Author Archives: U.S. Department of Education

By Patrick Carr, Director of Rural, Insular, and Native Achievement Programs, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education 

Today, the U.S. Department of Education released the 2022 application for the Alaska Native Education program. The program will award up to $36 million in grants that will support innovative projects that recognize and address the unique educational needs of Alaska Natives.  Successful applicants will administer a wide range of projects that could include, but are not limited to, support for culturally responsive curriculum development, training and professional development, early childhood and parent outreach, and enrichment programs. For more information, visit the notice inviting applications.  

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by Arthur McMahan, Senior Associate Director for the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities

In 2021, Janine Jackson, an HBCU Scholar from Morgan State University, participated in the Mini Minority University Research and Education Project (MUREP) Innovation Tech Transfer Idea Competition (MITTIC), part of the HBCU Scholar Recognition Program run by the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity through Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Initiative). “The Mini-MITTIC experience was intense, competitive and rewarding,” Janine shared with me. “I am grateful to the Initiative staff and friendly folks at NASA for bringing us all together literally across space and time zones to work together on this experience. I thoroughly enjoyed brainstorming with my team to come up with a product and a pitch. The experience confirmed that diverse perspectives are useful and meaningful when we take time to listen to one other. It also verified how well HBCU students collaborate and create when we link up.”

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I was fifteen when my family moved to the U.S. from a rural town in Mexico. My parents were migrant workers, so after the season, they would return to Mexico to continue working while I remained in Eastern Oregon. As a first-generation, low-income, Latino from a migrant farm working family, education was something I valued but was insecure about. All of that changed when I was recruited into the College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) to attend a university. The CAMP Program is managed by the U.S. Department of Education and assists students who are migratory or seasonal farmworkers (or children of such workers) enrolled in their first year of undergraduate studies at an institution of higher education (IHE). 

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By: Aishwarya Swamidurai, YMCA Youth Governor of Oklahoma and Comfort Markwei, YMCA Youth Governor of Tennessee 

When will we go back to school? How do I learn through a screen? What are our next steps? Can I get through this school year? Will we even stay in school? What about COVID? 

Hi, high school seniors Aishwarya and Comfort here! Markedly so, these questions have been the definition of our lives as students these past nearly two years. Shuffling feet, masked faces, and exhausted expressions: this is the description of school hallway during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not a pretty image, but our reality, nonetheless. We see the exhaustion within ourselves and our peers, and we’re sure our educators, parents, and community members see it too. 

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This week, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) approved thirteen additional American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s Homeless Children and Youth Fund (ARP-HCY) state plans, bringing the total to 41 plans approved. States are continuing to commit to utilizing the $800 million in funding provided by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) for identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness and connecting them to wrap around services. The Department released the $800 million to states earlier this year.

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By Meghan Everette

Educators know that creating meaningful connections between the world outside and inside school is important for engaging all students in learning. Teachers draw on history and pop culture, English and first-languages, and even video games to help students make sense of academics and the world around them. A group of diverse educators from around the country met with ED Senior Advisor for Labor Relations, Montserrat Garibay, to talk about supporting the diverse needs of students and communities. Teachers offered insights that can be implemented in any classroom to foster welcoming environments and make school a safe, engaging place to learn.

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by Catherine E. Lhamon

Since 1968, Congress has charged the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to administer the Civil Rights Data Collection, or CRDC, collecting information from public elementary and secondary schools and districts about equity in students’ access to education. The CRDC has collected information about student access to courses, teachers and other school staff, and positive school climates. These data provide crucial information to OCR and to school communities and researchers about students’ educational experiences.

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By Amy Loyd, Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary

Lightning flashed above the mountains, brightening the rain-soaked desert as we drove into the Tohono O’odham Nation in Southwestern Arizona. The Nation’s 28,000 members live throughout a Tribal land base that comprises 4,460 square miles, roughly the size of Connecticut. The Nation invited Secretary Cardona to visit their Tribal college, Tohono O’odham Community College (TOCC), to learn about the essential role it plays in the community, and to get feedback on our Administration’s Build Back Better agenda. 

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By Levi Bohanan, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education

Today, the U.S. Department of Education approved the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021’s Homeless Children and Youth Fund (ARP-HCY) State Plans for 15 states. These state plans represent commitments to utilizing the $800 million in funding in the American Rescue Plan (ARP) designated to identifying and supporting students experiencing homelessness and connecting them to wrap around services.

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by Julie Richardson, school psychologist

School psychologists are trained to wear many hats such as providing direct support and interventions to students, consulting with teachers, families, and other professionals, working with administrators to improve school-wide practices and policies, and collaborating with community providers to coordinate needed services. School psychologists strive to meet each student where they are emotionally and academically, and work with them to address needs and improve skills.  This could include teaching social skills, conducting small groups targeting specific issues and practicing coping strategies, and working one-on-one with students who have more intensive needs. School psychologists also work with families to understand their child’s learning and behavior needs and assist them in navigating the special education process. They are regular members of school crisis teams and collaborate with school administrators and other educators to prevent and respond to crises.  

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