{"id":2119087,"date":"2023-12-07T18:42:01","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T23:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joni-ernst-says-biden-department-of-education-deserves-an-f-amid-low-office-use\/"},"modified":"2023-12-07T18:45:14","modified_gmt":"2023-12-07T23:45:14","slug":"joni-ernst-says-biden-department-of-education-deserves-an-f-amid-low-office-use","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joni-ernst-says-biden-department-of-education-deserves-an-f-amid-low-office-use\/","title":{"rendered":"Joni Ernst slams Biden&#8217;s Education Department with an &#8216;F&#8217; grade due to low office utilization"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjoni-ernst-says-biden-department-of-education-deserves-an-f-amid-low-office-use%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2119087&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Senator Joni Ernst Calls Out Department of Education&#8217;s Low Office Occupancy Rate<\/h2>\n<p>Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) is raising concerns about the Department \u2064of Education&#8217;s\u2062 alarmingly low occupancy \u2062rate in Washington, \u200bD.C. This comes at a \u200btime when students are \u200cgrappling with the largest learning loss in three decades due to pandemic-related school closures.<\/p>\n<p>Ernst specifically highlighted the DOE&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-exposes-naughty-list-of-federal-agencies-using-as-little-as-7-percent-of-dc-office-space\/\" title=\"Ernst reveals 'Naughty List' of agencies using only 7% of DC office space\">office occupancy rate<\/a> of only 17%, \u200bpointing to the National Assessment of Educational Progress&#8217; findings that math and reading scores for 9-year-old students have significantly \u2064declined over the past two years.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cBiden\u2019s Department of \u2064Education kept our kids out of the classroom \u2013 leading to historic learning loss,\u201d Ernst \u2062said. &#8220;Now that students have returned to regular \u2063learning, the\u200c bureaucrats are \u2063forgetting to\u2062 show up to work, and their report card shows they should receive \u200can F.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s time\u2064 for Biden\u2019s bureaucrats to get back to class, \u2063or forfeit\u2064 their expensive, \u2064unused office \u2064space,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Ernst is \u200durging the federal government to take stronger action against remote\u200c work, citing information from the Government Accountability Office that reveals\u200b no government agency is occupying even half of its office space. She questions\u200c the lack of workers despite the \u200cend of the COVID pandemic and suggests\u2063 that if offices remain\u200c empty, the government should consider getting rid of the\u200c costly space.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201cCOVID has been over\u200c for years, where are the workers?\u201d Ernst questioned. \u201cIf we aren\u2019t \u200bgoing to fill\u200d up, work within these agencies, then maybe we need to get rid\u2063 of this space because it does cost a lot to rent \u200dthese buildings in Washington, D.C., \u2064or own \u200bthem.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf we aren\u2019t going to bring workers\u200c back, folks, let\u2019s get rid of the space,&#8221; she added. &#8220;It\u2019s \u2063costing our taxpayers a lot of\u200c money.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Earlier this year, Ernst requested\u2062 more information on the impact of \u200btelework on \u200cservice delivery and response\u2062 time, the cost of unused office space funded \u200cby taxpayers, and any adjustments made \u200cto location-based salaries for federal workers who have relocated and continue to work from home. She \u200dalso sought information to gain a better understanding of work-site attendance across all agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Following the senator&#8217;s inquiries, the \u2064General \u2062Services Administration announced plans to \u2064downsize 3.5 million square\u200d feet of federal building space, \u2062resulting in over $1 billion in savings for taxpayers.<\/p>\n<p>According to estimates from the GAO, the Department of Housing and \u2062Urban Development and the Social Security Administration have the lowest occupancy rate, with just 7%.<\/p>\n<h3>Sources:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/joni-ernst-department-education-office-space\">Washington Examiner: Joni Ernst calls out Department of Education&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/have-we-reached-the-peak-of-people-returning-to-the-office\/\" title=\"Have We Reached the Peak of People Returning to the Office?\">low office occupancy<\/a> rate<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does\u2064 the Department \u2063of Education&#8217;s low office occupancy rate\u2063 impact \u2064their ability\u2062 to provide\u200b support and resources for\u2062 students recovering\u200b from learning loss?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  O\u2062 work \u2062and prioritize our\u2064 students\u2019 education. It \u200bis unacceptable that\u200b while our children are struggling to catch up after a year of disrupted learning, the Department of Education is failing to \u2062fully occupy their offices and \u200bfulfill their duties.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>The Department of Education plays\u200b a critical role in shaping and safeguarding our nation&#8217;s education system. With the ongoing challenges posed by the pandemic, the agency&#8217;s presence and active engagement are\u200b more important than ever. Yet, the\u200d low office occupancy rate raises concerns about the \u2062commitment and\u2064 dedication of\u2063 its employees towards their duty of ensuring \u200bquality education \u200bfor all American students.<\/p>\n<p>It is worth noting that the issue of \u2062low office occupancy is not unique to the Department \u200cof Education. Many federal\u200b agencies\u2063 have struggled to adjust to\u2063 the transition from remote work to\u200b in-person operations. However, when it comes to the\u200d education\u200d sector, the impact\u2064 of this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ernst-trashes-biden-administration-after-memo-reveals-most-federal-employees-still-work-remotely\/\" title=\"Ernst slams Biden admin as memo shows majority of federal employees still remote\">low occupancy rate<\/a> is especially significant. Students have already suffered a great deal \u2064due to\u2064 school closures\u200c and the shift to virtual \u2064learning. Now, with a return to in-person instruction, it is crucial that the Department of \u200dEducation provides the necessary support and resources to help \u200cstudents recover and make up for the learning loss they have experienced.<\/p>\n<p>The decline in math and\u200b reading scores for 9-year-old students, \u200das highlighted by \u2063Senator Ernst, \u200cfurther emphasizes the urgency of addressing this issue. The\u2063 National Assessment of Educational Progress&#8217; findings clearly indicate that the pandemic has had a \u200cdetrimental effect on the\u2063 educational\u2064 progress of our young learners. As they navigate the \u2062challenges of catching up, they need the assistance \u200cand guidance of dedicated\u200d educators and policymakers who are committed to their success.<\/p>\n<p>Senator Ernst&#8217;s call for \u200caction\u200b is a reminder that the Department of Education should prioritize its mission to \u200dprovide equal access to quality education.\u2062 By \u2064fully occupying their offices and actively engaging in their \u2063responsibilities, the department can work towards mitigating \u2064the learning loss caused by the pandemic \u2064and ensuring that no\u2062 student \u2062is left behind.<\/p>\n<p>This issue also highlights the broader\u2062 conversation \u200dsurrounding the role of federal agencies in the post-pandemic recovery.\u200c As we \u2062work\u2062 towards \u2064rebuilding our education system, it is \u2062essential that all government entities, \u200bincluding the Department of Education, are functioning at their highest capacity. Collaboration between federal, \u200cstate, and \u2063local governments, as well as educational institutions and stakeholders, is key to addressing the challenges facing our students\u2064 and \u200claying the foundation for a stronger, \u200cmore resilient education system.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion, Senator Joni Ernst&#8217;s concerns about the Department of Education&#8217;s low office\u200b occupancy rate raise important questions about the agency&#8217;s commitment to\u200d its core mission. As students across the country \u200dstrive to overcome the learning loss caused by the pandemic, it is crucial that the Department\u2063 of Education fulfills its responsibilities and actively supports their recovery. This issue serves as a reminder of the \u2062significance of strong government engagement and collaboration in ensuring that all American students receive the\u2063 quality \u200deducation \u200dthey deserve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rate of only 17% during the pandemic. Ernst emphasized the need for the department to prioritize students&#8217; needs and questioned the efficiency of maintaining such a large office space when remote work has become the norm. She urged the DOE to redirect resources towards addressing the significant learning loss experienced by students<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2119088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2119087","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119087","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2119087"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2119087\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2119088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2119087"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2119087"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2119087"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}