TransACT Blog

To meet federal and civil rights requirements, school administrators must provide parent communications in a language parents can understand. Administrators are specifically required to meet these communication requirements for the top 5 languages in their district.

The most recent change to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program runs counter to two recent court rulings. The Administration’s most recent pronouncement notes that new DACA applications are blocked, and renewals shortened from two years to one.

In June 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA. The ruling was a massive win for DACA recipients but left open the possibility for the Trump administration to try to rescind DACA again, using different legal arguments.

On Thursday, June 18, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration’s efforts to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program or DACA. While this is a huge win for DACA recipients, it is still possible that the Trump administration could try again, using different legal arguments.

TransACT hosts as Carol Salva presents "Success for SLIFE!" A webinar that shares strategies and techniques for creating success with a a sub-population of ELs, S(L)IFE students, and offers techniques that allow for capitalization on promising trends for educating this already at-risk group of students. This webinar was recorded on Tuesday May 19th, at 9 am PT / 10 am MT / 11 am CT / 12 pm ET. 

COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus, has shuttered schools across the nation and forced the education of students to move to an online or distance learning methodology, endangering equitable access to educational programs for many students, especially English learners. This pandemic has caused disruptions in many areas, including meeting compliance requirements related to communicating with parents found in federal education laws, including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

Congress passed the staggering $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that includes the authority for the Secretary of Education to waive certain federal requirements. It also includes about $38 billion in funding for higher education and K-12 education. The Elementary and Secondary School Relief (ESSER) Fund portion of the CARES Act includes $13.5 billion for K-12 education.

The onset of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic caused school closures across the nation. The response for many districts is a move to an online or distance learning environment, but the elimination of face-to-face interaction between teachers and students is creating new challenges in parent communications and exacerbating gaps in equitable access for all students, especially those that do not have access to laptops and those that are English Learners.

On April 15, 2019, TransACT published a letter to help states and districts communicate about the federal Public Charge Policy Final Rule. This letter about the changes to the Public Charge regulations is no longer needed because the Department of Justice has canceled those changes.

TransACT Communications, a leader in providing school districts and State Departments of Education with guidance and resources to support authentic family engagement in compliance with federal law, also provides resources for parent communication related to pertinent, urgent current events.  Our “Free Public Letters” are available to educators, regardless of their subscription status with TransACT^® ParentNotices. 

Just before the holidays, the US Congress passed, and Trump signed an appropriations bill into law that funds education for the 2020-2021 school year. The funding for education includes increases for many programs with a $1.3 Billion increase overall. School districts that receive Title I, Title III, or other federal education program funding will likely see an increase in per-pupil funding in the 20-21 school year. More information about funding levels for specific programs can be found in this Education Week article.