ACTE is seeking feedback from CTE educators on how the Administration’s recent actions are impacting you and your students or have the potential to impact you and your students in the future.
On June 30, the Department of Education (ED) announced that it was withholding approximately $7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2025 formula grant funding to states that was due to be distributed on July 1, affecting adult education, professional development, afterschool initiatives and other programs under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
In addition, court documents disclosed recently revealed that ED’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) dismissed more than 3,400 complaints from March 11 to June 27, a significant increase over prior years. This follows OCR layoffs earlier this year at ED and the closure of seven of 12 civil rights enforcement offices nationwide.
On July 11, ED issued a notice of interpretation on using federal funds to serve undocumented immigrants. The notice interprets many postsecondary education programs, including programs and activities funded by Perkins V, as providing federal public benefits under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and thereby subject to citizenship verification requirements under that law.
On July 14, the Supreme Court cleared the way for the U.S. Department of Education to proceed with a reduction in force of approximately 1,400 employees. The Court’s decision also enables ED and the Department of Labor to execute a previously signed interagency agreement, which had been held up as part of litigation, that will move the administration of Perkins and WIOA Title II adult education and literacy programs to DOL.
ACTE wants to hear from you about the potential impacts of these actions. If these or other recent federal activities have affected your work, or have the potential to do so, please fill out this short form. We also encourage you to contact ACTE’s Government Relations Manager, Jimmy Koch, with questions or experiences you’d like to share.
