On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-H) held a hearing to discuss investments in elementary education. Testimony was heard from Ms. Virginia “Ginny” Gentles, Director, Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies; Dr. Lindsey Burke, Director of the Center for Education Policy, The Heritage Foundation and author of the education section of Project 2025; Mr. Robert Kim, Executive Director, Education Law Center; and Ms. Starlee Coleman, President and CEO, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools. School choice, student performance, protection of special education funding, and allocation of federal dollars for education emerged as the major topics. The majority party and three of four witnesses advocated sending federal dollars back to the states and shifting oversight responsibility for federally required programs out of the U.S. Department of Education to other agencies. Dr. Burke specifically recommended that funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Title I should move to Health and Human Services (HHS), data collection for the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) to the Census Bureau, and Indian Education programs to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Mr. Kim reminded the committee that oversight to ensure all students have free and fair access to public education would be lost if funds were dispersed across agencies. 

Watch the hearing and read the testimonies here.