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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August 19, 2024
HHS Releases Head Start Final Rule With More Flexibility on Wage RequirementsThis week, the Biden Administration released its long-awaited final rule on Supporting the Head Start Workforce and Consistent Quality Programming. The rule updates various aspects of the Head Start Program Performance Standards, but most notably, significantly increases compensation and benefits for staff in an effort to improve retention and recruitment for the program.
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August 08, 2024
It’s the Final Spend-down: Five Ideas for Any Remaining ESSER FundsThis blog post provides four questions to ask yourself while deciding how to spend any remaining ESSER funds and also recommends five types of investments to consider.
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August 08, 2024
FCC Releases State by State Info on How Universal Service Fund Impacts StatesThe FCC has released an overview document and state-specific information detailing how each of the four universal service fund programs (including the schools and libraries program, E-Rate) are impacted in each state.
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August 02, 2024
FY25 Appropriations UpdateThis summer, both the House and Senate put forward FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education funding proposals. Here's what you need to know.
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August 01, 2024
Senate Passes Kids Online Safety and Privacy Act (KOSPA)Earlier this week, the Senate passed KOSPA (which incorporates both COPPA 2.0 and KOSA) by a vote of 91-3.
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July 29, 2024
AASA Joins 10 National Education Groups in Response to Privacy LegislationAASA joined ten other national organizations in a letter to the Senate expressing their support for COPPA 2.0 as included in the bill, and continued deep concern for the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) as included in the bill.
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July 25, 2024
AASA Joins EdLiNC Coalition in Expressing Deep Frustration with 5th Circuit E-Rate DecisionAASA joined the Education and Networks Libraries Coalition to express deep frustration with yesterday's 5th Circuit E-Rate decision.
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July 25, 2024
5th Circuit Court Rules Universal Service Fund (Which Covers E-Rate) UnconstitutionalOn Wednesday, the 5th Circuit Court handed down its decision where the plaintiffs argued that using E-rate funds for Wi-Fi on school buses exceeds the FCC’s authority to provide internet access in schools and libraries.
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July 24, 2024
USED Issues Resources to Help Schools Prepare for 2024 Title IX RegulationsAs schools prepare to implement amended Title IX regulations on August 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) released new resources today to support schools in those efforts.
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July 23, 2024
Biden Administration Releases New Kids Online Safety ReportThe Biden-Harris Administration’s Kids Online Health and Safety Task Force released a new report with recommendations and best practices for safer social media and online platform use for youth.
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July 10, 2024
Join the Student Attendance and Engagement Solutions NetworkJoin the Student Attendance and Engagement Solutions Network to help address chronic absenteeism, in partnership with NPSS, USED, AmeriCorps, and the Johns Hopkins University Everyone Graduates Center.
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July 03, 2024
Making the Most of Your Summer Fun(ds)— Sustaining SummerThis is the thirteenth installment of the Summer Funds series with AASA Immediate Past President Gladys Cruz.
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July 02, 2024
The Advocate July 2024: What to Expect at the AASA/ASBO Legislative Advocacy ConferenceThis month's edition of the Advocate is all of the fun legislative policy you can look forward to when you join us in DC next week!
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June 27, 2024
AASA Joins 1000+ in FY25 Letter to CongressAASA joined more than 1,000 groups in a joint letter to Congress, calling on the legislative bodies to move on FY25 appropriations.
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June 27, 2024
AASA Sends Letter to House Opposing Cuts to EducationLast night, AASA sent a letter to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education urging them to reject the FY25 proposal that drastically cuts education funding.
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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