WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 28, 2022) -– Education Reform Now (ERN) President Shavar Jeffries released the following statement in response to the proposed appropriations bill released today by the United States Senate Committee:
“We applaud the Senate for proposing a 15% increase in the federal Title I program. These funds will especially improve opportunities to learn in schools with high proportions of students from low-income families.
We also commend the Senate Committee for maintaining their support for public charter schools. However, we also urge the Senate to take inspiration from the House Appropriations Bill in several key areas, even if this means raising the budget cap for the Labor-HHS-Ed appropriations bill.
The Senate level-funded the federal Charter Schools Program to $440 million, in contrast to the $400 million proposed in the House Appropriations Bill, ensuring students across the country continue to have access to high quality public charter schools.
While we are also pleased that the Senate has proposed increased funding for the Institute of Education Sciences and the Education, Innovation, and Research Program, which support innovative solutions to our nation’s persistent education challenges, the total investment is less than that proposed in the House version. The proposed $75 million for a new college retention and completion program is a step in the right direction, yet falls considerably short of the $200 million allocated by the House. Similarly, the Senate only funded Augustus Hawkins at $12 million, as opposed to the $30 million in the House bill. Both inclusions are an increase over the $8 million currently allocated to the program, yet the reduced investment would limit the ability of HBCUs to expand teacher preparation programs.
Additionally, we are disappointed that the Senate did not provide funding for the National Center for Advanced Development in Education, which supports research and development of new approaches to improve educational outcomes.
More than ever, now is the time to make bold investments in public education and we hope that the final Appropriations Bill will more fully meet the moment.”