NC Gov. Cooper directs $95.6M to help support K-12, postsecondary students impacted by COVID-19 – By WSPA.com
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper on Wednesday directed $95.6 million in new funding to help support K-12 and postsecondary students impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the release, the funding comes from the state’s share of the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER), and is intended to provide “emergency support to school districts, postsecondary institutions, or other education-related entities for addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“Learning during a pandemic is an unprecedented challenge for students and staff, whether in the classroom or remotely. This funding should help protect the physical and mental health at schools, and help bridge the gap for students with unique learning needs,” Cooper said.
The governor said the following funding will be invested to support K-12 students across the North Carolina.
Fearing an exodus of students from Texas’s public schools and a loss of funding because of the pandemic, an advocacy organization has launched a statewide campaign to shore up support for schools with a five-figure marketing and social media campaign.
The Austin-based public school advocacy organization Raise Your Hand Texas also plans to activate its large grassroots network across the state, encouraging educators to utilize social media to spread the message: “A strong Texas recovery requires strong Texas schools.”
The video encourages Texans to think of public schools not as a commodity but as a common good, saying, “Our public schools stand as the cornerstone of our communities.”
The two-minute video overlays images of empty classrooms, playgrounds and sports fields with the sounds of children laughing and teachers leading discussions. Recitations in English and Spanish play over long shots of empty hallways.
U.S. Department of Education Launches New Title IX Resources for Students, Institutions as Historic New Rule Takes Effect – by the US Department of Education
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos launched new resources to help students and schools understand the protections provided by the Department’s historic regulation on Title IX, as the Rule takes full effect today. The Rule, announced on May 6, 2020, following years of stakeholder input, public comment and careful deliberation, extends many new protections against sexual harassment, and strongly safeguards the rights of all students, including the right to due process. The Department also launched a new website that provides a one-stop resource for this key information, including how to file a complaint, an overview of the Rule’s protections for survivors, and a detailed webinar on how schools can fully implement and uphold the new provisions in the law.
“Today marks a new era in the storied history of Title IX in which the right to equal access to education required by law is truly protected for all students,” said Secretary DeVos. “Every student should know that their school will be held accountable for responding to incidents of sexual misconduct and that it must treat all students fairly. This rule, as courts have recently noted, restores balance to the scales of justice in our schools, ending one of the most infamous and damaging overreaches of the previous administration.”
The new website will serve as an online hub for information and resources students can use to understand their rights under Title IX and what the new Rule means for them. It also provides a robust fact sheet for students that dispels myths and falsehoods about the Rule. For instance, the Rule expressly prohibits students from directly cross-examining one another, and it requires schools to provide support services to students, even if a student chooses not to move forward with a formal complaint process. The website is also home to information on how courts have opined on the new Rule and the importance of due process and includes statements from lawmakers, respected attorneys, and other major thought leaders on the importance of due process for all students.
To access the website, please click here
University System of Georgia sets record for degrees awarded - By Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service, The Brunswick News
The University System of Georgia (USG) awarded a record-high 70,879 degrees during the last fiscal year, despite the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.
That marked a 4.5% increase over fiscal 2019 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2011, when the university system joined the Complete College America program with its emphasis on earning a degree.
“This success is thanks to the hard work of USG’s 26 public colleges and universities, which have taken critical steps to increase support and help students stay on track toward their degree,” system Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “I am especially grateful to our students, faculty and staff for all they do to ensure more Georgians enter the workforce with a college credential.”
The number of degrees the university system has awarded each year since 2011 has risen by more than 29%, far outstripping enrollment growth of less than 5%.
