
BruMan Virtual Spring Forum 2021
The Future of the Federal Role in Education: Bringing Clarity to Chaos
Registration is now full. Please contact our office via email (forum@bruman.com) to be placed on the waiting list.
Secretary DeVos dramatically redefined the federal role in education, primarily through deregulation and the rescission of prior policies. More grants management responsibility was delegated to the pass-through agencies, a greater emphasis was placed on funding private school students, and we witnessed a significant reorganization and reduction in personnel at the U.S. Education Department. At the same time, federal education funding has reached unprecedented levels as states, districts and colleges respond to the global pandemic.
The 117th Congress has convened and over the next few months, the Biden Administration will face significant challenges related to education in terms of transitioning to new leadership and the rollout of more than $80 billion in new education stimulus money passed by Congress in late December. There are pressing new issues including how to implement new GEER private school funding in the recently passed stimulus, whether to insist states conduct regular assessments this school year, and how to help both higher education institutions and districts prepare for the fallout from reduced enrollment. Colleges will need to implement significant changes to the financial aid system including the elimination of the term “expected family contribution”, the simplification of the FAFSA, and a dramatic expansion of eligibility for Pell grants.
The changes made by OMB to the Uniform Grant Guidance and the corresponding revisions to EDGAR become effective July 1, 2021 for all state-administered programs. The Education Department’s Cost Allocation Guide has mandated documented time and effort certification systems and indirect cost rates are being negotiated under these new rules. The new 2020 OMB Compliance Supplement and CARES Act addendum has reduced the compliance elements to be audited, resulting in more administrative responsibilities for pass-through entities.
How can administrators effectively digest all these challenges and changes in policy? The BruMan team’s virtual Spring Forum from May 4 to 6 will bring you up to date on all of these topics and help you navigate this fiscal and policy roller coaster.
For the past 30 years the BruMan forum has been the premier professional development opportunity on federal grants management. In addition to the firm’s attorneys, we have invited officials from the Treasury Department, Department of Justice, as well as the offices the Inspector General, Risk Management, Cost Allocation, and Career and Technical Education from the U.S. Education Department. We will convene a panel of state and local administrators to discuss how they have managed the stimulus funds. Each attendee will receive a copy of the new EDGAR. We will be limiting attendance to allow the firm’s attorneys to respond to all questions, as we did for the fall forum in December. Since we were unable to accommodate all who wanted to register in the fall, we strongly recommend that you register early.
AGENDA
Tuesday, May 4, 2021
- 12:00 – 12:05 – Welcome: Tiffany Kesslar, Esq.
- 12:05 – 1:00 – The UGG Recent Updates and Updated OMB Initiatives – Rhea Hubbard, Office of Federal Financial Management, Office of Management and Budget
- 1:00 – 2:00 – Education Under the Biden Administration – First Steps and What to Expect: Julia Martin, Esq. & Kelly Christiansen
- 2:00 – 2:15 – Transition/Stretch Break
- 2:15 – 3:15 – ED OIG Investigations and Planned Work – Geoffrey Wood, Debbi Mayer, Natalie Forbort, and Marcus Culpepper, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General
- 3:15 – 4:00 – Why is GEPA Important to Federal Education Grants Management? Michael Brustein, Esq.
- 4:00 – 4:30 – Attorney Q&A Panel
Wednesday, May 5, 2021
- 12:00 – 12:05 – Welcome Back
- 12:05 – 1:00 – COVID-19 Stimulus Funding Implementation Panel: Peter Laing (Arizona Department of Education), Amy MacDonald (Wake Technical Community College), Lauren Ohlin (Washoe County School District), and John Payne (South Carolina Department of Education); moderated by Bonnie Graham, Esq. and Tiffany Kesslar, Esq.
- 1:00 – 1:15 Transition/Stretch Break
Concurrent Breakouts
1:15 – 2:30 – Time and Effort Documentation and Virtual Flexibility: Tiffany Kesslar, Esq. & Andrew Ball, Esq.
OR
1:15 – 2:30 – MOE, OCR and Other Hot Topics Affecting Students with Disabilities: Jennifer Mauskapf, Esq. & Monica Munin, Esq.
- 2:30 – 2:45 – Transition/Stretch Break
Concurrent Breakouts
2:45 – 4:00 – Cost Allocation and Indirect Costs: Andre Hylton, Cost Allocation Group, U.S. Department of Education, Bonnie Graham, Esq. & Aaron Kramer Brosnan, Esq.
OR
2:45 – 4:00 – Perkins Fiscal Issues: Andrew Johnson and Adam Flynn-Tabloff, OCTAE, U.S. Department of Education, Michael Brustein, Esq. & Steven Spillan, Esq.
Thursday, May 6, 2021
- 12:00 – 12:05 – Welcome Back
- 12:05 – 1:00 – GAO Recent Reports and Initiatives – Jacqueline Nowicki, Bill Keller, Melissa Jaynes, Cheryl Jones, Education, Workforce and Income Security, Government Accountability Office
- 1:00 – 1:45 – Conducting/Preparing for a Virtual Monitoring Visit: Tiffany Kesslar, Esq. & Steven Spillan, Esq.
- 1:45 – 2:00 – Transition/Stretch Break
- 2:00 – 2:45 – Risk Considerations for COVID Relief Programs – Mark Robinson, U.S. Department of Education, Risk Management Service
- 2:45 – 3:30 – Auditing $100 Billion in Relief Funds: How to Avoid Findings – Bonnie Graham, Esq.
- 3:30 – 4:00 – Attorney Q&A Panel
Registration includes a copy of the NEW 5th Edition of EDGAR (December 2020)
**Each additional copy is priced at $44/each plus shipping & handling fees
Have any questions about our Forum? Contact forum@bruman.com for additional information.
Cancellations must be submitted in writing to forum@bruman.com by April 16, 2021 to receive a full refund.
Who Will Benefit?
This webinar is of value to all federal granting agencies, federal grant recipients, and everyone who works with federal grants, including:
- Grant and program administrators
- Grant program staff
- State, district and school personnel
- Program monitors
- Auditors
What Will You Learn?
Attendees will learn:
- Hierarchy of authorities related to grants management.
- Status of OMB’s proposed regulatory changes to the Uniform Grant Guidance.
- Pass-through entity requirements, particularly related to subrecipient monitoring.
- Internal control requirements for time and effort documentation.
CPE Information
Brustein & Manasevit, PLLC is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education (CPE) on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: http://www.learningmarket.org.