Category: Government Actions

PA DHS Encourages Pennsylvanians Receiving Benefits to Update Contact Information, Enroll in Text Alerts to Receive Timely Updates (April 2, 2022)

As Pennsylvania prepares for the eventual end of the federal public health emergency, the PA Department of Human Services (DHS) is strongly encouraging Pennsylvanians enrolled in Medical Assistance to make sure their contact information is correct and sign up for alerts through the myCOMPASS PA mobile app and by text to ensure they are getting updates about their cases quickly. Changes can be made on COMPASS, the state’s website to apply for and manage benefit information.

“The last few years have been a difficult time and a lot has changed for many Pennsylvanians. DHS wants to make sure that we have the most accurate information available so that we can continue to be in contact with those receiving important benefits,” said DHS Acting Secretary Meg Snead. “It’s a good idea to take the time now to ensure that your information is correct by visiting the COMPASS website or by calling or visiting your local County Assistance Office.”

On the COMPASS website at http://dhs.pa.gov/, you can update your information for any of the following:

  • Changes to the number of people living in your household
  • Changes to your email address
  • Changes to your phone number
  • Changes to your mailing address

COMPASS also allows users to sign up to receive e-notifications about their benefits. Keeping information up to date will help Pennsylvanians receive reminders about their annual benefit renewal quickly so they can prevent an avoidable lapse in coverage or services.

Additionally, DHS is encouraging Pennsylvanians to opt-in to receive information about their benefits through text. Recipients who have not previously opted out of texting are receiving texts encouraging them to enroll. The texts read: “The PA Dept of Human Services would like to text you important messages about your benefits. Carrier rates may apply. To Opt In, please reply “YES.”

If you receive a text like this, it is not a scam. Messages sent by DHS via text will never ask you for personal information, and you should not provide it. These are intended to be reminders about your benefits and other important information about programs administered by DHS and the federal government.

Pennsylvanians can also download the myCOMPASS PA mobile app for free. The app allows you to look up your benefits and update your contact information from your mobile device. Instructional videos on downloading and using the myCOMPASS PA app are available on DHS’s YouTube channel.

To find out more about applying for benefits and for more information on County Assistance Offices, visit the DHS website.

State and Federal Departments of Ed.: Federal Funding Helping Schools Rebound from the Pandemic (March 29, 2022)

On March 29, 2022, the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) visited the Upper Darby School District to highlight how communities are using federal American Rescue Plan (ARP) Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) investments in Pennsylvania schools.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten and PDE Deputy Secretary Sherri Smith met with students, teachers, and parents at Bywood and Garretford elementary schools to see how the school district is using ARP ESSER funding to support students’ learning, and social, emotional and mental health recovery from the pandemic.

“Pennsylvania’s educators, students, and school communities have spent the last two years pivoting and adjusting to this new normal, and the federal ARP ESSER dollars present a tremendous opportunity to return to what’s most important — the matter of teaching and learning,” said PDE Deputy Secretary Smith. “Through this assistance, Pennsylvania’s schools are getting back on track, our students are rebounding from missed learning opportunities, and our educators are able to once again focus on teaching.”

Since President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law last year, including $130 billion to support recovery efforts at K-12 schools, more than 99 percent of elementary and secondary school students across the country have returned to classrooms for in-person learning.

At least 90 percent, or $4.5 billion, of the nearly $5 billion in ARP ESSER funding was directed to traditional public school districts and charter schools. Each entity received an amount proportional to the federal Title I-A funds received in 2020 under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The school districts and charter schools must use at least 20 percent of this money to address learning loss and the social, emotional, and academic needs of underrepresented students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and children in foster care.

Schools can use the rest of the funding for a wide range of activities, including food service; professional training; technology purchases; sanitization and cleaning supplies; summer and after-school programs; and mental health supports.

Funds must be used by September 2024. Under the American Rescue Act of 2021, PDE is using the remaining $500 million of ESSER funding for interventions that address learning loss, support summer enrichment and comprehensive afterschool programs, and assist schools that do not receive a direct ESSER allocation such as career and technical schools and intermediate units.

White House Releases FY 2023 Budget (March 28, 2022)

On March 28, 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration submitted to Congress the President’s Budget for fiscal year 2023. The budget details the White House vision to build a better America, reduce the deficit, reduce costs for families, and grow the economy from the bottom up and middle out. It is also said to reinforces the administration’s commitment to reversing years of underinvestment in federal education programs to ensure the success and well-being of the nation’s students.

According to U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, “Federal budgets are an expression of values. This proposal reflects the Biden-Harris Administration’s deep belief in the importance of education and the success and wellbeing of our nation’s students. It’s my hope that Congress answers the President’s call for continued investments that help our schools hire and support more teachers, school counselors, and other personnel who can nurture the social, emotional, and academic development and mental well-being of our children and youth in this critical time and beyond. Across the country, we must focus our efforts on recovery. That means ensuring all students—especially those from underserved communities and those most impacted by the pandemic—receive the resources they need to thrive. Importantly, this budget also invests in access to affordable higher education and the creation of stronger pathways that meet the demands of our workforce and connect students to well-paying jobs and fulfilling careers.”

According to the U.S. Department of Education (USDE), the budget will help lay a stronger foundation for shared growth and prosperity for generations to come and make critical investments in core areas that align with Sec. Cardona’s vision for education in America. As per the USDE, the budget would:

  • Support students through pandemic response and recovery. Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic continue to take a toll on the physical and mental health of students, educators, and school staff. Recognizing the profound connection between physical health, mental health, and student’s social and emotional well-being, and academic success, among other investments, the budget includes a $1 billion investment to increase the number of counselors, nurses, school psychologists, social workers, and other health professionals in schools, and a $468 million investment in Full-Service Community Schools and partnerships to provide integrated student supports.
  • Provide Historic Investments in Schools with High-Poverty Rates to Boldly Address Opportunity and Achievement Gaps. To advance the goal of providing a high-quality education to every student, the budget includes $36.5 billion for Title I, including $20.5 billion in discretionary funding and $16 billion in mandatory funding, more than doubling the program’s funding compared to the 2021 enacted level. Title I helps schools provide students in low-income communities the learning opportunities and supports they need to succeed. This substantial new support for the program, which serves 25 million students in nearly 90 percent of school districts across the nation, would be a major step toward fulfilling the President’s commitment to addressing long-standing funding disparities between under-resourced schools – which disproportionately serve students of color – and their wealthier counterparts. The request includes a set-aside to support voluntary state and local efforts to identify gaps in educational resources and opportunities and a path forward to advance equity in student opportunities and outcomes.
  • Increase Support for Children with Disabilities. To ensure that children and youth with disabilities receive the services and support they need to thrive in school and graduate ready for college or career, the budget provides $16.3 billion for IDEA Grants to states, a $3.3 billion increase over the 2021 enacted level – the largest two-year increase ever for the program. The increased funds would support special education and related services for approximately 7.4 million students in grades Pre-K through 12. The budget also doubles funding to $932 million for IDEA Part C grants, which support early intervention services for infants and families with disabilities that have a proven record of improving academic and developmental outcomes. The increased funding would support states in implementing critical reforms to expand their enrollment of underserved children, including children of color, children from low-income families, and children living in rural areas. The budget also more than doubles funding to $250 million for IDEA Personnel Preparation grants to support a pipeline of special educators at a time when the majority of states are experiencing a shortage of special educators.
  • Invest in Educator Recruitment and Retention. While the education sector has faced shortages in critical staffing areas for decades, which disproportionately impact students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, the COVID-19 pandemic and tight labor market has made shortages worse, negatively impacting the education students receive and falling hardest on students in underserved communities. In addition to comprehensive investments across several programs to support a diverse and well-prepared pipeline of educators, the budget includes $514 million for the Education Innovation and Research program, of which the Department would target $350 million towards identifying and scaling models that improve recruitment and retention of staff in education, including models that would improve resources and support for educators, and provide teacher access to leadership opportunities that improve teacher retention and expand the impact of great teachers within and beyond their classrooms.
  • Re-imagine the High School to Postsecondary Education Transition. Reimagining traditional educational pathways to improve equitable opportunities is a critical component of the President’s vision to increase successful outcomes for all students. The budget provides a new $200 million investment in Career-Connected High Schools, an initiative that would support competitive grants to partnerships of local educational agencies, institutions of higher education – including community colleges – and employers, to support early enrollment in postsecondary and career-connected coursework; work-based learning opportunities; and academic and career-connected instruction across the last two years of high school and the first two years of postsecondary education.
  • Make Historic Investments in College Affordability. To increase equitable and affordable access to an education beyond high school, the budget would increase the maximum Pell Grant by $2,175 over the 2021-2022 award year, through a combination of discretionary and mandatory funding, helping an estimated 6.7 million students from low- and middle-income backgrounds overcome financial barriers. This historic increase is a significant step in the budget’s comprehensive proposal to double the maximum Pell Grant by 2029. In addition to these critical investments, the Administration continues to support expanding federal student aid, including Pell Grant eligibility, to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, commonly known as DREAMers.
  • Increase Equitable Funding for HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs to Support More Inclusive Higher Education. The budget would enhance institutional capacity at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and low-resourced institutions, including community colleges, by providing an increase of $752 million over the 2021 enacted level. This funding includes a $450 million initiative to expand research and development infrastructure at four-year HBCUs, TCCUs, and MSIs.
  • Increase Support for Civil Rights Enforcement. The budget provides $161 million to the Department’s Office for Civil Rights, a 23 percent increase compared to the 2021 enacted level. This additional funding would ensure that the Department has the capacity to protect equal access to education through the enforcement of civil rights laws, such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.

For more information on the President’s FY 2023 Budget, please visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/.

U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona Calls on States, School Districts, Higher Ed Institutions to Address Nationwide Teacher Shortage and Bolster Student Recovery with ARP Funds (March 28, 2022)

On March 28, 2022, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona issued a nationwide call to action for states, higher education leaders, and schools to tap federal resources and work together to address the teacher shortage and aid student recovery. The announcement encourages leaders to use American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to address this critical challenge schools and districts across the country are facing. The call to action coincides with Secretary Cardona’s participation in the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching’s Summit on Improvement in Education in San Diego.

Sec. Cardona called on states, school districts, and institutions of higher education to use ARP funds to address the teacher shortage and increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the teaching profession.

To coincide with the Sec. Cardona’s call to action, the US Department of Education (USDE) released a fact sheet providing concrete examples of how states, districts, and schools are already taking up the call to use federal COVID dollars to strengthen the teacher pipeline, get more educators in the classroom, and accelerate student recovery.  Districts and higher education institutions are partnering to create and expand residency programs, offer paraprofessional internships, get college students in the classroom more quickly, and more. Because of these partnerships, students across the country can spend more time working with qualified educators and addressing the academic impact of COVID-19. To view the USDE fact sheet, click click here.

Sec. Cardona is urging states and schools to use ARP funds and other federal COVID-19 relief funds to scale up educator preparation programs (EPPs) at institutions of higher education and look for dynamic and innovative ways to provide hands-on learning for prospective teachers or paraprofessionals in a classroom environment.

To increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the profession in the fall and beyond, Secretary Cardona is calling on states to commit to:

  • Establish teaching as a Registered Apprenticeship. The U.S. Department of Labor has approved standards that create an easy pathway for states to establish and use apprenticeship funding to support teaching residencies, allowing teacher apprentices to earn a good wage while learning the skills – on-the-job and through higher education partners and their integrated coursework – necessary to provide a quality education to our nation’s students. Registered Apprenticeship is an effective “earn and learn” model with a long history of establishing career pathways in various industries by providing structured, paid on-the-job learning experiences combined with job-related technical instruction with a mentor that leads to a nationally recognized credential. To learn more about Registered Apprenticeships, visit apprenticeship.gov.
  • Invest in evidence-based teacher residency programs. States can provide grant funding to increase the number of partnerships between and districts that support teaching residencies.
  • Establish or expand loan forgiveness or service scholarship programs. These programs can also include a commitment to teach in a high-need area for a minimum number of years.
  • Increase teacher compensation. Provide a competitive and livable wage, including increasing starting salaries and salary caps for teachers.

To increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the profession in the fall and beyond, Sec. Cardona is calling on districts to commit to:

  • Increase the number of partnerships between EPPs and districts that support teaching residencies and schools. Teacher residents, as part of their clinical experience, can serve in schools as substitutes, paraprofessionals, or tutors as their academic schedules allow and as they complete requirements for teacher certification.
  • Increase the availability of qualified teacher residents to support educators, students, and staff. Districts can partner with institutions of higher education to provide additional supports to educators and students through the use of teaching candidates.

To increase the number of teacher candidates prepared to enter the profession in the fall and beyond, Secretary Cardona is calling on institutions of higher education and EPPs to commit to:

  • Increase the number of teaching residency programs and program capacity. Teacher residents, as part of their clinical experiences, can serve in schools as substitute teachers, paraprofessionals, or tutors as their academic schedules allow and as they complete requirements for teacher certification. An institution could use its HEERF institutional funds to expand its teacher training programs in response to the pandemic through such measures as hiring additional faculty and staff; providing stipends, scholarships, or other students aid; and creating additional course offerings.
  • Work with states to establish teaching as a Registered Apprenticeship. The U.S. Department of Labor has approved standards that create an easy pathway for states to establish and use apprenticeship funding to support teaching residencies. As previously described, Registered Apprenticeship is an effective “earn and learn” model with a long history of establishing career pathways in various industries by providing structured, paid on-the-job learning experiences combined with job-related technical instruction with a mentor that leads to a nationally recognized credential. To learn more about Registered Apprenticeships, visit apprenticeship.gov.
  • Establish or expand loan forgiveness or service scholarship programs. These programs can also include a commitment to teach in a high need area for a minimum number of years.

To view the entire press release, click here.

PAPSA Participates in Joint Sign-On Letter Opposing School Voucher Expansion (March 28, 2022)

On March 28, 2022,  PAPSA joined a state coalition effort to oppose HB 2169, which targets the bottom 15 percent of performing schools. In the bill, the definition of eligible student will include a child who has not yet received a high-school diploma, currently resides in the attendance areas of a low-achieving school; and one of the following: attending a public in PA in the preceding school year; received funds from the program in the preceding school year; will attend first grade for the first time in the next school year; a child in foster care; a child whose adoption decree is not more than one year prior to submission of an application, OR a child of full-time active duty military personnel.

With an assumption of 10 percent of students using the voucher and calculating estimates for regular education students, special education students (all three tiers) and gifted students, it is estimated that the cost of the program to be $170 million to the 85 school districts identified.