In a farewell letter to Congress on Monday, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos urged lawmakers to reject President-elect Joe Biden's education agenda, while imploring them to shield Trump administration policies that Biden has promised to eliminate. DeVos does not explicitly acknowledge President Donald Trump’s election defeat nor does she refer to...
DeVos Rejects Part-Time Reopening for Schools Amid Pandemic
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Tuesday assailed plans by some local districts to offer in-person instruction only a few days a week and said schools must be “fully operational” even amid the coronavirus pandemic. Anything less, she says, would fail students and taxpayers. DeVos made the comments during a call with...
State Center Sues Feds for Denying Emergency Relief Money to Students
State Center Community College District joined four other California community college districts and the California Community Colleges in suing Education Secretary Betsy DeVos over eligibility restrictions that deny COVID-19 emergency relief funds to thousands of local college students — including undocumented students with DACA status. The lawsuit was filed today...
DeVos Excludes DACA Recipients, Foreign Students From Grants
The Trump administration is barring most international students and all students who entered the U.S. illegally from receiving emergency college grants approved by Congress as part of nearly $2 trillion coronavirus rescue package. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos issued the restriction in new guidelines released Tuesday telling colleges how to distribute more than...
History, Geography Scores Dip on Nation’s Report Card
The latest Nation’s Report Card shows eighth-graders' scores in U.S. history and geography declining since 2014, results Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday called “stark and inexcusable.” Civics scores on the 2018 assessments were the same as in the last round of tests four years earlier, the newly released results...
Feds Threaten University Funding Over Islam Focused Studies
The Trump administration is threatening to cut funding for a Middle East studies program run by the University of North Carolina and Duke University, arguing that it's misusing a federal grant to advance "ideological priorities" and unfairly promote "the positive aspects of Islam" but not Christianity or Judaism. An Aug....
Trump Backs Off Proposal to Cut Special Olympics
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was backing off a budget request to eliminate funding for the Special Olympics, reversing course after his administration weathered days of criticism for the proposed cut. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House for a rally in Michigan, Trump...