the accused to be considered innocent until proven guilty. Peter Robinson and Secretary DeVos also discuss the trials of working in her current position and her dedication to serving the parents and students of the United States.

Based on an executive order signed by President Trump in 2017 that promotes free speech and religious liberty, Betsy DeVos and the Department of Education recently announced it would no longer enforce a statute preventing religious organizations from providing education services to students. Learn more at FirstLiberty.org/Briefing. This episode really begins back in May of 2017. That’s when President Donald Trump, just three months into his presidency, walked to the Rose Garden of the White House and signed the Executive Order Promoting Free Speech and Religious Liberty.  That Executive Order commissioned a memo offering guidance to the executive branch by the Attorney General of the United States, then Jeff Sessions.  Several months later, the Department of Justice issued that guidance and, about a year later, held a summit on religious liberty at DOJ headquarters, announcing the formation of a religious liberty task force. That task force provided on-the-ground guidance to executive agencies like the Department of Education, which brings us to the point of this episode.  Secretary Betsy DeVos recently sent a letter to Congress explaining that the Department of Education would no longer enforce a federal statute prohibiting religious organizations from providing educational services to students.  DeVos noted that the decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in Trinity Lutheran v. Comer, as explained by the DOJ in former Attorney General Sessions’ memo, requires federal law to permit religious organizations to participate at the same level as secular organizations. I agree with Secretary DeVos who said, “Those seeking to provide high-quality educational services to students and teachers should not be discriminated against simply based on the religious character of their organization.” To learn how First Liberty is protecting religious liberty for all Americans, visit FirstLiberty.org.

United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos called in to discuss the Education Freedom Scholarships program, its financial impact on public schools, and the possibilities it opens-up for students to receive the best education for them. She also said it should open-up for opportunities for teachers to do more as well. Secretary DeVos also discussed her meetings with Marshall County families affected by the shooting last year.Listen to her call here…

In this week's podcast, James and Shelly review several in both the Senate and House with Secretary Betsy DeVos' appearing to discuss the U.S. Department of Education's FY2020 budget request. Vicki talks the recent announcement from Experian regarding loan transfers and credit reporting. Pam updates listeners on NCHER's newest social media campaign while and highlights two dark horse 2020 presidential candiates. Stef then reminds listeners about two upcoming NCHER meetings: the Spring Legal Meeting and the Annual Conference.

Well, we are two years into the current administration. Let's take a look at what has been accomplished in education and what we can expect in the two years ahead. Follow: @Eduflack @bamradionetwork Patrick Riccards is chief communications and strategy officer for the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. He is also the author of the nationally recognized Eduflack blog and its companion Twitter feed. PR News named Pat the Not-for-Profit Communications Professional of the Year for his work in teacher preparation and higher education transformation (2015). A former local school board chairman, Patrick is also the author of the award-winning Dadprovement.

In addition to enjoying the holidays, December is a good time to pause and take stock of the past year. This also is an opportune time to get out the crystal ball to contemplate what might happen in 2019. 2018: The Year in Review There were a number of very nice gifts under the tree this year, but also a lot of lumps of coal. In 2018, we saw four big themes: marketplace dynamics; Washington follies; higher ed governance failures (which includes higher ed’s version of #MeToo); and the Harvard admissions lawsuit. Marketplace Dynamics: The Maturing and Decline of Higher Ed Markets In our previous blog and podcast on M&A activity in higher ed, we discussed the product life cycle and where higher ed stands in relation to this concept.  To briefly recap, the product life cycle (PLC) is a marketing tool that is applied to products, but also is relevant when examining market segments or industries. The PLC is made up of four stages: The introduction stage, which is characterized by the organization building brand awareness; The growth stage, which is characterized by strong growth as the organization builds brand preference and increases market share; The maturity stage, which is characterized by diminishing growth as “competition” increases and competitors offer similar “products.” This results in the implementation of multiple marketing strategies, such as cutting prices, rethinking positioning and branding, and market consolidation; and The decline stage, which is characterized by a decline in sales (which may be potentially significant). In many cases, the product (or organization) goes out of business or, as a last result, finds a buyer (leading to a merger or acquisition). Higher ed finds itself straddling the stages of maturity and decline, which is characterized by decreasing enrollment, lack of differentiation in the higher ed marketplace, and an increase in market consolidation and/or college closings. Which brings us to now. Breaking Down the Numbers.  Over the last few years (2016-2018), more than 100 colleges haves closed. Many can be directly attributed to the decertification of ACICS by the Obama administration. However, the more relevant reason for many of these closures is the lifecycle and current operating environment of higher education.  Over the past few years, 65 for-profits closed and seven merged with other institutions. Some of those mergers were huge (Purdue acquiring Kaplan, Strayer acquiring Capella, National University System acquiring Northcentral). In addition, 14 nonprofit universities closed and five merged while 36 public institutions merged or consolidated. This merger and acquisition activity makes perfect sense given that higher education is in the maturing to declining portions of the lifecycle. Transfer Students and Reducing Costs. We’ve also seen community colleges assume more of a role in reducing the costs of higher ed, as well as in degree completion.  State (and other) colleges are beginning to put more emphasis on attracting transfer students.  For example, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-Cal) is withholding $50 million from the University of California system until the system increases the acceptance and enrollment of transfer students while also meeting auditor requests to fix accounting issues. Brown’s decision was based on his commitment to a 2-to-1 ratio of freshmen to transfer students. However, several system’s institutions reported a ratio closer to 4-to-1. Privates are also emphasizing outreach to transfer students due to the costs to both the institution and the students.  Some privates are renting space at community college, thus giving students an easily available and direct track to a four-year degree.   This makes a lot of sense, especially given the current high cost of private education (e.g., one California private is charging $55,000 a year for undergraduate programs, amounts we see at Ivy League schools).  Thus, students find more affordable options by first attending a community college and then transferring to a public or private institution. This approach reduces the amount of student loans needed to complete a degree. This type of approach is especially important with students who start college without a clear idea of what they want to study or their pathway to earning their degree and end up dropping out due to cost.  This accounts for why we are seeing so many post-traditional students in higher education; they initially started college without understanding what they wanted to study and now are returning to complete their degrees. Having this community college low-cost option that transfers coursework to four-year colleges and university makes good sense because it minimizes the student’s time to completion and cost. College Closures and Rejuvenation. We continue to see higher education closures. While higher education leaders may point to the resurrection of Sweet Briar, those types of reemergence are few and far between.    Sweet Briar was an interesting case. Although the school had a substantial endowment (unlike most schools), those funds were legally earmarked for specific things and could not be used for operating funds.  This is an interesting (and possibly unique) situation and will make a great case study for future grad students who want to study the process of bringing a school back from the dead. Department of Education and Washington The second theme for 2018 is all about Washington, D.C. Frankly, there are so many things, it’s hard to know where to start. ACICS. ACICS is (in)famous for its accreditation of Corinthian and ITT, both of which folded, leaving 100s of 1000s of students stranded. Not surprisingly, ACICS was decertified by the Obama administration in 2016. At its height, ACICS accredited 200+ universities, but in the time between 2016 (when ACICS lost its accreditation) and now, most of the institutions accredited by ACICS have moved to other accrediting bodies.    However, the Trump Administration has other ideas on accreditation. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos reinstated ACICS’ accreditation authority this year in a process that had many missteps. However, the most egregious was that the department’s senior official who made the case for ACICS’ reinstatement is a former lobbyist who worked with for-profit universities, a clear conflict of interest. In her justification for reinstatement, the former lobbyist, Diane Auer Jones, said the Department of Education determined that ACICS was in compliance on 19 of the 21 applicable criteria. Equally as important, she stated that ACICS was likely in compliance with these criteria when President Obama’s Education Secretary John King, Jr. removed ACICS’ accreditation certification. According to the Education Department, ACICS is still “out of compliance” with federal standards in the remaining two areas but has been given another 12 months to come back into compliance.  The carnage from ACICS’ original accreditation still continues. Just this month, the Education Corporation of America (ECA), which was once accredited by ACICS and oversaw Virginia College, shuttered its doors, leaving 20,000 students up a creek without a paddle. In fairness to ACICS, they removed Virginia College’s accreditation, but only after the college attempted to get accreditation from another accreditor and failed miserably. Gainful Employment and Borrower Defense. Changes in gainful employment and borrower defense also emerged in 2018. In relation to the former, the Education Department missed the filing deadline for the gainful employment rule so these changes cannot come into play until mid-2020. Furthermore, the Social Security Administration -- which provides the earnings data needed to calculate gainful employment -- decided not to renew the information-sharing agreement that expired in May. Because of this, the Education Department will not have the data they need to calculate earnings data. So, in essence, gainful employment is dead for now. Borrower defense is another area on which Washington gets raspberries. Regulations put in place by the Obama administration protected students whose colleges (e.g., Corinthian and ITT) closed, leaving them with degrees that were considered worthless. However, the Ed Department under Secretary DeVos rejected the vast majority of the claims. It took Congressional pressure to turn the process around, and although the process has gotten better, it still not where it needs to be. I think we can expect to see some new regulations coming out of Washington over the next year in this area. Title IX and Sexual Abuse. The Education Department put out their draft ruling on new Title IX guidance in November and, overall, colleges are not happy. The revisions make major changes to the standard that, in many cases, are as clear as mud and/or will discourage victims from coming forward. New Title IX Guidance. The first of the changes narrows the definition of sexual assault. The old standard was “unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,” and the new standard is “unwelcome sexual conduct; or unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the recipient’s education program or activity.” The Ed Department justified this by saying it is in line with the Supreme Court guidance, but survivors’ advocates have come out forcefully and said that this new definition will put survivors’ education at risk. The second major change is the standard by which sexual assault is adjudicated. Previously, the standard was that the assault was “likely to have happened.” However, the new guidance provides for a higher standard, i.e., “preponderance of evidence,” the same standard that is used in civil suits. This is lower than “beyond a reasonable doubt,” the standard which is used in criminal trials, but it still creates a higher burden on the victim to prove that the incident happened. In its guidance, the Ed Dept stated that institutions can use either standard, but this potentially opens the institution up to lawsuits, e.g., institutions may face a lawsuit by the accused if they use the lower standard or the victim if the institution uses the higher standard. The third major change has to do with holding universities responsible. Under the previous guidance, universities and colleges could be held responsible if they “knew about or reasonably should have known” about an incident. However, under the new guidelines, the institution must have “actual knowledge” of the incident in order to be held responsible; this requires the victim to make a formal complaint through official channels. Telling a professor or resident adviser isn’t sufficient – it must be reported to someone who can do something about it, such as a school official who is involved in enforcement. Additionally, schools can only be held responsible for incidents that happen on school property or at school-sponsored events, not at private, off-campus residences. Thus, if a fraternity house is located off-campus and an assault takes place there (as was the allegation in the Judge Kavanaugh – Christine Blasey Ford incident), the institution cannot be held liable, even if they have knowledge that these events have taken place in the past. Lastly, the accused will have the chance to cross-examine the victim under the new guidance, and many feel this will discourage victims from coming forward and reporting incidents. Whenever you get into sexual assault or similar types of accusations, the resolution process must be more than he said/she said. However, that is what it could come down to because of the cross-examination requirement. Many victims’ advocates and lawyers are concerned that we will revert to a previous time when a woman who accused a man of sexual assault would ultimately be the one on trial because of her dress or behaviors or whatever. MSU and Sexual Assault / Harassment in Education. A subset of this area brings to light the #MeToo movement in higher ed, especially in the aftermath of the Supreme Court hearings with Justice Kavanaugh.  It took a tremendous amount of courage for Christine Blasey Ford to bring up what happened to her after so many years and in such a public venue. Sadly, look at what ultimately happened – the good ol’ boys network derailed the investigation before it was able to go through to a conclusion. We also are seeing the fallout from the Michigan State sexual assault case. MSU’s former president has been brought up on felony charges for lying to the police, and the institution’s undergraduate applications have fallen by almost 8.5 percent in the wake of the scandal. Not only is this situation tarnishing MSU’s reputation, it is hitting them in the pocketbook. And maybe that's what has to happen for people to change. Higher Ed Governance Failures and the Role of the Board We are seeing a failure in the governance process in many higher ed schools. Three cases fall into this area at the following institutions: Penn State, Michigan State, and the University of Maryland. We must ask ourselves in all these situations, “Where were the Board of Directors/Regents/Trustees?” In the Penn State scandal, some Regents were brought up on criminal charges. We haven't seen that yet in the Michigan State scandal, but I believe we will.  MSU’s interim president has not done a great job in reaching out to the victims – it has been pretty nasty in many respects, but one must ask where are their Board of Regents? Same with the University of Maryland football coach after the player died – the board directed the university president to retain the football coach, but the president refused (rightly so). From all appearances, the majority of boards and Regents do not understand what their role is. Regents at state schools generally are political appointees, and it is considered to be a feather in one’s cap to be appointed to a Board of Regents/Trustees for a state university.  However, just because one is a political appointee to a board doesn’t remove their fiduciary duties as a board member.  More training needs to be done to ensure Regents understand their duties as well as how governance has changed over the years. This also goes for boards of private universities. The vast majority of these types of higher ed boards are made up of “friends of the president” or other large donors. This is especially egregious with many Christian colleges, whose boards are made up of religious affiliates or ecumenical personnel who have no experience sitting on the board of a multimillion-dollar organization and/or an understanding of higher ed. Fallout from the Harvard Admissions Lawsuit The Harvard lawsuit, in which a group of Asian Americans sued the university over its admissions policies, ultimately will impact a majority of higher ed institutions. Even though Harvard says that they are following the guidance from the Supreme Court, they get sued. Same with UCLA – they have been sued as well. Although a ruling is still forthcoming on the Harvard case, I think there will be ripple effects and we haven’t seen the end of this. Predictions for 2019 While much of the crystal ball’s foretelling for 2019 is cloudy, there are some clear indications of what lies in the future. An Acceleration of Consolidation and Closures First, we will see an acceleration of consolidations and closures in higher ed. For example, just in the last couple weeks, Moody's Investors Service and Fitch ratings both have declared a negative outlook for the higher ed sector for 2019. This is huge. We have a marketplace that is saturated. In these types of markets, smarter institutions focus on economies of scale (mergers), as well as positioning and differentiation (why is my university and/or degree different)? Carnegie Mellon and MIT have done this very well. This is one way to combat saturation, but not a lot of schools understand marketing positioning and differentiation. Consolidation (mergers) occurs for one of three reasons. Acquisition of a new technology; Market expansion and/or growth; or Eliminate competition and/or create market efficiencies. Consolidation will continue to accelerate. One need not look any further than what is happening with Pennsylvania’s 21 state universities. These institutions are vying for a smaller number of students graduating from high school, so are closing multiple campuses and realigning programs to eliminate duplication. This impacts the towns in which they are located since they are the major employers, and any change they make in consolidating degrees and/or reorganizing the system affects jobs, creating a ripple effect. Closures will also increase, but we think there will be far more consolidation rather than outright closings. The trend will continue toward the mega universities -- the merger of Strayer and Capella or Purdue and Kaplan -- or more shared services between universities. We will start to see far more of this with the privates as they struggle to survive. The biggest challenge is going to be for the smaller universities that don’t have strong endowments. What are they going to do? Most of these universities rely solely on tuition and/or state and federal funding to keep their doors open. They have limited research dollars coming in as compared to the Tier 1/R1 institutions. Right now, the closure rate is below 1%, but it will accelerate. The one wildcard in this is a potential recession, which could result in people going back to school to gain new skills and earn a different degree. Maybe that will help universities. The other trend that we have not talked about is how many people are disparaging higher ed, saying a college degree is not worth the money that you pay for it. This is going to hurt higher ed and its ability to bring in more students. This too may lead to more mergers and closures. Changing the Higher Ed Business Model The business model for higher ed must change. We don’t see rapid transformational change in the next year. However, there will be many changes in the next five years that people will realize was part of a changing higher ed landscape as they look in the rearview mirror. Neg Reg 2019 and its Implications.  The upcoming negotiated rulemaking process by the Ed Department focusing on accreditation and innovation could be very impactful, especially with its focus on credit hours and online education. Credit Hours. Moving away from credit hours as a measure of learning could be one of those breakthrough transformations that could spur the changing of higher ed’s business model. Once the Ed Department makes these changes, we will begin to see more institutions using CBE and giving credit for previous learning and life experiences. If you take a look at the three colleges that have done very well using these models (Western Governors who is the poster child for CBE, Capella, and Southern New Hampshire), they have seen tremendous growth while reducing the cost to students. This is a win-win and I think we’ll see more of this.  Online Education.  Although online education is an area that is beginning to get saturated because of for-profits, we will see far more privates and state schools moving into this area, as well as continued consolidations with online providers (OPMs), such as Learning House. Because so many OPMs exist, some of the smaller colleges will be able to expand into this area at a reasonably low-cost investment, and more for-profits will be acquisition targets. We will start seeing institutions embrace the opportunity to share online courses. This too will require changes from the Neg Reg process with respect to accreditation, but once these types of changes come out, we will start seeing sharing of courses and services as we have not seen in the education industry. Negotiations with Faculty. We will begin to see higher ed leaders toughen their stance with faculty. Market saturation with institutions and programs has resulted in price discounting, sometimes at a rate of more than 60%. This is not sustainable. According to Inside Higher Ed’s 2018 Annual Survey of Chief Business Officers (CFOs), 48% of respondents strongly agree or agree that their college tuition discount rate is unsustainable. This is up from 34% in 2017. Furthermore, two-thirds of CFOs at the privates say the same thing. This is huge. Institutions must start cutting programs that are not “profitable,” but in doing this, they must deal with faculty. Unfortunately, faculty look at programmatic cuts through the lens of job security instead of what graduates need to be attractive in the job market.  When faculty start to do this, there will be security and jobs for nearly all.  Faculty Promotion and Tenure. We will start seeing changes in how faculty are promoted and assessed.  Currently, faculty are promoted and assessed by their publication records. Going forward, we’ll see less reliance on citations and publications and more on teaching. Additionally, faculty hiring and tenure will change. We will start seeing a review of tenured faculty every 5 to 10 years, instead of having a job for life. I don’t see tenure going away anytime soon – it is too institutionalized – but employment for life will become a thing of the past in five years. Knowing Who Your Customers Are and What They Need. Many higher ed leaders have locked themselves in the ivory tower for too long, and it's time they understood what students need to be taught and what industry needs to be successful. Texas A&M is another really good example of this. They talk with stakeholder groups on a regular basis, including just completing a values survey. The institutional leaders currently are engaging in what they call Aggie 2030 to understand the future of higher education as a whole and where Texas A&M is going. This is the type of strategic planning that universities need to be doing with their alumni, stakeholders and the people who hire their graduates. Student Enrollment and Impact on Marketing Research and Spending. Another trend involves students making enrollment decisions based on their own proximity to a college. This is important for universities to realize and understand. Unless you are a R1 or major university, your students are more than likely going to come from a limited geographical pool. This has implications as to how and where you spend marketing dollars, but unfortunately, many institutions are wasting marketing dollars. As much as institutions would like to draw from a larger geographical area, institutions must put a greater emphasis on doing market research to understand where their students live and then spend the marketing dollars to get more students from that area. As the saying goes, fish where the fish are, because it's a waste of money otherwise. Harvard Lawsuit and Admissions. The Harvard lawsuit has the potential going all the way to the Supreme Court, and who knows how that will be decided with the current makeup of the Court. Cost Containment. We also will start to see far more cost containment as institutions no longer have the same level of disposable income. I think we will also start seeing the salaries of chief executives start to come down, especially as transparency hits the budgeting process. Higher Ed Funding. Cities and states will begin to fund college for students. The City of Chicago recently announced a new program where students will receive scholarships to cover costs of associate degrees that will be set up through DePaul University. And in another example, Starbucks is funding college for their people. We will start to see more of this as an employee benefit, but also as a way for businesses to invest in and retain quality employees. International Students. International students attending U.S. universities will continue to be an issue so long as the Trump administration continues to mess with immigration. This will continue to impact U.S. institutions as international students pay full tuition and universities use those funds to keep their bottom lines in the green. This is especially true with Chinese students.  Because of trade wars and increased emphasis on background checks, we will see fewer Chinese students enrolling in the nation’s higher education institutions. HBCUs.  I think the other one to look at HBCUs. I think there could be some really good things to come out of the HBCUs over the next few years. I've no idea what it is, but the crystal ball says to keep an eye on them.    Wrapping Up So long as the Trump administration is in office, we will continue to see turbulence coming out of the Department of Education and the rest of the government.  One thing is for sure: it will not be boring! Merry Christmas / happy Hanukkah, and wishing all the very best for 2019. Bullet Points Looking Back – The Highlights from 2018 Higher ed finds itself in the maturity to declining stages as characterized by declining enrollments, lack of differentiation in the higher ed marketplace, and an increase in market consolidation (M&A activity) and/or college closings. Over the last few years, 2016-2018, more than 100 colleges haves closed. Many can be directly attributed to ACICS being decertified by the Obama administration, but more relevant is where education is in the lifecycle and current operating environment.  State (and other) colleges are beginning to put more of an emphasis on attracting transfer students.  Privates are also getting into this space due to costs to both them and their students.  Some privates are co-locating at community colleges, renting space from them, and this gives their students a direct track to a four-year degree.    ACICS was decertified by the Obama administration in 2016, but Secretary DeVos reinstated its accreditation authority this year. There were many missteps with this whole process, but the most egregious of these was because of a conflict of interest (or appearance thereof) of the department senior official who made the case for ACICS’ reinstatement. Gainful employment is essentially dead for two reasons: The Education Department missed the filing deadline for the gainful employment rule so the changes that they want to make to gainful employment cannot come into play until mid-2020. Because of an inter-agency dispute over data sharing, the Ed Dept cannot get the data it needs to calculate gainful employment, thus essentially killing gainful employment. The Ed Department in November put out their draft ruling on new Title IX guidance. Overall, colleges and victims’ advocates are not happy with the changes. There are four major changes: The narrowing of the definition of sexual assault. Suggesting a higher standard for adjudication be used, i.e., “preponderance of evidence,” the same standard that is used in civil suits. Lessening the culpability of institutions and narrowing the reporting requirements. Giving the accused the right to cross-examine the victim. There is a failure in the governance process in many higher ed schools as exemplified by the Michigan State University sexual abuse scandal, and the death of a University of Maryland football player and the retaining of the football coach. More training needs to be done to ensure Regents understand their duties, and how governance has changed over the years. Looking Forward – Predictions for 2019 We will see an acceleration of mergers, consolidations and closures in higher ed. The 2019 Neg Reg process will begin a transformation of higher ed and its business model. Online education will continue its growth over the next 2-3 years. Much of this will be spurred by consolidation and strategic alliances with online providers. We will begin to see faculty promotion and tenure processes changing as a result of the need for universities to cull programs that are not financially viable. Market research will increasingly take root in higher ed, as institutions need to make smarter use of their marketing dollars by determining where their true prospective students are. Cost containment will continue to accelerate in higher ed, especially in privates where discounting has been the norm. This will find its way to the C suite and we will start to see a reduction of presidential salaries, especially at privates. We will start seeing more “interesting” ways for education to be funded. Part of this will come out of the Neg Reg process, but more city, state, and private entities will invest in their residents’ and employees’ futures. Links to Articles, Apps, or websites mentioned during the interview: Product Lifecycle: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/ National University System: https://nu.edu Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/ Neg Reg 2019 Process: www2.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/hearulemaking/2018/index.html Your Social Media Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com

Let’s break down one Proposal within the White Paper Accreditation Reform Proposal 3 Increase academic and career mobility for students by eliminating artificial Boundaries between institutions due to the credential levels an institution Offers or the agency that accredits the institution or its program. Barriers Regionally Accredited Institutions to accept transfer credits from nationally accredited institutions or enroll graduates of nationally accredited institutions in higher level credential programs. In some cases, genuine differences among institutional learning objectives or pedagogy may limit the transferability of credits; however, it should never be the case that institutional elitism and historical hierarchies alone make it unnecessarily difficult for transfer students, mid-career professionals, and veterans to obtain a post-secondary credential. Sources https://nces.ed.gov/ https://www.chea.org/userfiles/uploads/fund_accred_20ques_02.pdf U.S. Department of Education https://www.nasfaa.org/uploads/documents/Accreditation_Reform.pdf https://www.edsmart.org/regional-vs-national-accreditation/  

The higher ed sector has been relatively immune (or perhaps resistant?) to change since its inception, but in the past 10-15 years, and especially since the Great Recession, multiple things have changed, forcing changes on it. We now are seeing market forces unleashed, including consolidation, mergers/acquisitions, and closures as we’ve rarely seen before (and not in my lifetime). Understanding Higher Ed’s Situation To put what is happening in higher ed in perspective, we examine the higher ed marketplace through the lens of the product lifecycle (PLC). This is a tool marketing applies to products, but it also is relevant when examining market segments or industries. The PLC is made up of four stages: introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The introduction stage is characterized by the organization building brand awareness; The growth stage is characterized by strong growth, and the organization building brand preference and increasing market share; The maturity stage is characterized by strong growth diminishing as “competition” rise and competitors offer similar “products.” This results in multiple possible marketing strategies including cutting prices, rethinking positioning and branding, and market consolidation; and The decline stage is characterized by sales significantly declining or having declined. In many cases, the product (or business) goes out of business or, as a last result, finds an acquirer (merger or acquisition). Higher ed finds itself in the maturity to declining stages as characterized by declining enrollments, lack of differentiation in the higher ed marketplace, and an increase in market consolidation (M&A activity) and/or college closings. There are many reasons why higher ed finds itself in this situation.    First, higher ed enrollment has decreased for a myriad of factors, not the least of which is changing demographics, i.e., the numbers of the “traditional” college age student has decreased.  Compounding this decrease, higher ed is becoming perceived as elitist, and many cannot afford its cost and/or the resultant student debt.  In other words, institutions are competing for a shrinking pool of students, and it costs more for an education that some feel isn’t worth the money spent or debt incurred. Second, there is an overabundance of education institutions – too many colleges and universities, and, with rare exceptions, they are offering the same types of programs, e.g., how many MBA programs do we need???  This has resulted in significant economic pressure on those small- to medium-sized colleges and universities who have a relatively small (or no) endowment. This pressure is compounded by cost curves that have been carved into stone over the last several decades. This is played out by larger institutions undercutting smaller institutions on price.  For example, the president of the University of Virginia recently announced that tuition will be free for families earning less than $80,000 a year, and if they earn less than $30,000 a year, they will get room and board. In another example, New York University is not charging their medical school students any tuition. Both of these institutions have large endowments to be able to do this, but how can the small- to mid-sized institutions compete? Lastly, there is pressure for the nonprofit higher ed sector to figure out what to do about the out-of-favor for-profit institutions. These three reasons, aside from the fact that there are market dynamics at play – there is more supply than demand – are driving many of the changes we’re seeing right now in higher ed. Mature and Declining Markets Give Rise to M&A Activity Some smaller colleges and universities under financial stress are looking for ways to solve their problems, and one way is merging with or being merged into another institution. The for-profit sector is a great example of where there has been significant M&A activity, e.g., Purdue and Kaplan forming Purdue Global, Strayer acquiring Capella, etc., as for-profits figure out their future when nonprofits are clearly in favor (and for-profits are clearly out-of-favor). This not completely changed, even with the change in administration. Mergers aren’t the only solution for this problem. Many for-profits are attempting the transition to nonprofit status, e.g., Grand Canyon University and University of Phoenix. However, this isn't always the easiest thing to do because of the regulatory permissions required from the Dept of Education and the institution’s accreditation body. Additionally, it doesn't solve their perception problems, at least immediately. Multiple Reasons for M&A Activity There are multiple reasons for increased M&A activity in the higher ed sector besides market forces at work, and we need to look at the reasons why M&A activity occurs.  Basically, there are three main reasons: New markets / customers New technologies Gain efficiencies in operations National University System is a good example of this – they’re on a buying spree and for all the right reasons. The National University System, a not-for-profit, currently has three nonprofit institutions under its umbrella: National University, the original mothership; JFK University in northern California, and the City University of Seattle, but over the past year, it has acquired Patten University for its technology and Northcentral University for its students and programs. M&A for New Technologies. In its acquisition of Patten University, NU acquired one of the best LMS systems in the marketplace. The system, which was called University Now, has been renamed Flex Course, and NU has adapted it for their own use. As part of the acquisition, National also acquired Patten’s courses which were heavily competency-based. This is also a good advantage in that they have been able to teach out the Patten programs and integrate the learnings into their current undergraduate programs. One thing that was critical in the acquisition was the ability to modify the LMS to ensure NU was able to continue to satisfy Title IV funding requirements which are driven by Carnegie units. Again, due diligence was critical in this respect. The technology was relatively new, and therefore it was easier to adapt it to satisfy Title IV funding requirements when doing CBE. Ultimately, NU has great hopes that this acquisition will help them to transform the online learning experience at all its universities. In other words, National did a great job in completing its due diligence. M&A as a Growth Strategy. There are two ways that institution grow. One is through organic growth, i.e., you decide you will move into the online sector and you build your program from scratch. Many institutions have done this, and the most recent (and possibly the most famous) of these is the announced online undergraduate program at the University of Pennsylvania, the first of the Ivy League institutions to go online with a program. The second strategy is acquisition, which is how the National University System is expanding their doctoral offerings. NU acquired Northcentral University (pending appropriate WSCUC and DOE approvals), an online for-profit university that offers mostly graduate education programs at the master and doctoral levels. This fills a gap that NU had at the doctoral level and adds to its ability to offer online and blended courses. National is already predominantly online – 51 percent of its students are in synchronous or asynchronous online programs – but its acquisition of Northcentral was critical in three ways. First, Northcentral is completely online and has 24 programs, the majority of which are doctoral, an area NU wanted to expand its offerings. Second, the Northcentral faculty are high quality and located in nearly all of the 50 states. The model that they use is one-on-one similar to the Oxford Tutorial Model, which having your faculty are distributed across the country is an advantage when using this pedagogy. Lastly, National acquires a pretty efficient OPM support back-office. As far as the culture goes, NU expects they will get some real experience bringing the for-profit Northcentral University into the NU System and converting it to a not-for-profit. National’s acquisitions have been very strategic in nature – they have looked at multiple opportunities and walked away from many. With these two, they’ve made good choices in line with their overall strategic plan and done the due diligence to ensure they are picking the right horse. Remember that Culture Issue We Had… Culture is critical when considering a merger. Years ago, when HP acquired Compaq, it was the culture differences that most impacted the success (or lack thereof) of the merger. The Purdue Global situation is a good example of the challenges merger entities can face. Purdue “bought” Kaplan, i.e., Purdue got the franchise of the online courseware from the Kaplan organization, while Kaplan retained the back-office processing and support, and the OPM.  Kaplan’s portion of the entity, still for-profit, is being paid for by the profits they're going to make, while the courses are offered through the not-for-profit Purdue Global. Many consider the merger between Purdue, a Tier 1 research university with a very high reputation and traditional faculty, and Kaplan, a good institution in its own right but a for-profit online, a very gutsy move – especially when one considers the faculty culture aspects. Why is there resistance to this change is relatively simple to understand. Culture. The integration of cultures is never easy.  Sometimes, when two cultures come together as Purdue and Kaplan are attempting to do, they merge like oil and water. And that's one of the most important things that folks doing mergers and acquisitions must think about – how the cultures align – because more than anything else, it is culture that can destroy a merger and eliminate the efficiencies that the merger is designed to take advantage of. Take for instance the merger of Kaplan and Purdue. Kaplan, a for-profit, and Purdue, a R1 university, are very different cultures, especially when it comes to faculty.  Regardless of the high quality of Kaplan, an institution which has stayed pretty much out of trouble in terms of the scrutiny of the for-profit community, Kaplan’s online degree programs themselves are a challenge to Purdue’s “in classroom” campus programs that a R1 institutions are experienced in providing. Faculty, and especially traditional, research faculty, generally tend not to like a lot of change, nor are they wild about online education. And we can just imagine what a traditional, research faculty such as Purdue’s felt about merging with a for-profit online institution. From all reports, the faculty was furious when the merger was first announced – their “brand” was being diluted by this incorporated new global entity called Purdue Global that included a for-profit institution. The merger has progressed, and faculty and administration appear to have come to a truce, at least for now. That said, Purdue is spending significantly to market Purdue Global – it is in almost every market with TV and radio ads – while trying to keep marketing positioning separate between Purdue and Purdue Global.  It has yet to be seen as to whether they are able to keep their faculty happy about it or the branding separate, but that’s a whole different kettle of fish. The Future of the For-Profit Sector The for-profit sector is not going to disappear, as much as much of higher ed would like it to. However, there are market forces at play here too, and the for-profit sector may morph its way towards a higher concentration of those who survived to be distributors of OPM or programs.  An example of this is MOOCs.  When you look at several of the MOOC organizations, e.g., Udacity, EDX, etc., these organizations are not just providing learning experiences, they are turning into distributors of traditional degree programs, including even graduate programs for R1 universities. This, plus being obvious merger targets, will continue the upheaval in this sector. We believe that we will see more mergers and less of the organic growth from for-profits, including for-profits becoming part of nonprofits similar to what is happened with Purdue Global, as well as mergers to share back office services. One example of this is TCS Education System, who provides back-office services for a number of institutions. These types of mergers could have a major impact in the online space, especially for small to medium-sized institutions, as it is almost impossible for them to establish the infrastructure to do an effective job in online education – the only way for them to get and/or stay competitive in the online space is to “outsource” back-office functionality. Federal Funding and Accreditation There are also a number of changes in regulatory and accreditation factors between Obama and the Trump administrations that are impacting higher ed. Federal Funding. In a recent talk given by Secretary DeVos, her current position is focused not on the change in the standards but rather more on making Title IV funds available for a broader variety of learning experiences. She conveyed a pretty strong feeling that we should not be committing all postsecondary education funding to what we now call hire traditional higher ed, but to improve the flow of federal funds to retraining programs. Accreditation. There are not a lot of people who believe that we will move dramatically away from the kind of accreditation process we currently have for a myriad of reasons, despite the upcoming Neg Reg process which begins in early 2019 focusing on accreditation and innovation. Big changes from in accreditation will need to include a willingness to think in competency-based terms. This will require a major shift away from the strict Carnegie method of determining learning, to more of a competency-based approach to assessing learning outcomes.  Simply put, it is much more important to know that people are learning and being able to demonstrate learning outcomes than it is to demonstrate how long they sat in a seat. However, changing this mindset will be very challenging as it has been this way for well over 100 years. Additionally, those with marketing backgrounds know that accreditation is the university system's greatest barrier to entry. It is important that universities meet a quality level, but the current system requires institutions develop prima facie evidence of quality, and many potential competitors get frustrated before they get accredited. This could be one reason why the accreditation system as we currently know it does not (and will not) change. Three Things University Presidents Should Consider Before Merger If you are considering merging with another institution, there are three things you should consider. First, culture. You must examine the cultures of the two organizations to ensure that they are mergeable, i.e., that the two cultures are not contrary to one another. There are clear differences between for-profit and not-for-profit cultures, and you must “test the water” and see just how much of a business the for-profit institution sees themselves as vs. it being a learning institution. Second, regardless as to whether it is a for-profit or not-for-profit entity, does the acquired institution have the programs, faculty and administrative support that is consistent and that will integrate effectively with your own. This is critical but especially critical with respect to faculty. Faculty generates and own the content, and it is essential you have a group who can drive the learning experience for students. That's not something that you can import easily – you must make sure that it fits your own model about how it's going to work. Thirdly, you have to look at the institution as a business. You (obviously) don’t want to take on something that is so broken that it cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try. For example, you have to ask yourself, are they hopelessly lost as a business model? Are their programs of interest to the marketplace? One of the biggest challenges institutions are having today is pruning and culling their programs, and leaders must have the courage to look faculty in the eye and say, “by the way, that course is costing us lots of money, and you only have five people in it. We know you may like it, but we can't continue to teach a course that students don't want.” That can be a really tough academic decision, but one that must be made. Wrapping Up We believe that the disruption going on in higher ed has just started and that surviving and thriving in the higher ed space will take intense focus to fine tune the systems, processes, and cost structure if institutions are going to compete and survive. Competition for the adult student has heated up dramatically. Whether we like it or not, this is not only because more traditional institutions have decided to get into the market, but also because multiple institutions are now competing on price, including those that have state subsidies federal subsidies, and/or have large endowments. This can make it very difficult for smaller institutions to compete against as it allows larger institutions to “give away” of their offerings. Bullet Points: The higher ed sector has been relatively immune (or perhaps resistant?) to change since its inception, but in the past 10-15 years, and especially since the Great Recession, multiple things have changed, forcing changes on it. We now are seeing market forces unleashed, including consolidation, mergers/acquisitions, and closures as we’ve rarely seen before (and not in my lifetime). Higher ed finds itself in the maturity to declining stages of the product lifecycle as characterized by declining enrollments, lack of differentiation in the higher ed marketplace, and an increase in market consolidation (M&A activity) and/or college closings. Some smaller colleges and universities under financial stress are looking for ways to solve their problems, and one way is merging with or being merged into another institution. There are multiple reasons for increased M&A activity in the higher ed sector besides market forces at work, and we need to look at the reasons why M&A activity occurs.  Basically, there are three main reasons: New markets/customers, new technologies, or gains in efficiencies in operations. Culture is critical when considering a merger, but the integration of cultures is never easy.  We believe that we will see more mergers and less of the organic growth from for-profits, including for-profits becoming part of nonprofits. The Ed Department under Secretary DeVos believes it should not be committing all postsecondary education funding to what we now call hire traditional higher ed, but to improve the flow of federal funds to retraining programs. Big changes from in accreditation will need to include a willingness to think in competency-based terms. This will require a major shift away from the strict Carnegie method of determining learning, to more of a competency-based approach to assessing learning outcomes.  One reason why the accreditation system as we currently know it does not (and will not) change is that accreditation is the university system's greatest barrier to entry. If you are considering merging with another institution, there are three things you should consider: Are the cultures mergeable? Does the acquired institution see themselves as a business vs. being a learning institution (or vice versa)? Does the acquired institution have the programs, faculty and administrative support that is consistent and that will integrate effectively with your own? Is the acquired institution in good financial situation, or is it so broken that it cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try?  Are they hopelessly lost as a business model? Are their programs of interest to the marketplace? The disruption going on in higher ed has just started, and that surviving and thriving in the higher ed space will take intense focus to fine tune the systems, processes, and cost structure if institutions are going to compete and survive. Competition for the adult student has heated up dramatically.   Links to Articles, Apps, or websites mentioned during the interview: Product Lifecycle: http://www.quickmba.com/marketing/product/lifecycle/ National University System: https://nu.edu Department of Education: https://www.ed.gov/ WASC Senior College and University Commission: https://www.wscuc.org/ Guests Social Media Links: Gerry Czarnecki Twitter: https://twitter.com/gerryczarnecki?lang=en Gerry Czarnecki Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theczar/ Gerry Czarnecki website: http://gerryczarnecki.com/  Your Social Media Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdrumm/ Twitter: @thechangeldr Email: podcast@changinghighered.com and drumm@thechangeleader.com

This week Erin is joined by Megan Gailey and Ziwe to cover the bleak election news from Mississippi, Secretary DeVos’ new proposal to protect college rapists, and Melania Trump’s very creepy themed Christmas at the White House. Then, we talk about aging gracefully into your power in Personal/Political. Note, being a Real Housewife definitely counts! Plus, Dolce & Gabbana issues an apology for being awful, and Hysteria does not accept. And as always the Hills We’ll Die On.

The ISDA Secure Transportation and Executive Protection News Podcast for Monday, November 19, 2018 ====================== In Driving News From Axios Regulating the humans behind the wheel of autonomous vehicles The job of autonomous vehicle safety driver seems pretty easy: Get paid for sitting there while the car does all the work. But it's a challenging assignment and self-regulated by the companies testing AVs, so the rules are only beginning to emerge. Safety drivers are researchers' eyes and ears, chronicling every roadway encounter to make the technology better. But requiring drivers ‚Äî even specially trained ones ‚Äî to pay attention without actually driving is difficult, which is why many companies argue that full autonomy is the safest way to go. Last March, a pedestrian was struck and killed by an Uber-operated self-driving car in Tempe, Arizona. The human monitoring the vehicle was believed to be watching a television show on her phone. The accident prompted a review of procedures and expectations for human safety drivers. Without federal regulations for AVs — just general guidance — the U.S. Department of Transportation suggests states should be the ones to regulate safety drivers. For now, best practices are emerging from a handful of voluntary safety self-assessments submitted by companies to the DOT. Safety drivers typically work in pairs, one in the driver's seat monitoring the environment and the other riding shotgun with a laptop, monitoring the car's computing system and annotating the drive.   https://www.axios.com/autonomous-vehicles-safety-drivers-training-b1c8b0ed-a32f-4bfe-884d-81cc0d44c38a.html ========================= And from International Security Driver Association Facebook Page Recommendation As a Security Driver people expect you to know about cars. That is especially true at the high end of the profession. There is a great Facebook Page for those who enjoy cars and the science behind what makes them work. It is called Engineering Explained. The page has over 1.1 million followers. Some of the topics in the videos are best engines, engine components, driving and more. The page and YouTube channel by the same name (which has over 2 million subscribers) was created by Jason Fenske a mechanical engineer, who is interested in the evolution of technology in the automotive industry, and aspires to teach this technology to his viewers in a clear and concise manner. The website is howdoesacarwork.com https://www.facebook.com/EngineeringExplained/   ====================== In Security News From GovConWire Five Firms to Provide Security Support Services Under $4B Army Contract The U.S. Army has selected five companies to compete for orders under a potential six-year, $4B firm-fixed-price, multiple-award contract for the delivery of security support services. The service branch will assign work locations and funds with every order for work that would occur through Nov. 1, 2024, the Defense Department said Wednesday. The Army Contracting Command solicited for the contract’s services via a competitive process and attracted seven proposals. The five awarded firms include: Aegis Defense Services Janus Global Operations Reed International Sallyport Global Services Triple Canopy https://www.govconwire.com/2018/11/five-firms-to-provide-security-support-services-under-4b-contract/ ======================  And from NBC News Los Angeles  US Marshals Service Spending Millions on DeVos Security in Unusual Arrangement Education Secretary Betsy DeVos began receiving around-the-clock security from the U.S. Marshals Service days after being confirmed, an armed detail provided to no other cabinet member that could cost U.S. taxpayers $19.8 million through September of 2019, according to new figures provided by the Marshals Service to NBC News.    https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/politics/Betsy-DeVos-Security-Detail-Cost-500667191.html ==================== In Technology News From Officer.Com Smartphone Security Scanner 'Sees' Concealed Weapons and Explosives on a Person, Non-Invasively and in Real Time From a distance of up to 40 feet, security agents or law enforcement personnel can scan individuals in a crowd or an approaching person of interest simply by pointing their smartphone at them with the SWORD device attached. The urgent challenge for security personnel to noninvasively scan people in real time and in public to detect and “see” if they are carrying weapons or explosives without physically searching them will soon be solved with the launch of SWORD by Royal Holdings Technologies Corporation. Over 8,000 preorders for the SWORD device have already been received by Royal Holdings from corporate businesses in the United States.  https://www.officer.com/command-hq/technology/security-surveillance/press-release/21008197/royal-holdings-technologies-corp-smartphone-security-scanner-concealed-weapons-and-explosives-detection-noninvasively-in-real-time ====================== In Training News Protective / Evasive Driving Course - Miami, FL 12/7-9/2018 This world-class driving course is designed by and for executive protection agents and is also great for executive chauffeurs, security drivers and anyone wanting to gain knowledge and experience in evasive driving concepts, accident avoidance, and skid control - this course will increase your survivability and enhance your marketability in private sector protective services. For more information go to  https://www.lasorsa.com/training-schedule-registration/  ====================== Links to all news stories mentioned in this podcast are available at the SecurityDriver.Com website. You can also listen to past podcast episodes and leave comments.  ====================== This podcast is brought to you by the International Security Driver Association ISDA is a valuable resource for all practitioners working in the protection profession. We offer benchmark educational, networking, and marketing programs. The ISDA Membership ISDA Members represent all facets and levels of the protective services profession. The membership can be defined as a group of practitioners from different disciplines within the profession and with years of experience coming together to assist ISDA Members. Read more about our members Here is a collection of Books, and Articles authored by ISDA Members. Learn More about the ISDA Advantage and Become a Member Today

We recap the South by Southwest Education conference (SXSW EDU) in 2018 after it ends, talking about the reactions of attendees, educational technology, PBS, escape rooms, political visitors, the educational pipeline from industry on down to K-12, ideas for future SXSW events, and more. Related to this episode: • Scandinavian Airlines direct flight between Austin and Stockholm: http://kut.org/post/scandinavians-apparently-love-sxsw-so-airline-flying-nonstop-austin • The lingonberry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_vitis-idaea • SXSW EDU (South by Southwest Education): http://sxswedu.com/ • SXSW EDU panel “Practitioner Perspective: Finding Edtech Efficacy”: https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP76404 • Example research paper on an educational product (a K-12 engineering curriculum in this case): https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10956-014-9498-4 • KIPP Chart School network: http://www.kipp.org/ • “What Matters for Charter Performance,” 2017 article from US News: https://www.usnews.com/opinion/knowledge-bank/articles/2017-06-30/3-hidden-findings-from-credos-charter-school-performance-study • PBS Kids apps: http://pbskids.org/apps/ • Engineer's Guide to Improv and Art Games, book available at SXSW book signing and online: https://www.pioslabs.com/improv4design.html • Lead users, in business: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_user • Empathic lead user analysis: http://proceedings.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1604193 • Stanford Design School escape room, Deeper Learning Puzzle Bus: https://dschool.stanford.edu/k12-lab-network/puzzles • Unity for Education, game design engine: https://store.unity.com/education • Unreal Engine for Education: https://www.unrealengine.com/en-US/education • “How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive” from KQED: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/38576/how-integrating-arts-into-other-subjects-makes-learning-come-alive • “Yes, and” game, similar to “Yes, I know”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSzCfsGvwj0 • “Reacting to Secretary DeVos at SXSW EDU,” article in Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/reacting-secretary-devos-sxsw-edu • “Betsy DeVos at SXSW EDU: ‘What Students Really Need Won't Originate in Washington',” article in EdSurge: https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-03-06-betsy-devos-at-sxsw-edu-what-students-really-need-won-t-originate-in-washington • “Betsy DeVos addresses education inequality during SXSW panel,” article in The Daily Dot: https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/betsy-devos-education-sxsw-panel/ • Panelpicker for next SXSW: https://www.sxswedu.com/panelpicker/ • “What does college and career readiness mean?” article from the Washington DC Superintendent of Education: https://osse.dc.gov/service/what-does-college-and-career-readiness-mean • “How to Prepare Kids for Jobs that Don't Exist Yet,” session at SXSW EDU: https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2018/events/PP72525 • WeCreateEdu, a YouTube educational collaborative: http://www.wecreateedu.com/ • The photo in this episode's cover art was taken at the Austin Convention Center during SXSW EDU 2018. It shows a collaborative wall for attendees to write on and draw on during the conference. Our closing music is “Yes And” by Steve Combs, used under a Creative Commons Attribution License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Subscribe and find more podcast information at: http://www.k12engineering.net. Support Pios Labs with regular donations on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pioslabs, or send one-time contributions by buying us coffee: https://ko-fi.com/pioslabs. Thanks to our donors and listeners for making the show possible. The K12 Engineering Education Podcast is a production of Pios Labs: http://www.pioslabs.com.

Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos Recognizes 2017 National Blue Ribbon Schools During the 2017 recognition ceremony, U.S. Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, congratulated the 342 NBRS award winners. The winners represented schools from 44 states, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Schools in New York, Germany, and Japan. Secretary DeVos praised the… Continue Reading Betsy DeVos Congratulations Speech

River City Hash Mondays!Starting off in the Bistro Cafe, it was a false alarm because someone butt-dialed 38 minutes of terror in Hawai'i; then, on the rest of the menu, the Education Department chooses a firm with ties to Secretary DeVos, in a student debt-collection deal with bad optics at the least; a 24-year-old recent college graduate, whose only qualification was working on the Trump campaign, is running drug policy because experts won't work for Trump; and, in some good news, Mark Zuckerberg lost $3.3 Billion in personal wealth, after Facebook changed its news feed last week.After the break, we move to the Chef's Table as Gavin Newsom settles in as center of his rivals' attention, in the first major debate of the California governor's race.All that and more, on West Coast Cookbook & Speakeasy with Chef de Cuisine Justice Putnam.Bon Appetit!

(Bloomberg) -- Katherine Lee Carey, special counsel at Cooley, discusses why the attorneys general of 19 U.S. states are suing education secretary Betsy DeVos over rules for student borrowers. She speaks with Greg Stohr and June Grasso on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law."

(Bloomberg) -- Katherine Lee Carey, special counsel at Cooley, discusses why the attorneys general of 19 U.S. states are suing education secretary Betsy DeVos over rules for student borrowers. She speaks with Greg Stohr and June Grasso on Bloomberg Radio's "Bloomberg Law." Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

The gang is back for Episode 13, Booing Betsy and Google Takeover. The big news from the life of Lee and Clint is that Lee is now Dr. Green, officially! He donned the regalia last week and walked across the stage of the University of West Georgia to gain a new front part of his name. Clint also had a great week due to the end of testing AND he was able to introduce some young folks at Cleveland Road Elementary to the world of Podcasting! Stay tuned to Episode 13S for a short show brought to you from the fine folks at the Cleveland Road Elementary Tech Club. The guys also get into a discussion on Jam Band preference, Chuck Todd, and the amazing Andrew Stillman. Clarke County Schools is switching over to a Stillman creation, Little SIS. Lee was pleasantly surprised to hear it mitigates some of the class creation issues in going from PowerSchool to Google Classroom. Seems like a legit product. Covering Edtech news, the gang covers the booing of Secretary DeVos at a graduation as well as her speech at ASU-GSV. The guys also cover the opus of an article from Natasha Singer of the New York Times, How Google Took Over the Classroom. Articles:Dian Schaffhauser: DeVos: We're Just 'Scratching the Surface' of Ed with Tech, THE Journal, https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/05/10/devos-were-just-scratching-the-surface-of-ed-with-tech.aspxNatasha Singer: How Google Took Over the Classroom, New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/technology/google-education-chromebooks-schools.html?smid=pl-share&_r=1

The gang is back for Episode 13, Booing Betsy and Google Takeover. The big news from the life of Lee and Clint is that Lee is now Dr. Green, officially! He donned the regalia last week and walked across the stage of the University of West Georgia to gain a new front part of his name. Clint also had a great week due to the end of testing AND he was able to introduce some young folks at Cleveland Road Elementary to the world of Podcasting! Stay tuned to Episode 13S for a short show brought to you from the fine folks at the Cleveland Road Elementary Tech Club. The guys also get into a discussion on Jam Band preference, Chuck Todd, and the amazing Andrew Stillman. Clarke County Schools is switching over to a Stillman creation, Little SIS. Lee was pleasantly surprised to hear it mitigates some of the class creation issues in going from PowerSchool to Google Classroom. Seems like a legit product. Covering Edtech news, the gang covers the booing of Secretary DeVos at a graduation as well as her speech at ASU-GSV. The guys also cover the opus of an article from Natasha Singer of the New York Times, How Google Took Over the Classroom. Articles:Dian Schaffhauser: DeVos: We're Just 'Scratching the Surface' of Ed with Tech, THE Journal, https://thejournal.com/articles/2017/05/10/devos-were-just-scratching-the-surface-of-ed-with-tech.aspxNatasha Singer: How Google Took Over the Classroom, New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/13/technology/google-education-chromebooks-schools.html?smid=pl-share&_r=1

Ballenger and Denno interview Dem gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer. They also talk about Secretary DeVos, Prez Trump, and former state Rep. Brian Banks.

C4 spent the first hour of the show talking about President Trump's comments on the Court's Executive Order deliberation. At 10am Howard County Executive Allan Kittleman joined C4 to talk about why he vetoed the City Council's Sanctuary County bill. C4 then spent the remained of the hour talking about Trump's Executive order comments. In the third hour of the show C4 talked to the Heritage Institute's Dakota Wood about why almost 3/4th of the Navy's aircraft fleet is grounded. C4 then spent the rest of the rest of the hour talking about how Senator Elizabeth Warren was silenced on the Senate Floor and if that was fair or not. In the final hour of the show Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises joined C4 in studio to talk about education funding, Secretary DeVos and Charter Schools.