Press Releases
Currently showing results related to K-12 Education
Committee Democrats Push DeVos on Protections for Transgender Students
03.02.17 WASHINGTON - Earlier today, Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03), Ranking Member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, and Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development, led Committee Democrats in sending a letter to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos about the recent actions taken by the Trump Administration reversing critical guidance for protecting transgender students. The Members pushed Secretary DeVos to explain the discrepancy i… Continue Reading
Polis: CTE Programs Must Emphasize Equity, Provide Opportunity for All Students
02.28.17 WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Jared Polis (CO-02), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education, delivered the following statement during a hearing on career and technical education. Rep. Polis emphasized the need for a full bipartisan reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) Act. Key Excerpts from Rep. Polis' Remarks: "Unfortunately, after harmful sequestration cuts, public funding for CTE is at historic lows. It is c… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on DeVos Senate Confirmation
02.07.17 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Senate voted 51-50, to confirm Betsy DeVos as the United States Secretary of Education. "Our nation's next Secretary of Education is tasked with advancing a mission of equity, access, and accountability. That mission requires support for all students. Unfortunately, Betsy DeVos has failed to make a credible case that she will advocate for the 90 percent of students who attend our nation's public schools. No… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading
Scott Commends Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights for Diligent Work to Eliminate Discriminatory Barriers
12.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights issued its annual report for FY 2016, and a summary of their work to advance educational equity from 2009-2016: "The Office for Civil Rights reports released today shows much progress has been made during the Obama Administration to expand educational opportunity across the nation for all students. However, challenges do remain. The Department of Education's… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Statement on Education Department’s Final Rule to Enhance Equity, Excellence in Schools
11.28.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's final regulation on the accountability provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). "While we are disappointed that this final rule doesn't go as far as we would have hoped, we co… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Nomination of Betsy DeVos as Education Secretary
11.23.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after President-elect Donald Trump selected Betsy DeVos as his nominee to lead the U.S. Department of Education. "I congratulate Betsy DeVos on her nomination to lead the Department of Education. I hope to work with her to ensure all students have access to safe, diverse, high-quality public schools. The Department has a legacy of protecting and promoting the civil rights of students, and I will work diligently to … Continue Reading
SCOTUS: Led by Rep. Scott & Sen. Murray,118 Lawmakers File Bicameral Amicus Brief to Safeguard Rights of Students With Disabilities to Receive Meaningful Public Education
11.21.16 (Washington, D.C) - Today, Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, led a bicameral group of 118 current and former Members of Congress in filing an amicus brief in the case of Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District. Currently pending before the Supreme Court of the United States, this case focuses on what Congress i… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Record Setting High School Graduation Rate
10.17.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the White House announced the high school graduation rate was at a record new high of 83.2 percent during the 2014-2015 school year: "Today's announcement is excellent news. I am particularly encouraged by the improvement among students of color, English learners, and students with disabilities, and what this means for closing achievement gaps. Although this is the highest rate on record, our information-base… Continue Reading
Davis, Scott, 10 Committee Members Introduce Bill to Strengthen Teacher Recruitment and Retention
10.04.16 WASHINGTON - Last week, Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53) introduced H.R. 6236, the Innovations to Recruit and Retain Excellent Teachers Act, legislation that will empower school districts to develop targeted recruitment and retention strategies ensuring that all students, regardless of their socioeconomic status, are taught by an excellent, well-supported, and diverse teacher workforce. The bill is co-sponsored by Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and 10 other members of the Committee on Education and … Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Obama Administration Actions to End the School-to-Prison Pipeline
09.08.16 WASHINGTON - Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) released the following statement after the Departments of Education and Justice issued new clarifying guidance to colleges and school administrators on the role of school resource officers (SROs) and campus police: "I applaud the actions taken by the Departments of Education and Justice. Evidence and research shows that instead of protecting children, school resource officers are often policing children and creating a direct link in the school-to-… Continue Reading
Scott, Murray Applaud King for Proposed Title I Spending Rule
08.31.16 WASHINGTON - Today, Representative Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, and Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Education announced the proposed rule for Title I spending under the Every Student Succeeds Act: "We applaud Secretary King for working with stakeholders to put forth this proposed regulation on the … Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Ask GAO to Examine Data on Disparities in School Discipline, Student Absenteeism
08.29.16 WASHINGTON - Last week, Ranking Members Bobby Scott (VA-03) and John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) of the Committees on Education and the Workforce and Judiciary, respectively, sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting the agendy to examine data on the disparities in school discipline practices and student absenteeism by school type. Recent studies show a large increase in the use of disciplinary actions and chronic absenteeism in public schools. "According to research, rep… Continue Reading
ESSA: Murray, Scott Continue Push to Ensure New Education Law Works for Every Student, Strengthens Equity of Educational Opportunity
08.02.16 WASHINGTON - Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), Ranking Member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, sent the following letter to the U.S. Department of Education ("the Department") regarding their proposed regulation on the accountability provisions in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Murray and Scott applauded the Department for "balancing ESSA's strong and cl… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Full Committee Hearing on ESSA Implementation
06.23.16 WASHINGTON - Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after a full committee hearing entitled "Next Steps in K-12 Education: Examining Recent Efforts to Implement the Every Student Succeeds Act." U.S. Secretary of Education John King testified before the committee. "Thanks to the enactment of the Every Student Succeeds Act, states and school districts now have more flexibility to carry out this law and make sure all students are… Continue Reading
Murray, Scott Push for Ambitious Pre-K Plans in ESSA Implementation
06.13.16 (Washington, D.C.) - Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Congressman Bobby Scott (D-VA), ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, voiced their support for "ambitious actions and comprehensive coordination" to fulfill the promise of the preschool program in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA marks the first time that the nation's primary elementary and secondary education law i… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Statement on New Civil Rights Data from Department of Education
06.07.16 WASHINGTON - Today, the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) unveiled new data from the 2013-2014 school year showing gaps that remain in educational equity and opportunity for students. Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Rep. Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Rep. John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) released the following statement on the release of the new data by OCR: "The report released today from the Department of Education is a dis… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Education Department’s Proposed Rule to Enhance Equity and Excellence in Schools
05.26.16 WASHINGTON - Education and the Workforce Committee Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the Department of Education issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to implement provisions of the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) regarding school accountability, data reporting, and consolidated state plans. Earlier this week, ranking members Scott and Patty Murray (D-WA) sent a letter to Secretary of Education John King, requesting that the Department use… Continue Reading
Scott, Conyers Unveil New GAO Report on Segregation in Public Schools
05.17.16 WASHINGTON - TODAY, Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (VA-03) and Committee on the Judiciary Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (MI-13) unveiled the findings of a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on actions needed to reduce racial and socioeconomic segregation, and address disparities in K-12 public schools. Ranking Members Scott and Conyers, along with retired Congressman and former Ranking Member George Miller, first requested this report… Continue Reading
Scott Statement on Education, Justice Guidance on Transgender Students
05.13.16 WASHINGTON - House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance today to help provide educators the information they need to ensure that all students can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex: "The Departments of Education and Justice should be commended for releasing this important guidance regarding the rights of … Continue Reading