It's back...it's live...and it's IN PERSON (or virtually, if you prefer!) The 2021 Forum for Excellence will be held on September 23 - 24, 2021 in Bloomington/Normal. The theme for this year's Forum is Through the Equity Lens. The committee is planning to hold this event in-person, paired with virtual components for those who prefer to attend online. Please know the safety of our attendees is our top priority, and we will continue to monitor our environment to ensure a healthy and safe conference for all attendees.

The Department of Justice recently issued new guidance to agencies clarifying that Title IX sex discrimination protection includes protection on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. While considering this new guidance, it is important to keep those who hold non-dominant identities, such as Persons of Color whose gender falls outside of the gender binary, in mind.

In his statement commemorating the 49th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized Title IX as "...the strongest tool we have to protect every student's right to equal access to educational opportunities free from sex discrimination." Secretary Cardona added that he was "...proud of the actions the Biden-Harris Administration has taken so far in ensuring that Title IX protects the civil rights of all students, including LGBTQ+ students, in our schools and on college campuses."

The Department of Education's Dear Educator Letter is available here. 

The Department of Education and the Department of Justice's fact sheet, Confronting Anti-LGBTQI+ Harassment in Schools: A Resource for Students and Families, is available here.

The Education Department has begun a long rewrite to Title IX campus sexual misconduct rules with a week-long hearing that stands to dismantle the Trump administration's regulating on the landmark sex discrimination civil rights law and to potentially expand its scope. "Students deserve to feel safe from sex discrimination in all learning environments," Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said in a statement. "These Title IX hearings are an important step in the right direction and an opportunity for us to get your input on this important topic."  Read more>>>

The Paycheck Fairness Act would require employers to demonstrate that any gap in pay between a man and a woman was due to job performance rather than gender. Senate Republicans successfully blocked Democrats’ bill to narrow the gender wage gap in the party’s second use of the filibuster to block majority-backed legislation. The Paycheck Fairness Act would require employers to demonstrate that any gap in pay between a man and a woman was due to job performance rather than gender. Read more>>>

The Senate passed a sweeping proposal that would provide more than $200 billion to aid American manufacturing, technology, research and development, in an effort to quell China’s growing economic influence worldwide. As we reported last week, an amendment introduced by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rob Portman (R-OH) that would expand Pell Grants to short-term CTE programs was accepted into a larger package of amendments that was closely negotiated between party leadership. The goal was to have them included into the larger manager’s amendment offered by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), by making a simple unanimous consent (UC) procedural request, then passing everything in the final bill. Unfortunately, the package that included the short-term Pell amendment was defeated when Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) objected to the UC request offered by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and the bill moved on to final passage without the amendment package. Read more>>>

Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) pathways offer access to high-skill, high-wage, in-demand careers, yet disparities persist by gender, race and ethnicity, socioeconomic, and disability status. There are many root causes for the disparities, and it can be challenging to know where to start to influence change. NAPE can help! Download Equity in CTE & STEM Root Causes and Strategies: A Call to Action here>>>

New to the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE)? NAPE is the nation's leading professional alliance for access, equity, and diversity in education, training, and careers. NAPE tracks legislation that addresses access, equity, and diversity in classrooms and the workplace and also provides research-based strategy driven professional development services. Check out their website and learn about their memberships here>>>

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