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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April 22, 2022
AASA Asks Congress to Invest in $3 Billion Title II, Part AOn April 21, AASA joined 51 education organizations in asking Congress to invest in retaining and recruiting teachers, principals and other school leaders by providing $3 billion in FY23 appropriations for the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants program – Title II, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
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April 18, 2022
President Biden, USDA Forest Service Announce more than $238 Million to Support Rural Schools, Roads, Other ServicesPresident Biden and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced the SRS funding to invest more than $238 million to support public schools, roads, and other municipal services through the Secure Rural Schools Program.
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April 11, 2022
AASA-Endorsed HERE Act IntroducedOn Thursday, April 7, Representative Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced the Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment (HERE) Act.
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April 07, 2022
The Advocate April 2022: Child Nutrition WaiversAt the beginning of the pandemic, Congress granted the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to provide waivers for child nutrition programs to allow critical flexibilities for program operators to continue operations and feed children despite school closures and supply chain challenges.
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April 04, 2022
White House Announces Actions for Bolstering Clean School Infrastructure and Transportation to Support Student Learning and HealthToday, Vice President Kamala Harris announced the Biden-Harris Action Plan for Building Better School Infrastructure.
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April 04, 2022
Spread the Word about Changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness ProgramLast year, the Department of Education (USED) issued a Limited Time Waiver to improve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and help those who qualify get closer to forgiveness.
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April 01, 2022
AASA Leads Amicus in Key School Prayer Case Before SCOTUSAASA, along with our friends at the National Associations of Elementary and Secondary School Principals, filed an amicus brief in a pivotal Supreme Court case that will be heard later this month called Kennedy v Bremerton.
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March 31, 2022
AASA Quarterly Federal Policy Update with Sasha PudelskiWe had a blast at yesterday's AASA Quarterly Federal Policy Update with Sasha Pudelski.
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March 31, 2022
AASA Releases Fourth Installment of the Learning Recovery and Redesign Guidance: Using ARP to Support Homeless StudentsThis week, AASA has released the fourth installment of the AASA Learning Recovery & Redesign tools.
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March 30, 2022
New EPA Rebate Program for School BusesWant some new clean school buses? Here’s your chance to get them!
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March 29, 2022
FY23 Appropriations Process: Off to A Strong Start! President Biden’s Budget Continues Support for Education InvestmentsThe ink on the final FY22 budget is barely dry, and we are already off and running with all the FY23 budget fun. ICYMI: check out the blog with all our details on the final FY22 budget.
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March 29, 2022
DOT FMCSA Extends ‘Under the Hood’ Waiver to Help Address School Bus Driver Labor ShortageEarlier this year, USED partnered with USDOT to provide temporary relief for the ‘under the hood’ requirement to help address the school bus drive shortage.
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March 25, 2022
Biden Administration Commits to Improving School Health Program DeliveryOn Thursday, U.S. Secretaries Cardona and Becerra sent a letter to Governors formally describing a new effort by both agencies to work together to develop and align resources to ensure children have the physical and behavioral health services and supports that they need to build resilience and thrive.
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March 24, 2022
UPDATE: DOT Guidance Allows 3rd Party Administration of Knowledge TestIn November, AASA partnered with 12 other organizations in penning a letter to US DOT identifying a handful of policy changes that could help address the bus driver shortage.
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March 28, 2022
USED Letter to Educators and Parents Regarding New CDC Recommendations and Their Impact on Children with DisabilitiesU.S. Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote a letter to educators and parents regarding new CDC recommendations and the recommendations’ impact on children with disabilities.
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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