A White House decision to add $100,000 to the price of a work visa, allowing employers to hire from overseas for hard-to-fill positions, has California鈥檚 technology industry and other businesses reeling. But another group is also on edge: the state鈥檚 schools.

California employs more teachers on H-1B visas than any state except Texas and North Carolina, according to a National Education Association . Last fiscal year, 506 U.S. school districts employed 2,300 H-1B visa holders.

The demand for the visas from California school districts has grown over the last seven years as the state鈥檚 schools, facing teacher shortages, have turned to overseas teachers to help fill openings.

Last school year, 294 H-1B visas were granted to the state鈥檚 school districts, compared to 193 in 2018-19, according to the California Department of Education. The visas are typically good for three years with a possible three-year extension. 

But the new $100,000 charge for the H-1B visa is beyond what most districts can afford.

鈥淔or these small, resource-limited districts, a $100,000 fee would be entirely cost-prohibitive and would effectively close off one of the few pipelines for qualified teachers,鈥� said Yuri Calderon, executive director of the Small School Districts鈥� Association.

Until Sept. 21, school districts and other employers paid application and processing fees of about $3,700 for the visa, depending on their size. But that was before President Donald Trump  adding the $100,000 fee, effective two days later. 

The increase is meant to prevent the replacement of American workers with lower-paid workers from overseas, according to the proclamation.

聽Although the fee increase may not immediately impact school districts, because it will not be levied on renewals or extensions of existing H-1B visas, it will have repercussions in a few months when school leaders begin to hire for the next school year.

Rural districts could take a hit

The $100,000 fee could be especially devastating to small school districts already facing , Calderon said.

鈥淩ural and geographically isolated communities are increasingly dependent on international, fully credentialed teachers to fill positions that have proven nearly impossible to staff,鈥� Calderon said. 鈥淭his is particularly true in the case of middle and high school math, science and special education.鈥� 

More underprepared teachers

The Vallejo City Unified School District has more than 20 teachers working on H-1B visas this school year, said Hattie Kogami, director of human resources at Vallejo City Unified. The district was granted 12 more visas last school year. 

District leaders had planned to hire 15 additional teachers from the Philippines on H-1B visas for the coming year, but only managed to hire nine before the new fee was levied.

鈥淥ur district is in declining enrollment, and so we鈥檙e dealing with the real struggles of cutting $40 million,鈥� Kogami said. 鈥淪o, we definitely don鈥檛 have a hundred thousand dollars to bring in these six people or anyone else for that matter.鈥�

That means the district, with a student population that is more than a quarter English learners, will probably have to hire more underprepared teachers. The district already hires between 20 and 30 teachers without the appropriate teaching credentials each year, Kogami said.

鈥淲e always have a ton of non-credentialed teachers,鈥� Kogami said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we started wanting to use the H-1B. Those people have been through a program; they know what to do.鈥�

In 2022, an  found that nearly 1 out of 5 classes in California were taught by underprepared teachers working on emergency-style permits because of a shortage of credentialed teachers. Many of the shortages were in special education, math, science and foreign language classrooms.

Teachers with H-1B visas who have been  have at least a bachelor鈥檚 degree and have completed teacher preparation programs. Their college transcripts, certificates and licenses are evaluated by an agency approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing before they are issued a preliminary teaching credential.

Like all California teachers, they have to prove subject-matter competency, complete a CPR course and a U.S. Constitution course, and finish a two-year individualized program of mentoring and support called . 

The United States government limits the number of H-1B visas to 65,000 a year, with an additional 20,000 going to people with master鈥檚 or doctoral degrees. There have historically been more applicants than available visas, so the applicants are selected through a computerized lottery system. 

School leaders want an exemption

The Trump administration has already made changes to the $100,000 fee requirement, updating the  last week to clarify that the fee would not apply to people already in the U.S. under other visas who want to move to an H-1B visa.

Education leaders are hopeful that the Trump administration will go a step further and exempt schools entirely from the fee.

鈥淲ithout such an exemption, this change could have a devastating impact on small school districts already facing severe teacher shortages,鈥� Calderon said.

Relief could also come from lawsuits challenging the fee filed this month, including one by the U.S.  and another by a , employers and religious groups.

J-1 visa offers short-term option

The J-1 visa, also called an exchange visitor visa, is an option for school districts in need of teachers, but it has more stringent requirements that make it a difficult fit for low-performing school districts, Kogami said. She prefers H-1B visas because they can lead to a green card and permanent residency, which often means a long-term employee.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to try to move all of our folks that we鈥檝e hired that stay with us to green card status,鈥� Kogami said.

Evelyn Anderson, principal of the l, likes the J-1 visa because it doesn鈥檛 use a lottery system to allocate the visas, and although the teacher candidate must be interviewed at the U.S. Embassy in their home country, they are seldom denied.

But she started helping some of her teachers move to H-1B visas to extend their stays after having difficulty finding teachers during Trump鈥檚 first term and during the Covid pandemic.

The Santa Rosa City Schools charter school is one of more than 50 similar schools in the U.S. that are accredited by the French Ministry of Education. One of the requirements is that all its teachers have French teaching credentials, which means most are from France or French-speaking countries.

Although the $100,000 fee for the H-1B visa isn鈥檛 impacting the Santa Rosa French-American Charter School directly, because school leaders haven鈥檛 hired teachers from overseas on the H-1B visa, Anderson, the principal, still has her concerns.

鈥淲hen I do have to recruit the new teachers to come on a J-1, will they be hesitant because there is this overall feeling that the U.S. isn鈥檛 as welcoming?鈥� she wondered.

This story was originally published by . for their newsletters.

California after-school and summer programs will get some of their funding back after the federal government said on Friday that it would restore grants it had previously withheld. But the money is contingent on states complying with Civil Rights laws 鈥� a cudgel the White House has used in the past to crack down on diversity efforts.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a big relief,鈥� said Heather Williams, director of policy and outreach for the California AfterSchool Network. 鈥淭he funding freeze was very disruptive and there was a level of chaos. We鈥檙e hopeful that anyone that canceled or paused programs can jump back in.鈥�

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The U.S. Department of Education announced on June 30 鈥� a day before the money was set to be released 鈥� it would not give out grant money for after-school programs, migrant education, English learners, professional development for teachers and other programs, pending a review of whether the programs were in line with President Donald Trump鈥檚 priorities. The funding freeze affected nearly every school in the state, particularly those that serve low-income children.

In all, the White House withheld nearly $7 billion in education funds, including about $800 million for California. The money had already been approved by Congress, leading California and 24 other states to . There鈥檚 been no ruling yet on that suit.

California was due $147 million in after-school grants. When the money didn鈥檛 come through, schools and nonprofits such as the YMCA, which also provide after-school and summer programs to children, had to lay off staff and cancel programs if they couldn鈥檛 find money to keep the programs going on their own.

On Friday, the White House sent an email to states saying that after-school grants would be released under the condition that schools not use the money 鈥渋n any manner that violates the United States Constitution,鈥� the Civil Rights Act or other laws. The U.S. Department of Education did not return emails seeking clarification.

Other grants, such as those for migrant students, remain frozen.

In the White House鈥檚 in schools, it often cited the Civil Rights Act as a , saying that initiatives that favor certain student groups are inherently discriminatory. Most schools in California have at least some diversity programs, whether it鈥檚 Cinco de Mayo celebrations, Black Student Unions or special graduation ceremonies for Native American students.

State education officials were not available for comment on Monday.

鈥楿rgent鈥� need to release all funds

In Humboldt County, school districts had to shuffle their budgets to keep summer programs open after the funds were frozen on July 1. Although it鈥檚 鈥渁 welcome relief鈥� to have the money restored, it鈥檚 not close to being enough, said County Superintendent Michael Davies-Hughes.

Schools need all the money that鈥檚 been frozen, not just the after-school funds, he said.

鈥淲e need the whole package, urgently,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have the money, we鈥檒l have districts moving toward insolvency. I implore the federal administration to understand that these programs are not optional.鈥�

Cutting federal grants hurts all students, he said, but especially those who are low-income because those students don鈥檛 have a lot of other options, he said. Federally funded summer programs help students stay on track academically and socially while their parents work; losing those programs has 鈥渁n outsized detrimental effect on the most vulnerable students,鈥� he said.

Meanwhile, schools are also contending with declining enrollment and other funding cuts.

鈥淲e鈥檝e already trimmed the fat. Now we鈥檙e looking at limbs and organs,鈥� Davies-Hughes said. 鈥淎nd we have to keep the organs.鈥�

The release of after-school grant money is good news for this summer鈥檚 programs, but a bigger concern is next year, Williams said. The recent federal budget bill did not include after-school funding, and Trump has said he wants to eliminate the program next year.

Federal money is a relatively small but important part of California鈥檚 overall after-school funding. The state contributed more than $1.8 billion to after-school programs last year, which allowed most elementary students in California to attend after-school and summer programs for free or for steep discounts.

But high school programs are a different story. Federal grants are the only source of funding for high school after-school programs, which are a key part of career and technical education pathways.

This article was and was republished under the license.

鈥淲e can’t exit this decade with students, in particular low-income students, performing worse than they were performing when they entered the decade,鈥� said Kevin Huffman, CEO of Accelerate, a nonprofit funding academic recovery efforts. 鈥淢y biggest fear is just that people will use the Department of Education as a battering ram for other issues and not use it as a force to take on academic outcomes for kids.鈥�

The Republican nominee, declaring this the 鈥済olden age of America,鈥� in battleground states, like Georgia and Florida, than he did in 2020. As expected, Republicans flipped the Senate and will hold at least a 52-seat majority, with a few races left to call. Control of the House remains undecided. 

Observers expect Trump to immediately nullify the Biden administration鈥檚 Title IX rule that extends protections against discrimination to LGBTQ students. 

Those who campaigned for Trump, and agree with his promises to end in schools, celebrated his comeback.

鈥淎merican parents voted for their children鈥檚 future,鈥� Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty advocacy group, . Her name is already among those being tossed around as a possible . She told 社区黑料 that she 鈥渨ould be honored to serve the next president of the United States of America.鈥�

Most clues about Trump鈥檚 early priorities come from the conservative Heritage Foundation鈥檚 , or Project 2025. In addition to eliminating Title I funding for low-income students and Head Start for preschoolers from poor families, the plan would remove references to LGBTQ people throughout federal policy.

But even if Washington ends up with a GOP trifecta and federal appointees handpicked by Heritage, the president-elect might not be able to deliver on some of his more bold promises to dismantle the education department and of illegal immigrants.

鈥淪ome of this rhetoric will be tempered with reality once the administration changes,鈥� said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union. 鈥淭his is a president that we are very accustomed to. I understand people are nervous; they’re very concerned. But when it comes down to it, there’s also the reality of governing.鈥�

Eliminating the education department, for example, would require 60 votes in the Senate and would likely be unpopular in the House as well, even if Republicans are still in control, said David Cleary, a former Republican Senate education staffer now working for a left-leaning lobbying firm.

鈥淭he votes wouldn’t materialize,鈥� he said.

Michael Petrilli, president of the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute, added that 鈥渄raconian cuts鈥� in spending would also be difficult to pass. That鈥檚 why Trump is expected to accomplish some of his conservative agenda through executive orders.

鈥淟et’s assume that there is no grand reawakening to the problems that America faces and people stay in their partisan foxholes,鈥� Cleary said. 鈥淭rump will have to take a page out of [President Joe 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚] playbook and do a lot by executive action and regulatory plans.鈥�

That would include halting enforcement of 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 Title IX rule 鈥� which, because of litigation from Republican-led governors, currently applies to only 24 states. Officials would likely restart the process of restoring the 2020 regulation completed under former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, which narrowed the definition of sexual assault and expanded due process rights for the accused.

One LGBTQ advocacy organization called Trump鈥檚 victory 鈥渁n immediate threat.鈥�

鈥淭oday, many in our community feel a profound sense of loss and concern for the future,鈥� Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, executive director of GLSEN, said in a statement, pointing to Heritage鈥檚 Project 2025 as the blueprint for how Trump would roll back policies that allow trans students to play on sports teams or use restrooms that match their gender identity. 鈥淲ith these changes, our young people could face increased discrimination, reduced access to safe spaces and diminished legal recognition.鈥�

Trump, a and, at 78, the oldest candidate ever elected president, is also expected to push for private school choice, perhaps along the lines of the $5,000 that passed a House committee in September. But despite the GOP鈥檚 enthusiasm for vouchers and education savings accounts, which allow parents to use public funds for private school tuition and homeschooling expenses, some advocates would like to see greater support for the charter sector.

Petrilli, a self-described 鈥渘ever-Trumper,鈥� said he鈥檚 worried about returning to 鈥渢he political dynamics鈥� of Trump鈥檚 first term, which didn鈥檛 benefit charter schools.

鈥淩eform-oriented Democrats were sidelined or silenced,鈥� he said. 鈥淕iven that there are a lot of kids in blue states like California, New York, and Illinois who desperately need high-quality educational options, this would be a terrible development.鈥�

But Rodrigues sees some bright spots in Republicans鈥� focus on parental rights and school choice. 鈥淭hose things can be positive when not taken to the extreme,鈥� she said.

She鈥檚 encouraged by the prospect of Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana becoming chair of the Senate education committee, where he has already highlighted the importance of improving . 

While the National Parents Union has had close interaction with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and the White House, she said leaders have had ongoing 鈥渄eep conversations鈥� with those on both sides of the aisle.

鈥淧rogress will be made for children in any and all conditions, regardless of what happens in the House and the change up in the Senate,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think the depth of our relationships are not confined to one particular party.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 directing the members of my cabinet to return to me within 110 days with resources and information for schools to improve active-shooter drills, minimize this harm, create age-appropriate content and communicate with parents before and after these drills happen,鈥� Biden said during a Thursday afternoon White House event. 鈥淲e just have to do better and we can do better.鈥� 

Students nationwide participate in active-shooter drills, between school districts and have received mixed reviews as to their effectiveness from students, parents and educators. In some states, including New York, lawmakers have sought to scale back routine drills amid concerns they鈥檝e exacerbated the youth mental health crisis. A approved this summer bans realistic drills that use props and actors to mimic real-world school shooting scenarios. 

Biden also ordered on Thursday the creation of a new task force to assess the threat of conversion kits that allow semi-automatic guns to be modified into fully automatic weapons, so-called 鈥済host guns鈥� without serial numbers and weapons created with 3D printers. 

The efforts fit into the president鈥檚 agenda to toughen gun laws and prevent mass shootings. The Rose Garden announcement also featured Vice President Kamala Harris, who in a tight presidential race against Republican Donald Trump has positioned herself as a gun owning-Democrat in favor of stricter firearms restrictions. Trump has the endorsement of the National Rifle Association.  

鈥淚t is a false choice to suggest you are either in favor of the Second Amendment or you want to take everyone鈥檚 guns away,鈥� Harris said. 鈥淚 am in favor of the Second Amendment and I believe we need to reinstate the assault weapons ban and pass universal background checks, safe storage laws and red flag laws.鈥� 

Active shooter drills have become routine in schools nationwide although a White House fact sheet notes there is 鈥渧ery limited research on how to design and deploy鈥� them in a way that鈥檚 effective without becoming harmful in themselves. Though the executive order doesn鈥檛 mandate the drills or specific strategies on how to conduct them, it directs the U.S. Education Department and the Department of Homeland Security to publish a report outlining the existing research on their efficacy, how to design them in ways that are age-appropriate and 鈥渉ow to prevent students and educators from experiencing trauma or psychological stress associated with these drills.鈥� 

Rob Wilcox, the deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, told 社区黑料 on Wednesday that the variation in how drills are being conducted presents a need for federal officials to analyze their usefulness and provide guidance around the best path forward. 

Along with 鈥渢raditional lockdown drills鈥� where students are instructed to shelter in place behind closed doors, he said the Biden administration has been warned about the psychological harms of 鈥渦nannounced simulations鈥� where 鈥渇ake guns, fake blood, fake gunshots鈥� and a militarized police response are used to portray real-world assaults. 

鈥淭he president and vice president have heard from parents and students across the country about the need to know more about these drills and the need to really understand what our kids are going through,鈥� Wilcox said. 鈥淲hat is the effective way to do it and what are the harmful ways?鈥�

Traumatizing 鈥� or empowering? 

Teachers are split on the value of active-shooter drills, according to released this month. Fewer than half of educators said the drills have prepared them for a school shooting. More than two-thirds said they have had no impact on their perceptions of campus safety and just a fifth said they made them feel more safe.

A Pew Research Center survey found that a quarter of teachers experienced lockdowns in the 2022-23 school year because of gun incidents at their campuses. While 39% of teachers gave their schools a fair or poor job of training them to deal with active assailants, a smaller share 鈥� 30% 鈥� gave their school leadership an excellent or very good rating.

About two-thirds of parents of K-12 students say that children should be required to participate in at least one active-shooter drill per year and 83% were confident their kids鈥� schools were well equipped to keep them safe, released last fall. While 80% of respondents said the drill should be 鈥渆vidence-based and age-appropriate,鈥� just 36% said they should feature the sounds of guns or gunshots. 

that active-shooter drills , but other researchers have sought to combat that narrative. A in the peer-reviewed Journal of School Violence found children exposed to gun violence feel safer after undergoing lockdown drills. 

Research into the psychological impact of active-shooter drills and lockdown drills has generally treated all procedures as one in the same, said Jaclyn Schildkraut, the lead author of the Journal of School Violence report and executive director of the Regional Gun Violence Research Consortium at New York鈥檚 Rockefeller Institute of Government. Given that schools have deployed a range of drills 鈥� and because some efforts may be more effective than others 鈥� she said it鈥檚 鈥渧ery important that we do have very clear guidance about what schools are being asked to do.鈥�

Drills that seek to mimic active shootings have, in particular, become a point of controversy. In one in 2019, teachers reported injuries after they were shot with pellet guns during a mock shooting simulation at their elementary school. While some drills have taught kids to shelter in place during a shooting, others have instructed kids to use school supplies as makeshift weapons and fight back against an armed assailant. In some communities, schools have and as a solution to help kids defend themselves. 

But the drills, including those criticized for traumatizing kids, have been credited with saving lives during campus shootings, which remain statistically rare but have reached record highs in the last several years. During a shooting at Michigan鈥檚 Oxford High School in 2021, a 16-year-old student was reportedly shot as he charged at the assailant 鈥� an act that cost the star running back his life but the county sheriff said likely saved his classmates. 

鈥淲e don鈥檛 light schools on fire to practice a fire drill, yet we know that some schools are simulating active-shooter situations to practice for an active shooter,鈥� Schildkraut said. 

The effects of conducting realistic shooting scenarios, she said, should not be conflicted with the impacts of less-invasive emergency preparation like lockdowns. 

Keeping guns locked

Thursday鈥檚 executive order coincided with the release of a new Education Department tool designed to encourage families to keep their guns at home behind lock and key. 

The outlines state safe-storage and child-access prevention laws, which have been adopted in 31 states and penalize gun owners who fail to lock their weapons or who provide access to them to an unsupervised child. Though no such laws exist at the federal level, the Education Department website says the state-based efforts are an 鈥渋mportant step towards keeping our youth, schools, and communities safe.鈥�

The website also features examples of community and school district measures to promote firearm storage, including by the Cincinnati, Ohio, school district and a campaign at Colorado鈥檚 Cherry Creek School District, which distributed several hundred gun locks to families for free last year.

鈥淲hen school administrators communicate with parents about safe storage of firearms in their homes, it motivates parents to act,鈥� Biden said Thursday. 

About three-quarters of school shooters get their guns from a parent or another close relative, according to . In about half of cases, the guns had been readily accessible.

Prosecutors have increasingly turned to the actions 鈥� and inactions 鈥� of the parents of school shooters, who are . 

Earlier this month, a 54-year-old father from Georgia was arrested on murder charges after his 14-year-old son was accused of carrying out a shooting at Apalachee High School that left two of his classmates and two math teachers dead. The boy was given an AR-15-style rifle as a holiday gift last year.

In April, Michigan parents Jennifer and James Crumbley were each given decade-long prison sentences in first-of-their-kind convictions after their son, who was 15 years old at the time, killed four students in the 2021 Oxford High School shooting. The parents gave their son the 9-millimeter handgun used in the assault as a Christmas gift and stored it in an unlocked drawer in their bedroom despite warning signs the teenager planned to act violently. 

鈥淎fter current events, especially in Georgia, it鈥檚 beyond clear that safe storage in the home is essential,鈥� Wilcox, the White House gun prevention office deputy director, told 社区黑料. 鈥淔ourteen-year-olds should not have access to assault weapons.鈥� 

President Joe Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race Sunday, he said in , creating an unprecedented vacancy atop the Democratic ticket one month before he was scheduled to officially accept his party鈥檚 nomination.

In a followup  less than 30 minutes later, Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee.

叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 withdrawal came after a weeks-long pressure campaign from party insiders following a  June 27 debate performance against GOP candidate former President Donald Trump.

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The move throws an already-unusual presidential race into further chaos, and it was not immediately clear Sunday how Democrats would choose a replacement for Biden in November鈥檚 election, though Harris would have a strong claim to lead the ticket.

Biden praised Harris as 鈥渁n extraordinary partner鈥� in the administration鈥檚 accomplishments.

Biden, who has been fighting a COVID-19 infection at home in Delaware since last week, was not specific about his reasons for stepping aside, but said he believed it was in the country鈥檚 best interest.

鈥淚t has been the great honor of my life to serve as your President,鈥� he wrote in the one-page letter. 鈥淎nd while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.鈥�

Biden, 81, appeared frail and confused at several points throughout the debate, leading to worries among elected Democrats and the party鈥檚 voters that he was no longer up to the task of governing or contesting Trump鈥檚 bid to win back the White House.

As several congressional Democrats called for him to quit the race, others asked that he ramp up his public schedule and include more unrehearsed appearances that could demonstrate his fitness.

But a more robust schedule of news interviews, press conferences and campaign rallies did not sufficiently quiet the Democratic voices saying 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 candidacy was likely to throw the presidential race to Trump 鈥� whom Biden and others have described as an existential threat to U.S. democracy 鈥� and deeply handicap Democrats in other races up and down November鈥檚 ballot.

On Friday, Sens. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and  brought the number of senators calling on Biden to drop out to four. A day earlier, Montana Sen. Jon Tester  Biden should drop his reelection campaign and that Democrats should hold an open nomination process at their Chicago convention next month.

In the U.S. House, 29 Democrats had called for Biden to withdraw from the race by the end of the day July 19.

In a post following the announcement to his social media site, Truth Social, Trump said Biden was 鈥渘ever鈥� fit to serve as president.

鈥淐rooked Joe Biden was not fit to run for President, and is certainly not fit to serve 鈥� And never was!鈥� Trump wrote. 鈥淗e only attained the position of President by lies, Fake News, and not leaving his Basement. All those around him, including his Doctor and the Media, knew that he wasn鈥檛 capable of being President, and he wasn鈥檛 鈥� And now, look what he鈥檚 done to our Country.鈥�

More details of announcement

In the letter, Biden praised his administration鈥檚 accomplishments over three-and-a-half years, saying he鈥檇 worked to make 鈥渉istoric investments鈥� in the country, lowered prescription drug costs, nominated the first Black woman to the U.S. Supreme Court and 鈥減assed the most significant climate legislation in the history of the world.鈥�

鈥淭ogether we overcame a once in a century pandemic and the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression,鈥� Biden wrote. 鈥淲e鈥檝e protected and preserved our Democracy. And we鈥檝e revitalized and strengthened our alliances around the world.鈥�

Biden said he would 鈥渟peak to the Nation later this week鈥� about the decision.

He praised Harris and other supporters.

鈥淔or now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me reelected,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淚 want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me.鈥�

In follow-up posts, Biden said he was endorsing Harris and added a fundraising link.

鈥淢y very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 been the best decision I鈥檝e made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats 鈥� it鈥檚 time to come together and beat Trump. Let鈥檚 do this.鈥�

Trump gains in polls

The about face in what was to be a 2020 presidential election rematch leaves Democrats searching for a new candidate as Trump, who promises authoritarian-style leadership, has gained support in recent polls.

With just 107 days until Election Day, 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 move marks the latest date in modern presidential history that a candidate has withdrawn from the race.

President Lyndon Johnson announced in March 1968 that he would not seek reelection that year, leaving Democratic delegates to decide on a replacement 鈥� ultimately Vice President Hubert Humphrey 鈥� at the party鈥檚 convention that summer in Chicago.

Harris appears to be in a strong position to replace Biden as the party鈥檚 standard bearer, though questions remain about how the process will play out and  would become the vice presidential nominee.

Democrats praise decision

Reaction poured in shortly after the Sunday afternoon announcement, with Democrats largely praising 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 record and calling his decision courageous.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement that he understood 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 decision to step out of the race was 鈥渘ot easy, but he once again put his country, his party, and our future first.鈥�

鈥淛oe Biden has not only been a great president and a great legislative leader but he is a truly amazing human being,鈥� the New York Democrat said.

Several Republicans called for Biden to resign his office.

鈥淚f Joe Biden is not fit to run for President, he is not fit to serve as President,鈥� House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X. 鈥淗e must resign the office immediately. November 5 cannot arrive soon enough.鈥�

A crescendoing chorus to step down

Biden faced calls for him to abandon his reelection bid from congressional Democrats, even as he tried to stabilize the debate aftershock by holding a series of campaign rallies,  for  and holding a press conference at.

Democratic lawmakers   a public front of support for Biden in statements and passing interviews in the U.S. Capitol hallways with reporters.

What began as a trickle of dissent from rank-and-file Democrats 鈥�  with Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas and a handful of doubtful senior House Democrats 鈥� steadily grew to a torrent by Friday.

50-year career in Washington

叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 exit marks the closure of a long, storied career in Washington, including 38 years in the U.S. Senate, featuring stints leading the Foreign Affairs and Judiciary committees, and eight years as vice president under President Barack Obama.

叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 presidency was punctuated with major economic wins for Democrats, beginning with nearly $2 trillion to combat the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

His leadership with a Democratic majority in Congress resulted in substantial nationwide infrastructure investments, drove financial incentives to tackle climate change and revive the U.S. global role in semiconductor manufacturing, and strengthened flagging tax enforcement.

However, low approval ratings followed Biden throughout his presidency as Americans aimed their frustrations over inflation at the White House and assigned blame for record numbers of border crossings as a divided Congress 鈥� after Democrats lost their House majority in the 2022 midterms 鈥� failed to pass immigration restrictions negotiated with the administration.

叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 handling of the Israel-Hamas war also hurt his support among young and progressive voters as Israel鈥檚 continued offensive against Hamas militants in the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip killed tens of thousands of civilians. Protesters against the U.S. supply of weapons to Israel interrupted dozens of 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 reelection campaign events through 2024.

Ariana Figueroa contributed to this report.

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Family members and NAACP President Derrick Johnson spoke of the violent threats endured for years following the decision, which outlawed separating children into schools by their race. 

President Joe Biden met with the delegation of two original plaintiffs, about 20 descendants and NAACP leadership 鈥渃ritical in fighting for these and other hard-won freedoms for Black Americans,鈥� according to a White House official. 

Several family members reiterated the struggle to make good on 叠谤辞飞苍鈥檚 promise of quality education for all is far from over. 

鈥淲e have a lot of work to do,鈥� said Cheryl Brown Henderson, youngest daughter of namesake plaintiff Oliver Brown, just after leaving the Oval Office. 鈥�… We鈥檙e still fighting the battle over whose children we invest in.鈥�

In the private meeting, family members said they urged the President to continue that fight and support HBCUs. President Biden thanked them for taking on the risks required to push back on Jim Crow and segregation, including risking 鈥測our life, your livelihood, your home,鈥� said Brown Henderson.

At least one litigating family鈥檚 home was burned to the ground in South Carolina. Many others lost jobs, compounding the challenges Black families faced in trying to build economic wealth less than a century after the fall of slavery. 

One descendant urged the President to consider a national holiday commemorating the landmark court decision so that its significance and history would not be lost.

鈥淲e have yet to fulfill the promise of Brown,鈥� said NAACP President Derrick Johnson, adding that teaching 鈥渁dequate鈥� history is being threatened in multiple states. Last month, the organization for its “anti-indoctrination” law and alleged discrimination against Advanced Placement African American Studies courses.

鈥淪o the fight continues,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淚t is a political fight. It is a legal fight. It is a moral fight, to ensure that we have a future that’s reflective of the demographics of this country today and not the demographics of 1950.鈥� 

Earlier this week, scholars at Stanford University and University of Southern California unveiled troubling research that school segregation steadily increased in the last three decades. Experts say there鈥檚 an urgent need to reform how students are sorted into schools 鈥� four states require, and nearly all allow, districts to enforce attendance zones, which often mirror racist housing or sundown town boundaries from nearly a century ago. 

Family members called out the press鈥檚 failure to accurately document challenges to 叠谤辞飞苍鈥檚 implementation and racial educational inequities being played out in schools today. They also voiced criticism for the administration鈥檚 military and war spending in comparison to education priorities. This week and late last month signed a for aid to Ukraine, Taiwan and other countries. 

鈥淭he truth about education in America? Are the kids from the Indian reservations 鈥� in West Virginia, or my mother’s hometown in South Carolina [getting quality education]? I say no. Tell me I鈥檓 wrong,鈥� said Nathaniel Briggs, son of the namesake plaintiff in . 鈥淲e’ll spend millions of dollars to buy an airplane and a bomb, but not on education.鈥� 

Thursday鈥檚 event was the first of several NAACP and White House engagements commemorating the anniversary. Tomorrow, seven decades to the day since the court issued the Brown decision, the President will share remarks at the African American Smithsonian. 

The Biden administration is calling on the nation鈥檚 school principals to promote safe gun storage among parents and staff as part of its effort to prevent school shootings. 

at the White House, including several who have experienced school shootings, first lady Jill Biden said the nation asks a lot of educators, but their leadership on this issue could save lives.

鈥淗ow can we accept a world where the leading cause of death for our children is gun violence?鈥� asked Biden, who visited Uvalde, Texas, in 2022 after 19 students and two teachers were killed at an elementary school. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to have to put my hand on another cross with an 8-year-old鈥檚 name.鈥�

The resources for schools, which were released ahead of the event, should make it easier for school leaders to talk to families about a sensitive topic, officials said. The materials include a gun storage guide, a to principals from Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and a sample to parents with tips about trigger locks and storing ammunition.

鈥淲e often hear from principals that they want to do everything they can to keep their students and educators safe,鈥� Stefanie Feldman, director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, said during a call with reporters Wednesday. 鈥淏ut they shouldn’t have to be experts on safe storage of firearms.鈥�

shows that most school shooters obtain their weapons from home or . That was the case in the 2021 shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, where the gunman鈥檚 parents now face for their role in allowing their son access to a weapon despite red flags. And 80% of gun suicides among children 18 and younger involved a weapon belonging to a family member, .

President Joe Biden, who is backed in this year鈥檚 election by major , has taken to reduce gun violence, such as increasing background checks and prohibiting the sale of 鈥�.鈥� But Republicans have the president鈥檚 efforts to tighten gun restrictions.

Cardona said Thursday that gun safety shouldn鈥檛 be a 鈥渞ed or blue issue.鈥� Schools, he added, have adopted other life-saving practices, like having Narcan on hand in case of an opioid overdose, and should 鈥渘ormalize鈥� discussing gun safety. He told the attendees that other community members, like mayors and church elders, will listen to them because they are 鈥渃redible leaders.鈥�

One principal who was initially skeptical about the administration’s message had a change of heart after attending Thursday鈥檚 event.

鈥漌e鈥檙e instructional leaders,鈥� Edward Cosentino, principal at Phelps Luck Elementary School in Columbia, Maryland, said Wednesday following the release of the new sample materials. 鈥淓verything seems to be thrown on the shoulders of principals and schools these days.鈥�

But on Thursday, he said he viewed the call to action as 鈥渄efinitely not an add-on.鈥� 

鈥淚t isn鈥檛 completely on us,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 part of a larger effort.鈥�

Currently, 34 states have laws intended to prevent children from accessing guns, while eight states specifically require guns to be secured in a locked container or to have a locking device, according to the

The U.S. Department of Justice has issued to encourage  more states to pass such laws. But currently there is no federal requirement that gun owners keep their weapons locked up.

The Thursday event followed Cardona鈥檚 Monday in Parkland, Florida. He toured the building where Nikolas Cruz killed 17 students and school staff members and injured another 17 people nearly six years ago. The school, untouched since the shooting, is scheduled to be . Cruz is serving a life sentence for the attack.

鈥淚 walked over shattered glass. I saw bullet holes through walls and through desks,鈥� Cardona said. 鈥淚n some cases that morning, I was standing next to the parent of the murdered child.鈥�

The education department and the , which President Joe Biden established last year, organized the town hall in part with the , a group of administrators who have experienced shootings at their schools. 

鈥淓ach of these tragedies leaves an immense amount of trauma,鈥� said Michelle Kefford, principal of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High.

Cardona also led a moment of silence for , the Iowa principal who was injured while protecting students during a school shooting on Jan. 4. He died 10 days later.  

鈥淭here is that heavy load on principals,鈥�  said Tracy Hilliard, who also attended Thursday鈥檚 event. She serves as principal of Urbana Elementary in Frederick, Maryland and president of the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals.鈥淲e serve in many roles, but we knew that when we accepted the job.鈥�

But some say the responsibility shouldn鈥檛 fall on school leaders who are already overtaxed. 

鈥淚 think it’s very unrealistic to expect that school administrators are going to take this on with enthusiasm,鈥� said Kenneth Trump, president of National School Safety and Security Services, a nonprofit that provides training to school leaders. 鈥淚t’s easy for government and community organizations to say, 鈥楲et the schools do that.鈥� 鈥�

Addressing that concern at the event, Cardona said that educators didn鈥檛 鈥渟ign up鈥� for a pandemic either. 

鈥淚f we’re not prioritizing saving the lives of children in our schools,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd creating a stronger sense of safety for them, we can’t expect them to be able to move the needle on reading or math or all the other things that are so crucial to their education.鈥�

鈥淭hese three strategies have one central goal 鈥� giving students more time and more support to succeed,鈥� U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said Wednesday at a White House gathering to outline the president鈥檚 K-12 agenda. 鈥淲e’ll use all the tools at our disposal to advance these three pillars.鈥�

The event, featuring three governors and three state chiefs, highlighted successful efforts to spend pandemic relief funds on proven models, like to improve student attendance and the that now reaches 245 of the state鈥檚 600 districts. The administration aims to make sure more states and districts are implementing effective programs.

But some feel there was scant attention to the role of families in such efforts. 

鈥淎midst all the happy talk, there was no mention that far too many families seem unconvinced that they need to send students to school regularly, or to engage in additional learning opportunities,鈥� said Nat Malkus, a senior fellow at the conservative American Enterprise Institute. The 鈥渟upply side鈥� of the equation 鈥� offering extra opportunities for learning 鈥� won鈥檛 make any difference if parents don鈥檛 see the value, he said.

Since the pandemic, researchers have documented a disconnect between parents and educators over pandemic learning loss. A University of Southern California study released in December documented what some have called an 鈥渦rgency gap,鈥� with parents expressing little alarm over long-term effects of school closures. 

Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, said there are other reasons why students aren鈥檛 in class everyday or aren鈥檛 taking advantage of tutoring opportunities. Schools, she said, aren鈥檛 giving students enough reasons to be there.

鈥淜ids are watching movies and listening to people read books on YouTube in the classroom,鈥� she said. And studies conducted in the wake of the pandemic show schools are requiring less effort from students. 鈥淕rade inflation will get you a C without even showing up.鈥� 

An analysis of federal data from Attendance Works and the Everyone Graduates Center at Johns Hopkins University shows that roughly 14 million students were chronically absent during the 2021-22 school year, with significant increases among Latino students and those in suburban and rural districts. 

The administration hopes to reverse those trends by encouraging more states to regularly track chronic absenteeism and plans to publish examples from districts using strategies such as text messages and home visits. The White House urged more states to include chronic absenteeism as an indicator in their state accountability plans. Currently, 14 states don鈥檛, according to the department.

Officials also outlined ways to use the department鈥檚 existing accountability structure under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act to push research-based tutoring programs. A growing points to models that connect students with the same tutor at least three times a week.

The department plans to monitor whether states with tutoring programs ensure that low-performing schools use high-dosage models. And the White House said states should to districts where test scores still trail pre-COVID performance.

鈥淢y guess is they have seen states sign contracts for large-scale online homework help, which isn’t evidence-driven,鈥� said Kevin Huffman, CEO of Accelerate, which last year awarded $1 million each to five states to support high-dosage tutoring.

To Phillip Lovell, associate executive director at All4Ed, a nonprofit advocacy group, 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 agenda signals a shift from using federal relief funds effectively to ensuring successful programs continue to reach students in the lowest-performing schools. While the department is offering states the for an extension, the pandemic aid officially expires later this year. 

鈥淭he reality is that it is going to take much longer than the amount of time states and districts have to spend [relief] dollars to recover academically,鈥� Lovell said. 

The it plans to run grant competitions supporting a long list of programs 鈥� not just tutoring, but also afterschool programs, and math and literacy coaching for teachers. But funding those programs is still up to Congress, which has not yet reached agreement on the budget for this fiscal year. 

Beyond monitoring districts鈥� use of Title I funds and promoting best practices, the administration was unclear about what other 鈥渢ools鈥� it might use to get districts to implement evidence-based programs. But some state leaders wish the department could do more to hold districts accountable. 

鈥淚 could use some help getting schools to really understand the value,鈥� said New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishamsaid, joining the event remotely. She said 鈥渇ar too many鈥� districts in her state weren鈥檛 offering extended learning programs or high-dosage tutoring. 鈥淚t has been harder than it ought to be to get everybody on the same page dedicated to improved outcomes and well-being for New Mexico students.鈥�

WASHINGTON 鈥� U.S. Senate Republicans on Wednesday night failed to garner enough votes to block a new Biden administration rule on an income-driven repayment plan for federal student loans.

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But nearly a year after most of us came face-to-face with the first of these tools, a that few states are offering educators substantial guidance on how to best use AI, let alone fairly and with appropriate privacy protections.

As of mid-October, just two states, California and , offered official guidance to schools on using AI, according to the Center for Reinventing Public Education at Arizona State University. 

CRPE said 11 more states are developing guidance, but that another 21 states don鈥檛 plan to give schools guidelines on AI 鈥渋n the foreseeable future.鈥�

Seventeen states didn鈥檛 respond to CRPE鈥檚 survey and haven鈥檛 made official guidance publicly available.

As more schools experiment with AI, good policies and advice 鈥� or a lack thereof 鈥� will 鈥渄rive the ways adults make decisions in school,鈥� said Bree Dusseault, CRPE鈥檚 managing director. That will ripple out, dictating whether these new tools will be used properly and equitably.

鈥淲e’re not seeing a lot of movement in states getting ahead of this,鈥� she said. 

The reality in schools is that AI is here. Edtech companies are pitching products and schools are buying them, even if state officials are still trying to figure it all out. 

鈥淚t doesn’t surprise me,鈥� said Satya Nitta, CEO of , a generative AI company developing voice-activated assistants for teachers. 鈥淣ormally the technology is well ahead of regulators and lawmakers. So they’re probably scrambling to figure out what their standard should be.鈥�

Nitta said a lot of educators and officials this week are likely looking 鈥渧ery carefully鈥� at Monday鈥檚 on AI 鈥渢o figure out what next steps are.鈥� 

The order requires, among other things, that AI developers share safety test results with the U.S. government and develop standards that ensure AI systems are 鈥渟afe, secure, and trustworthy.鈥� 

It follows five months after the U.S. Department of Education released a detailed, with recommendations on using AI in education.

Deferring to districts

The fact that 13 states are at least in the process of helping schools figure out AI is significant. Last summer, no states offered such help, CRPE found. Officials in New York, , Rhode Island and Wyoming said decisions about many issues related to AI, such as academic integrity and blocking websites or tools, are made on the local level.

Still, researchers said, it鈥檚 significant that the majority of states still don鈥檛 plan AI-specific strategies or guidance in the 2023-24 school year.

There are a few promising developments: North Carolina will soon require high school graduates to pass a computer science course. In Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin in September on AI careers. And Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro in September to create a state governing board to guide use of generative AI, including developing training programs for state employees.

But educators need help understanding artificial intelligence, 鈥渨hile also trying to navigate its impact,鈥� said Tara Nattrass, managing director of innovation strategy at the International Society for Technology in Education. 鈥淪tates can ensure educators have accurate and relevant guidance related to the opportunities and risks of AI so that they are able to spend less time filtering information and more time focused on their primary mission: teaching and learning.鈥�

Beth Blumenstein, Oregon鈥檚 interim director of digital learning & well-rounded access, said AI is already being used in Oregon schools. And the state Department of Education has received requests from educators asking for support, guidance and professional development.

Generative AI is 鈥渁 powerful tool that can support education practices and provide services to students that can greatly benefit their learning,鈥� she said. 鈥淗owever, it is a highly complex tool that requires new learning, safety considerations, and human oversight.鈥�

Three big issues she hears about are cheating, plagiarism and data privacy, including how not to run afoul of Oregon鈥檚 Student Information Protection Act or the federal Children鈥檚 Online Privacy and Protection Act. 

鈥楴ow I have to do AI?鈥�

In August, CRPE conducted focus groups with 18 superintendents, principals and senior administrators in five states who said they were cautiously optimistic about AI鈥檚 potential, but many complained about navigating yet another new disruption.

鈥淲e just got through this COVID hybrid remote learning,鈥� one leader told researchers. 鈥淣ow I have to do AI?鈥�

Nitta, Merlyn Mind鈥檚 CEO, said that syncs with his experience.

鈥淏roadly, school districts are looking for some help, some guidance: 鈥楽hould we use ChatGPT? Should we not use it? Should we use AI? Is it private? Are they in violation of regulations?鈥� It’s a complex topic. It’s full of all kinds of mines and landmines.鈥� 

And the stakes are high, he said. No educator wants to appear in a newspaper story about her school using an AI chatbot that feeds inappropriate information to students. 

鈥淚 wouldn’t go so far as to say there’s a deer-caught-in-headlights moment here,鈥� Nitta said, 鈥渂ut there’s certainly a lot of concern. And I do believe it’s the responsibility of authorities, of responsible regulators, to step in and say, 鈥楬ere’s how to use AI safely and appropriately.鈥� 鈥澛�

As artificial intelligence rapidly expands its presence in classrooms, President Biden signed an executive order Monday requiring federal education officials to create guardrails that prevent tech-driven discrimination. 

The , which the White House called 鈥渢he most sweeping actions ever taken to protect Americans from the potential risks of AI systems,鈥� offers several directives that are specific to the education sector. The order dealing with emerging technologies like ChatGPT directs the Justice Department to coordinate with federal civil rights officials on ways to investigate discrimination perpetuated by algorithms. 

Within a year, the education secretary must release guidance on the ways schools can use the technology equitably, with a particular focus on the tools鈥� effects on 鈥渧ulnerable and underserved communities.鈥� Meanwhile, an Education Department 鈥淎I toolkit鈥� released within the next year will offer guidance on how to implement the tools so that they enhance trust and safety while complying with federal student privacy rules. 

For civil rights advocates who have decried AI鈥檚 potentially unintended consequences, the order was a major step forward. 

The order鈥檚 focus on civil rights investigations 鈥渁ligns with what we鈥檝e been advocating for over a year now,鈥� said Elizabeth Laird, the director of equity and civic technology at the nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology. Her group has called on the Education Department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights to open investigations into the ways AI-enabled tools in schools could have a disparate impact on students based on their race, disability, sexual orientation and gender identity. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important that this office, which has been focused on protecting marginalized groups of students for literally decades, is more involved in conversations about AI and can bring that knowledge and skill set to bear on this emerging technology,鈥� Laird told 社区黑料. 

In to federal agencies on Wednesday, the Office of Management and Budget spelled out the types of AI education technologies that pose civil rights and safety risks. They include tools to detect student cheating, monitor their online activities, project academic outcomes, make discipline recommendations or facilitate surveillance online and in-person.  

An Education Department spokesperson didn鈥檛 respond to a request for comment Monday on how the agency plans to respond to 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 order. 

Schools nationwide have adopted artificial intelligence in divergent ways, including in to provide students individualized lessons and with the growing use of chatbots like ChatGPT by both students and teachers. It鈥檚 also generated heated debates over technology鈥檚 role in exacerbating harms to at-risk youth, including educators鈥� use of early warning systems that mine data about students 鈥� including their race and disciplinary records 鈥� to predict their odds of dropping out of school. 

鈥淲e鈥檝e heard reported cases of using data to predict who might commit a crime, so very Minority Report,鈥� Laird said. 鈥淭he bar that schools should be meeting is that they should not be targeting students based on protected characteristics unless it meets a very narrowly defined purpose that is within the government鈥檚 interests. And if you鈥檙e going to make that argument, you certainly need to be able to show that this is not causing harm to the groups that you鈥檙e targeting.鈥� 

AI and student monitoring tools

An unprecedented degree of student surveillance has also been facilitated by AI, including online activity monitoring tools, remote proctoring software to detect cheating on tests and campus security cameras with facial recognition capabilities. 

Beyond its implications on schools, the Biden order requires certain technology companies to conduct AI safety testing before their products are released to the public and to provide their results to the government. It also orders new regulations to ensure AI won鈥檛 be used to produce nuclear weapons, recommends that AI-generated photos and videos be transparently identified as such with watermarks and calls on Congress to pass federal data privacy rules 鈥渢o protect all Americans, especially kids.鈥�

In September, The Center for Democracy and Technology released a report that warned that schools鈥� use of AI-enabled digital monitoring tools, which track students鈥� behaviors online, could have a disparate impact on students 鈥� particularly LGBTQ+ youth and those with disabilities 鈥� in violation of federal civil rights laws. As teachers punish students for using ChatGPT to allegedly cheat on classroom assignments, a survey suggested that children in special education were more likely to face discipline than their general education peers. They also reported higher levels of surveillance and subsequent discipline as a result. 

In response to the report, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers penned a letter urging the Education Department鈥檚 civil rights office to investigate districts that use digital surveillance and other AI tools in ways that perpetuate discrimination. 

Education technology companies that use artificial intelligence could come under particular federal scrutiny as a result of the order, said consultant Amelia Vance, an expert on student privacy regulations and president of the Public Interest Privacy Center. The order notes that the federal government plans to enforce consumer protection laws and enact safeguards 鈥渁gainst fraud, unintended bias, discrimination, infringements on privacy and other harms from AI.鈥� 

鈥淪uch protections are especially important in critical fields like healthcare, financial services, education, housing, law and transportation,鈥� the order notes, 鈥渨here mistakes by or misuse of AI could harm patients, cost consumers or small businesses or jeopardize safety or rights.鈥�

Schools rely heavily on third-party vendors like education technology companies to provide services to students, and those companies are subject to Federal Trade Commission rules against deceptive and unfair business practices, Vance noted. The order鈥檚 focus on consumer protections, she said, 鈥渨as sort of a flag for me that maybe we鈥檙e going to see not only continuing interest in regulating ed tech, but more specifically regulating ed tech related to AI.鈥�

While the order was 鈥減retty vague when it came to education,鈥� Vance said it was important that it did acknowledge AI鈥檚 potential benefits in education, including for personalized learning and adaptive testing. 

鈥淎s much as we keep talking about AI as if it showed up in the past year, it鈥檚 been there for a while and we know that there are valuable ways that it can be used,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淚t can surface particular content, it can facilitate better connections to people when they need certain content.鈥� 

AI and facial recognition cameras

As school districts pour billions of dollars into school safety efforts in the wake of mass school shootings, security vendors have heralded the promises of AI. Yet civil rights groups have warned that facial recognition and other AI-driven technology in schools could perpetuate biases 鈥� and could miss serious safety risks. 

Just last month, the gun-detection company Evolv Technology, which pitches its hardware to schools, acknowledged it was the subject of a Federal Trade Commission inquiry into its marketing practices. The agency is reportedly probing whether the company employs artificial intelligence in the ways that it claims. 

In September, New York became the first state to , a move that followed outcry when an upstate school district announced plans to roll out a surveillance camera system that tracked students鈥� biometric data. 

A new Montana law bans facial recognition statewide with one notable exception 鈥� . Citing privacy concerns, the law adopted this year prohibits government agencies from using facial recognition, but with a specific carveout for schools. One rural education system, the 250-student Sun River School District, employs a 30-camera security system from Verkada that uses facial recognition to track the identities of people on its property. As a result, the district has a camera-to-student ratio of 8-to-1. 

In an email on Wednesday, a Verkada spokesperson said the company is in the process of reviewing Biden’s order to understand its implications on the company.

Verkada offers a cautionary tale about the potential security vulnerabilities of campus surveillance systems. In 2021, the company suffered a massive data breach and hackers claimed to expose the live feeds of 150,000 surveillance cameras 鈥� including those in place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, the site of a mass shooting in 2012.聽A conducted on behalf of the company found the breach was more limited, affecting some 4,500 cameras.

Hikvision has similarly made inroads in the school security market with its facial recognition surveillance cameras 鈥� including during a pandemic-era push to enforce face mask compliance. Yet the company, owned in part by the Chinese government, has also faced significant allegations of civil rights abuses and in 2019 was placed on a U.S. trade blacklist after being implicated in the country鈥檚 鈥渃ampaign of repression, mass arbitrary detention and high-technology surveillance鈥� against Muslim ethnic minorities. 

Though multiple U.S. school districts continue to use Hikvision cameras, a recent investigation found the company鈥檚 software despite claiming for years it had ended the practice.

 In an email, a Hikvision spokesperson didn鈥檛 comment on how Biden’s executive order could affect its business, including in schools, but offered a letter it shared to its customers in response to the investigation, saying an outdated reference to ethnic detection appeared on its website erroneously.

鈥淚t has been a longstanding Hikvision policy to prohibit the use of minority recognition technology,鈥� the letter states. 鈥淎s we have previously stated, that functionality was phased out and completely prohibited by the company in 2018.鈥�

Data scientist David Riedman, who built a national database to track school shootings dating back decades, said that artificial intelligence is at 鈥渢he forefront鈥� of the school safety conversation and emerging security technologies can be built in ways that don鈥檛 violate students鈥� rights. 

Riedman became a figure in the national conversation about school shootings as the creator of the K12 School Shooting Database but has since taken on an additional role as director of industry research and content for ZeroEyes, a surveillance software company that uses security cameras to ferret out guns. Instead of using facial recognition, the ZeroEyes algorithm was trained to identify and notify law enforcement within seconds of spotting a firearm. 

The 鈥� as opposed to facial recognition 鈥� can 鈥渆vade privacy and bias concerns that plague other AI models,鈥� and internal research found that 鈥渙nly 0.06546% of false positives were humans detected as guns.鈥� 

鈥淭he simplicity鈥� of ZeroEye鈥檚 technology, Riedman said, puts the company in good standing as far as the Biden order is concerned.

鈥淶eroEyes isn鈥檛 looking for people at all,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 only looking for objects and the only objects it is trying to find, and it鈥檚 been trained to find, are images that look like guns. So you鈥檙e not getting student records, you鈥檙e not getting student demographics, you鈥檙e not getting anything related to people or even a school per se. You just have an algorithm that is constantly searching for images to see if there is something that looks like a firearm in them.鈥�

However, false positives remain a concern. Just last week at a high school in Texas, from ZeroEyes prompted a campus lockdown that set off student and parent fears of an active shooting. The company said the false alarm was triggered by an image of a student outside who the system believed was armed based on shadows and the way his arm was positioned. 

WASHINGTON 鈥� As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low-income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts.

The White House released a , estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, also known as WIC, could be at risk of losing funds to purchase select food and receive vouchers for vegetables and fruit.

The program provides financial support for those who are low-income and pregnant or nursing, as well as for children up to 5 years old.

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said during a Monday White House briefing that WIC recipients could feel the impact of the shutdown within days.

鈥淢illions of those moms, (babies) and young children would see a lack of nutrition assistance,鈥� he said.

Vilsack, Iowa鈥檚 former governor, said some states have leftover WIC benefits and 鈥渃ould extend (WIC) for a week or so.鈥�

鈥淭he vast majority of WIC participants would see an immediate reduction and elimination of those benefits, which means the nutrition assistance that鈥檚 provided would not be available,鈥� he said.

For example, in Alabama, about 112,000 WIC recipients could lose their benefits, and in Florida, more than 421,000 as well. In Michigan, more than 207,000 recipients could lose their WIC benefits and in North Carolina, it鈥檚 more than 268,000 WIC recipients.

Additionally, new eligible participants could face a backlog.

鈥淲ithout the urgent investment of additional funds, state WIC offices could soon be forced to consider waiting lists for prospective participants 鈥� a drastic step not seen in nearly 30 years,鈥� Kate Franken, board chair of the National WIC Association, which is the non-profit advocacy arm of WIC, said in a statement.

The impending shutdown comes after President Joe Biden with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy earlier this year to raise the debt ceiling. set maximum spending levels for the next fiscal year.

However, none of the 12 appropriations bills has been passed by the House, and a handful of far-right Republicans are , even if it means a partial government shutdown.

鈥淗ouse Republicans have turned their backs on the bipartisan budget deal that a large majority of them voted for just a few months ago and proposed a continuing resolution (CR) that makes devastating cuts to programs that millions of hardworking Americans count on,鈥� the White House said in a press release.

A continuing resolution, or CR, is regularly used to keep the government funded for weeks or a couple of months while the House and Senate finish work on the 12 annual spending bills.

Without a CR by Saturday, the end of the fiscal year, a partial shutdown will occur and programs that have discretionary funding, like WIC, will lapse.

Funding for WIC is not mandatory spending, meaning the program won鈥檛 be automatically funded regardless of a government shutdown. It鈥檚 funded through the Agriculture appropriations bill, which has not been passed by Congress.

The White House criticized the Agriculture appropriations bill the House passed out of its committee that did not include the supplemental funding the Biden administration requested.

鈥淲ithout the Administration鈥檚 funding request, states could soon be forced to institute waiting lists for WIC, causing mothers and children to lose access to the vital nutrition assistance,鈥� the White House said.

WIC funding is distributed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Food and Nutrition Service to states through a formula. The share of eligible people who participate in WIC can vary between states 鈥� California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, have a coverage rate for WIC by over 60%.

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Arkansas Advocate maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Sonny Albarado for questions: info@arkansasadvocate.com. Follow Arkansas Advocate on and .

Such unrelenting attacks 鈥� this time against a Bergen County, New Jersey, district 鈥攁re what brought the first lady as well as some 200 federal cybersecurity officials, school district leaders and tech company executives together for a first-ever White House summit on strengthening school district defenses.

鈥淚t鈥檚 going to take all of us,鈥� Biden said. 

The breaches have grinded school technology systems nationwide 鈥渢o a halt,鈥� the first lady said at the East Room gathering, forcing some districts to cancel classes as reams of sensitive student, parent and educator data were stolen and leaked online. In March, a Medusa attack on Minneapolis Public Schools exposed records about child abuse inquiries, student mental health crises and campus physical security details. 

鈥淚f we want to safeguard our children鈥檚 futures, we must protect their personal data,鈥� she said. 鈥淓very student deserves the opportunity to see a school counselor when they鈥檙e struggling and not worry that these conversations will be shared with the world.鈥�

Among the new strategies announced Tuesday is the creation of a Government Coordinating Council that will provide 鈥渇ormal, ongoing collaboration鈥� between all levels of government and school districts to prepare for and respond to data breaches. Officials with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said the agency would provide individualized assessments and cybersecurity training to 300 K-12 education entities over the next year. 

Tuesday鈥檚 cybersecurity event didn鈥檛 come with the announcement of any new federal regulations but was instead positioned as the first step in a new-found federal urgency around cybersecurity in schools. The Federal Communications Commission in late July proposed a $200 million pilot program to enhance cybersecurity in schools and libraries that still needs to be approved.

鈥淲hen schools face cyber attacks, the impacts can be huge,鈥� Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said. 鈥淟et鈥檚 be clear, we need to be taking these cyber attacks on schools as seriously as we do the physical attacks on critical infrastructure.鈥�

In released by the Education Department and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the agencies recommended that school districts implement multi-factor authentication, enforce minimum password strength standards and ensure software is kept up to date. They should also consider moving on-premises information technology services to cloud-based systems. 

鈥淒o not underestimate the ruthlessness of those who wish to do us harm,鈥� Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said. 鈥淭hey have proven their willingness to steal and leak such private student information as psychiatric hospitalizations, home struggles and suicide attempts. Do not wait until the crisis comes to start preparing.鈥� 

School cybersecurity expert Doug Levin, who attended the summit, said it was a positive development to see the federal government, and the Education Department in particular, focus on the effects of ransomware on schools. The Education Department has been 鈥渕ostly absent from these conversations鈥� in the past, said the national director of The K12 Security Information eXchange.

Meanwhile, several companies, including education technology vendors, unveiled new commitments to help facilitate digital security in schools. Amazon Web Services announced a new $20 million grant program to bolster K-12 school cybersecurity while Cloudflare committed to providing free cybersecurity tools to small districts with 2,500 or fewer students. 

Schools are now the single leading target for hackers, outpacing health care, technology, financial services and manufacturing industries, according to a global survey of IT professionals released last month by the British cybersecurity company Sophos.

In the U.S. school district cyber attacks reached a record high of 37 in the month of June alone, , but Tuesday鈥檚 event centered largely on a crisis that unfolded in Los Angeles nearly a year ago. 

Last September, a notorious ransomware group carried out an attack on the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation鈥檚 second largest, that resulted in some 500 gigabytes of district data being published to the Russian-speaking group鈥檚 dark-web leak site. 

A major theme of the White House summit was the politically connected superintendent鈥檚 swift outreach to federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. That collaboration, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho and federal education officials said, set into motion a response plan that mitigated the attack, limited the number of files breached and avoided class cancellations. 

Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, called it 鈥渢he Harvard Business School case study on how to get this right.鈥� 

Other school districts should respond similarly, said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. When school leaders suspect they鈥檝e been the target of an attack, he said, it鈥檚 incumbent that they 鈥減lease call us immediately.鈥� In L.A.鈥檚 case, the FBI was able to have a team of agents on the ground in less than 24 hours, he said, enabling them to freeze vulnerable accounts and secure sensitive information that had been sought out by the threat actors. 

That coordinated response didn鈥檛 prevent some 2,000 current and former students鈥� highly sensitive psychological evaluations from being leaked on the dark web, an investigation by 社区黑料 revealed. Carvalho initially denied that such records were exposed in the attack, but the district acknowledged they were after the story was published. The district also initially said the attack began and ended on Sept. 3 鈥� the Saturday of Labor Day weekend 鈥� but a follow-up investigation determined that an intrusion began as early as July 31, the .

While Carvalho didn鈥檛 comment Tuesday on the leak of sensitive psychological information, he said the number of stolen files 鈥渃ould have been much worse,鈥� adding that the hackers 鈥渆ncrypted and exfiltrated very little thanks to our actions.鈥� Among the actions they didn鈥檛 take, the schools chief said, was paying the undisclosed ransom demand because 鈥渨e don鈥檛 negotiate with terrorists.鈥�

First Lady Jill Biden, senior administration officials, school district heads and technology company executives will convene at the White House Monday to kick off a new cybersecurity defense initiative as schools increasingly fall victim to crippling ransomware attacks. 

The Education Department will launch a coordinating council to provide formal collaboration between government officials and district leaders to help schools strengthen their cybersecurity capabilities in the face of attacks that have closed campuses and exposed highly sensitive student and educator information online. The effort was announced by senior Biden administration officials on a press call Sunday evening. 

The council is being billed as the department鈥檚 鈥渒ey first step鈥� in a renewed focus on cybersecurity after multiple districts 鈥� including in Los Angeles and Minneapolis 鈥� were targeted by cyber gangs. 

At the White House event, federal officials will hear from school district leaders who navigated attacks, including Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, who led America鈥檚 second-largest school system through a hack last September. That breach, an investigation by 社区黑料 revealed, exposed thousands of current and former students鈥� highly sensitive psychological evaluations on the dark web.

In addition to the first lady, others expected to attend the 4 p.m. White House summit include Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. 

Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, said the administration seeks to help school districts protect sensitive information about students, parents and educators. In March, a ransomware attack against Minneapolis Public Schools led to a data breach that exposed more than 189,000 files, including records related to sexual misconduct investigations, child abuse reports and district physical security information that鈥檚 typically kept private. 

Neuberger called the Minneapolis breach 鈥渁 particularly vicious example,鈥� citing the disclosure of closely held school security information, which was first revealed in an investigation by 社区黑料. 

Teams of federal cybersecurity experts will visit schools and help them create incident response plans, said Neuberger, adding that districts 鈥� particularly small ones 鈥� often lack the money and resources to adequately prepare for attacks. 

Schools are now the single leading target for hackers, outpacing health care, technology, financial services and manufacturing industries, according to a global survey of IT professionals released last month by the British cybersecurity company Sophos.

Cindy Marten, the deputy secretary of education, said that government officials and school leaders must make school cybersecurity a priority at the same level as physical infrastructure. She said she experienced firsthand how districts and the federal government can work together to mitigate the harm from attacks. Carvalho reached out to the Education Department after the Los Angeles district was hacked, Marten said, making clear the importance of partnerships.

It can take as long as nine months for districts to recover from cyberattacks, , and can cost them as much as $1 million to respond. 

Several technology companies have also committed to offer schools 鈥渇ree and low-cost resources.鈥� Amazon Web Services pledged to provide $20 million for a K-12 cyber grant program, free security training and incident response help. Meanwhile, will offer free cybersecurity tools to small districts with 2,500 or fewer students. 

Other federal commitments announced Monday include a guide from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Guard Bureau to help schools report cybersecurity incidents and tap into federal cyber defense expertise. 

Last month, the Federal Communications Commission proposed a $200 million grant program to help districts bolster cybersecurity. 

Being a low-income child in the U.S. is daunting and outright depressing. Living in a family with income below the poverty line as a child is associated with lower levels of educational attainment, poorer health in adulthood and lower lifetime earnings than more affluent children attain. However, can blunt these negative effects of poverty and bring poor children closer to equal opportunity and equal access to extracurricular activities like piano lessons and baseball clubs, afterschool tutoring, healthy meals at dinnertime, mentorship and more quality time with their loved ones. All these things taken together not only level the playing field for disadvantaged kids, but help them thrive and flourish into adulthood.

Families across the country are facing unprecedented challenges, forcing them to make hard choices at the grocery store, the gas pump, in housing and for child care. The National Parents Union’s found the majority of families were extremely concerned about the rise of everyday costs and that Child Tax Credit monthly checks made a difference. Of the 68% of parents who received an expanded Child Tax Credit, said it had an impact on their family鈥檚 financial situation and their bottom line. Interestingly enough, although parents are not certain the midterm election results will have a net positive impact on their family, kids鈥� education and the economy, they are very clear on actions the federal government could take: in our December poll support restoring the expanded Child Tax Credit.

It is not a surprise the Child Tax Credit expansion resulted in an unprecedented reduction in households experiencing food insecurity: 14.8% of households in 2020 experienced food insecurity, compared with 12.5% in 2021. This means that as a result of the expansion, 2.5 million fewer children lived in households that experienced food insecurity, even though the since October 2021.

Housing costs have also risen exponentially. In 2021, , the largest increase in 34 years of data collected. A by the National Low Income Housing Coalition found that 70% of Child Tax Credit recipients used their payments to supplement their housing costs 鈥� and evictions dropped dramatically as a result.

These factors, and more, have a direct impact on learning. Generation A is experiencing an education emergency, as more students are reading, writing and doing math below grade level than before COVID-19 struck. This year鈥檚 showed the largest declines in math ever reported. Kids are in need of extended learning opportunities 鈥� quality programs and extracurricular learning opportunities to help them catch up. The Child Tax Credit would give families the breathing room that they need to hire tutors, pay for sports teams and dance classes, and provide their children with access to joyful moments of learning to complement classroom learning that they might not otherwise have.

The National Parents Union is asking all families and allies to join our fight by to support the restoration of the Child Tax Credit expansion and prevent 2.1 million children from falling back into poverty. Congress has until Thursday, Dec. 22 to pass an end-of-year tax package that could include relief for hardworking families as the 117^th Congress winnows down.

This is not about the entitlement state 鈥� it is about raising the bar for the quality of life of America鈥檚 children. An expanded Child Tax Credit, along with the ‘s new , are necessary policies for helping families overcome needless mental and physical challenges due to an inability to afford healthy food options. When Sen. Mitch McConnell insists that any end-of-year tax deal must prioritize defense spending over domestic policies, my question is: Why do lawmakers continue to stymie efforts to lift 4 million kids out of poverty? The country needs to fortify the future by prioritizing children 鈥� their health, education, resiliency. It is a moral imperative to create the conditions in which kids are free to experience joy, shielded from unnecessary suffering, and able to access resources that will positively impact their lives. 

Reinstating the Child Tax Credit expansion in the end-of-year tax package should be a no-brainer, a genuine and unprecedented demonstration that Congress 鈥� representing everyday, hardworking Americans 鈥� does indeed care about the wellness of the nation’s poorest children.

The Biden administration on Tuesday urged school districts nationwide to refrain from subjecting students to 鈥渃ontinuous surveillance鈥� if the use of digital monitoring tools 鈥� already accused of targeting at-risk youth 鈥� are likely to trample students鈥� rights. 

The White House recommendation was included in an in-depth but non-binding white paper, dubbed the that seeks to rein in the potential harms of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technologies, from smart speakers featuring voice assistants to campus surveillance cameras with facial recognition capabilities. 

The blueprint, which was released by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and extends far beyond the education sector, lays out five principles: Tools that rely on artificial intelligence should be safe and effective, avoid discrimination, ensure reasonable privacy protections, be transparent about their practices and offer the ability to opt out 鈥渋n favor of a human alternative.鈥�

Though the blueprint lacks enforcement, schools and education technology companies should expect greater federal scrutiny soon. In , the White House announced that the Education Department would release by early 2023 recommendations on schools鈥� use of artificial intelligence that 鈥渄efine specifications for the safety, fairness and efficacy of AI models used within education鈥� and introduce 鈥済uardrails that build on existing education data privacy regulations.鈥� 

During , Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said officials at the department 鈥渆mbrace utilizing Ed Tech to enhance learning鈥� but recognize 鈥渢he need for us to change how we do business.鈥� The future guidance, he said, will focus on student data protections, ensuring that digital tools are free of biases and incorporate transparency so parents know how their children鈥檚 information is being used.

鈥淭his has to be baked into how we do business in education, starting with the systems that we have in our districts but also teacher preparation and teacher training as well,鈥� he said.

Amelia Vance, president and founder of Public Interest Privacy Consulting, said the document amounts to a 鈥渕assive step forward for the advocacy community, the scholars who have been working on AI and have been pressuring the government and companies to do better.鈥� 

The blueprint, which offers a harsh critique of and systems that predict student success based on factors like poverty, follows in-depth reporting by 社区黑料 on schools鈥� growing use of digital surveillance and the tech鈥檚 impact on student privacy and civil rights.

But local school leaders should ultimately decide whether to use digital student monitoring tools, said Noelle Ellerson Ng, associate executive director of advocacy and governance at AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Ellerson Ng opposes 鈥渦nilateral federal action to prohibit鈥� the software.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 not the appropriate role of the federal government to come and say this cannot happen,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut smart guardrails that allow for good practices, that protect students鈥� safety and privacy, that鈥檚 a more appropriate role.鈥�

The nonprofit Center for Democracy and Technology praised the report. The group recently released a survey highlighting the potential harms of student activity monitoring on at-risk youth, who are already disproportionately disciplined and referred to the police as a result. In a statement Tuesday, it said the blueprint makes clear 鈥渢he ways in which algorithmic systems can deepen inequality.鈥� 

鈥淲e commend the White House for considering the diverse ways in which discrimination can occur, for challenging inappropriate and irrelevant data uses and for lifting up examples of practical steps that companies and agencies can take to reduce harm,鈥� CEO Alexandra Reeve Givens said in a media release. 

The document also highlights several areas where artificial intelligence has been beneficial, including improved agricultural efficiency and algorithms that have been used to identify diseases. But the technologies, which have grown rapidly with few regulations, have introduced significant harm, it notes, including that screen job applicants and facial recognition technology that . 

After the pandemic shuttered schools nationwide in early 2020 and pushed students into makeshift remote learning, companies that sell digital activity monitoring software to schools saw an increase in business. But the tools have faced significant backlash for subjecting students to relentless digital surveillance. 

In April, Massachusetts Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey warned in a report the technology could carry significant risks 鈥� particularly for students of color and LGBTQ youth 鈥� and promoted a 鈥渘eed for federal action to protect students鈥� civil rights, safety and privacy.鈥� Such concerns have become particularly acute as states implement new anti-LGBTQ laws and abortion bans and advocates warn that digital surveillance tools could expose expose youth to legal peril. 

Vance said that she and others focused on education and privacy 鈥渉ad no idea this was coming,鈥� and that it would focus so heavily on schools. Over the last year, the department sought input from civil rights groups and technology companies, but Vance said that education groups had lacked a meaningful seat at the table. 

The lack of engagement was apparent, she said, by the document鈥檚 failure to highlight areas where artificial intelligence has been beneficial to students and schools. For example, the document discusses a tool used by universities to predict which students were likely to drop out. It considered students鈥� race as a predictive factor, leading to discrimination fears. But she noted that if implemented equitably, such tools can be used to improve student outcomes. 

鈥淥f course there are a lot of privacy and equity and ethical landmines in this area,鈥� Vance said. 鈥淏ut we also have schools who have done this right, who have done a great job in using some of these systems to assist humans in counseling students and helping more students graduate.鈥� 

Ellerson Ng, of the superintendents association, said her group is still analyzing the blueprint鈥檚 on-the-ground implications, but that student data privacy efforts present schools with 鈥渁 balancing act.鈥�

鈥淵ou want to absolutely secure the privacy rights of the child while understanding that the data that can be generated, or is generated, has a role to play, too, in helping us understand where kids are, what kids are doing, how a program is or isn鈥檛 working,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ometimes that鈥檚 broader than just a pure academic indicator.鈥�

Others have and just of recommendations from civil rights groups and tech companies. Some of the most outspoken privacy proponents and digital surveillance critics, such as Albert Fox Cahn, founder and executive director of the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project, argued it falls short of a critical policy move: outright bans.

As Cahn and other activists mount campaigns against student surveillance tools, they鈥檝e highlighted how student data can wind up in the hands of the police.

鈥淲hen police and companies are rolling out new and destructive forms of AI every day, we need to push pause across the board on the most invasive technologies,鈥� he said in a media release. 鈥淲hile the White House does take aim at some of the worst offenders, they do far too little to address the everyday threats of AI, particularly in police hands.鈥�

In a press conference Thursday, White House COVID Response Coordinator Ashish Jha outlined the possible timeline for when young children, the last group in the U.S. still ineligible for immunizations, could begin rolling up their sleeves.

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Here are the key dates:

鈥擩une 1, Pfizer-BioNTech formally asked the Food and Drug Administration to grant emergency use authorization to their doses for kids under 5. Moderna submitted its application in late April for kids 6 months to 6 years old.

鈥擩une 3, states became able to order vaccine doses for kids under 5. A total of 10 million are currently available, the White House said.

鈥擩une 14 & 15, the FDA鈥檚 vaccine advisory committee is scheduled to meet to review the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech doses. Should the committee vote in favor of authorization, the White House expects the FDA to greenlight the vaccines in the days immediately after the meeting.

鈥擩une 18-20, if the FDA has authorized shots, doses will begin to arrive at doctors鈥� offices. The White House can begin sending vaccine shipments immediately following FDA authorization.

鈥擩une 21, after the long holiday weekend, if the previous steps proceed without setbacks, kids under 5 may begin receiving vaccine doses. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must also recommend the shots, but the agency typically follows the guidance of the FDA.

The White House has asked states to first provide vaccines to sites that can handle large volumes of supply, such as children鈥檚 hospitals. But as soon as Atlanta-based pediatrician Jennifer Shu receives the green light from local officials, she will order doses for her office.

鈥淧arents have been asking me about vaccine availability for kids under 5 for several months. I plan to order them as soon as I get the notice from our health department,鈥� she wrote in a message to 社区黑料.

The White House also stressed that providers should offer vaccinations outside traditional working hours.

鈥淲e want to make this as easy as possible for working parents and their families,鈥� said Jha.

The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a question from 社区黑料 asking how many doses have been ordered so far and by which states.

With COVID case counts once again high amid a second Omicron surge, the updated vaccine timeline for young kids appeared as a light at the end of the tunnel to many pandemic-weary parents.

鈥淚 teared up in the car today thinking about being able to get my kid vaccinated,鈥� Marisol LeBr贸n, professor at UC Santa Cruz, wrote on Twitter.

Parents of young children awaiting vaccines for little ones have been on a months-long roller coaster that has repeatedly raised their hopes only to later send them crashing down. In late February, Pfizer-BioNTech first submitted a request asking the FDA to grant emergency authorization for a two-dose regimen of their vaccine for children 6 months to 4 years old, only to then withdraw the application just five days later.

Then in April, when Moderna was on the verge of submitting its EUA application for the age group, Politico reported that the FDA might postpone the review process until Pfizer鈥檚 shots were also ready, a reveal that angered many parents and spurred a congressional letter asking the agency to explain the reported delay. The FDA鈥檚 current timeline appears to confirm those speculations of a simultaneous review.

The Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech doses have several differences. Moderna鈥檚 shots are a two-dose regimen spaced four weeks apart, while the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine requires three doses each spaced three weeks apart. The Pfizer-BioNTech shots were 80% effective in clinical trials, while Moderna鈥檚 were 51% protective in toddlers 6 months to 2 years old and 37% protective in youngsters 3 to 5 years old.

Researchers believe both vaccines offer a strong defense against severe illness and hospitalization in the age group.

In a clip from the Thursday press conference that has circulated widely on Twitter, White House Press Sec. Karine Jean-Pierre cut off Jha before he could respond to a reporter’s question asking whether 鈥渁ll schools will and must be open this coming fall.鈥�

Any speculations that the Biden administration would advise school closures next year, however, starkly contrast with the administration鈥檚 prior actions and messaging. Biden has continually underscored his commitment to keeping schools open and oversaw a push to 99% of schools offering in-person learning in his first months in office. Although early in the pandemic an in-person learning divide existed between red and blue states, virtually all school systems reopened their classrooms for the 2021-22 school year, regardless of their partisan leaning.

But with toddler vaccines possibly rolling out in just a few weeks, many older children have not yet been immunized. Just 29% of children 5 to 11 years old and 59% of youth 12 to 17 years old had received two vaccine doses as of June 1, according to data from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The rates that have remained nearly stagnant for months.

The winter鈥檚 massive Omicron surge demonstrated the importance of youth vaccination, said Shu, the Atlanta pediatrician. Children under 5 were hospitalized with the virus at five times the rate they were during the Delta surge, a study from the CDC recently found. And in February, the agency鈥檚 data revealed that 3 in 4 kids under 18 had been infected by the virus.

鈥淭he kids who are ending up in the hospital are more likely not to be vaccinated,鈥� the doctor told 社区黑料 in May.

The Food and Drug Administration April 29 that it will reserve the dates June 8, 21 and 22 for its vaccine advisory committee to review the emergency use authorization requests of Moderna’s and Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus shots for toddlers. While the dates remain subject to change, they provide an indication of when doses may be available to those under 5, as the FDA typically follows the recommendation of the committee in the weeks following its meeting.

Members of Congress sent a to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday asking whether the agency intended to delay reviewing Moderna鈥檚 coronavirus vaccine for children 5 years old and younger and for 鈥渢he scientific basis and any other rationale鈥� for such an action.

The move comes after White House officials told last week that young kids, the last age group not yet eligible for coronavirus vaccines, will likely have to wait until the summer for immunizations 鈥� a longer timeline than previously expected.

Although Moderna completed the trial for its toddler vaccine in late March and submitted a on Thursday, Anthony Fauci said that the FDA is considering reviewing the pharmaceutical company鈥檚 application at the same time as Pfizer-BioNTech鈥檚, which has not yet been submitted.

“[The] two products 鈥� are similar but not identical, particularly with regard to the dose. And what the FDA wants to do is to get it so that we don’t confuse people to say, ‘this is the dose. This is the dose regimen for children within that age group of 6 months to 5 years,'” President 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 chief medical advisor on Thursday.

鈥淪uch a decision could delay the potential authorization and administration of the Moderna vaccine by several weeks,鈥� points out Rep. James Clyburn, chair of the House Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, in its letter to the FDA. The committee asked for a staff briefing on the subject by May 9.

In early February, Pfizer-BioNTech submitted data on a two-dose vaccine series for children under 5 to the FDA, but in a highly unusual move withdrew their application just 10 days later. The two shots, which are 10 times less potent than the companies鈥� adult doses, were safe for all age groups, but did not provide enough protection against the Omicron variant for 3- and 4-year-olds. Pfizer-BioNTech now plans to request that the FDA authorize a three-dose regimen for children under 5, the companies have said.

The Moderna series currently submitted for review includes two shots that are each one-quarter the dose adults received. Trial data showed shots to be 44% and 38% effective in preventing illness among children 6 months to 2 years old and 2 years to under 6 years old, respectively.

But despite the relatively low efficacy, many parents of young children are anxious for a base level of protection for their kids, especially as mask mandates and social distancing requirements continue to fall across the country. 

For some, the idea that the FDA would delay the Moderna shots on parents鈥� behalf 鈥� ostensibly to avoid confusion 鈥� struck the wrong chord.

鈥淚f I sign a waiver saying 鈥業 don鈥檛 find this confusing at all,鈥� can I go ahead and get the vaccine for my four-year-old?鈥� parent and New York Times writer Whet Moser .

Meanwhile, a Tuesday report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that more than half of Americans have been infected by the coronavirus, including . Rates of prior infection nearly doubled over the course of the Omicron surge, the agency found.

Jennifer Shu, an Atlanta-based pediatrician, agrees that if doses are ready for emergency use authorization, Washington should not delay the rollout. After all, vaccines from separate companies were approved at different times for other age groups, she pointed out.

鈥淚f it’s ready to go, if the science has proven that the vaccine is safe and effective, then why not let the parents educate themselves on it?鈥� she told 社区黑料, adding that health professionals like herself can help families make an informed choice.

Parents of kids under 5 may feel they鈥檙e being 鈥渢hrown under the bus鈥� as pandemic precautions dwindle and the BA.2 Omicron subvariant threatens, said Shu.

But despite thousands of families eager to vaccinate their toddlers, still more are likely to pass on the opportunity when it becomes available. 

Immunization rates remain relatively low for older kids and teens with 28% of 5- to 11-year-olds and 58% of 12- to 17-years-old fully vaccinated as of April 20, according to the . New immunizations have slowed nearly to a halt, with vaccine coverage having increased only 1 percentage point in each age group since mid-March.

Even as vaccination rates are flatlining, Pfizer-BioNTech is planning to seek authorization for a third booster shot for kids 5- to 11-years old after trials found that it offers added protection against the Omicron variant.

There is a 鈥淐OVID test supply crisis鈥� that will impact Michigan schools, said Linda Vail, health officer for Central Michigan鈥檚 Ingham County, on Wednesday. The state is working to supply testing kits to schools in the highest-risk communities where COVID is most rampant, she . States from Florida to Washington have .

Last week, the Biden administration announced that it was 鈥溾�� on its commitment to keeping schools operating safely in person by providing an additional 10 million monthly COVID test to K-12 institutions nationwide 鈥� 5 million rapid and 5 million PCR.

In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention endorsed 鈥渢est-to-stay鈥� protocols that allow students and staff who may have been exposed to COVID to remain in school buildings, provided they test negative for the virus before walking through the front doors.聽

But where testing supplies dwindle, it can cause in school operations.

Most schools across the country have managed to stay open in the three weeks since winter break. But an average of more than have been disrupted by brief closures or pivots to virtual learning as they navigated high caseloads and staff shortages, according to the K-12 data service Burbio.

Last week, over 980,000 new youth COVID cases were reported nationwide, according to the , the largest weekly total to date and nearly quadruple the highest tally previous to Omicron.聽

To help weather the current surge, 社区黑料 spoke with White House Senior Education Policy Advisor Mary Wall who explained how schools can make use of the newly available testing resources.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

社区黑料: Testing in schools is such a key issue right now during the Omicron surge and some officials are saying that they might run out of supply soon. What is your message to school leaders on how to access testing?

Mary Wall: Sure. We’ve really made a lot of efforts to make sure that schools have everything they need to reopen and remain open safely and聽testing has been central to that effort. It was the core investments that this administration made, starting with the American Rescue Plan, that really helped to make sure that schools could be ready for this moment.聽

Across the country there are many, many schools who are implementing testing right now and building on the existing testing programs that they already established. We know that schools are kind of coming at this from a lot of different places and a lot of different levels of experience, so we want to make sure it’s easy for everyone to access both the tests as well as [strategies for] implementing testing in school.聽

The biggest headline is the $10 billion that we invested in the (ELC) program at the CDC. That gave $10 billion to states to set up testing programs for schools and we have seen significant movement from states doing just that.聽

We鈥檙e building on that with the new announcement of the 5 million rapid antigen tests, as well as the expansion of capacity through to reach another 5 million [through PCR testing] with lab capacity each month.

So that $10 billion investment, those 5 million rapid tests and 5 million PCR tests, those are big numbers. I’m curious, what are the mechanics going on here? And what might some school leaders not understand that could be keeping them from accessing tests that are available to them?

Testing can be a challenging endeavor for schools, and schools have been asked to do a lot over the course of the pandemic. We’ve seen it as our charge to make it as easy as possible for schools to tap into resources.聽

With the news we announced last week, we have put out steps for schools to take right away. The first and foremost would be tapping into the state’s existing testing initiatives. Every state has something set up for K-12 COVID-19 testing and it varies by state how exactly it looks. But we have created a resource on the CDC website that is basically a that the school can go onto right now and click to learn more about what their state is doing for K-12 testing. That page will lead them to how to get involved in their state’s program.聽

If they want to make use of the 5 million antigen tests that we are now offering, those are usually requested by state health departments. And they are 鈥� submitting requests to the CDC for those (based on local need). But testing resources fueled by the $10 billion in ELC funds, those are available right now and schools can tap into those right away.聽

Operation Expanded Testing, which is the free lab-based (PCR) testing capacity that we offer as the federal government, that is also available and open for service right now. Schools can go online to the , click on the link for the regional hub, and they can begin the process right away 鈥� and can get started in as few as seven days after that.

We also want to remind all schools that they are able to also connect to other testing providers that operate in their state and use their ESSR [Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund] dollars. So there’s $132 billion distributed through the American Rescue Plan for states and school districts. Testing is an allowable use of funds and we’ve seen many school districts [use] that funding stream to set up customized programs in their schools 鈥� and that’s been in large districts and in small districts.聽

That’s fantastic. And after the announcement last Wednesday, what kind of responses did the U.S. Department of Education receive from K-12 leaders?

We鈥檝e been getting a lot of interesting and exciting responses on testing. It kind of falls into a couple different categories.

One is, we’ve gotten a lot of really eager and positive feedback from districts who have already been doing testing. 鈥� Those [school systems] have really been eager to take this to the next level. I know there have been districts who are doing weekly screening, for instance, and are excited to expand that into a test-to-stay a program. There’s others who have been doing diagnostic testing and decided, we really want to expand the screening tests we’re doing in our schools to be on a weekly basis to cover more kids and聽this new investment is going to help enable that.

We’ve also heard from many districts who have not done testing and said that they’re eager to tap into it. They know that the current surge has really seen significant increases for caseloads, including with kids, and they want to make sure they can use this as a key line of defense in their school buildings. And so for them, you know, [our role has] been how can we help you set up testing successfully in your building. We’ve gotten started on this right away by offering technical assistance and support to school districts.聽

We’re offering more this week, we’re going to offer it every week for the next several weeks to make sure that no matter where you are in your testing journey, that if you’re a school who is interested in implementing testing that you’re able to do so. That you not only have the resources to do so in terms of tests, but that you also know how to use them effectively in your building.

Some people would say that the most recent expansion of K-12 testing is a great effort, but that it came too late to help schools respond nimbly to the Omicron surge. [Though of course, there might be subsequent surges.] I’m wondering what your response is there.

I disagree with that assessment. I think that we have made clear our commitment to keeping schools open safely. We’ve made that commitment clear through the American Rescue Plan, which provided $130 billion for K-12 schools through the Department of [Education] and $10 billion for K-12 COVID-19 testing. We’ve seen states take that money and set up testing approaches starting back in April of last year. So we are eager to build on that investment. And we saw across the country that schools who were already implementing testing strategies have been able to use it in this current surge very effectively.

And last question here. Clearly, the White House has put itself on the frontline of this testing shortage in schools. I’m curious whether the Department of Education also sees itself as responsible for helping to remedy the staffing shortages that many schools have been facing recently?

As an administration, we see the staffing issues that are occurring, and we take them very seriously.聽

We passed the American Rescue Plan specifically with the purpose of making sure that we could have more staff in school buildings, both to accommodate mitigation strategies like social distancing, but also to make sure that schools have all the people on hand that they need to make sure that students can come back safely and have their needs met after this completely unprecedented time.聽

First and foremost, we would want to remind school districts and states that they have that $130 billion to spend on additional staff, to retain the staff they have, to pay the staff they have more money, and really make sure that whatever personnel needs they have in response to pandemic can be met.聽

We’ve also really tried to make clear that there are existing flexibilities, either in ways that you approach retirees or others who were previously teachers, ways that you can hire bus drivers, creative uses of bringing more staff into buildings to make sure that we can meet the staffing needs of the school.

With a of over 1 million daily COVID cases reported on Monday and more than this week temporarily closed or pivoted to remote instruction, educators and families are being thrust back into the existential struggle over keeping schools open.

The second half of the 2021-22 school year began with a growing list of shutdowns, including major urban districts such as Atlanta, Milwaukee and Cleveland. In Philadelphia, leaders on Monday night announced that on Tuesday, though stopped short of shutting down the entire district.

Other top school systems such as New York City and Chicago have moved forward with plans to reopen in person, but have hit snags along the way: In New York, nearly a third of students did not show up for classes on Monday, and in Chicago, a late night vote Tuesday held by the teachers union demanding to teach remotely Wednesday.

The reactions from weary parents ranged widely. 鈥淚t鈥檚 chaos,鈥� National Parents Union President Keri Rodrigues The New York Times, pointing out that when schools nix plans for in-person learning at the final hour, it leaves families scrambling for child care options. 

On the other hand, with the Omicron variant rampant post-holiday, Cleveland parent Tiffany Rossman was glad schools stayed closed to start the new year. She and her teenage daughter both tested positive for the virus in December, and she fell quite ill despite her vaccination, she told 社区黑料. The mother worried that opening classrooms after the holidays could lead to infected kids spreading the virus.

Rossman acknowledged, however, that 鈥渋f I had small children and needed to go into the office then I don’t know what I would do.鈥�

While a handful of school systems had planned before the winter break to be remote for short stints in January or to close for testing, the vast majority of announcements were made last minute as record-high COVID case rates came into view. Yonkers Public Schools started classes this week remotely after of students who took rapid tests over the holidays were COVID positive. Detroit announced that school would be closed Monday through Wednesday after rapid testing revealed a positivity rate. Districts are open for in-person learning in and , but officials there had to shut down eight and 12 school buildings, respectively, for lack of staff.

鈥淎 lot of it was last second, and it continues to be,鈥� Dennis Roche, co-founder of the K-12 data tracker Burbio, told 社区黑料.

The , and school systems are exceptions to the trend, he noted, as each district had planned before the holidays to take a handful of days in the new year for students to receive rapid tests. As it currently stands, classrooms are set to open in all three districts in the coming days. Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation鈥檚 second-largest, does not re-open until Jan. 10, but has said it intends to test all students before it does.

Over the weekend, Roche watched Burbio鈥檚 jump from 1,591 to 2,181, and again on Tuesday to 3,556. Shutdowns were concentrated in the Northeast and Great Lakes regions, where current COVID rates are among the .

Amid the chaos, the Biden administration has maintained that schools should keep their doors open wherever possible and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention extended booster eligibility to two separate groups of children this week.

鈥淚 believe schools should remain open,鈥� the president said during a on the current Omicron surge. And in fact, despite some conspicuous closures, the vast majority of the nation鈥檚 roughly 98,000 public schools have returned from the holiday break in person. 

Hedging slightly in a conversation on Fox News Sunday, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona added: 鈥淲e recognize there may be some bumps in the road, especially this upcoming week when superintendents, who are working really hard across the country, are getting calls saying that some of their schools may have 5 to 10 percent of their staff not available.鈥�

鈥淔or anyone who has gone remote, we want to similarly keep on engaging with them, and make sure that they can come back as quickly as they can,鈥� a senior White House official told 社区黑料 Tuesday.

Federal policymakers underscore that districts can draw on American Rescue Plan dollars as well as multiple other devoted to helping K-12 facilities stave off COVID through purchasing tests and other mitigation measures.

To help schools stay open, the CDC in December endorsed 鈥渢est-to-stay鈥� practices allowing students and staff who may have been exposed to the virus to remain in the classroom if they test negative for COVID. 

The federal agency also took the controversial step on Dec. 27 of reducing its recommended quarantine timeline for infected individuals, including teachers and students, from 10 to five days. The move divided many health experts, leaving numerous observers to wonder whether the CDC was after .

But several school officials appreciated the chance for teachers and students to return more quickly to the buildings.

鈥淎nything that will help the schools to stay open is welcome,鈥� Dan Domenech, executive director of the American Association of School Administrators, told 社区黑料.

Nationwide, pediatric COVID and are at a pandemic high. But top infectious disease experts say that the vast majority of serious infections are among unvaccinated youth. Under a quarter of children ages 5 to 11 have received a single dose of the COVID vaccine, and just over half of adolescents ages 12 to 17 have been fully immunized, according to data published by the .

鈥嬧�嬧�淢ost of our pediatric population is still undervaccinated,鈥� said Kristina Deeter, a physician at Renown Children鈥檚 Hospital in Reno, Nevada. Even though the Omicron variant has generated more breakthrough infections, the pediatrician assured that the vaccines continue to be successful at their key function: preventing severe illness and death.

鈥淲e鈥檙e still so much safer having received the vaccine,鈥� she told 社区黑料.

For youth who have received both shots and are ready for a booster, the Food and Drug Administration on Monday and, on Tuesday, the CDC recommended an extra shot for , five months after the initial two-dose series.

Amid the widespread concern and flurry of new pandemic policies, a bit of good news regarding the giant spike in cases also surfaced on Sunday. In South Africa, where the Omicron variant was first identified, the surge in infections driven by the hyper-transmissible strain has , giving health experts hope that the U.S may follow a similar course in the weeks to come.

Still, other mutations of the virus may arise further down the road, Deeter pointed out. The only long-term path to move beyond the pandemic, she said, is getting immunized.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 a light at the end of the tunnel, it鈥檚 going to come through vaccination.鈥�

The Department of Health and Human Services will also enlist community-based clinics, doctor鈥檚 offices, hospitals and faith-based organizations in rapidly distributing vaccines through the end of the year, making enough available to immunize 28 million children. 

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Considered a major milestone toward ending the pandemic, emergency use authorization of a vaccine for children could be announced any day. Pfizer-BioNTech sent data on the use of its vaccine among that age group to the Food and Drug Administration in late September. An FDA advisory committee is scheduled to meet Oct. 26, followed by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention committee the week after. The administration said it is 鈥渉osting operational readiness calls鈥� with states, tribes and territories to ensure a smooth process once the FDA approves and the CDC recommends the vaccine. With thousands of schools still quarantining students because of outbreaks, families and schools have been anticipating this key step.

鈥淪uperintendents have been very anxious for this to happen,鈥� said Dan Domenech, executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. But he added that some schools might consider the attitudes of their community before agreeing to serve as vaccination sites. 鈥淚f they have a supportive community, they will do vaccines in the schools as they鈥檝e done in the past.鈥�

The Federal Emergency Management Agency will take charge of setting up sites, storing supplies 鈥� including smaller needles 鈥� and providing transportation to sites, if needed, according to the fact sheet. The White House said pediatrician鈥檚 offices and pharmacies will also be critical in providing the vaccine because they are already 鈥渢rusted sources.鈥� Roughly 25,000 pediatrician鈥檚 offices, tens of thousands of pharmacies and over 100 children鈥檚 hospitals are expected to be involved, offering vaccines during the evenings and weekends for convenience.

The American Academy of Pediatrics applauded the announcement.

鈥淧arents trust us to care for their children, come to us with questions and concerns about how to keep them healthy and safe, and will turn to us during this next phase for reassurance and guidance about the COVID-19 vaccine,鈥� AAP President Lee Savio Beers, said in a statement. 鈥淲e are ready to do what we鈥檝e always done: counsel our families and protect our patients.鈥�

But as Domenech said, the administration is expecting that not all parents will be eager to get their children vaccinated, considering less than of adolescents are vaccinated, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. HHS will launch a nationwide education campaign to assure parents that the vaccine is safe, working with schools and community organizations to 鈥渋ncrease vaccine confidence.鈥�

鈥淎 key focus of our efforts is raising vaccine awareness and getting parents the facts they need to make the right choice for their kids,鈥� Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said during a briefing Wednesday.

Schools have been used as for over 100 years, and Linda Mendonca, president of the National Association of School Nurses, said school nurses 鈥渉ave a trusted relationship with students and families.鈥� But schools are facing a along with many other staff positions, which could impact the vaccination effort as it has school-based testing.

An conducted at the end of September showed that two-thirds of parents with children in the 5-11 range said they鈥檙e 鈥渓ikely鈥� to get their children vaccinated, but 43 percent responded that they would be 鈥渧ery likely.鈥� 

Those who are unsure about vaccinating their children are more likely to be unvaccinated themselves and continue to note the speed of vaccine鈥檚 development and potential side effects as top reasons for their hesitancy. A quarter of parents of adolescents responding said a requirement that their child be vaccinated to attend school could make them change their minds.

is the only state so far to mandate the vaccine for students once it earns full FDA approval. But others are expected to follow. In Washington, the Seattle Public Schools is considering that would ask the state鈥檚 health department to issue a such mandate.

The Senate on Thursday passed a short-term, $480 billion increase in the debt ceiling that lasts through Dec. 3 鈥� a move that prevents the U.S. government from failing to pay its financial obligations. 

Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, after vowing not to help Democrats with the issue, rallied 11 Republicans to end debate and allow the measure to move to a floor vote. Then  passed 50-48, with only Democrats voting in favor. The bill now moves to the House.

“Tonight鈥檚 votes are welcome steps forward in averting a default that would have been devastating for our economy and for working families. President Biden looks forward to signing this bill as soon as it passes the House and reaches his desk,” said White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. “As we move forward, there must be no question of whether America will pay its bills; Congress must address the debt limit in December and beyond 鈥� just as we鈥檝e done almost 80 times over the last 60 years.” 

Dec. 3 is the same day Congress must pass the fiscal year 2022 budget or another continuing resolution to keep the government open, setting up another possibility that the government will once again come close to default and a government shutdown.
 

Federal funds that states depend on for low-income students, special education and school nutrition programs could be at risk if Congress doesn鈥檛 lift the government鈥檚 debt limit, the White House warned states last month.

The U.S. could be in default by Oct. 18, which could disrupt global financial markets and trigger what Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer last week called a 鈥減arade of horribles.鈥� Democrats have been trying to get bipartisan support to raise the limit 鈥� the total amount the Treasury Department can borrow to meet its financial obligations. But Republicans have balked, leaving Democrats to deal with the politically unpopular issue.

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鈥淩aising the debt limit comes down to paying what we already owe,鈥� President Joe Biden said Monday, stressing that the matter has nothing to do with his agenda for infrastructure or social programs.

While most education funds 鈥� about 90 percent 鈥� come from state and local revenues, some programs rely more on federal sources, such as Title I, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Head Start and child care. A from the White House to state and local governments estimated that up to $50 billion in K-12 education funding could be affected. The standoff over the debt limit adds to the list of major budget challenges currently facing Congress. Members still need to pass the fiscal year 2022 budget and Democrats disagree over a major social spending package that includes funding for schools and early-childhood programs.

Default 鈥渨ould have reverberating effects for states and school districts, whose own finances would be thrown into uncertainty,鈥� said Whitney Tucker, the deputy director of research at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-leaning think tank. 鈥淭itle I will have to stand in line with all the other federal obligations due.鈥�

Tucker wrote about the last week, saying that if the issue isn鈥檛 resolved, states would have to turn to reserve funds to cover costs.

The potential loss of funds creates headaches for district finance officials.

鈥淥n top of everything else they鈥檙e managing right now, the last thing district leaders need is another layer of contingency planning,鈥� said Jonathan Travers, a partner with Education Resource Strategies, a nonprofit that advises districts on financial matters. 鈥淎s a field, we don鈥檛 have the extra bandwidth available right now to respond to debt ceiling brinkmanship in any sort of proactive, planful way.鈥�

A default would impact the National School Lunch and National School Breakfast programs as well as other federally funded nutrition efforts totaling $30 billion, according to the White House memo.

School meal programs are 鈥渋ncurring costs and they rely on the federal government for reimbursement after the meals are served,鈥� said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association.

Because of supply chain delays and shortages of typical menu items, school nutrition programs are already spending higher prices on food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture last week announced in assistance to help them cover those costs.

that benefit children, such as Medicaid and the Children鈥檚 Health Insurance Program, would be affected as well. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen noted that parents receiving monthly child tax credit payments, part of the American Rescue Plan, could .

But Marguerite Roza, director of Georgetown University鈥檚 Edunomics Lab, cautioned that while a default would certainly impact the stock market, states shouldn鈥檛 be worrying about their account balances running low.

鈥淪tates are sitting on a lot of cash right now,鈥� she said, referring to the American Rescue Plan, which included $122 billion for K-12. But most of those funds, she added, are still at the state level and haven鈥檛 reached districts.

Tucker agreed that the relief funds could provide a cushion, but some states haven鈥檛 yet received all of the funds and others have already allocated them.

from Politico and Morning Consult shows that voters would hold both parties responsible if the government goes into default, but they鈥檙e more likely to blame Democrats than Republicans.

In 2011, during the Obama-Biden administration, the U.S. came close to the , with Tea Party Republicans ultimately winning budget cuts in exchange for an increase in the limit. The debt limit became an issue again in 2014, but at that point, Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell voted to allow the measure to to a vote. Democrats also helped Republicans increase while President Donald Trump was in office.

This time, Democrats wanted to lift the debt limit by adding language to a short-term continuing resolution to keep the government running through Dec. 3. The Republicans didn鈥檛 go for that and President Joe Biden ended up signing a resolution Thursday night without the debt limit increase.

The Democratic majority in the House on Wednesday passed a separate , but the Senate is not expected to pass it. Republicans want Democrats to lift the debt ceiling as part of 叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 proposed social and education package. But that plan is on shaky ground, with Democrats divided on how much to spend and Biden already conceding that it will probably amount to much less than the $3.5 trillion he proposed.

Democrats could also move just to lift the debt ceiling using the budget reconciliation process, meaning they would only need a simple majority to pass. Biden asked Republicans to allow Democrats to do that.

鈥淩epublicans just have to let us do our job. Just get out of the way,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et us vote to end the mess.鈥�

In a highly unusual move, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Friday overruled a recommendation delivered by an advisory panel of her agency 鈥� paving the way for teachers to receive booster shots of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine.

Teachers and other school workers inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine may now receive third doses at least six months after receiving their second shot. Those under 65 years old should make their decision based on the 鈥渋ndividual benefits and risks,鈥� the CDC said.

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鈥淚f 鈥� you’re a frontline worker, like a health care worker or a teacher, you can get a free booster now,鈥� said President Joe Biden in remarks on Friday.

In addition to essential workers, senior citizens and adults with underlying health conditions are also eligible, meaning a total of some 60 million Americans will soon have access to third doses, including 20 million already eligible because six months have elapsed since their second Pfizer shot.

Walensky鈥檚 decision comes as the final play in a days-long drama between the Food and Drug Administration, which on Wednesday in their list of groups recommended for boosters, and the CDC, whose Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted on Thursday to leave those in high-exposure occupations off the list.

The CDC director then broke with her agency鈥檚 recommendation early Friday morning, endorsing third doses for those working in high-risk fields.

“As CDC Director, it is my job to recognize where our actions can have the greatest impact,” Walensky said in a . “I believe we can best serve the nation鈥檚 public health needs by providing booster doses for the elderly, those in long-term care facilities, people with underlying medical conditions, and for adults at high risk of disease from occupational and institutional exposures to COVID-19.”

But while some educators may soon line up for third doses, others are resistant to even get their first or second shot.

An Education Week survey from the summer found that of teachers nationwide do not intend to get vaccinated, while 87 percent reported that they had already been immunized. More recently, a Sept. 24 poll from the American Federation of Teachers found that and that 67 percent favor a vaccine requirement for all school staff. The exact nationwide totals of vaccinated school personnel remain unclear.

In New York City, where teachers had been expected to provide proof of vaccination by Monday, Sept. 27, many schools have dozens of teachers who have not yet complied with the mandate, including some sites with up to 100 staff without proof of immunization, said Mark Cannizzaro, president of the Council of School Supervisors and Administrators, in a Friday press conference.

鈥淧rincipals and superintendents have been reaching out consistently to tell us that they are concerned about not having enough staff come Tuesday morning, Sept. 28,鈥� he said.

A federal appeals court judge on Friday New York City’s vaccine mandate for Department of Education staff, delaying its enforcement. But late Monday, the federal court Chalkbeat reported, clearing the way for the city to require staff to provide proof of vaccination or be placed on unpaid leave.

Alongside New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, the second- and third-largest districts in the country, are also requiring teachers to be immunized without providing regular testing as an alternative. The same is true for Washington, Oregon and the District of Columbia. Seven other states require educators to choose between COVID vaccination or regularly undergoing testing for the virus, according to an EdWeek .

But even where mandates are supposedly in place, , meaning that many unvaccinated teachers remain in the classroom, often teaching students who themselves are not yet eligible for shots. Students aged 12 and up are authorized for COVID vaccines, and children aged 5 to 11 may gain access by Halloween.

Further still, data from the University of Washington鈥檚 Center on Reinventing Public Education show that the majority of school districts do not require teachers to be vaccinated, said Director Robin Lake.

鈥淭hat is a major unresolved problem,鈥� she wrote in an email to 社区黑料. 鈥淲hy do we keep giving teachers priority access to the vaccine without requiring they all do their part to protect kids?鈥�

President Biden urged the more than 70 million Americans eligible for shots who have still not received immunizations to reconsider their choice.

鈥淲e have the tools to beat COVID-19,鈥� he said. 鈥淕et vaccinated.鈥�

鈥淪ome politicians are trying to turn public safety measures 鈥� [such] as children wearing masks in school and the political disputes 鈥� for their own political gain,鈥� he said in comments at the White House. 鈥淪ome are even trying to take power away from local educators. The intimidation and threats we鈥檙e seeing across the country are wrong.鈥�

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Cardona elaborated on in a Wednesday, saying: 鈥渢he Department may initiate a directed investigation if facts indicate a potential violation of the rights of students as a result of state policies and actions.鈥�

He noted that the department鈥檚 Office for Civil Rights investigates allegations of discrimination against students and the Office of Special Education Programs monitors whether students with disabilities are receiving a free and appropriate public education.

In a Wednesday with the New York Times, Cardona further expanded on the department鈥檚 rationale. 鈥淭he fact that they鈥檙e not adjusting based on the illness, and the outcry from medical experts, is astonishing,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut we cannot sit around. We have to do everything in our power, including civil rights investigations and even referring matters to the Department of Justice for enforcement if necessary.鈥�

https://youtu.be/22-bI7dBLEM?t=2037

叠颈诲别苍鈥檚 to the department references Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance regarding children under 12 not eligible for vaccines, saying the agency 鈥渉as provided clear guidance to schools on how to adopt science-based strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19.鈥�

While he doesn鈥檛 mention specific states, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona has essentially been in a standoff with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Gov. Abbott, who both refuse to back down from their stance on masks.

But some districts continue to defy governors鈥� orders and are instituting mandates anyway. The Florida State Board of Education earlier this week said it will take against two counties with mask mandates in place. And the Miami-Dade County school board was discussing Wednesday whether to . Superintendent Alberto Carvalho has already said he鈥檚 in favor of it, despite any retaliation from the state.