ED Kicks Off Back to School Activities
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) presented a Back-to-School briefing on Thursday to announce an upcoming four-day tour to highlight the achievements of the Biden-Harris Administration and to feature plans for the 2024-25 school year. Introduced by Lauren Mendoza, Deputy Assistant Secretary for State and Local Outreach, the briefing began with an overview of ED’s accomplishments throughout the Biden-Harris Administration and an outreach strategy to share available resources.
Highlighted achievements included a $1.3 billion (or 10%) increase in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funding to support special education services that impact 7.4 million students with disabilities. A question-and-answer session followed the briefing, during which participants could share resources developed by their respective organizations. Deirdra Williams, Director of Programs and Advocacy for the American School Counselor Association, announced the release of “Back to School Resources” for school counselors, which includes comprehensive school counseling program services and equity practices.