The fourth school year impacted by the pandemic is more than halfway complete, and school district leaders across the country are working hard to invest remaining ESSER dollars strategically to support learning recovery. With the ESSER spending window closing soon, however, many leaders are spending funds to meet the deadline, rather than…

At a time of increasing and unprecedented homelessness--with more children and youth living without safe, stable housing than during the pandemic--schools are running out of time to use federal pandemic-era funds dedicated to helping homeless students. While the pandemic is officially over, the crisis of homelessness is unabated and growing.…

New Mexico made headlines in 2022 as the first state in the nation to pass a ballot measure amending the state constitution to guarantee funding for early childhood education. The state leadership's intention to make child care affordable for most families in New Mexico was widely celebrated. Not as well known, however, is the story of how a…

The Running Start Summer School Pilot program was established in 2020 by House Bill 2864 and enacted as Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.630.600. To determine whether the summer term should be funded under the Running Start Program, a summer pilot was created to evaluate interest in and barriers to expanding the Running Start program to…

With the 2022 midterm elections behind us and 2023 state legislative sessions ahead, policymakers must shift their time and attention from winning reelection to addressing the perfect storm brewing in education. Three significant challenges paint a grim picture for students and public schools unless policymakers step in to help: catastrophic…

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and will continue to create uncertainty in all facets of everyday life, exacerbating current challenges -- and generating new ones -- for every sector of the economy, including postsecondary education. As the pandemic continues, postsecondary education faces increasing pressures as concerns about health and…

In this testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security, the Director of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) discusses the status of school districts' planning and preparedness for emergencies. According to the testimony, federal and state governments support emergency management in school districts with a range of resources…

This publication is a guide for California colleges and universities wishing to prepare for earthquakes. An introduction aimed at institutional leaders emphasizes that earthquake preparedness is required by law and argues that there is much that can be done to prepare for earthquakes. The second section, addressed to the disaster planner, offers…