Connecting today’s news with the research & opinion you need

Horrifying

What to Know: The Dallas Morning News reports “horrifying” learning loss among students due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shutting of schools.

The TPPF Take: Texas must respond by opening up learning opportunities to all students.

“There is no one ideal education delivery system,” says TPPF’s Emily Sass. “Virtual education will not, and should not, replace the role of teachers in student’s lives; rather, it should extend it. Nor should this modality be imposed upon students regardless of student or family preferences. Especially, but not only, in a time when safety is a concern for teachers, students, and their families, districts should be able to offer education in modalities that meet different student needs.”

Defunding the Police

What to Know: Los Angeles voters approved a ballot measure to defund their police.

The TPPF Take: Defunding the police won’t make communities safer. Better communication between police and the people they serve will.

“In justice system encounters, communications in which there is not underlying trust can contribute to graver consequences than wasted time or a lost sale,” says TPPF’s Marc Levin. “This can take the form of an arrest that goes off the rails or the 150,000 cases every year in which a person on community supervision is revoked to prison for violating conditions, though not charged with a new offense.”

Asylum Reform

What to Know: The U.S. Supreme Court will review the Trump administration’s asylum rules.

The TPPF Take: Asylum reform is an urgent and unfinished necessity.

“The U.S. asylum system is a source of serious concern for the American public,” says TPPF’s Ken Oliver. “In order for America’s asylum system to overcome ongoing operational and capacity challenges, the 1997 Flores Settlement Agreement needs to be abolished, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 needs to be amended and the asylum process should be streamlined further by allowing the Asylum Division of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to handle cases that would otherwise go to immigration courts.”