For Immediate Release From Center For Faith & Opportunities!
The Center for Faith and Opportunity Initiatives welcomes new Director Meg Kilgannon. She comes to the Department from a background of educational research and coalition building. Most recently, Ms. Kilgannon served as Education Research Associate at the Family Research Council in Washington, DC. In that role, her policy focus was the impact of national interest groups on public schools. Previously, she served as Executive Director of Concerned Parents and Educators of Fairfax County, a 1,000+ member organization of parents and citizens.
The group engaged the public and local government on issues important to parents; crafted effective messaging for citizen speakers at school board meetings; advocated for family friendly curricula, responsible budgeting and policies; and encouraged and supported a variety of communities to engage in policy making. She was named Citizen of the Year 2019 by the Virginia Family Foundation for her work. Ms. Kilgannon was an active member of Hands Across the Aisle women’s coalition, a multi-partisan international group of women working to preserve the rights of women and girls. Ms. Kilgannon has experience in radio and television production.
Before working full time in her favorite role, wife of one husband and mother of four children, she worked as an account executive for a public relations firm and director of media relations for a national senior citizens organization. Ms. Kilgannon has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics from Washington and Lee University. She enjoys time with family, hiking, fly fishing, and reading.
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Strengthen Title IX Protections
On May 6, Secretary DeVos took action to strengthen Title IX protections (https://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/secretary-devos-takes-historic-action-strengthen-title-ix-protections-all-students?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) for survivors of s*xual misconduct and to restore due process in campus proceedings to ensure all students can pursue an education free from s*x discrimination. For the first time ever, the Department’s Title IX regulation (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/05/19/2020-10512/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-s*x-in-education-programs-or-activities-receiving-federal?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) defines s*xual harassment, including s*xual assault, as unlawful s*x discrimination. The regulation also holds schools accountable for failure to respond equitably and promptly to s*xual misconduct incidents and ensures a more reliable adjudication process that is fair to all students.
The regulation comes after years of research, careful deliberation, and critical input from survivors, advocates, students, school administrators, Title IX coordinators, and the American people, including more than 124,000 public comments.
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Parent Training and Information Center Seeking Grant Applications
The Department issued a notice inviting applications (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/04/21/2020-08390/applications-for-new-awards-training-and-information-for-parents-of-children-with?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) for new awards for fiscal year 2020 for Training and Information for Parents of Children with Disabilities—Parent Training and Information Centers and the Parent Information and Training Program. (https://www2.ed.gov/programs/oseppic/eligibility.html?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
) According to the notice, these centers promote the effective education of children with disabilities by “strengthening the role and responsibility of parents and ensuring that families of such children have meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children at school and at home.” Applications are due by June 22, 2020. (https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=326384&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=).
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Seven Tips On Improving Communication With Deaf Students
For many deaf teenagers and young adults, their lives were suddenly changed when high schools and colleges finished out the 2020 spring semester online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether staying at home with parents, family members, or friends, or at a new temporary place, communication can be a challenge for all involved. The National Deaf Center on Postsecondary Outcomes (NDC) (https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) shares seven tips (https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/news/seven-tips-improve-communication-your-deaf-teenager-during-covid-19?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=) to improve communication with deaf teenagers. To read all the tips and access other COVID-19 resources, visit NDC’s webpage. (https://www.nationaldeafcenter.org/covid-19-information?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=).
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ChildCare.gov Provides Families with State- and Territory-Level Information About Child Care and COVID-19. (https://childcare.gov/).
ChildCare.gov is a national consumer education website, supported by the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child Care, that is designed to provide families across the country with the child care information they need, including ways to find emergency care. Through its See Your State’s Resources tool, ChildCare.gov connects families directly to resources in their state or territory. (https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=837613f2-df231ae1-837622cd-0cc47adb5650-b29ecb7ee970a0f2&u=https%3A%2F%2Fchildcare.gov%2Fstate-resources-home%3Futm_content%3D%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_name%3D%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%26utm_term%3D&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=). ChildCare.gov has also launched a new dedicated COVID-19 Resources and Information webpage for families and child care providers. (https://protect2.fireeye.com/url?k=a19b4037-fdce4924-a19b7108-0cc47adb5650-0afb48e5c278577c&u=https%3A%2F%2Fchildcare.gov%2Fcovid-19%3Futm_content%3D%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_name%3D%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%26utm_term%3D&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=).
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Guidance for Faith Communities During COVID-19
For updates on the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) dedicated website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=). Also available in Spanish (https://espanol.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Findex-sp.html%3Futm_content%3D%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_name%3D%26utm_source%3Dgovdelivery%26utm_term%3D&utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=). The CDC also released a Guidance for Communities of Faith. (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/faith-based.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2F2019-ncov%2Fphp%2Ffaith-based.html).
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Partnership Center created a state-by-state breakdown of reopening guidance (updated May 20), including faith-based guidance, when provided by the state. (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/state-by-state-reopening-guidance.pdf?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_name=&utm_source=govdelivery&utm_term=
).
Learn so much more when you VISIT:
https://sites.ed.gov/cfoi/
Posted By: agnes levine
Monday, June 15th 2020 at 12:13PM
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