By Della B. Cronin

It’s hard to believe that it’s been just over a month since President Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States.  He and his staff have been busy issuing executive orders, calling international leaders, and hosting various business and other leaders at the White House.  In that time, the Senate has been working to confirm his proposed cabinet members, and the fight to get Betsy DeVos to her post at the Department of Education (ED) was particularly contentious.  Ultimately, her nomination was confirmed by a tie-breaking vote from Vice President Mike Pence—the first time a cabinet nomination needed the Vice President’s vote.  And the exercise left the normally unified education community a bit battered and bruised.

In the weeks since her confirmation, Secretary DeVos has visited a charter school, a historically black college (Howard University) in Washington, D.C., addressed a gathering of public universities, and given interviews related to her plans for the agency she oversees.  She has said she intends to review Department of Education programs with an eye to reducing overall spending, but she has said she also is committed to giving every student the opportunity to thrive in their educational experiences.  Additionally, she has weighed in on Congressional efforts to repeal regulatory packages finalized by the Obama Administration—namely the accountability package to guide states as they develop their Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plans.  With the rescission of the package on the horizon, she has told states to continue their work, that the April and September deadlines for filing the plans will stand, and that she expects her team to give states the help and flexibility they want as they put together their plans.  This news was welcomed by the Council of Chief State School Officers, which has been working with its members on these efforts for months.

The education community is waiting to see how President Trump’s campaign promise to propose a significant “school choice” proposal might manifest itself.  Republican choice proponents on Capitol Hill have introduced bills that would grow federal investments in school choice options, but the challenge for the White House is how to support such plans without growing the federal education budget.  The pending reconciliation bill, which will be the vehicle for repealing and/or replacing Obamacare, is an option, as is a tax package that is expected. Using a tax bill to support the growth of charter schools or private and public vouchers would circumvent procedural rules that would almost certainly slow or stop such a proposal otherwise.

Not surprisingly, there are ongoing concerns about federal spending debates.  Some Republicans want to increase defense spending, others want to shrink the federal budget in every way, and still others want measured, thoughtful cuts.  All three of those cannot happen, but the education and research communities are concerned.  Discretionary cuts almost certainly mean that the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, the Energy Department, NASA and others will be on high alert.  President Trump addressed Congress on February 28, and that address will be followed by what is called a “skinny budget request”—a term that refers to a new president’s first budget plan, since it’s usually short on details.  His more-than-an-hour-long address had little detail regarding education policy, other than asserting the (now familiar) refrain that “education is the civil rights issue of our time.”  He reiterated his support for “choice”, but offered no details.  The budget plan coming in mid-March will give NCTM and the education community a better idea of what challenges are ahead.

In the meantime, the House Education and the Workforce Committee has already held a hearing on school choice; another on higher education policy; and a third on the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.  New Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) is setting the tone for the panel—there’s much to be done and she wants to get busy.  The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee is a little slower to get going, as they have been consumed with the process of confirming three separate cabinet nominees, and they are also involved in the development of health care policies.

The start of the Congress has also seen raucous town hall meetings nationwide, as those who rely on Obamacare are anxious about its repeal and the would-be consequences to them and their families.  They also are seemingly alarmed about some cabinet appointments, the cost of a wall on the country’s southern border, the President’s executive orders on immigration, and many other issues.  It remains to be seen if these meetings will have Republicans rethinking their policy plans.

Della B. Cronin is a principal at Washington Partners, LLC.