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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December 05, 2024
Social Security Administration Releases School Professionals & Survivors Benefits ToolkitEarlier this week, the Social Security Administration released a Dear Colleague Letter for the release of their School Professionals and Survivors Benefits Toolkits, designed to help increase awareness of their benefit programs.
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December 05, 2024
USED Resource: Call for States, Districts, and Schools to Adopt Policies for Student Use of Cell Phones and Personal DevicesThe U.S. Department of Education is calling on every state, district, and school to adopt policies that guide the use of student personal devices in schools, and today is issuing a new resource.
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December 04, 2024
USED Resource: Utilizing Title II Funds & Supporting Educator DiversityToday, the Department of Education (USED) released two editions of nonregulatory guidance: one aimed at best practices for utilizing Title II-A funds and the another outlining best practices and federal funds available to support educator diversity.
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December 02, 2024
The Advocate December 2024: Eliminating E-Rate- What’s In Store in 2025As we head into the new year, new Congress and new administration, we are also bracing for a significant case impacting education that will be before the Supreme Court in its 2025 term. And its all about E-Rate.
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November 27, 2024
USED Resource: FAFSA Week of ActionThis blog post comes from an email from USED. AASA is proud to support the work of USED in its effort to update the FAFSA form and to ensure that the roll out for this year’s form is as seamless as possible.
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November 20, 2024
USED Resource: Using Functional Behavioral Assessments to Create Supportive Learning EnvironmentsThe U.S. Department of Education released a new guidance to help schools and early childhood programs better support students’ behavioral needs.
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November 15, 2024
U.S. District Court Overturns Overtime RuleThe latest ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas invalidates the entirety of DOL’s overtime final rule.
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November 15, 2024
New Resource from CAP: Ensuring Digital Accessibility in K-12 SchoolsThe Center for American Progress (CAP) released a new column titled Ensuring Digital Accessibility in K-12 Schools in a Technology Driven Era.
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November 14, 2024
USED Resource: Frequently Asked Privacy-Related Questions About Filing a Complaint with OCRToday, USED's Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released a new resource with helpful details about how information – including the identity of a complainant – will be used by OCR when OCR investigates a complaint.
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November 14, 2024
IES Releases New Literacy ResourceEarlier this month the Institute for Education Sciences (IES) released A Practitioner’s Guide to Improving Literacy Outcomes for Students by Using Evidence to Strengthen Programs and Practices.
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November 13, 2024
Congress is Back and Making MovesLast night, the House and Senate made significant progress towards passing two AASA priorities: Social Security Fairness Act and Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization.
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November 08, 2024
Abolishing the U.S. Department of Education: What Do We Know and Not KnowMany soundbites this week have highlighted the expressed desire by President Trump to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education. Could this happen?
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November 07, 2024
Election Takeaways: 3 Issues to WatchAnticipated funding and policy issues coming out of the 2024 election and what to watch for as a public school educator.
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November 05, 2024
USDA Announces Ban on School Meal Junk FeesUSDA announced that students eligible for free and reduced priced lunch cannot be charged junk fees through online payment processing platforms, effective SY27-28.
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November 05, 2024
USED: Resources to Assist with Preparation for the 2025-26 FAFSA CycleUSED shared an update on resources available to help schools, families and students ahead of the 2025-26 FAFSA cycle.
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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