Owens Re-Introduces Bill to Fight Learning Loss Crisis, Empower Parents

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Burgess Owens (UT-04) re-introduced the Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery (RECOVER) Act to empower parents to solve the learning loss crisis facing today’s students. 

“America’s students are in freefall, and the push to keep classrooms closed is to blame,” said Rep. Owens. “Recent stats from the Nation’s Report Card showed the lowest reading scores since 1992 and the largest math declines ever recorded for 4th and 8th graders. I am proud to re-introduce the RECOVER Act to tackle this learning loss crisis by getting parents off the sidelines and allowing states to reallocate billions in unspent education covid relief funds so low-income students can receive the targeted support they need to get back on track.” 

Background:

As of January 2023, states and school districts had yet to spend 77% of the education funding allocated to them under the Democrats’ American Rescue Plan Act. Rep. Owens’ bill would allow states and school districts to use those unspent funds to issue Child Opportunity Scholarships directly to parents. These scholarships, targeted for low-income families, could be put towards educational opportunities, including:

1. Tutoring services;
2. Private school tuition;
3. Books and other curriculum materials;
4. Testing fees; and
5. Educational therapies for children with disabilities.

The full text of the RECOVER Act is available here. 

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