The proposed rules did not actually suggest the contested material would be required for grantees to use, but Education Secretary Miguel Cardona addressed concerns of critics by making clear in a blog post that curriculum decisions will not be dictated by the federal government.
Legislation includes $36 billion for Title I, Part A, an increase of $19.5 billion over the FY 2021 enacted level, as well as $15.5 billion for IDEA Part B, a $3.1 billion increase over FY 2021 levels.
The U.S. Education Department released more than $3 billion in American Rescue Plan Act funds to states for children and youths served under IDEA Part B and IDEA Part C.
The announcement was made during Cardona's official three-day trip to Puerto Rico, the first for a Biden administration Cabinet member. It marks the first time the island has full access to those funds.
Controversies over the teaching of critical race theory are roiling school districts just as administrators are navigating the post-COVD transition back to full-time in-person learning.
Nearly one in four teachers may quit before the end of this 2020-'21 school year, a significant increase compared to the rate of departures seen pre-COVID.
Requiring a principal and an assistant principal to participate in complaint hearings poses an "undue hardship," said a Title IX coordinator for a 36,000-student district in Colorado.
