For Release: February 10, 2021
Contact: Dorie Turner Nolt, 404.861.1127, dturnernolt@all4ed.org
“The bill passed by the House Committee on Education and Labor provides critical resources for the nation’s students and schools to help address this time of uncertainty and instability for many families. Districts can use these resources to reopen safely and address opportunity and learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic. In particular, I applaud the inclusion of targeted funding to address learning loss.
While we welcome this much-needed aid, the legislation leaves out a very vulnerable population: children experiencing homelessness. While the law allows districts to use COVID-19 relief money for homeless students, it does not require them to do so, leading to very few of these students getting the extra support they need. We strongly urge Congress to pass this legislation and include targeted funding for the Education for Homeless Children and Youth program. What we offer to our students tells then what it is we value. Let’s tell students experiencing homelessness that they matter!”
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Deborah S. Delisle is the president and CEO of the Alliance for Excellent Education and served as assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education from 2012 to 2015.
The Alliance for Excellent Education (All4Ed) is a Washington, DC–based national policy, practice, and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all students, particularly those underperforming and those historically underserved, graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship. all4ed.org
