Latest from CEF… Jeff > Begin forwarded message: > > From: Sheryl Cohen <cohen@cef.org> > Subject: CEF Update 9.7.16 > Date: September 7, 2016 at 12:16:07 PM EDT > To: CEFMembersList <CEFMembersList@cef.org> > > > > > > Wednesday, September 7, 2016 > > REGISTER: CEF GALA 2016 <http://www.cvent.com/events/the-committee-for-education-funding-s-legislative-conference-and-gala/event-summary-d6d2854abf904e79b2b761066e92a6c5.aspx> > > Thanks to AASA, AASCU, ACG, ACT, AFT, AFSCME, AJCU, American Student Association of Community Colleges, Apple, Bernstein Strategy Group, Council for Opportunity in Education, DeVry, Knowledge Alliance, Lumina Foundation, MRM Associates LLC, NAFIS, NAICU, National PTA/NACAC, NASSP/AFSA/NAESP, NEA, NAfME/ASCD, NASFAA, NCCEP, National Student Clearinghouse, SEIU, State Services Organization, Taylor Strategies, Washington Partners/COHEAO, and Women in Government Relationsfor purchasing tables/sponsorships! > > > Dear CEF Members: > > I. Happening This Week > > · Appropriations action > After a long recess, both the House and Senate are now back in session. The Senate kicked things off yesterday by considering the Military Construction-VA conference report, which contains the funding package to combat the Zika virus. In a sign that little progress has been made with funding the government past September 30th (so far), Senate Democrats blocked action on the bill. On the House side, although Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has expressed a desire for a short-term stopgap spending bill to fund the government through the election, many conservatives want to avoid negotiations in the lame-duck session with a lame-duck President. House Republicans are scheduled to meet in closed-door sessions on Wednesday and Friday to work towards a compromise. We will continue to monitor the situation and update CEF members as we learn more information. > > Thursday: Back to School Reception > Hosted by CEF and Magnet Schools of America, the fourth annual Back to School Reception will be held on September 8th from 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm at the Millennium Building located on 1909 K Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. Please RSVP to communications@magnet.edu <mailto:communications@magnet.edu>. We welcome CEF members to invite their local affiliate members to attend as well! The flyer is attached to this email. > > > Friday: CEF Weekly Meeting > Our CEF Friday members meetings are starting up again, beginning this Friday, September 9th. Two staffers from Senator Murphy’s office, Eamonn Collins, Education Legislative Assistant, and Mark Ritacco, Appropriations Legislative Assistant, are confirmed as our guest speakers. The meeting will be at 9:00 am at the AFT headquarters on 555 New Jersey Ave, NW. Call-in number: (800) 371-9219; Conference ID 9380459. > > > · Register for CEF’s gala and legislative conference > The gala and legislative conference are just two weeks away – now is the time to register if you haven’t already (updated flyer is attached)! > > II. Education > > · In an effort to address the issue of student loan debt, and provide an alternative to Democratic campaign promises of free college tuition, House Republicans plan to push new tax breaks to relieve the burden of student loans. The HELPS Act (H.R. 5415), introduced by Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), excludes from a worker’s taxable income up to $10,000 in student loan payments made by his or her employer. > > · A new report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce has determined that Hillary Clinton’s plan to eliminate tuition at public colleges for families earning below $125,000 would significantly increase enrollment at public colleges at the expense of private colleges. The study estimates that enrollment at public colleges would increase between 9 and 22 percent, while enrollment at private colleges could decrease by as much as 15 percent. Read more here <https://www.insidehighered.com/sites/default/server_files/files/memo%20Clinton%20plan%20%20to%20ACE.pdf>. > > · The Afterschool Alliance has published a report, titled “Afterschool in Communities of Concentrated Poverty,” examining the afterschool experience of children and families living in communities of concentrated poverty. The report shows that demand for afterschool programs is much higher in low-income communities, where 56 percent of children not already enrolled in an afterschool program would be enrolled if it was available to them. The national average is 41 percent. Despite this high demand, 67 percent of parents living in these communities report that finding afterschool programs for their children was a challenge, and 61 percent stated that the cost of the programs made it difficult to afford placing their children in such a program. Both of these percentages are much higher than the national average (46 percent and 47 percent, respectively). Read the entire report here <http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/AA3PM/Concentrated_Poverty.pdf>. > > III. ACG Member Lunches > > · New!! ACG-hosted Member Lunches > ACG will be hosting a series of lunches on Wednesdays for CEF members this fall. This will serve as a way for me, and the ACG team, to get to know each member more personally and what your specific issues are. You can sign up here: Member Lunches Sign Up <https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cef-member-lunches-tickets-27180617960> > > > 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/>