AASA Releases Education Policy Recommendations for Biden Administration

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
James Minichello
703-875-0723
703-774-6953 (cell)
jminichello@aasa.org 

Alexandria, Va. – November 10, 2020 –AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the nation’s premier organization representing and supporting superintendents and other public school district leaders nationwide, is pleased to release a set of education policy proposals in an effort to partner with the Biden Administration as the nation continues to reel from the COVID-19 pandemic.

AASA is committed to having a strong professional and collaborative relationship with the next administration, which is why the report, A New Education Vision for a New Administration, was prepared.

“AASA congratulates President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris on their victory. We stand ready to support an administration that understands and highlights the importance of our nation’s public schools and the roles they play in preparing our students, bolstering our economy and securing our nation’s future,” said Daniel A. Domenech, AASA executive director. “We welcome the chance to work with a new Secretary of Education who will support public schools and won’t shy away from working directly with the educators and school system leaders doing the important work of running our nation’s public schools, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Key recommendations include:

• Support Public Schools and the 90% of the K-12 Students They Educate: The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the critical function that our public schools perform for children and families, as well as for businesses, industries and communities. Public Schools are the hub of countless aspects of community life, and the closure of school buildings during the pandemic negatively impacted virtually every American citizen, regardless of whether they had children enrolled in the system.
• Repeal Recent Regulations That Harm Public School Students and District Operations: Over the past four years, we have seen a series of regulations introduced and finalized that have made it increasingly difficult to serve students, particularly students in poverty. These regulations have made it more difficult for administrators to efficiently manage federal programs in schools. In addition, the regulations adversely impact how schools provide critical services to students, as well as transform school district practices in a dramatic and unhelpful way.
• Ensure Continuous and Direct Engagement Between Local Education Officials and the U.S. Department of Education: Over the past 12 years, there has been minimal direct contact between federal education staff and superintendents to inform each other of their respective work, their worldview and their understanding of the immediate, short-term and long-term challenges experienced by students, educators and education leaders.

“For the first time in a generation, there is a new, meaningful national conversation about the pandemic that predates COVID-19 — the pandemic of education inequity,” affirmed the report. “Without immediate and systemic corrective action in 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic will only worsen educational inequity and undermine any ensuing education recovery efforts.” 

The report recommends that the Biden Administration commits to several K-12 educational investments, including: 

• Champion the full funding of IDEA
• Support and develop the utilization of a more accurate student poverty metric to effectively redirect federal resources to low-income students and students of color
• Take steps to eliminate funding for the D.C. voucher program
• Issue time-limited waivers related to federal assessments and accountabilityclick here
• Prioritize funding for schools and student connectivity in any infrastructure plan

“AASA prides itself on our ability to work with all elected officials at the federal level, regardless of political affiliation, if only for the simple fact that public schools exist in every single state and congressional district,” added Domenech. “We look forward to President-Elect Biden’s assurances that his administration will work for ALL Americans, regardless of race, income, gender, ethnicity or ability.”

Please click here to access A New Education Vision for a New Administration. For additional questions, please contact Sasha Pudelski, AASA advocacy director, at spudelski@aasa.org. 

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About AASA
AASA, The School Superintendents Association, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.