On behalf of the nation’s middle level and high school principals, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) issued the following statement on the American Families Plan proposed by President Joe Biden during his address before a joint session of Congress on April 28:

“We are thrilled to see the Biden administration’s continued commitment to and investment in our preK–12 education system,” said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. “NASSP applauds the American Families Plan, which would invest in teacher training, diversity, preparation, and teacher certification in high-demand areas like bilingual education and special education, among other steps.

“However, we urge the administration to include school leaders in its plans. According to The Wallace Foundation, there is a very high return on investment in effective school leaders in K–12 education.

“Principals and assistant principals are a critical factor in raising student achievement. Our nation should absolutely invest in teacher training, but we would be ‘leaving money on the table’ if we do not invest in the training of school leaders as well.

“We have begun to make strides in recovering from the impact of the pandemic on education, but we must also focus on rebuilding a stronger preK–12 system as part of our nation’s infrastructure. NASSP calls on Congress to advance an infrastructure package that reflects the vital role that education plays in making the American dream accessible to all.”