{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-scott-op-ed-previews-bill-to-empower-parents-to-solve-the-learning-loss-crisis/", "ICYMI: Scott Op-Ed Previews Bill to Empower Parents to Solve the Learning Loss Crisis", "2022-08-03", "2022", "2022-08", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Tim Scott", "S001184", "www.scott.senate.gov", "timscott", "https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/jsf/jet-engine:press-list", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 This week, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.) penned an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, previewing his new bill\u2014the Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery (RECOVER) Act\u2014to empower parents to solve the crisis of learning loss facing today\u2019s students.\n\nSchool Districts Are Hoarding Federal Covid Funds\n\nMy new bill would make it possible to direct them directly to parents.\n\nThe Wall Street Journal\n\nU.S. Senator Tim Scott\n\nThe Biden administration marketed its American Rescue Plan as the solution to the academic setbacks students across the country experienced during the pandemic. But rather than solving the problem, this latest bailout exposed a fundamental reality: Government alone cannot solve the education crisis facing our nation\u2019s children.\n\nMy new bill\u2014the Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery Act, or Recover Act for short\u2014empowers parents to fix this crisis.\n\nThe Wall Street Journal reported that as of May, states and school districts had spent only 7% of the $122 billion set aside for education under the American Rescue Plan more than a year ago. The Los Angeles Unified School District was allocated over $2.5 billion and hasn\u2019t spent a penny.\n\nWhile states and school districts sit on billions, students are struggling.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nParents, fearful of the long-term consequences of lost learning, are desperate to help because they know the clock is ticking. The fourth-grader who is still unable to read can\u2019t wait. The junior in high school who won\u2019t be ready for college courses can\u2019t wait. The student with disabilities who hasn\u2019t received consistent services in two years can\u2019t wait.\n\nThe Recover Act would allow states and school districts to use their unspent dollars from the American Rescue Plan to issue Child Opportunity Scholarships directly to parents. The scholarships, targeted for low-income students, could be used for tutoring, school tuition, curriculum materials, educational therapies for children with disabilities, and other resources designed to get students the individualized help they need.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nIf given access to this funding, parents won\u2019t let 93% of it sit in a bank account while their children fall behind. They\u2019ll fight harder and better than the government ever could to get their kids on the right path. I know because I\u2019ve seen it happen in my own life.\n\nWhen I struggled in school, my mom, who already worked long days as a nurse\u2019s aide to keep food on the table, stayed up late doing homework with me, encouraged me, and at times disciplined me to get my grades back on track. An opportunity scholarship, like the kind I\u2019m proposing in this bill, would have been a game-changer for my family. My mom didn\u2019t have a government position or a college degree. But she knew what her kid needed, and she wasn\u2019t about to let him fail.\n\nMy story isn\u2019t unique. Each day, millions of parents across the country are fighting for their kids\u2019 success. It\u2019s what they do best.\n\n[\u2026]\n\nThough the government alone can\u2019t solve this crisis, our nation fortunately has a much more powerful tool to help kids: their parents. Congress must pass the Recover Act to give parents the resources they need to help their children thrive once again.\n\nClickhere to read the full op-ed.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:26:22Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.scott.senate.gov/media-center/press-releases/icymi-scott-op-ed-previews-bill-to-empower-parents-to-solve-the-learning-loss-crisis/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.453557051718235, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}