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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June 21, 2022
AASA Joins Letter Asking for Schools to be Added to WH Conference on HungerOn June 21, AASA joined a group of thirty education, nutrition, and disabilities' rights organizations in calling on President Biden to add a sixth pillar to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health to emphasize the critical role schools play in addressing student hunger and nutrition.
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June 21, 2022
SCOTUS Decision in Maine Voucher CaseEarlier today the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the Carson v Makin case, a voucher case from Maine premised on whether or not Maine could deny public funds to schools that promote religious instruction.
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June 21, 2022
National Healthy Schools Collaborative Releases Ten-Year RoadmapThe COVID-19 pandemic has made clear how connected health and learning are. Districts cannot return to the pre-pandemic status quo which left millions of children and adults in unhealthy schools.
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June 09, 2022
USED Releases Final Maintenance of Equity RuleEarlier this week, USED released its final rule for the American Rescue Plan’s (ARP) K12 maintenance of equity provision, part of the Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund.
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June 08, 2022
17 National Education Organizations Sign on to AASA Statement on Uvalde Response Package in SenateToday, AASA was joined by 17 organizations representing the full breadth of the national K-12 education community to call on Congress to swiftly pass legislation that will address the senseless epidemic of gun violence in this country.
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June 08, 2022
FY23 Appropriations Children's Budget Coalition LetterAs part of our appropriations advocacy, AASA participates in the Children’s Budget Coalition.
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June 07, 2022
USED Releases Final Notice of RequirementsLast week, USED sent a letter to grantees announcing the Notice of Final Requirements (NFR) regarding the LEA-level maintenance of equity provisions under section 2004(C) of the American Rescue Plan.
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June 03, 2022
New ED-Commissioned Study on ESEA Provisions that Protect StudentsEarlier today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) published a study concerning requirements under Section 8546 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) for states and schools to protect students from the consequences of assisting – or “aiding and abetting” – school employees in obtaining a new job if they are known or believed with probable cause to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a student or minor.
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June 03, 2022
The Advocate June 2022May ended on a deeply painful note because of the horrific gun violence in Buffalo and Uvalde.
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June 03, 2022
AASA School and Gun Safety PolicyAASA has maintained a consistent position that comprehensive federal policy is required to prevent future school violence.
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May 27, 2022
CDC Releases New Guidance and FAQs for K-12 and Overnight CampsToday, the CDC released updated Operational Guidance for K-12 School and Early Care and Education Programs to Support Safe In-Person Learning.
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May 25, 2022
Updated Child Tax Credit Outreach ResourcesThere's still time for schools to help families claim the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC)!
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May 12, 2022
AASA Joins Coalition Letter Asking Department of Labor to Stop or Delay Rulemaking on Overtime PayToday, AASA joined 94 organizations in a letter to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh.
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May 10, 2022
Summer Nutrition Waivers Available for StatesIf you follow this blog, you are well aware of the fact that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) nationwide waiver authority to provide flexibilities to school nutrition programs expires on June 30 without further Congressional action.
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May 03, 2022
The Advocate May 2022: Biden Administration Focuses on Building Better SchoolsThe health of our school buildings has long been a major problem. The 2021 State of Our Schools Report from the 21st Century School Fund estimates that the U.S. is underinvesting in school buildings and grounds by $85 billion each year.
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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