02.05.19

By: Benjamin Wermund
Source: Politico Pro

Don't get your hopes up for education talk in Trump's State of the Union

With help from Kimberly Hefling

— President Donald Trump is set to deliver his State of the Union address tonight — but don’t expect to hear much on education. A few things — school choice and career and technical education, specifically — could get passing mentions, though.

— Teacher unrest continues with a strike now likely in Oakland. In West Virginia, meanwhile, a bill that has educators up in arms is advancing through the legislature.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING. THIS IS MORNING EDUCATION. Tips? Feedback? Let me know: bwermund@politico.com or @BenjaminEW. Share event listings: educalendar@politicopro.com. And follow us on Twitter: @Morning_Edu and @POLITICOPro.

WATCHING FOR SHOUTOUTS IN SOTU: We don’t expect to hear much about education when Trump delivers his State of the Union address tonight, but a few things could get a passing mention. Here’s what we’re watching for:

— The president could pick up the push for expanding school choice, including through federal tax credits. It’s something the administration has long advocated, but even congressional Republicans wouldn’t bite in their 2017 tax overhaul. Chances are even slimmer with Democrats in control of the House.

— Trump didn’t mention school choice last year, however — a noticeable departure from his joint address to Congress in 2017, when he called on “members of both parties to pass an education bill that funds school choice for disadvantaged youth, including millions of African American and Latino children.”

— The president could claim a victory on career and technical education, however. In July he signed the first overhaul of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, H.R. 2353 (115), in more than a decade. The bipartisan legislation was broadly supported by governors, the business community and education groups.

— Trump called on Congress to “invest in workforce development and job training” and “open great vocational schools” during his last State of the Union. The Perkins Act he signed provides $1 billion in support to states for secondary and post-secondary skill training. It was the first time it had been reauthorized since 2006.

GUESTS OF INTEREST: First lady Melania Trump plans to bring Joshua Trump, a 6th grade student in Wilmington, Del., who says he's been bullied in school due to his last name. Lawmakers including Reps. Joaquín Castro (D-Texas) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) have said they plan to bring DACA recipients and Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) plans to bring Amanda Thomashow, who filed the first Title IX complaint against Larry Nassar, the Detroit News reported.

— The speech is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. More.

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ALEXANDER VOWS THIS IS HEA’S YEAR: The outgoing Senate HELP chairman has laid out a potential blueprint and quick timeline for a long-awaited rewrite of the federal law governing higher education — marking an aggressive approach for what will likely be his last attempt to reauthorize the law.

— Alexander said Monday he wants the committee to pass a bill this spring and hopes to get it through the Senate this summer. That would give senators time to negotiate with the House and get a bill signed by Trump "so that we can produce a present for 20 million college students and their families by Christmas," he said.

— It's not the first time Alexander has laid out such a timeline to rewrite the law— which hasn't been reauthorized in a decade. He began 2018 by saying he wanted to pass a bill out of committee in the spring, but negotiations fell apart.

— Alexander also has to now contend with a Democrat-controlled House, which will likely have broader ambitions. House education Chairman Bobby Scott (D-Va.) has said updating the Higher Education Act is a priority. House Democrats’ HEA pitch last yearincluded a handful of proposals, such as a debt-free college push, that are unlikely to find their way in any bill Alexander will support.

— Scott said last week that Democrats and Republicans were "obviously going in different directions" in their respective higher education bills during the last Congress. "If we can get it done by the end of the year, it'll be a great accomplishment," he said at the time.

— But Alexander has added incentive this year: It's his last in the Senate before he retires in 2020. And it appears he isn't alone in hoping to get a rewrite done. Murray said in a statement she's "pleased Senator Alexander is making the Higher Education Act a priority this year."

WHAT COULD BE IN IT? Alexander said he wants to simplify the federal student aid application, create a new income-based repayment plan for borrowers and build a new accountability system for colleges based on whether borrowers are actually repaying their loans.

— He said "a lot of other good ideas" have been pitched by his colleagues on the HELP committee. That includes proposals to expand competency-based education programs, to require colleges to use clearer language in letters telling students about the aid they're receiving, and to collect better data on how much students borrow and how much they earn after graduation. He also mentioned proposals to allow incarcerated individuals to access Pell Grants and to open the grants up to shorter programs.

— But other areas will be harder to reach agreement, he said. Alexander said he's committed to working with Murray on campus safety measures, pulling Congress into new and controversial terrain on campus sexual assault.

— He noted Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ proposed rules for how schools should handle harassment allegations, and said he's glad the administration is going through a formal rulemaking process on them. But, he said “it is my belief that Congress can also address some of these issues.” More.

LATEST ON TEACHER UNREST: Oakland teachers will likely be the next to strike as a wave of walkouts continues. Ninety-five percent of the Oakland Education Association teachers union voted Monday to authorize a strike. “This is a clear message our members are ready to fight for the schools that are students deserve,” Keith Brown, the union president, said. Without a serious proposal from the district to address issues like class sizes and a living wage, Brown said he anticipates a strike by the end of the month.

— Meanwhile, in West Virginia, the Senate passed an education bill on Monday that's so contentious it's prompted the state's teachers union to threaten another strike. It next goes to the state’s House. Read more from Kimberly Hefling.

— 8 a.m.: The National Skills Coalition hosts its annual Skills Summit, featuring Reps. G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.). Omni Shoreham Hotel, 2500 Calvert St. NW.

— A new Urban Institute study finds participants in Florida’s tax credit scholarship program are more likely to enroll in both two-year and four-year colleges.

— A new report by FutureEd at Georgetown University takes a look at the California CORE districts' efforts to measure school climate through surveys gauging students' social-emotional well-being.

— The Trump administration formally notified the Education Department's acting internal watchdog that she will remain in that role, after the White House on Friday reversed its decision to replace her: POLITICO.

— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam will no longer attend the College of William & Mary's Charter Day and inauguration ceremony Friday amid a controversy over a racist photo unearthed in the governor's medical school yearbook: POLITICO.

— Trump’s budget pitch is expected in mid-March and might be in two parts: POLITICO.

— A Nashville school board member and political operative is apologizing for his part in Tennessee’s Race to the Top: Chalkbeat.

— Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), campaigning in New Hampshire, pushes free college: Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

— Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is taking the father of a teenager who died in the Parkland school shooting to the State of the Union: AP.