Education
The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday, July 14, the approval of Oregon's American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) plan and distributed remaining ARP ESSER funds to them.
On Tuesday, Breitmeyer and student Miranda King participated in a panel of educators who met with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici in Beaverton. The goal of the session was to provide Cardona with information and feedback to use in crafting and promoting President Joe Biden's American Families Plan.
BEAVERTON, OR [7/15/21] – This week Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici hosted U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in Oregon to discuss their efforts to provide students with pathways to affordable higher education, including two years of free community college.
"I hear from so many students frequently about how higher education is more expensive and many are facing an affordability crisis, even before the pandemic," Bonamici said. "And we know that the pandemic has had a disparate effect on communities of color and parents, exacerbated by existing inequities in the system."
Bonamici thanked students in her closing remarks and said their resilience is inspiring. "It's clear that community colleges are going to have a really important role in our economic recovery," she said.
Cardona and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici held a roundtable discussion with students at Southridge High School who are participating in a program that's helping to diversify the education workforce.
At his second stop, Southridge High School in Beaverton, Cardona held a roundtable discussion with students and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici about the President's American Family Plan, a proposal that includes two years of free community college. "When graduates of community college graduate, they have a 21% increase in their earning potential," said Cardona.