Dear Superintendents, Catholic Conference Directors and Other Friends of Catholic Education,

One week ago, House leadership rescheduled the consideration of HR5, The Student Success Act, following the publication of some blogs which confused legislators and voters on what the bill seeks to achieve. HR5 is the House ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act) reauthorization bill that would be the first major rewrite of federal education policy since the 2001 No Child Left Behind law. The following information is being provided to you to explain what lead to the confusion and to explain the effect the passage of HR5 would have on private and religious schools.

What is ESEA Reauthorization?

Since its inception in 1965, ESEA has long upheld the principle that students in need, regardless of whether they attend a public or private school, are entitled to an equitable share of services and benefits. These equitable services include participation in ESEA programs (1) Title I (Education For The Disadvantaged) which provides services to low income educationally-needy students such as such as remedial and enrichment activities in reading and math and counseling services, and (2) Title IIA (Teacher Quality) which improves academic achievement by increasing the number of highly qualified teachers and administrators.  

However, following the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2001 (which was the last reauthorization of ESEA), this principle has been continually eroded with private school students and their teachers no longer receiving the equitable share of services and benefits to which they are entitled and that Congress intended.

What is the Confusion Related to Private and Religious Schools in HR 5?

Days before the bill was to be considered, a blogger misrepresented HR5 as an attack on religious and private schools using the previous debate on the Common Core State Standards to fuel the fire. This blogpost went viral through social media causing great concern for parents, grandparents, teachers, administrators, and other supporters of Catholic education who then contacted their lawmakers. See here for Cape's Response, a very insightful blogpost written by Joe McTighe, Executive Director of CAPE (Counsel on American Private Education).

What Is Our Position on HR5?

The provisions related to private and religious schools in HR5 are not an attack on these schools. The bill does address our private and religious school concerns. While the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education does not have a position on the bill as a whole, the Committee supports those provisions of HR5 that improve the consultation requirements and other conditions connected with providing equitable services for students and teachers in private and religious schools. See here for the February 23, 2015 Letter to the House of Representatives from Archbishop George J. Lucas, Chair of the USCCB Committee on Catholic Education, supporting the provisions of HR5 related to private and religious schools. It is also important to note that the USCCB Secretariat of Catholic Education, which serves as staff to the Committee, has worked with a coalition of private and faith based organizations to ensure that HR 5 upholds the independence and religious freedom of private and religious schools. Passage, therefore, of HR5 will be the first step towards correcting the inequities caused by No Child Left Behind and strengthening the historical safeguards designed to protect private and religious schools and to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of private school students and their teachers. On the other hand, failure to enact a bill with these provisions will only ensure that equitable participation by private and religious students and their teachers will continue to be undermined.

What Happens Next?

We have been very busy educating Congress and advocating for the private and religious school provisions of HR5. See here for the February 2015 issue of CE News which details the advocacy work we have done to date. We need to continue to educate the members of Congress about what HR5 actually does for private and religious schools (namely it helps greatly and protects our independence).

How Can You Help?

• Help us educate the misinformed and dispel any confusion on this issue. Please circulate this edition to everyone in your community, principals, teachers, parents, and members of your advocacy network.
• The House of Representatives is in recess all of this week and back in their districts. Please ask your community to contact their Representatives this week to educate them on the true effect of those provisions in HR5 related to private and religious schools-it helps them.
• Look for an Action Alert to precede the next vote. The Alert will ask you to call your Representatives and reinforce that those provisions in HR5 relating to private and religious schools help these schools.  

Will Your Voice Make a Difference?

The confusions around HR5 generated a great number of calls and letters to members of the House of Representatives. We have 1.9 million students in our Catholic schools. That should translate into millions of calls from parents, relatives, teachers and administrators, and other members of the Catholic community. Please help us convey the message that we support the provisions of HR5 relating to private and religious schools because these provisions help our schools.

All the best,

Kathy Knight

Associate Director for Public Policy

USCCB Secretariat of Catholic Education