NAPE extends congratulations to the following individuals who have been appointed to positions in the U.S. Department of Education:

Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Office of Postsecondary Education: Michelle Asha Cooper, President, Institute for Higher Education Policy 

Senior Counsel: Joanna Darcus, Staff Attorney, National Consumer Law Center

Senior Advisor for Policy and Planning at the Department of Education: Donna Harris-Aikens, Senior Director for Education Policy and Practice, National Education Association

Undersecretary of Education: James Kvaal, President, Institute for College Access & Success

House Committee on Education and Labor Chairman Bobby Scott (VA-03) led a bipartisan group of Members in unveiling a proposed reauthorization of the National Apprenticeship Act that would create nearly 1 million new Registered Apprenticeship, youth apprenticeship, and pre-apprenticeship positions over the next 5 years. The National Apprenticeship Act of 2021 (H.R. 447) invests nearly $3.5 billion over 5 years to scale up apprenticeship opportunities, streamline access to apprenticeships for workers and employers, and expand apprenticeships into new in-demand industry sectors and occupations. Read more >>

Niels Leniewksi, Roll Call
The Biden administration still has no public timeline for sending the president's first budget request to Congress. While first-year presidential budget delays have become something of a tradition, initial "skinny" versions have often come sooner. President Barack Obama released early details on Feb. 26, 2009; his predecessor, George W. Bush, did so on Feb. 28, 2001. Bill Clinton gave an overview in a speech to a joint session of Congress on Feb. 17, 1993. Read more >>

Katie Lobosco, CNN
President Joe Biden made it clear during Tuesday night's CNN town hall that he disagrees with other members of his party who want to cancel $50,000 of student debt per borrower.  Read more >>

Michael Stratford, Politico
His hearing comes as Republicans increasingly blame the Biden administration and teachers unions for standing in the way of reopening schools. Miguel Cardona, President Joe Biden's nominee for Education secretary, breezed through his Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday, winning some bipartisan support even amid an increasingly contentious national political debate over reopening schools during the pandemic. Read more >>

Christopher Gavin, Boston.com
A vote from the whole Senate is all that's needed to make the Boston mayor a member of the presidential cabinet. Mayor Marty Walsh is one step closer to becoming the nation's secretary of labor. The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, or HELP, Committee voted 18-4 on Thursday to advance the Dorchester native's nomination to a full Senate confirmation vote. Read more >>

Linda Jackson, The74
As President Joe Biden assembles a team of educators to lead the U.S. Department of Education, he's also made key appointments to the White House that bolster his pledge to make education a major focus of his administration. Read more >>

Juan Perez, Jr., Politico
Fresh advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will drop as the White House continues to push for in-person learning for most K-8 students.  Government school reopening guidance expected this week might not be enough to quell hostile debates about in-person classes. Read more >>