Latest news with #ElementaryandSecondaryEducationActof1965
Newsweek
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
America's Children Are 'Ready To Learn' With PBS KIDS. Will the Trump Administration Listen?
For the past 30 years and with broad bipartisan support in Congress, the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) has funded competitive Ready to Learn (RTL) grants, authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. RTL includes all kids in maximizing the benefits of publicly funded children's media, with proven evidence-based educational impact from PBS KIDS shows like Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. On the evening of Friday, May 2, the DOE abruptly terminated the 2020-2025 RTL grants, and a 2026 budget proposal eliminates the program altogether. I am extremely proud of having served as an advisor for a decade on RTL grants to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds PBS KIDS programming, digital games, and community outreach. RTL provides a safety net for U.S. children who are traditionally underserved educationally. The current federal administration just slashed those nets. The 1-2-3 Sesame Street float heads down the parade route during The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, on Nov. 23, 2023. The 1-2-3 Sesame Street float heads down the parade route during The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, on Nov. 23, a statement, Madi Biedermann, deputy assistant secretary for communication at the DOE, explained the Trump administration's rationale: We "cancelled 'Ready to Learn' grants to PBS that were funding racial justice educational programming for 5-8 year-old children. This is not aligned with Administration priorities. The Trump Department of Education will prioritize funding that supports meaningful learning and improving student outcomes, not divisive ideologies and woke propaganda." In my capacity as a professor at Northeastern University, I teach an undergraduate course on youth and communication technology, in which students learn about the developmental psychology behind how children learn from media and the impact of technology on their lives. The semester is over, but if we were still in class, I'd ask students to break down the DOE statement above based on what we've discussed and what they've read during the course. In class, we study how history (including political, social, and economic factors) shapes the youth media landscape. RTL grants have traditionally been announced every 5 years and reflect federal priorities. In 2020 (during the first Trump administration), the DOE's RTL solicitation included a call for "literacy content [that goes] beyond vocabulary and basic reading skills" and programming exposing children to future career options. RTL-funded PBS KIDS shows like Work it Out Wombats! and Lyla in the Loop have equipped young learners with functional literacy and collaboration skills for a rapidly evolving global economy. RTL ensures that underserved kids—such as those living in rural areas, young people from low-income households, and students with disabilities—have access to media that meets the highest standards of both education and entertainment. In our class on disabled young people and their media use, we learn how inaccessible digital experiences and disability stereotypes on TV can negatively impact their cognitive and emotional development. Many RTL-funded programs such as Hero Elementary feature and portray children with disabilities in a positive manner, and PBS KIDS digital games incorporate universal design principles that support learners of all abilities. For our session on culture, race, and ethnicity in children's media, we discuss Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory, which in part explains how children learn better when they can identify with characters on screen, with racial and ethnic identity potentially being one aspect depending on the child. Not all kids get the equal chance, though, to identify with characters in that respect. PBS KIDS series funded by RTL, like Molly of Denali, allow more children to learn in a meaningful and authentic manner. On our day on educational media, we learn about the origins of Sesame Street, as well as its reception at the time of its debut in 1969. Despite the show being an instant hit, the public TV station in Mississippi refused to air the show because it depicted a racially integrated neighborhood. Letters from parents in Mississippi poured into the station, not wanting their kids to miss out on the Muppets. Maligning RTL programming as "woke propaganda" suggests a desire to turn back the clock on diverse representation. And over the course of the semester, students in my course put together print guides for parents to help them support their children's learning from high-quality children's media, using PBS KIDS RTL outreach materials for caregivers, teachers, and community groups as models. In selecting a TV show to evaluate, students think critically about the evidence behind media's claims to be "educational." Most content created by random YouTubers and app developers cannot compare. Students frequently end up choosing to focus on RTL-funded shows like Super WHY! because PBS KIDS is the gold standard for promoting "meaningful learning" and "improving student outcomes" that the administration claims it is newly prioritizing. In short, this decision from the DOE is purely punitive. Considering RTL's robust backing by both Republican and Democrat administrations, the only "divisive ideologies" being put forth seem to be coming from the DOE itself. While it is likely that the RTL termination will be challenged, the impact of dismantling important human and material infrastructure that helps to run RTL is already profound. American's children stand at the ready to learn, but is the current Trump administration and Department of Education willing to listen to the desires of kids and parents, as well as decades of research? Meryl Alper is an associate professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Northeastern University. She studies and teaches about the social, cultural, and health implications of media and technology for youth with disabilities. Her most recent book is Kids Across the Spectrums: Growing Up Autistic in the Digital Age (MIT Press, 2023). The views expressed in this article are the writer's own.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
How much does the Department of Education fund California schools?
President Donald Trump's plans to defund or abolish the U.S. Department of Education have prompted questions about the department's role in America. But how much money does California get from the U.S. Department of Education to help fund schools? About 10-20% in the past few years, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, but in pre-pandemic years, that number was about 5%. In America, K-12 education funding is 'shared between federal, state and local governments, with state and local governments providing the largest portions,' according to Everything Policy, which researches and publishes information about policy. In California, the state share of funding the K-12 system has 'largely hovered around 55% to 60%' since 1990, with the local share usually near 30%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, although the state's funding share has risen in the past several years. Read more: What will happen to California schools if Trump closes the Department of Education? California's 2024-25 state budget included a total funding of $133.8 billion — with more than half from the general fund — for all K-12 education programs. Federal dollars support K-12 education in California, particularly aiding disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. Among the Department of Education's many roles include distributing funds. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, particularly its Title 1-A program, which authorizes aid to disadvantaged students, is the 'primary source of federal aid to elementary and secondary education,' according to a Congressional Research Report. It is the largest pool of funds under ESEA, also known for its most recently reauthorized form, the Every Student Succeeds Act. The Department of Education determines and allocates Title I funds nationwide to support local educational agencies, such as school districts. In California, Title I, Part A funds are 'used to support effective, evidence-based educational strategies that close the achievement gap' and help students meet the state's academic standards, according to the California Department of Education. Broadly speaking, these funds help students in high-poverty areas, according to the National Education Association. California received $2.4 billion in Title 1, Part A funds for the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to Scott Roark, a public information officer with the California Department of Education, in an email to The Desert Sun. The Department of Education also allocates funds to pay the costs of developing and administering state assessments through Title I, Part B, according to the National Education Association. California received $27 million in Title I, Part B funds for the 2024-25 year, according to Roark. Other federal funding that targets English-language learners and support teachers in California is allocated by the Department of Education, and title funds established through the ESEA. Also, a Department of Education office administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the 'main federal statute governing special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities,' according to the Congressional Research Service. The primary purpose of IDEA is to ensure that every child with a disability is provided a "free appropriate public education," and it also supplements state and local funding to pay for additional or excess costs of educating children with disabilities, according to the Congressional Research Service. California received $1.5 billion in special education funding through IDEA for the fiscal year 2024-25, Roark said. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Here's how much the Department of Education funds California schools
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump wants to close Department of Education. How will it affect California?
Reports of President Donald Trump's plans to defund or abolish the U.S. Department of Education have prompted questions about the department's role in America. The department says that education is 'primarily a state and local responsibility' in America, and most funding and curricula development come from these levels. However, the department does provide federal dollars to California, investigate complaints of discrimination involving California schools and students, and oversee federal student loans—loans that many California students take out to afford higher education. But first, can the Department of Education be eliminated? While Trump may be unable to abolish the agency by executive order, experts told USA TODAY he might still direct Secretary of Education nominee Linda McMahon to devise plans to weaken its functions. Shuttering a federal agency requires passing new legislation in Congress, which Trump's directive could urge lawmakers to do. However, the GOP has a slim majority on Capitol Hill, and galvanizing support for such a controversial measure wouldn't be easy. Also, efforts to dismantle the Department of Education are not new, with former President Ronald Reagan among the Republican politicians who have called for its end, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education. Regardless of what is to come with the department, here are a few ways the Department of Education plays a role in the lives of Californians. In America, K-12 education funding is 'shared between federal, state and local governments, with state and local governments providing the largest portions,' according to Everything Policy, which researches and publishes information about policy. In California, the state share of funding the K-12 system has 'largely hovered around 55% to 60%' since 1990, with the local share usually near 30%, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, although the state's funding share has risen in the past several years. California's 2024-25 state budget included a total funding of $133.8 billion — with more than half from the general fund — for all K-12 education programs. Federal dollars support K-12 education in California, particularly aiding disadvantaged students and students with disabilities. Among the Department of Education's many roles include distributing funds. The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, particularly its Title 1-A program, which authorizes aid to disadvantaged students, is the 'primary source of federal aid to elementary and secondary education,' according to a Congressional Research Report. It is the largest pool of funds under ESEA, also known for its most recently reauthorized form, the Every Student Succeeds Act. The Department of Education determines and allocates Title I funds nationwide to support local educational agencies, such as school districts. In California, Title I, Part A funds are 'used to support effective, evidence-based educational strategies that close the achievement gap' and help students meet the state's academic standards, according to the California Department of Education. Broadly speaking, these funds help students in high-poverty areas, according to the National Education Association. California received $2.4 billion in Title 1, Part A funds for the 2024-25 fiscal year, according to Scott Roark, a public information officer with the California Department of Education, in an email to The Desert Sun. The Department of Education also allocates funds to pay the costs of developing and administering state assessments through Title I, Part B, according to the National Education Association. California received $27 million in Title I, Part B funds for the 2024-25 year, according to Roark. Other federal funding that targets English-language learners and support teachers in California is allocated by the Department of Education, and title funds established through the ESEA. Also, a Department of Education office administers the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the 'main federal statute governing special education and early intervention services for children with disabilities,' according to the Congressional Research Service. The primary purpose of IDEA is to ensure that every child with a disability is provided a "free appropriate public education," and it also supplements state and local funding to pay for additional or excess costs of educating children with disabilities, according to the Congressional Research Service. California received $1.5 billion in special education funding through IDEA for the fiscal year 2024-25, Roark said. More: DOGE slashes millions from Education Department research The Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights enforces federal civil rights laws in schools, programs, or any institution that receives money from the Department of Education. It investigates whether, for example, a student has been discriminated against based on race or disability. The Office for Civil Rights report for fiscal year 2024 said it received its highest volume of complaints ever, 22,687. Among the complaints it received were from California schools. For example, the office investigated a school athletic program within Morgan Hill Unified School District in Santa Clara County over an allegation that it discriminated based on sex, finding disparities between a boy's baseball program and a girl's softball program. As another example, the office 'uncovered a systematic failure' on Redlands Unified School District's part to 'investigate or redress sexual assault allegations after they were reported to law enforcement or other state agencies.' The school district is in San Bernardino County. In addition to the Department of Education's role in funding and enforcement, the department oversees the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the federal Pell Grant, which is money that helps low-income students pay for college, The News Journal reported. In 2022-23, 31.7% of undergraduate students were awarded Pell grants in California, according to National Center for Education Statistics data. Through Dec. 27, 2024, approximately 58% of California high school seniors completed a FAFSA, according to the National College Attainment Network's FAFSA Tracker for the 2024-25 cycle. According to the education-focused Hechinger Report, the 'most likely scenario is that Title I money would flow through another federal agency,' and any cuts to Title I would need to go through Congress. Yet that funding 'has broad political support.' Similarly, the Hechinger Report said IDEA itself and the money allotted to it 'would not change without an act of Congress.' But a dismantled or diminished Department of Education "seemingly threatens the strength" of investigations of civil rights complaints or harassment in schools, the News Journal reported. Karen McCarthy, the vice president of public policy and federal relations at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, told USA TODAY that moving the nearly $2 trillion in federal student loans the department oversees—a figure on par with some of the biggest banks—to a different agency such as the Treasury Department, which Republicans have proposed, would be no small feat. "Nobody could really imagine that Chase could fold into Citibank quickly or easily," she said. "I don't know why people are thinking that the federal student loan portfolio could easily move." USA TODAY reporters Zachary Schermele and Joey Garrison contributed to this report. Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@ This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: How could closing of Department of Education may affect California
