Seventy years on from the historic Brown v. Board of Education decision, the Biden administration is rolling out a massive wave of new funding and resources aimed at making education fairer and more inclusive for everyone. Let’s take a look at the details.
A Blast from the Past
First, a bit of history. Brown v. Board of Education was the 1954 Supreme Court case that declared segregated schools unconstitutional. It was a groundbreaking moment, although problems in schools still persist to this day.
A New Era in Education
The Biden-Harris Administration is dropping a lot of money and support to make sure every student, regardless of their race or economic status, has access to a high-class education. Let’s break down the key initiatives:
Attracting Diversity
New Magnet School Grants: The goal here is schools that attract a diverse student body with specialized programs. There’s $20 million in new awards for school districts in states like Arkansas, Florida, and Texas, and the 2025 budget is eyeing $139 million for the Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) and $10 million for the Fostering Diverse Schools program.
Fair Resource Distribution
Technical Assistance Center for Equitable Funding: The Department of Education is launching a new center to help states and school districts figure out the best ways to distribute resources fairly. This center will provide strategies to ensure schools serving high-need communities get the support they deserve.
STEM Access for All
New Data on Math and Science Access: The government is working on a new report looking at racial disparities in access to STEM courses. This data will point to where improvements are needed to ensure every student can do their best in these crucial subjects.
Celebrating African American History
Preserving African American History: In line with promoting the arts and humanities, there’s a new push to preserve African American history. This includes protecting historic sites and ensuring public access to African American literature and resources.
Major Investments in Underserved Schools
Do you remember Biden’s “American Rescue Plan?” It poured $130 billion into schools, focusing on those in underserved areas.
A Lifeline for Schools in Need
At the time, it was the biggest investment in U.S. history – but now there’s more to it: Title I Funding: The Government has secured nearly $2 billion in additional funds, bringing the total to a record $18.4 billion annually to support schools with major needs.
Community Schools on the Rise
Full-Service Community Schools: Funding has skyrocketed from $30 million to $150 million, allowing these schools to provide essential services like healthcare and childcare and closing resource gaps for students and their families.
Increasing Teacher Diversity
Research shows that having teachers who reflect the diversity of their students can boost pupils’ achievement.
Supporting HBCUs
Biden’s administration is pumping $450 million into programs that support teacher diversity – including over $23 million for the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence – which trains teachers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and other minority-serving institutions.
Strengthening School Diversity
The Biden administration is investing more than $300 million to make schools more diverse. This includes expanding the MSAP and launching the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program.
Guidance for Schools
After the Supreme Court decided against affirmative action in college admissions, the Department of Education, along with the Department of Justice, released guidance to help schools remain inclusive environments.
Closing the School Readiness Gap
One of the biggest hurdles in education is the “readiness gap” that exists even before kids start kindergarten. Biden’s budget aims to provide preschool to every four-year-old.
Investing in Early Education
Here’s what the government has achieved so far: Head Start and Child Care: An extra $1.5 billion for Head Start and nearly a 50% boost in funding for the Child Care & Development Block Grant (CCDBG) program. The American Rescue Plan also provided $24 billion to stabilize childcare, benefiting diverse communities.
Supporting Working Families
Expanding Preschool Access: The White House has released new guidance on using Title I funds to expand high-quality preschool services, the first guidance on this in over a decade.
The Bigger Picture
This massive rollout of funding and resources is a step towards making sure every child, regardless of their background, gets the education they deserve.
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The post – Can Millions in New Federal Funding Level the Educational Playing Field? – first appeared on Liberty & Wealth.
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