Sen. Capito Questions Education Sec. on Combating Antisemitism and Literacy

Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses

• ⚠️ Senator Capito expressed concern over rising antisemitism on college campuses and questioned the Department of Education's response.
• 🏛️ She highlighted a lack of Office of Civil Rights presence on campuses like Columbia University during protests and questioned the proposed budget cuts to this office.
• 🗣️ Secretary McMahon stated the department is actively addressing antisemitism, citing actions taken regarding Columbia and Harvard, including defunding programs.
• 🏫 McMahon emphasized that universities must set and enforce their own policies against encampments and masked individuals, and better vet students and professors.
• ⚖️ The Secretary affirmed that the Office of Civil Rights is actively enforcing anti-discrimination laws and has opened numerous cases.

Addressing Literacy Challenges

• 📉 Senator Capito raised concerns about troubling national test scores in literacy and math, particularly for first-time collegegoers.
• 📚 She shared West Virginia's initiative of allocating additional funds for reading teachers in early grades (1-3) to improve scores.
• 📈 Secretary McMahon agreed that state-level initiatives, like adding teachers, can make a significant difference.
• 🔬 McMahon noted that programs returning to the science of reading have shown success in states like Louisiana, Mississippi, and Iowa.
• 🎯 The Secretary stressed the importance of learning to read by the end of third grade for future academic success.