Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) Named NASSP Congressional Champion During NPM
National Principals Month came to a close last month, with school leaders around the country widely heralded for their consistent and tireless efforts to create positive environments where all students can learn. But they weren’t the only ones recognized for their outstanding commitment to U.S. public education during October—NASSP presented its Congressional Champion Award to Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the 15-term congresswoman from Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District.
Throughout her long and historic tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, no one has been more committed to strengthening America’s public schools and increasing equitable access to education for all students than Rep. DeLauro. As chairwoman and former ranking member of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations subcommittee, Rep. DeLauro has consistently advocated for much-needed federal funding for the priority programs of school leaders, including Title II, Title IV, and Comprehensive Literacy Development Grants of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). In the most recent FY 2020 House appropriations bill, Rep. DeLauro secured a substantial increase in investment for education programs, including a $500 million increase for Title II, a critical program that supports professional learning for teachers and school leaders. For decades, Rep. DeLauro has also championed equitable learning environments and educational opportunities for all students, with a specific focus on policies aimed at protecting LGBTQ students.
NASSP Executive Director JoAnn Bartoletti presented the award to DeLauro in her Capitol Hill office on October 17. She was also joined by two of the congresswoman’s constituents: Principal Dana Paredes of West Haven High School and Principal Anna Mahon of Amity Regional High School.
The NASSP Congressional Champion Award presentation was part of a larger day of advocacy on Capitol Hill for school leaders that featured dozens of advocacy meetings with members of Congress conducted jointly by members of NASSP, the American Federation of School Leaders (AFSA), and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP). The Capitol Hill Day also included a congressional briefing event that educated congressional staff on principal pipelines and the passage of a Senate resolution officially recognizing October as National Principals Month.
Check out the NPM homepage and #ThankAPrincipal on Twitter for more on school leader advocacy efforts this year.
THIS MONTH'S TOP ADVOCACY ISSUES
School Leaders Converge on Capitol Hill for National Principals Month Meetings With Lawmakers
On October 17, dozens of members of the three leading national organizations representing principals and school leaders flew to Washington, D.C., to meet with their representatives and senators and advocate for public education. The event was the first time that AFSA, NAESP, and NASSP had come together for a joint congressional advocacy day.
Principals from 10 states met with key members of the House and Senate committees that oversee education policy as well as members of the appropriations committees that allocate federal education funding. They advocated for three key issues in those meetings: improved access to higher education for aspiring school leaders, federal support for school climate and safety enhancements, and increased funding for key education programs under ESSA.
Meetings were conducted with senior and high-ranking committee members like Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), and Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), but the foundations of strong partnerships between school leaders and policymakers were also laid in meetings with new members of Congress like Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Rep. Cynthia Axne (D-IA). Collectively, the joint venture between members of AFSA, NAESP, and NASSP helped ensure that the positions of principals and the educators and students they serve will stick in the minds of legislators as important decisions are made about federal education funding and other issues in 2019, 2020, and beyond.
Want to join other school leaders on Capitol Hill for the next opportunity to advocate with your members of Congress? Attend the 2020 NASSP Advocacy Conference, March 23–25!
TWITTER TALK
|
Principal prep programs should include curriculum to help candidates build leadership capacity of teacher leaders and APs and groom the next generation of principals. #ThankAPrincipal
|
|
When discussing shortages it's important we identify it as an educator shortage. There are shortages of teachers, principals, specialized instructional support personnel, librarians, and on and on. We have to make education a more appealing career path #EducationRetention
|
For more advocacy tweets, join us on social media by following NASSP and the advocacy staff on Twitter:
|
|
Take Action
Title II of ESSA provides the only dedicated stream of federal funding for school leader professional development programs. Help ensure that Title II receives a long-overdue increase in FY 2020 by contacting your members of Congress today.
|
Other News
Registration for the 2020 NASSP Advocacy Conference is now open! The conference is free and open to anyone who wants to advocate for principals and schools.
Kerensa Wing, principal of Collins Hill High School in Suwanee, GA, was named the 2020 National Principal of the Year in a surprise announcement at her school on October 21.
NASSP has partnered with When We All Vote to promote voter registration and civic engagement in schools. Take action and get the tools you need to empower your students’ participation in democratic civic discourse.
New America released a report in October detailing levels of effectiveness for various strategies to improve LGBTQ-inclusive teaching and school administrative practices.
NASSP continues to work with the Learning Policy Institute to examine the issue of principal turnover. View the most recent briefs in the research partnership.
|
In This Month’s Principal Leadership
This month’s "Advocacy Agenda" in Principal Leadership looks at teacher activism and recent high-profile teacher walkouts across the country, and how school leaders can help their teachers by working to increase investments in education and supporting improved funding equity at both the state and local levels. Read the column to find out how you can help support teacher advocacy efforts.
|
|
