News: The future of short-term Pell

Monday, December 9, 2024

The future of short-term Pell

Dec 09, 2024

Linda McMahon speaks during the Republican National Convention.

Linda McMahon, nominee for Education secretary, has spoken favorably about short-term Pell grants. | Matt Rourke/AP

IN THE SHORT TERM: Time is running out for short-term Pell to pass in the 118th, but proponents of the policy are hopeful for the future.

Linda McMahon, nominee for Education secretary, has spoken favorably about the grants. Little is known about her plans for the department and her experience in education is thin, but she has penned an op-ed throwing her support behind the Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act, sponsored by Reps. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.), Bobby Scott (D-Va.), Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), and Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.).

“Many degree programs have lost sight of their mission. And their one-size-fits-all solution to workforce development has become outdated,” she wrote. “Our educational system must offer clear and viable pathways to the American Dream aside from four-year degrees.”

Despite having bipartisan agreement on the program, it historically has had difficulty making its way through the legislative process. Lawmakers also tend to disagree about what kind of guardrails should be put on short-term Pell to ensure that federal dollars don’t go toward low-quality training programs.

Some higher education groups are against the program altogether. They argue that the federal government already pays for a lot of short-term programs, and that they don’t have strong economic returns.

Now with a Republican controlled Congress and McMahon’s support, some policy advocates in favor of short-term Pell think it could have a better shot at coming to fruition.

Kevin Stump, the vice president of the Education Design Lab a nonprofit that designs different types of education-to-workforce models, said part of the reason people give pause about short-term Pell is because there is a lack of data around short-term programs. But more local leaders are finding a need for it, he said, pointing to state-level initiatives like Propel NC and Texas House Bill 8.

“We’re optimistic because short-term Pell has enjoyed a great deal of bipartisan support in all kinds of communities that both the new administration and Congress are ready to act,” Stump said.

Kim Cook, the CEO of National College Attainment Network, said she could support short-term Pell with specific guardrails for quality, but worries about what it could mean for Pell funding in general.

“What does that do to Pell’s funding? Cook said. “Would a significant bump in use for short-term programs rocket us toward a short fall we have worked around already?”

IT’S MONDAY, DEC. 9. WELCOME TO WEEKLY EDUCATION. I’m your host, Rebecca Carballo. Let’s talk: rcarballo@politico.com. The team: Bianca Quilantan at bquilantan@politico.com, Juan Perez Jr. at jperez@politico.com and Mackenzie Wilkes at mwilkes@politico.com.

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At the Courts

A ‘COMPELLING’ INTEREST: A federal judge on Friday upheld the U.S. Naval Academy’s consideration of race in admissions arguing that pursuing diversity in the military is a national security interest, Bianca reports.

The ruling is an early blow to Students for Fair Admissions’ latest attempt to extend the scope of its Supreme Court win against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that gutted the use of race in college admissions. The ruling also comes while the Naval Academy’s admissions process is underway for its next class.

Judge Richard Bennett emphasized in his ruling that the academy is “distinct from a civilian university” because its mission is to prepare its students to become officers in the military. He also said that while race is considered in admissions, the academy does not have racial quotas or engage in racial balancing, and race is not a determinative factor in its process.

Bennett added that the academy proved its national security interest is measurable and its admissions program is narrowly tailored. He also said the court defers to the executive branch on military personnel decisions.

“The program survives strict scrutiny because the Naval Academy has established a compelling national security interest in a diverse officer corps in the Navy and Marine Corps,” Bennett wrote. “Specifically, the Academy has tied its use of race to the realization of an officer corps that represents the country it protects and the people it leads.”

Teacher Unions

THIS WEEK: AFT President Randi Weingarten and Princess Moss, vice president of the National Education Association, alongside several other union leaders and lawmakers will hold a rally on Capitol Hill on Wednesday calling for a Senate vote on the Social Security Fairness Act.

The bipartisan legislation would repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). The unions say that more than 2 million retirees see their Social Security checks reduced each month due to these penalties, which impact fire fighters, teachers, police officers, and other public service workers.

ICYMI: While speaking at Columbia University Thursday, Weingarten said she believes economic strife and a sense of hopelessness among many Americans is what led to President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

Weingarten said a strong public education system is the path forward. This means improving literacy, preventing teacher burnout and making sure children find school to be engaging and exciting, she said.

“Public education and growing the labor movement are vehicles for creating agency among Americans,” Weingarten said. “They are requisites for Americans to prosper and for democracy to be not just salvaged but strengthened. These pathways to opportunity require fair public policy.”

Syllabus

In Wisconsin, professors worry AI could replace them. Inside Higher Ed.

A Mississippi teacher created a school in an empty storefront. Students showed up. The New York Times.

Philadelphia is now spending over $100 million on its curriculum overhaul. Chalkbeat Philadelphia.

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