Latest from CEF. I’m planning to be at CEF's retreat tomorrow — if anyone else from the coalition who is based here in D.C. is interested in attending, let me know. Jeff P.S. I know I’m behind in responding to some emails — thanks for bearing with me as I dig out during this first post-holidays week. Jeff Carter — President, National Coalition for Literacy http://national-coalition-literacy.org General Contact Info — jcarter@literacypolicy.org or jeffcrtr@gmail.org Personal Twitter: @jeffcrtr | literacypolicy.org Cell: (202) 374-4387 > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Joel Packer <jpacker@cef.org> > Subject: Meeting Notice and Thursday Update > Date: January 7, 2016 at 10:58:24 AM EST > To: Joel Packer <jpacker@cef.org> > > > > CEF UPDATES > > 2016 Advocacy and Planning Retreat: Tomorrow, January 8 is the CEF Advocacy and Planning Retreat at the University of California building (1608 Rhode Island Ave. NW). Click here for the updated agenda <https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B19p6j32JwToWkVENUVGV190QkU>. It’s a full agenda with the meeting starting with breakfast at 8:45 AM. Please be on time. The meeting runs until 1:30 PM. CEF will also provide lunch! Our guest speakers will be Amanda Beaumont and Bryce McKibben from the Senate HELP Committee to discuss the outlook for the Congressional education agenda for 2016. > > The major purpose of the annual retreat is for CEF committees to plan their activities and discuss strategies and tactics for the year. It’s important that folks attend so we have active participation of as many CEF members as possible in these planning activities. You can attend any of the committee meetings and sign up then to serve on a committee. You can also sign up in advance through this Google sheet <https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tEZ-BUnajASRChJsNE_qkxj6alIA9hSlBxVbbl2ltcA/edit?usp=sharing> (note I fixed the link so people can now mark what committees they want to serve on). If your name is not listed, add your name in one of the blank rows at the end and mark what committees you want to serve on). > > For those who can’t attend in person, we’ll have our usual speaker phone and call-in number, but just for the initial portion of the meeting (until 10:15 am). We won’t have speaker phones for the breakout committee sessions. Call-in #: 1-877-885-3221 PIN: 247-4788# > > CEF Membership Forms: All CEF members must submit a 2016 membership form to renew your membership in CEF. Please fill out the 2016 form <http://cef.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/2016-membership-packet.pdf> and email it back to Broderick Johnson <mailto:bjohnson@rabengroup.com> by February 15. Please fill out the entire form – we need the information for the 2016 CEF Directory. Once we get your form, you’ll receive an invoice for your dues from Danny Cabrera. > > CEF Meeting Schedule and Meeting Spaces: Please click here for the updated 2016 meeting schedule <https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B19p6j32JwToVHpfT0QzOXhlUTA/view?usp=sharing>(subject to change based on Congressional actions). We’re looking for CEF members to host meetings. Thanks to those who already have agreed to host some. We need meeting spaces on January 22 and later dates. Please let me know if you can host a meeting. Unless otherwise noted, each one runs from 9 am until 11 am (we need access to the meeting room at 8:30). We need a speaker phone. CEF provides the breakfast, and ideally you provide the coffee (if you can't, CEF does). We need a room that can hold as many as 50 people. For the quarterly working meetings, we also need 3-4 separate meeting rooms/spaces between 10-11 am. > CONGRESSIONAL AND ADMINISTRATION UPDATES > > 1. FY 2017 Budget Resolution: According to CQ (Budget Resolution Remains on the Agenda for Chairman Price <http://www.cq.com/doc/news-4814490?1&srcpage=news&srcsec=cqn>), “House Budget Chairman Tom Price said he is committed to writing and passing one and he anticipates the Senate will do the same. Senate Budget Chairman Michael B. Enzi, R-Wyo., has not said whether he plans to write a budget for 2017. Enzi plans to talk it over with Senate Budget Committee members later this month, a spokesman said.” Price said, “His goal is for the budget to be adopted by the House by mid-March.” > > Assuming the Budget Resolution matches the past several House–passed budgets which set a goal of a balanced budget in ten years, we can expect very deep spending cuts to be proposed, likely deeper than last year’s budget. That is because the passage of the tax extenders bill increased the projected ten-year deficit by $680 billion, this additional spending cuts will be needed to offsets that larger deficit. > > 2. Staffing Change: I am sad to report that Robin Juliano has left the Democratic staff of the House Labor-HHS-education Appropriations Subcommittee to work for the White House’s National Economic Council. We will definitely miss her but wish her luck in her new position. For now, Stephen Steigleder, the Democratic clerk is handling education until they hire someone. > > 3. Biennial Budget Hearing: Yesterday, the house Rules Committee Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process held a hearing <https://rules.house.gov/bill/114/hearing-hr-1610> on.HR. 1610—Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2015. However, it doesn’t appear that the bill will move forward. > > According to CQ’s Budget Tracker, “But members of a House Rules subcommittee flatly rejected the proposal at a hearing, CQ's Ryan McCrimmon tells Budget Tracker. "The budget is an intensely political process and that's not going to change if we do it every year or every other year," said Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla. House Appropriations Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky., has backed a middle ground, voicing support for setting top-line spending levels for two years at a time, while adhering to an annual schedule for the more specific appropriations bills that fund government agencies. If agencies don't have to come to Congress each year for funding, Rogers said last month, "the agencies can thumb their noses at the Congress." > > 4. CBO Infographics: The Congressional Budget Office has posted some great budget infographics <https://www.cbo.gov/publication/51114>. [Attached] > > 5. ESSA: Education Week has published a special report on ESSA: INSIDE THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT <http://www.edweek.org/ew/collections/inside-essa-the-new-federal-education-law/index.html>. It contains over a dozen stories and blog posts about various aspects of the law. > > 6. Mental Health: As one of its very last actions before adjourning for the year on December 18, the Senate passed the bipartisan Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act. It contains provisions concerning children, students, teachers and higher education including: > · Reauthorizes the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services on Campuses grant program and updates the use of funds to allow for the education of students, families, faculty, and staff to increase awareness and training to respond effectively to students with mental health and substance use disorders, to provide outreach to administer voluntary screenings and assessments to students, and to enhance networks with health care providers who treat mental health and substance use disorders. Incorporates consideration of the needs of veterans enrolled as students on campus. > · Reauthorizes the Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Services on Campuses grant program and updates the use of funds to allow for the education of students, families, faculty, and staff to increase awareness and training to respond effectively to students with mental health and substance use disorders, to provide outreach to administer voluntary screenings and assessments to students, and to enhance networks with health care providers who treat mental health and substance use disorders. Incorporates consideration of the needs of veterans enrolled as students on campus. > · Reauthorizes the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI), which supports a national network of child trauma centers, including university, hospital, and community-based centers and affiliate (formerly funded) members. > > For more details see: Senate Passes Legislation to Help Prevent Suicide, Help Children Recover from Traumatic Events, Provide Mental Health Awareness for Teachers <http://www.help.senate.gov/chair/newsroom/press/senate-passes-legislation-to-help-prevent-suicide-help-children-recover-from-traumatic-events-provide-mental-health-awareness-for-teachers>. Click here <http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/7-29-15%20Mental%20Health%20Awareness%20and%20Improvement%20Act.pdf> for bill text and here <http://www.help.senate.gov/download/the-mental-health-awareness-and-improvement-act> for detailed summary of the bill’s sections. > > > > > > Joel Packer > CEF Executive Director > JPacker@cef.org <mailto:JPacker@cef.org> > 202-383-0083 > 202-255-0915 (cell) > www.cef.org <http://www.cef.org/> > www.Twitter.com/edfunding <http://www.twitter.com/edfunding> > NOTE OUR NEW ADDRESS > 1341 G Street, NW > Fifth Floor > Washington, DC 20005 >