The Leading Edge: Policy & Advocacy Blog
The Leading Edge, AASA's policy & advocacy blog, provides up-to-date information about activities in Washington, D.C. and Capitol Hill that affect you and your school district.
Topics include new or proposed regulations and federal policies, federal funding updates and opportunities, advocacy resources and more.
Latest Posts
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February 09, 2023
USDA Issues Proposed Updates to Nutrition StandardsOn February 3, USDA issued a new proposal to update the nutrition standards to align with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines.
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February 08, 2023
ASCA Report: Administrators and School CounselorsOn February 8, the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) released a new report on district administrators’ understanding of school counseling, familiarity with the ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling and other issues.
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February 01, 2023
Updates to Senate HELP and House Education and Workforce CommitteesA new election cycle brings a new shakeup to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and the House Education and Workforce Committee.
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February 01, 2023
AASA's New Student and Child Privacy Center (SCPC) Stakeholder Alert - February 2023AASA’s new Student and Child Privacy Center (SCPC) provides support for AASA’s members by tracking and analyzing legislation, creating resources, and providing technical assistance on student privacy issues.
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February 01, 2023
The Advocate February 2023 - Defending Public EducationPublic education is under attack. There is no denying that state capitals are being inundated with organizations and individuals who may be promoting “school choice” or the funding of “students not systems” but who have more dangerous goals.
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January 09, 2023
Upcoming Child Tax Credit Webinar: Jan 19Please join the Coalition on Human Needs, Partnership for America's Children, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Code for America.
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December 22, 2022
Congress Nears Final FY23 Appropriations PackageFederal fiscal year 2023 started on October 1, runs through September 30, 2023, and includes federal dollars that will be in your schools for the 23-24 school year.
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December 19, 2022
AASA and CASE File Amicus in Perez v. SturgisNext month, the U.S. Supreme Court will be hearing a critically important case that could determine the future of special education litigation in school districts known as Perez v. Sturgis Public Schools.
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December 15, 2022
USED - Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Announces Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration GrantThe Office of Safe and Supportive Schools is excited to announce that over $99M in funding is available for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program.
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December 13, 2022
Dept of Ed Introduces Spring 2023 Teach to Lead SummitU.S. Department of Education’s Spring 2023 Teach to Lead Summit, titled “Raising the Bar: In Pursuit of Equitable Opportunities Through Expanded Student Experiences and the Diversifying of the Educator Pipeline,” is an in-person convening March 10-12 in Atlanta, a collaboration effort called Teach to Lead.
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December 09, 2022
Dear Colleague from Deputy Secretary Marten on Using Federal Funds to Support STEM Education StrategiesOn December 6, Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten released a Dear Colleague letter to help State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and their partners better understand how to use Federal funds to support innovative, equity-focused pre-kindergarten through grade 12 STEM education strategies.
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December 08, 2022
ED Releases New ESSER FAQ DocumentOn December 7, ED released non-binding guidance that answers long-awaited questions from the field about how ESSER funding can be spent.
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December 01, 2022
Webinar Recap: Making the Most of Your ESSER Funds: Halftime Reflections & RevisionsThis week, we were thrilled to partner with EducationCounsel and Education Resource Strategies for our webinar presentation: "Making the Most of Your ESSER Funds: Halftime Reflections & Revisions"
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December 01, 2022
New Dept of Energy Grants Available to K-12 SchoolsThis week, the Department of Energy kicked off an $80 million grant program for critical energy upgrades in America’s highest-need K-12 school facilities.
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November 30, 2022
The Advocate December 2022: Looking Ahead Post-MidtermsThe 118th Congress will be another divided governing body with Democrats controlling the Senate and Republicans re-taking the House.
Latest Advocacy & Policy Resources
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November 21, 2024
PEP Talk Episode 34: The E-Rate SagaType:Podcast Topics: Advocacy & PolicyOn this episode of PEP Talk: Kat Sturdevant gets into the weeds on the current saga of the FCC's Universal Service Fund and E-Rate with Jon Bernstein, an education technology and telecommunications lobbyist and president of Bernstein Strategy Group. -
October 24, 2024
PEP Talk Episode 33: Education in the 2024 ElectionType:Podcast Topics: Advocacy & PolicyOn this episode of PEP Talk: Kat Sturdevant deep dives the role of education in the 2024 presidential election with Jonathan Voss, partner at Lake Research Partners, a national public opinion and political strategy research firm. -
October 22, 2024
A New Education Vision for the 2025-29 AdministrationType:Report Topics: Advocacy & Policy, Finance & BudgetsRecommendations for how the next administration can dramatically improve educational outcomes, reduce educational inequities and ensure the students in our schools today are able to excel in an increasingly competitive global workforce.
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