Policy Comms Co.

08/04/2025

The truth behind ICE & Stephen Miller's $50,000 bribe

Stephen Miller's $50k bribe

06/26/2025

It is time to fight back..

06/26/2025

On Substack - a call for HBCUs to be proactive as this administration works to disenfranchise HBCUs

A Critique of HBCU Presidents (as a Monolith)

06/04/2025

Five Federal Threats That Could Reshape the HBCU Landscape
1. Cuts to Pell Grant Eligibility
Raises the credit-hour requirement for full-time status and disqualifies students attending less than half-time. That change alone will wipe out aid for many students and shrink revenue at institutions serving low-income populations.

2. New Institutional Penalties for Loan Repayment Outcomes
So-called “risk-sharing” would require schools to repay part of the loans students do not. Institutions that serve high-need students are the most exposed, and smaller budgets mean less room to absorb the hit.

3. Elimination of Income-Driven Repayment (IDR) Plans
Plans like SAVE, PAYE, and REPAYE would go away. Monthly loan payments will go up, defaults will increase, and that damage will fall disproportionately on Black borrowers and first-gen grads.

4. Elimination of Pipeline and Student Success Programs
TRIO, GEAR UP, SEOG, and Federal Work-Study are all on the chopping block. These programs have been the lifeblood of student recruitment, advising, and retention efforts for schools like yours.

5. Erosion of Federal Protections and Oversight
Big cuts to the Department of Education and Office for Civil Rights are proposed. Oversight and control would shift to the states, with no guaranteed equity mechanisms in place.

05/30/2025

I fear our beloved HBCUs are under attack - and yes my hair is on fire!

.he “big beautiful bill” is a direct threat to HBCUs—gutting Pell, taxing scholarships, and ending repayment protections. And yet, many still don’t seem to understand how dangerous these developments are.

05/01/2025

03/12/2025

From the President of ACE:

Folks across the land must be wondering, “What does the Education Department do, anyway?”

Let’s start with what it doesn’t do. By law, it doesn’t dictate curriculum. ED is not supposed to be prescribing what schools teach. Or colleges, for that matter. Sure, there might be some policy fights about this issue. (I think, in particular, of some things the Obama administration did to try to promote the Common Core.) But, basically, no curriculum edicts emanate from the education secretary.

The pillars of the department are programs meant to increase and support educational opportunity for the disadvantaged and protect civil rights in schools at all levels. Think Title I and IDEA for K-12. Think Federal Student Aid for higher education. (Remember FAFSA! Pell grants!) Think Office for Civil Rights. The civil rights function is not an afterthought. From Brown v Board to Title IX, the issue of civil rights is woven deeply into the fabric of education in this country.

Among other vital things the department does, not the least is the standardization and collection of data used to analyze and improve schools, colleges and universities. (Think: The Nation’s Report Card. Think: graduation and retention rates at colleges.) If you want better schools, you need this data. Period.

As a journalist, I interviewed and/or covered Education secretaries Richard Riley, Rod Paige, Margaret Spellings, Arne Duncan, John King, Betsy DeVos, Miguel Cardona. And interviewed ex-secretaries such as Lamar Alexander.

Lots of policy fights. Lots of ideological differences. Those debates are good for the country, in my view. They get the public to focus on the value of education.

But the mass firing and gutting of personnel at the department has never happened. This is unprecedented. It is chaotic. It is damaging.

As an advocate, I stand for what helps students. For equal access and opportunity. For programs that help those kids who weren’t born on third base come to bat and get to play ball in the great game of life. I trust you do too.

The American Council on Education, where I work, issued a statement last night urging the administration and Congress to reverse this short-sighted action. Let your elected representatives know where we stand.

03/09/2025

Here we are....

Federal agencies have issued guidance to employees on hundreds of terms to limit or avoid using. An analysis of government websites shows many of the same words being removed.

02/10/2025

Substack Post: All The Words

Discover and discuss great writing with the world’s smartest readers on Substack.

05/22/2024

This document https://lnkd.in/e9zVUdaD shows the growing racial achievement gap for all post secondary education outcomes. Currently, I am working on various SSS Grants (the deadline was moved up) but am lamenting that the programmed interventions do not seem to be working in mitigating the gaps effectively across all groups. A few weeks ago, a report for the Tennessee Higher Ed commission was released with results that I suspect mirror the above report. The time has come to address some of the structural components of higher ed that are foundational to these outcomes and have honest "conversations" regarding what may be necessary for the academy if it is honestly dedicated to the success for all groups of students.

Unfortunately, the added burden of inflammatory and detrimental rhetoric in state houses and at the federal level is not aiding in lessening these gaps but is instead exacerbating the issue.

As an aside, for-profit colleges are currently the largest purveyors of degrees for African American students by percentage, often at a higher cost and thus a higher debt burden. I equate this to the outcomes of the K-12 voucher scheme. For-profit schools claim to generate 'better' outcomes for African Americans, as measured by degrees conferred, but at what cost? Larger debt burden; minimal impact to job prospects and arguably, and potentially monetarily incentivized policies to maintain access to federal funds through student retention. Note: I am not disparaging all student achievements in for-profit institutions but am highlighting the profit-seeking mandate of these institutions—profit is their primary reason for existing.
Web Link
equityinhighered.org

04/02/2024

https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2024/04/01/tennessee-state-university-board-shake-turbulent-times/73170204007/

Opinion: TSU's governing board was vacated and new members were appointed quickly, but these actions do not address funding shortfalls.

03/28/2024

Unfortunately, this was 100% foreseeable. NOW , the most important thing is to protect the Presidential Search. Remember these three gentleman are stepping into a role that is currently not set up for success. None of these men have ever been a college president at a 4 year, research HBCU and will have to deal with a novice/new board as well as one that is either fearful of getting vacated or doing the bidding of a hostile Executive branch - not great. The faculty, staff, alumni, legislators, Democratic city leaders ALL must rally around the President if he is to stand a chance. Also, current TSU comms team - get out there and share what is happening on campus, on the ground with everything. Get the stories success and TSU pride into the public domain. There is a lot to do but it has to be done but it will be imperative to be strategic and tactical. There is no question that the state has "stolen" money from the campus for years and that the state owes you those funds BUT the likelihood that they will be recaptured any time soon - especially with this legislature is like zero - not an effective talking point. The question is how can TSU thrive with so many political headwinds? That is the question for strategizing

The House vote on Thursday aligned the chamber with the Senate.