The National Parents Union is encouraged to see the Biden Administration and the Department of Education taking positive initial steps to ensure that every child across this country has a world class education. In a win for students, the Department of Education has officially appointed Matt Nosanchuk as the Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) to safeguard students’ liberties from the perils of unconstitutional book and curriculum bans.
Additionally, the Biden Administration has announced a strong commitment and actions to ensure that states are embracing the science of reading and teaching math- a commitment to student progress that will positively impact students across the country who are behind in school.
It is our unwavering assertion that every child in this country should have not only the right to read, but unfettered access to books and the education to read the pages. This is a step forward for the Biden Administration, who has heard the concerns of parents and taken action, but it is just the beginning.
Today’s announcement proves that parents advocating for equitable access to education is not only working but is vital to ensuring this country thrives. Families who have felt the economic and social emotional backlash of low literacy rates thank this administration for assuring promising futures for our children.
“Parents across the country feel seen by these announcements from the Biden Administration and Secretary Cordona- we are ready to do this work with you. The actions announced to embrace the science of reading and math will result in more kids being prepared for the future, if what the administration has committed to is done with fidelity.” — Keri Rodrigues, President, National Parents Union
“The Biden Administration and Secretary Cardona have announced big commitments to ensuring that kids who are currently struggling in school have the chance to catch up. This is the kind of energy we need from Washington.” — Ariel Taylor Smith, Senior Director of Policy and Action
The actions announced by the Department of Education include:
Committing to uplifting best practices in Literacy, with an emphasis on third grade reading: When a student is reading by third grade, they are more likely to come to school, be engaged and graduate on time. The Department of Education announced approximately $50 million in literacy grants to be given to states to develop effective strategies for evidenced-based literacy intervention, and for states to provide equitable access to high quality literacy and instructional materials for every student.
Elevating evidenced based practices to improve math instruction and student outcomes:
The Department will be hosting a series of conversations with top researchers and policy experts to discuss developing solutions for our nation’s growing math crisis.
Improving parent access to updates on whether our kids are on track: The announcement also included commitments to use high quality assessments to ensure that our kids are not falling behind in school. This has been a priority of NPU parents since day one.
Supporting States to leverage funding to meet growing mental health and safety needs of our kids: We know that student wellbeing has been a top concern of families and we are grateful for the increased investments and focus on the issue.