Acting Education Department inspector general replaced
With help from Benjamin Wermund
— The Trump administration has replaced the acting inspector general at the Education Department, who served just two months in the role.
— Democrats release their legislative plan to inject $100 billion in improving school buildings. High-poverty, unsafe schools would be a priority.
IT’S THURSDAY, JAN. 31. WELCOME TO MORNING EDUCATION. Got news to share? Drop me a line at khefling@politico.com. Share event listings: educalendar@politicopro.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro.
ACTING IG AT EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ABRUPTLY REPLACED: The Trump administration on Wednesday suddenly replaced the official who had been acting as the Education Department's top internal watchdog for less than two months. It's unclear why.
— Sandra Bruce, who had been acting inspector general since December, will be replaced by Phil Rosenfelt, the department's current deputy general counsel, according to Catherine Grant, a spokesperson for the inspector general's office. Rosenfelt, like Bruce, will serve in an acting capacity.
— Grant said in an email to POLITICO that the inspector general's office was informed by the department that the change was to take effect "immediately" on Wednesday.
— Rosenfelt is a longtime career department official who previously served as the acting Education secretary for several weeks at the beginning of the Trump administration until DeVos was confirmed by the Senate. Read more from Michael Stratford.
Get "Freezin' for a Reason" on Saturday with Special Olympics DC. POLITICO is thrilled to partner with the “Polar Plunge,” an annual event that supports more than 1,600 Special Olympics DC athletes on Saturday, Feb. 2. Attendees will enjoy ICE YARDS festivities, including icy cocktails and local D.C. brews, fun activities, live music, an ice bar, food from neighborhood restaurants, D.C.’s largest group shotski attempt and so much more! Visit dcpolarplunge.org to register as an individual, as a team or join an existing team and take the plunge.
TITLE IX COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED: The first phase of DeVos’ draft rules for schools handling sexual assault allegations ended on Wednesday, with the controversial proposal drawing a massive wave of responses.
— House Democrats who vowed to do everything in their power to stop the proposed regulation viewed a 60-day comment period as the first step in that fight, urging the public to flood the posting — which they did, with nearly 97,000 comments by Wednesday evening. Education Department pitches typically see a couple thousand of comments at most.
— At the very least, the massive response could buy Democrats some time, as the Administrative Procedures Act requires the department to review every comment on the proposal and respond to those that warrant a reply. Terry Hartle, a senior vice president at the American Council on Education, the leading higher education lobby group, said he doesn't think there will be a final rule before Thanksgiving.
— A broad range of commenters — lawmakers, college and school groups, students, mental health professionals and more — criticized the proposal, which DeVos has said is aimed at making campus disciplinary proceedings “fair and balanced for all students.”
— More than 30 Senate Democrats — including a who’s who of likely 2020 presidential contenders — signed a comment blasting the proposal as “a significant step back.” Kamala Harris (Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), Cory Booker(N.J.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) were among them.
— House Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) said in a letter the proposed rule raises legal standards and procedural bars in a way that will “curtail the number of investigations of sexual assault and harassment, and defining some of these acts out of existence.”
— Not all of the comments have been negative, though supporters of the proposal have admitted they’re outgunned. Many commenters thank DeVos for her efforts to bolster due process.
— “The fundamental focus from my perspective is ensuring that we are being fair and balanced for all students,” DeVos said Wednesday. “I’ve said it often and I’ll say it again: One sexual assault is one too many.” She noted the volume of comments the department has received and said the administration will “be taking all of the input from the public and looking at that in light of the draft and moving toward a process where we will issue a final rule.” Benjamin Wermund has the full story.
MORE FUNDS TO BUILD SCHOOLS? Broken schoolhouse boilers and outdated classroom technology are the types of conditions teachers who have gone on strike in the past year have highlighted. At a press conference on Wednesday, Scott referenced the striking teachers in announcing a $100 billion school infrastructure bill, H.R. 865 (116).
— Backers want to make sure that schools aren’t forgotten in any infrastructure legislation passed by Congress. Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), who joined Scott, said he’s looking for Republican co-sponsors, but is hopeful he can find support. "There is a common recognition of the problem," Reed said. Read more from your host.
— On the higher education front, Harris and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) reintroduced a bill that would reauthorize the Historically Black Colleges and Universities Historic Preservation Program from fiscal 2019 to 2025. The program is designed to provide grants to restore historic buildings and improve accessibility on the campuses.
DENVER TEACHERS, DISTRICT AGREE TO BARGAIN AGAIN: In Denver, where teachers had been prepared to go on strike this week, the two sides are scheduled to begin negotiating again tonight. Read more from Bianca Quilantan.
BLOOMBERG REJECTS ‘FREE COLLEGE’ IDEA: During a New Hampshire swing, former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who's weighing a 2020 presidential run, was dismissive of tuition-free college proposals. "It's totally impractical," he said. Read morefrom POLITICO’s Stephanie Murray.
— The number of black homeless students in Los Angeles County has increased by more than 40 percent since 2014-15, according to a new analysis from the Black Male Institute at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies.
— Sherry Turner, the former director of institutional success and support for the United Negro College Fund, has been named vice president of strategic initiatives at Rhodes College.
— Robert W. Iuliano, a senior vice president at Harvard, has been named president of Gettysburg College.
— All day: The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities holds its annual conference. Washington Court Hotel, 525 New Jersey Ave. NW.
— 9 a.m.: National Association of Secondary School Principals hosts a discussion on youth voter turnout and engagement in the 2018 midterm elections. 2043 Rayburn.
— University of Maryland president to remain until 2020 in reversal of earlier planned retirement: WTOP.
— In Massachusetts, education officials hope agreement on New Bedford school will be a model: Commonwealth Magazine.
— Kentucky governor says schools closing for wind chill is a sign we're "soft": Louisville Courier-Journal.
— Farmington Hills university set up by feds to nab illegal immigrants: Detroit News.
— "It was a surprise to everyone": What the proposed $20 million education cut could mean for Alaska schools: Anchorage Daily News.
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