Learn How to Influence Your Elected Officials at the National Principals Conference!
As a principal, you are already your school’s lead spokesperson in your community. Have you ever considered taking that responsibility even further by contacting your government officials to advocate on behalf of your school? If so, then join us in Philadelphia on July 9–11 at the National Principals Conference, the first-ever joint conference for Pre-K through grade 12 school leaders, hosted by NASSP and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. This conference will offer unique sessions on the power of advocacy, such as “Advocating at All Levels of Government: Helping Your Actions Gain Traction.” This session will help highlight some of the most important issues facing educators and provide ways for principals to advocate on behalf of these issues at the local, state, and federal level.
Don’t miss out on your opportunity to help you better serve your students and school. Register now!
Participate in the Education Funding Day of Action on May 18!
The FY 2017 budget deal saw cuts to several major education programs, including Title II. Congress has already begun work on drafting a budget for FY 2018, potentially meaning more cuts could be coming to vital education programs. Join NASSP and many other national organizations on May 18 to combat any possible reductions by participating in a day of action to support education funding.
This day of action is the perfect time for you to speak out about your support for education programs. You can take to Twitter on May 18 and use #edfunding to further send your message or participate directly through NASSP. NASSP will be issuing a new action alert promoting education funding on May 18 that you can send through our Principal’s Legislative Action Center, allowing you to contact your representatives in Congress. Let them know that these funds play a vital role in supporting our nation’s students and schools!
Inside the Beltway
What’s Happening in Washington?
The importance of career and technical education (CTE) continues to grow, but unfortunately, the federal government has not reauthorized the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act, which has focused on CTE training for students since 2006. However, reauthorization of the act may be on the agenda for this Congress. On May 4, Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, or H.R. 2353. This legislation would reauthorize the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act and update the bill to make it more applicable in today’s world.
Why Should Principals Care?
Reauthorizing and updating the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act would provide states and schools with new avenues to allocate federal funds for supporting student growth in CTE. This bill would specifically make it easier on states and school districts by simplifying the application requirements and shortening the process for acquiring these federal funds. The bill also provides more flexibility for states when determining where these funds should be allocated and encourages the use of funds to address the CTE needs of local communities by building partnerships with local employers and business leaders. The bill would also provide funds for professional development for teachers and faculty, a legislative priority for NASSP.
In the Press
Charter School Accountability Under ESSA, Education Commission of the States
ESSA has been touted greatly for its promotion of local control when allowing states to develop accountability standards for public schools. However, do these same standards affect charter schools the same way? A new report takes a closer look at how some of these accountability standards apply to charter schools.
North Carolina to Instill New Exam to Compare Voucher and Public Students, The News & Observer
The debate over school choice continues to rage on with Secretary DeVos still supporting this policy, despite numerous reports stating that there is no correlation between voucher systems and improved student outcomes. North Carolina is now introducing a new exam that will specifically be used to compare voucher students to their public counterparts.
Tweak to Texas Spending Bill Could Enact a Voucher-Like Program, Dallas Morning News
A tweak to a school finance bill in the Texas state legislature would allow the creation of education savings accounts for special education students. These accounts would allow families to use some state money that would have gone to public schools to send their children to private schools, possibly costing public schools in Texas $37 million annually.