Regulations members are required to leave their cameras on the entire time they are in an official proceeding, even if they step away from the camera. This is an entirely remote hearing and as such the Committee Ruling will be closed and members who choose to sit with their individual devices in the hearing room must wear headphones to avoid feedback echoes and distortion resulting for more than one person in the room on the Software Platform as has been reported by the committees. They also are excited to adhere to social distancing and safe healthcare guidelines including masks, gloves and wiping down their area both before and after their presence in the hearing room. While a roll call is not necessary to establish a quorum, whatever there is an official proceeding with low participation the clerk will call the roll to help make clear who is here at the start of the proceeding. I will ask the clerk to call on the role. Madame clerk. [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] [roll call] pursuant to Committee RuleOpening Statements is limited to the chair and Ranking Member and this allows to hear from our witnesses sooner and provides members and adequate time to answer questions. I now trigger myself for an opening statement. Before i deliver the opening remarks i must first acknowledge the recent protests against Police Misconduct in in favor of Racial Equity and justice across the nation. Times are demanding and we address this countrys centuryold challenges and with todays hearing we can be prepared to answer the call to Racial Equity and justice in education. I want to note this hearing marks the committees first fully remote hearing pursuant to House Resolution 965 and accompanying regulations. To date we will examine how covid19 pandemic has directly impacted his state and local government revenue and how projected state and local government shortfalls to further exacerbate educational inequities rooted in a with the inequities rooted around the country. Nationwide School Closures due to covid19 have an effect on all students, especially in what has been called the summer sli slide, only this year the summer slide is starting a few months earlier than usual. Our countries history of education, educational and equity tells us which students will lose the most during this School Closures and the day the pandemic is exposing and worsening achievement gaps for students of color and disabilities, english language learners and students from low income backgrounds. Normal students are less likely to attend school that have the resources to rapidly establish high quality Distance Learning programs. They are also less likely to have the basic technology such as a personal computer, highspeed Internet Connections and the support at home needed to access Virtual Learning. Data suggested only 60 of low income students are regularly logging into online instruction compared to 90 of high income students. Only 6070 of students of school serving predominantly black and latino students are regularly logging in. It is important to note that states and School Districts [inaudible] entered with crumbling infrastructure, teacher shortage, 77000 fewer School Workers and about 2 million more publicschool students compared to prerecession levels. These cutbacks have not been disputed equal. Our continued reliance on local property taxes to finance Public Education has ensured Public Schools of the highest need are forced to do with less. Unfortunately the achievement gaps exacerbated by covid19 will widen even further. This morning the center on Budget Priorities revealed that states will face a 615 billiondollar revenue shortfall over the next three years due to the pandemic. States are required to balance their budgets every year, Public Education is usually one of the largest expenditures and 40 of many state budgets on average and unless the federal government provides immediate relief it wont be a matter of whether Education Funding will be cut but how deep the cuts will be. Our wealthier districts will fall back on property taxes, low income Public Schools and they will rely heavily on state funding. These districts which are already disproportionately impacted by covid19 will suffer severe cuts in education and other areas at a time when they can least afford it. We have already started to see the consequences of these shortfalls. In a 759,000 Public School employees have lost their jobs since march. In Colorado State legislator just past the budget the cut 1 billion from a School Next Year and in virginia we ended our regular General Assembly session just as the pandemic was starting and then reconvened a few weeks later for the normal veto session where we considered the governors veto and amendments. Revenues have been re forecast during that period of time and we learned a new word, unallocated. That is what happened to the 2 teacher raise and that is what happened in additional counselors in the school and that is what happened with money going into low income students because of the renewed or revised estimates and those expenditures were unallocated and unless they get assistance from the federal government those expenditures will just totally evaporate. Regrettably the department of education has received 31 billion to help fund the emergency Education Funding and that happened in the cares act but regrettably that apartment has mishandled those funds and has presented states and School Districts from quickly assessing those funds, specifically the department issued Equitable Service guidance which has drawn bipartisan criticism and generally widespread confusion to direct our schools to divert funding relief from schools and Public Schools to support wealthier students and private schools. The Department Also announced its intention to use the vast majority of the three and a million and discretionary funds it received in the cares act which was intended to support Public Schools in an effort to respond to the virus to from the Grant Program that is virtually indistinguishable from private school vouchers. Even if the Department Funds in accordance with the law the initial emergency relief package would be insufficient to confront the scale of the problem. Researchers project that reopening schools could talk to the average School District about twoman dollars with large urban districts facing higher costs. The American Federation of teachers projects that schools nationwide would need as much as 116 billion to safely reopen. Recent history foreshadows the consequences of our education and the consequences of our educational system will face if we fail to act. In response to the Great Recession in 2008 congress provided approximately two and a ten bullion dollars in funding for education, more than three times of funding through secured response to the pandemic so far. A Helpful Research shows even that funding was insufficient and did not focus enough on School Districts with the highest need. Consequently, schools across this country experience massive budget cuts. Through thousand School Employees lost their jobs and not surprisingly, children in the poorest communities bore the brunt of these cuts. This lesson from our past makes clear that School Districts urgently need more relief and to that end the house passed the heroes act last month. Ledge state of relief package dedicates nearly a chilean dollars to help states and localities address their budget shortfalls and divert cuts in education. And additionally gives 60 billion to k12 emergency funding the schools can use to cover the cost of cleaning supplies and other expenses required to reopen and purchase Educational Technology like laptops and hotspots and special education, students with disabilities provides training and professional development to teachers and support School Counselors who are helping students with the trauma of this pandemic. This is a pivotal and perilous moment in our fight for equity and education. The pandemic has already translated into major setbacks for students across the country but with all of us wanting to reopen the schools as quickly as possible we cannot put the safety of students, teachers and communities at risk with opening schools without providing the resources they need. When we fail to get the states and local governments and School Districts these resources the impact of this unprecedented challenge of students will be felt long after it is over. I want to thank our witnesses for being with us today and i yield to the distinguished Ranking Member for the purpose of an opening statement. Doctor fox. Thank you, chairman scott. I want to thank our witnesses for being here today and i want to particularly recognize as a former teacher the teachers and schools for their herculean work this spring with this standup Distance Learning for students and doing so almost overnight. Educators at all levels should be celebrated for their dedication in responding to the coronavirus crisis. They have gone far beyond their normal response abilities to respond to the needs of their students and communities. Just as our teachers are working to overcome the many challenges of this global pandemic, this nations elected officials must also step up and do the job they were elected to do. This means working from dc and being physically present like our founders intended. That is why Committee Republicans are participating in todays hearing in person from our hearing rooms. The republican and bodied witnesses also are with us in the hearing room. We can and should be at work here in washington and i urge my democrat colleagues to make that a priority moving forward. The coronavirus pandemic is adversely impacted private and Public Schools alike and estimated 94 of public and private schools closed this spring, impacting approximately 97 of the countrys students. All students, including those at traditional Public Schools, schools and private schools have access to the tools they need for lifelong success. That is why Congress Responded swiftly and enacted the cares act which provided more than 30 billion in emergency Education Funding for students, schools, institutions. There has been no evaluation about 30 billion in hardworking taxpayer monies yet here we are with democrats pushing the same taxpayers to go out dole out more of their hard earned money when Many Americans are being forced to tighten their belts. Given the ever evolving threat covid19 poses it would be irresponsible to for us to throw additional funds at the problem that we dont understand fully. Some schools have not yet spent the funds they receive from the cares act despite these facts democrats are demanding we spend more money. Money is not a cureall solution and it is irresponsible to blindly throw more money at the situation. Lets not forget that history has shown more spending does not guarantee better outcomes. In fact, per People Education spending has increased significantly over the years but High School Seniors arent performing any better than they were 30 years ago. Congress must first evaluate the impact of the billions of dollars in federal taxpayer Education Aid already provided through the cares act before rushing to further burden taxpayers with additional spending. No one it is premature and illogical. As we continue to monitor the issues students and schools face it is within this committees jurisdiction to explore opportunities with prolonged lasting reform that will improve the Education System for all families. For example, families experience illustrated the inaccuracy of the status quo for providing all students a foundation they need for lifelong success. I am looking forward to testimonies today about what states and School Districts are learning from the work done this spring and how they will find the educational offerings provided to students and how they are singing to address those instances. Superintendent johnson will talk about the needs for more personalized learning so that students needs can be identified quickly and instruction can be tailored to ensure each student is back on the path for success when school resumes. I hope to hear from others on how they are using these current challenges to question wrong is options. We owe it to her educators and students to examine this carefully and legislate with meaningful reform. I yield back. Thank you, doctor fox. All members who wish to introduce witness statements into the record may do so by summoning them to the Committee Clerk electronically and microsoft word format by monday june 29, 5 00 p. M. I will now introduce our witnesses and Vice President of state fiscal policy at the center for Budget Priorities. He directs the center state policy research overseeing analysis to say policy needs, and help policy choices that improve equity and boost opportunity. [inaudible] she served as a middle School Teacher in science for 31 years and received numerous awards for equity received a bachelors of science degree in Elementary Education from the university of pittsburgh, masters degree in education from Pennsylvania State university and now i yield to the Ranking Member, doctor fox to introduce mr. Johnson. Thank you again, mr. Chairman. Im thrilled to have my home state superintendent with us today. Ive known him for several years and hes done an accredited job in North Carolina. [inaudible] he has been involved in education in a variety of roles, including as a teacher in Charlotte North Carolina and is a member of the County School board. I thank mark for being here today and look forward to his testimony. He has much experience bleeding through our state and it will be helpful for our members. I yield back. Thank you, doctor fox. Our fourth witness, eric gordon, was chief executive officer of the metropolitan School District in 2011 after serving as the academic officer for four years and serves as executive committee for the board of directors so the council of great city schools and he has a bachelors degree in science and in secondary mathematics, education and driver education and a masters degree in education and supervision from Bowling Green state university. We appreciate the witnesses for participating today and forward to your testimony. We remind the witnesses that weve read your written statement and says they will be entered into the record. [inaudible] we ask that you limit your oral presentation to a five minute summary of your written testimony. We remind the witnesses that pursuant to the code it is illegal to knowingly and willfully false your statement or otherwise conceal or cover up material and facts when presenting to congress and during your testimony staff will keep track of your time and use a time to signal and they will use a short time when there is one minute left in your five minutes and a longer time when time is up. Please be attentive to the time and wrap it up when your time is over and if anyone is experiencing technical difficulties during your testimony and later in the hearing you should stay connected on the platform and make sure youre muted with your mute button highlighted and read and use your phone to immediately call the committees director whose number has been provided for you. Let me let all the witnesses make or let all our witnesses make the presentation and move to member questions. When answering a question please or member to unmute your system. Our first recognize doctor leachman for five minutes. Chairman scott, Ranking Member fox and distinguished members of the committee. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am michael leachman, Vi