Lots of stuff here. I remind skeptical about the omnibus, but Sheryl reports progress being made. Note the letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill — all NCL member organizations can sign on. Info below. I mentioned the job training hearing earlier this week. Note that according to Sheryl’s account below, "Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. “ I don’t know when I might have the time, but hoping some NCL folks had a chance to watch this hearing. Jeff > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org> > Subject: CEF Update: 04.06.17 - CEF letter on 2018 Labor-H funding, Approps rumors, Big Tent ed meeting, job training hearing, student aid letter, clean budget tool kit > Date: April 6, 2017 at 12:41:05 PM EDT > To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@americancontinentalgroup.onmicrosoft.com> > > > > > Thursday, April 6, 2017 > > Dear CEF Members: > > I. Advocacy > · CEF letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill – CEF, in conjunction with the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce and the Coalition for Health Funding, is circulating the attached sign-on letter <http://www.publichealthfunding.org/uploads/302bSignOn.FY2018.pdf> urging Congressional appropriators to increase the spending allocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. As you know, we continue to push for raising the cap on non-defense discretionary spending from the austere sequester level to allow more funding for a variety of non-defense needs. The Labor-HHS-ED bill did not receive a proportional share of the extra funding when the caps were last raised two years ago. We encourage all CEF members and their affiliates to sign the letter. To sign, CLICK HERE BY COB APRIL 21, 2017 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFVa1pSlj8S27rus-MkHXOOp9P5ATcoVamDboWyjR3WfwLZw/viewform?usp=send_form>. > > > II. Policy Intelligence and Education News > > · Appropriations status – It sounds like appropriators are still working hard on an omnibus package of separate appropriations bills, and that conferencing on the Labor-HHS-Education bill is close to being done. Multiple people on the Hill have told us that the overall 2017 non-defense funding cap remains at the statutory level – i.e., it has not been lowered per the Trump Administration’s proposal – and that the allocation for Labor-HHS-Education has not been significantly changed. As you know, education funding in the 2017 funding bills reported by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees last year was cut below the 2016 level <https://cef.org/charts-and-resources/charts/>. It’s possible that total Education Department funding could remain about the same in each proposal but with changes in what is provided for individual programs. (For example, to accommodate the House bill’s higher funding for ESSA Title IV-A and the Senate bill’s higher funding for the National Institutes of Health, Congress could rescind additional funding from the Pell grant reserve.) We don’t expect any big announcements during the upcoming two-week recess. > > · “Big Tent” education meeting – The National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Center for American Progress, and Democrats for Education Reform have created an informal “Big Tent” education group that occasionally meets to coordinate efforts and share information. Earlier this year it was working against Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be Education Secretary, and met this week to discuss advocacy to enact 2017 bills without damaging policy riders (including the Clean Budget Toolkit mentioned below). CEF will participate on education funding issues, such as a proposal to organize a day to urge the public to call Congress opposing education cuts, possibly linked to when Secretary DeVos testifies before the Appropriations Committee. > > · Labor-HHS-ED hearing on job training - On April 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education held a hearing entitled “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs.” Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) pointed out that while the federal government invests over $4 billion in multiple job training programs, millions of Americans still struggle to find jobs even though there are over 5.5 million job openings across the country. He was interested in the Markle Foundation’s initiative – called SKILLFUL – that provides tools “to connect middle-skill job seekers--those with a high school diploma and some college experience, but not a four-year degree—with employers, educations and community coaches so they can advance their careers.” Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD) and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) recognized the importance of workforce education and training in closing the skills gap, without supporting specific programs. Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. > > · Student Aid Alliance letter garners 576 signatures – This week 576 organizations and institutions sent a letter <http://act.studentaidalliance.org/support-letter/> urging Congress to strengthen the Pell grant program and protect the student loan program. They are encouraging advocates to share the letter with their networks and to tweet about it using the hashtags #savestudentaid and #raidonaid. > > · FYI, Clean Budget Toolkit – Public Citizen’s Clean Budget Coalition <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=5703> has put together the attached budget “toolkit” with information about reaching out to Members of Congress in the coming two-week recess. It includes talking points and questions about education funding and the President’s proposed cuts, among many other points. > > > III. Events > > · CEF schedule for April – There are no Friday morning meetings during Congress’s two-week recess this month. > o Friday, April 7, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AFSCME, 1625 L St NW, 1st Floor Board Room). Guest speaker: Robin Juliano, Democratic education staffer for the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. > o Friday, April 28, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AASCU, 1307 NY Ave, NW). Guest speaker: TBD. > > > My best, > > Sheryl > > > Sheryl V. Cohen, Executive Director > > > 1800 M Street, NW > Suite 500 South > Washington, DC 20036 > T: 202-327-8125 > cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org> > www.cef.org <http://www.cef.org/> >

Jeff, thanks for sending out the CEF notes. NCL will be signing on to the CEF/CIAW letter. The job training hearing can be viewed here: http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=394820 <http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=394820> and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawYmtzb4_M <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawYmtzb4_M> And lastly, don’t forget our public policy call this afternoon at 4:00! Call-in information: 641-715-0861 Pin: 240804# Deborah Deborah Kennedy Owner/Principal, Key Words President, National Coalition for Literacy office: 202/364-1964 mobile: 202/363-3684 web: www.key-words.us > On Apr 6, 2017, at 2:17 PM, Jeff Carter <jcarter@literacypolicy.org> wrote: > > Lots of stuff here. I remind skeptical about the omnibus, but Sheryl reports progress being made. > > Note the letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill — all NCL member organizations can sign on. Info below. > > I mentioned the job training hearing earlier this week. Note that according to Sheryl’s account below, "Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. “ > > I don’t know when I might have the time, but hoping some NCL folks had a chance to watch this hearing. > > Jeff > >> Begin forwarded message: >> >> From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org>> >> Subject: CEF Update: 04.06.17 - CEF letter on 2018 Labor-H funding, Approps rumors, Big Tent ed meeting, job training hearing, student aid letter, clean budget tool kit >> Date: April 6, 2017 at 12:41:05 PM EDT >> To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@americancontinentalgroup.onmicrosoft.com <mailto:CEFMembersList@americancontinentalgroup.onmicrosoft.com>> >> >> > <image001.jpg> >> >> Thursday, April 6, 2017 >> >> Dear CEF Members: >> >> I. Advocacy >> · CEF letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill – CEF, in conjunction with the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce and the Coalition for Health Funding, is circulating the attached sign-on letter <http://www.publichealthfunding.org/uploads/302bSignOn.FY2018.pdf> urging Congressional appropriators to increase the spending allocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. As you know, we continue to push for raising the cap on non-defense discretionary spending from the austere sequester level to allow more funding for a variety of non-defense needs. The Labor-HHS-ED bill did not receive a proportional share of the extra funding when the caps were last raised two years ago. We encourage all CEF members and their affiliates to sign the letter. To sign, CLICK HERE BY COB APRIL 21, 2017 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFVa1pSlj8S27rus-MkHXOOp9P5ATcoVamDboWyjR3WfwLZw/viewform?usp=send_form>. >> >> >> II. Policy Intelligence and Education News >> >> · Appropriations status – It sounds like appropriators are still working hard on an omnibus package of separate appropriations bills, and that conferencing on the Labor-HHS-Education bill is close to being done. Multiple people on the Hill have told us that the overall 2017 non-defense funding cap remains at the statutory level – i.e., it has not been lowered per the Trump Administration’s proposal – and that the allocation for Labor-HHS-Education has not been significantly changed. As you know, education funding in the 2017 funding bills reported by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees last year was cut below the 2016 level <https://cef.org/charts-and-resources/charts/>. It’s possible that total Education Department funding could remain about the same in each proposal but with changes in what is provided for individual programs. (For example, to accommodate the House bill’s higher funding for ESSA Title IV-A and the Senate bill’s higher funding for the National Institutes of Health, Congress could rescind additional funding from the Pell grant reserve.) We don’t expect any big announcements during the upcoming two-week recess. >> >> · “Big Tent” education meeting – The National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Center for American Progress, and Democrats for Education Reform have created an informal “Big Tent” education group that occasionally meets to coordinate efforts and share information. Earlier this year it was working against Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be Education Secretary, and met this week to discuss advocacy to enact 2017 bills without damaging policy riders (including the Clean Budget Toolkit mentioned below). CEF will participate on education funding issues, such as a proposal to organize a day to urge the public to call Congress opposing education cuts, possibly linked to when Secretary DeVos testifies before the Appropriations Committee. >> >> · Labor-HHS-ED hearing on job training - On April 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education held a hearing entitled “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs.” Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) pointed out that while the federal government invests over $4 billion in multiple job training programs, millions of Americans still struggle to find jobs even though there are over 5.5 million job openings across the country. He was interested in the Markle Foundation’s initiative – called SKILLFUL – that provides tools “to connect middle-skill job seekers--those with a high school diploma and some college experience, but not a four-year degree—with employers, educations and community coaches so they can advance their careers.” Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD) and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) recognized the importance of workforce education and training in closing the skills gap, without supporting specific programs. Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. >> >> · Student Aid Alliance letter garners 576 signatures – This week 576 organizations and institutions sent a letter <http://act.studentaidalliance.org/support-letter/> urging Congress to strengthen the Pell grant program and protect the student loan program. They are encouraging advocates to share the letter with their networks and to tweet about it using the hashtags #savestudentaid and #raidonaid. >> >> · FYI, Clean Budget Toolkit – Public Citizen’s Clean Budget Coalition <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=5703> has put together the attached budget “toolkit” with information about reaching out to Members of Congress in the coming two-week recess. It includes talking points and questions about education funding and the President’s proposed cuts, among many other points. >> >> >> III. Events >> >> · CEF schedule for April – There are no Friday morning meetings during Congress’s two-week recess this month. >> o Friday, April 7, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AFSCME, 1625 L St NW, 1st Floor Board Room). Guest speaker: Robin Juliano, Democratic education staffer for the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. >> o Friday, April 28, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AASCU, 1307 NY Ave, NW). Guest speaker: TBD. >> >> >> My best, >> >> Sheryl >> >> >> Sheryl V. Cohen, Executive Director >> > <image002.jpg> >> 1800 M Street, NW >> Suite 500 South >> Washington, DC 20036 >> T: 202-327-8125 >> cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org> >> www.cef.org <http://www.cef.org/> >> > <oledata.mso> > <302bSignOn.FY2018.pdf> > <Clean Budget Activist Toolkit.pdf> > > _______________________________________________ > National Coalition for Literacy Members mailing list > Members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org > To unsubscribe: http://lists.national-coalition-literacy.org/mailman/listinfo/members_lists.national-coalition-literacy.org

Jeff, thanks for sending out the CEF notes. NCL will be signing on to the CEF/CIAW letter. The job training hearing can be viewed here: http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=394820 <http://appropriations.house.gov/calendar/eventsingle.aspx?EventID=394820> and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawYmtzb4_M <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pawYmtzb4_M> And lastly, don’t forget our public policy call this afternoon at 4:00! Call-in information: 641-715-0861 Pin: 240804# Deborah Deborah Kennedy Owner/Principal, Key Words President, National Coalition for Literacy office: 202/364-1964 mobile: 202/363-3684 web: www.key-words.us <http://www.key-words.us/> > >> On Apr 6, 2017, at 2:17 PM, Jeff Carter <jcarter@literacypolicy.org <mailto:jcarter@literacypolicy.org>> wrote: >> >> Lots of stuff here. I remind skeptical about the omnibus, but Sheryl reports progress being made. >> >> Note the letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill — all NCL member organizations can sign on. Info below. >> >> I mentioned the job training hearing earlier this week. Note that according to Sheryl’s account below, "Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. “ >> >> I don’t know when I might have the time, but hoping some NCL folks had a chance to watch this hearing. >> >> Jeff >> >>> Begin forwarded message: >>> >>> From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org>> >>> Subject: CEF Update: 04.06.17 - CEF letter on 2018 Labor-H funding, Approps rumors, Big Tent ed meeting, job training hearing, student aid letter, clean budget tool kit >>> Date: April 6, 2017 at 12:41:05 PM EDT >>> To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@americancontinentalgroup.onmicrosoft.com <mailto:CEFMembersList@americancontinentalgroup.onmicrosoft.com>> >>> >>> >> <image001.jpg> >>> >>> Thursday, April 6, 2017 >>> >>> Dear CEF Members: >>> >>> I. Advocacy >>> · CEF letter supporting higher funding for 2018 Labor-HHS-Education bill – CEF, in conjunction with the Campaign to Invest in America’s Workforce and the Coalition for Health Funding, is circulating the attached sign-on letter <http://www.publichealthfunding.org/uploads/302bSignOn.FY2018.pdf> urging Congressional appropriators to increase the spending allocation for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill for fiscal year 2018. As you know, we continue to push for raising the cap on non-defense discretionary spending from the austere sequester level to allow more funding for a variety of non-defense needs. The Labor-HHS-ED bill did not receive a proportional share of the extra funding when the caps were last raised two years ago. We encourage all CEF members and their affiliates to sign the letter. To sign, CLICK HERE BY COB APRIL 21, 2017 <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdFVa1pSlj8S27rus-MkHXOOp9P5ATcoVamDboWyjR3WfwLZw/viewform?usp=send_form>. >>> >>> >>> II. Policy Intelligence and Education News >>> >>> · Appropriations status – It sounds like appropriators are still working hard on an omnibus package of separate appropriations bills, and that conferencing on the Labor-HHS-Education bill is close to being done. Multiple people on the Hill have told us that the overall 2017 non-defense funding cap remains at the statutory level – i.e., it has not been lowered per the Trump Administration’s proposal – and that the allocation for Labor-HHS-Education has not been significantly changed. As you know, education funding in the 2017 funding bills reported by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees last year was cut below the 2016 level <https://cef.org/charts-and-resources/charts/>. It’s possible that total Education Department funding could remain about the same in each proposal but with changes in what is provided for individual programs. (For example, to accommodate the House bill’s higher funding for ESSA Title IV-A and the Senate bill’s higher funding for the National Institutes of Health, Congress could rescind additional funding from the Pell grant reserve.) We don’t expect any big announcements during the upcoming two-week recess. >>> >>> · “Big Tent” education meeting – The National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, the Center for American Progress, and Democrats for Education Reform have created an informal “Big Tent” education group that occasionally meets to coordinate efforts and share information. Earlier this year it was working against Betsy DeVos’s nomination to be Education Secretary, and met this week to discuss advocacy to enact 2017 bills without damaging policy riders (including the Clean Budget Toolkit mentioned below). CEF will participate on education funding issues, such as a proposal to organize a day to urge the public to call Congress opposing education cuts, possibly linked to when Secretary DeVos testifies before the Appropriations Committee. >>> >>> · Labor-HHS-ED hearing on job training - On April 4, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor-Health and Human Services-Education held a hearing entitled “Examining Federal Support for Job Training Programs.” Chairman Tom Cole (R-OK) pointed out that while the federal government invests over $4 billion in multiple job training programs, millions of Americans still struggle to find jobs even though there are over 5.5 million job openings across the country. He was interested in the Markle Foundation’s initiative – called SKILLFUL – that provides tools “to connect middle-skill job seekers--those with a high school diploma and some college experience, but not a four-year degree—with employers, educations and community coaches so they can advance their careers.” Representatives Andy Harris (R-MD) and Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) recognized the importance of workforce education and training in closing the skills gap, without supporting specific programs. Witnesses called for appropriate funding of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to achieve better participant outcomes and program performance, and described the challenges facing WIOA. >>> >>> · Student Aid Alliance letter garners 576 signatures – This week 576 organizations and institutions sent a letter <http://act.studentaidalliance.org/support-letter/> urging Congress to strengthen the Pell grant program and protect the student loan program. They are encouraging advocates to share the letter with their networks and to tweet about it using the hashtags #savestudentaid and #raidonaid. >>> >>> · FYI, Clean Budget Toolkit – Public Citizen’s Clean Budget Coalition <http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/pressroomredirect.cfm?ID=5703> has put together the attached budget “toolkit” with information about reaching out to Members of Congress in the coming two-week recess. It includes talking points and questions about education funding and the President’s proposed cuts, among many other points. >>> >>> >>> III. Events >>> >>> · CEF schedule for April – There are no Friday morning meetings during Congress’s two-week recess this month. >>> o Friday, April 7, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AFSCME, 1625 L St NW, 1st Floor Board Room). Guest speaker: Robin Juliano, Democratic education staffer for the House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee. >>> o Friday, April 28, 9-11 am: CEF meeting (AASCU, 1307 NY Ave, NW). Guest speaker: TBD. >>> >>> >>> My best, >>> >>> Sheryl >>> >>> >>> Sheryl V. Cohen, Executive Director >>> >> <image002.jpg> >>> 1800 M Street, NW >>> Suite 500 South >>> Washington, DC 20036 >>> T: 202-327-8125 >>> cohen@cef.org <mailto:cohen@cef.org> >>> www.cef.org <http://www.cef.org/> >>> >> <oledata.mso> >> <302bSignOn.FY2018.pdf> >> <Clean Budget Activist Toolkit.pdf> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> National Coalition for Literacy Members mailing list >> Members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org <mailto:Members@lists.national-coalition-literacy.org> >> To unsubscribe: http://lists.national-coalition-literacy.org/mailman/listinfo/members_lists.national-coalition-literacy.org >