Dear Colleagues:
In January our team celebrated National School Choice Week <[link removed]>, exposed the problems with indirect costs <[link removed]> of grants to universities to conduct research, followed the states where lawmakers are rejecting critical race theory’s racial discrimination <[link removed]> in K-12 schools, and more. Here’s a roundup of our activities last month:
 
We were pleased to host Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) for a “Policy Pulse,” <[link removed]> where we talked about overcoming adversity, the Palmetto State, and the importance of giving every child the chance to succeed in school and in life.
 
“The civility that is being lost among adults who say that they’re looking out for the best interest of kids [is] undeniable,” Scott said, referring to the “bickering” between the Chicago teacher union and Mayor Lori Lightfoot.
 
“The system today is failing too many of our kids who cannot afford for another institution to fail them,” Scott said. He explained that “charter schools and private schools [are] finding ways to be innovative and creative to keep their doors open and their kids in classrooms.” You can watch the event here <[link removed]>.
Elevator pitch: “Be optimistic about the future,” Scott said. “Hope is a key component for us to be willing to engage or lean in on our kids’ education.”
We also celebrated National School Choice Week by inviting parents, teachers, and researchers to write for The Daily Signal <[link removed]> about the importance of giving families more options in education. We featured a great-grandmother from Texas <[link removed]> who is helping her great-grandchildren succeed in a charter school; a Bluegrass Institute <[link removed]> researcher in Kentucky who
discussed the state’s new K-12 private school scholarship option; Jenny Clark <[link removed]>, the founder of “Love Your School” in Arizona, a nonprofit that helps Arizona families find the best schooling options for their children; Liv Finne <[link removed]> from the Washington Policy Center explained that contrary to what you might be hearing, public schools are awash in taxpayer spending; and I covered the ongoing challenges that bureaucratic responses <[link removed]> from traditional school officials to COVID-19 pose to families across the country.  
 
What Else We’re Watching
  
Taxpayers are subsidizing university nonsense. Jay Greene and John Schoof released their report <[link removed]> recommending changes to the indirect cost rate that federal grant-awarding agencies pay as part of grant awards. Indirect costs are overhead expenses—funds used to pay for administrative purposes and building maintenance. Currently, federal taxpayers pay a much higher indirect cost rate than private foundations that award grants to universities. Jay and John write, “Currently, taxpayers are forced to subsidize the agenda of the political left through funding its research agendas and DEI staff on university campuses.” In their Washington Times <[link removed]> commentary accompanying their report, they explain that the situation is
akin to the average motorist paying regular price for a gallon of gas while billionaires only pay a nickel.
 
They explain that “Congress should prohibit federal grant-awarding agencies from paying an indirect rate that is higher than the lowest rate that is accepted from private organizations.” You can read their report here <[link removed]>, and their commentary on the research is available here <[link removed]>.
Interview with Christian Broadcasting Network. CBN asked <[link removed]> what school choice means for parents today, as schools in urban areas around the country cannot decide when they will open—and stay open—for in-person learning. I explained that parents need more options for their children now more than ever because the on-again, off-again routine of school re-openings is creating instability in students’ educations, which puts their future success in doubt. You can watch the interview here <[link removed]>.
 
Tragedy at a Texas synagogue. Writing alongside Lora Ries in the The Daily Signal <[link removed]>, Jay says, “We should not overlook the politically-motivated claimed ignorance by senior FBI and Biden administration officials regarding the motive” for the terrorist attack earlier this
month at a Dallas-area synagogue.
 
“It is critical for Americans’ safety that the Biden administration immediately change its terrorism priorities to focus on foreign terrorist threats above domestic white supremacy and Americans who oppose COVID-19 mandates. Americans shouldn’t have to wait to lose loved ones’ lives before this administration recognizes our real enemies,” they wrote. You can read their commentary here <[link removed]>.
Critical Race Theory creates more prejudice in education. Armstrong Williams asked me what I thought about educators’ use of critical race theory in K-12 schools. I explained my research showing that teachers are, in fact, using critical race theory in classrooms, and this worldview is spreading racial discrimination across the elementary and secondary landscape. You can watch the interview here <[link removed]>.
 
Coming soon: My book Splintered: Critical Race Theory and the Progressive War on Truth is available for pre-order! You can place an order here <[link removed]>.
Warmly,
Jonathan Butcher
 
Will Skillman Fellow in Education
Center for Education Policy
Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity
The Heritage Foundation

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