Iowa — United States Department of Education to the Honorable Chad Aldis (March 22, 2023)

Summary

A letter dated March 22, 2023, to Director Aldis of the Iowa Department of Education, with a signature block for the Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary. The letter recognizes Iowa's ongoing commitment to the maintenance of equity requirements under section 2004(b) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. It credits cooperative efforts involving Governor Reynolds, State Legislature appropriators and State educational agency staff. It also says the Department's team looks forward to the second year of the requirements in fiscal year 2023.

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“Iowa — United States Department of Education to the Honorable Chad Aldis (March 22, 2023).” Original at www.ed.gov. Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/department-of-education-3-22-2023-used-www-ed-gov-8509eb55eb-7c8f44c74d/, SHA-256 1bda590bde78761018ea762d32c073cba87a2a3586607a31a2f03b9b6d676bf0.

Full text

                       UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


                                         March 22, 2023
The Honorable Chad Aldis
Director
Iowa Department of Education
400 E 14th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319-0146

Dear Director Aldis:

I am writing to recognize Iowa’s ongoing commitment to the maintenance of equity
requirements under section 2004(b) of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP). Knowing
the numerous, competing priorities facing States, State educational agencies, and local
educational agencies, Iowa’s early work to implement these new, critically important resource
equity requirements is appreciated. We note that Iowa’s action is a result of cooperative efforts
involving Governor Reynolds, appropriators in your State Legislature, and State educational
agency leadership and staff.

ARP maintenance of equity requirements help ensure that State and local education funding
supports students who experienced longstanding opportunity gaps before, and were
disproportionately impacted by, the COVID-19 pandemic. In implementing these provisions
through a mix of data quality efforts, engagement with Department-provided technical
assistance, and maintenance of State education funding for the communities and students who
need it most, Iowa is taking critical steps to accelerate academic recovery and close opportunity
and achievement gaps.

My team looks forward to continuing our work with yours in implementing the second year of
maintenance of equity requirements in fiscal year 2023. Thank you for your collaboration, and
all you do for Iowa’s students, educators, and families.

                                             Sincerely,


                                             James F. Lane, Ed. D.
                                             Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary
                                             Delegated the Authority to Perform the Functions
                                             and Duties of the Assistant Secretary for
                                             Elementary and Secondary Education


CC: The Honorable Kim Reynolds
    Governor of Iowa
    1007 East Grand Avenue
    Des Moines, IA 50319

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