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Registration Open for the 2020 NASSP Advocacy Conference and Capitol Hill Day!

NASSP Advocacy Conference and Capitol Hill Day

Registration is open (and free!) for the upcoming 2020 NASSP Advocacy Conference. We invite you to join fellow school leaders and educators from across the nation to fight for the support you need from lawmakers to provide the best possible education for your students. Be sure to register by February 16, 2020—you don’t want to miss this opportunity!

In addition to receptions, discussions, and other networking opportunities with hundreds of your peers, you’ll attend expert-led training that will prepare you to have influential conversations with policymakers and lead education advocacy efforts in your state. You’ll also hear one-of-a-kind political insight from this year’s keynote speaker, Charlie Cook, founder of the famed Cook Political Report and a leading voice in national politics. And on March 25, you’ll join attendees from the National Association for Elementary School Principals’ National Leaders Conference to head up to Capitol Hill for a day of meetings with members of Congress and their staffs.

This is the largest annual opportunity for K–12 school leaders to unite and make their voices heard to federal lawmakers. Be a part of something powerful this March and join us in our nation’s capital!

Want to get a better glimpse at what the event is all about? Watch this highlight video from last year’s conference:

NASSP Advocacy Conference 2019

THIS MONTH'S TOP ADVOCACY ISSUES

Budget Deadline Looms as Impeachment Proceedings Continue

Last month, Congress narrowly avoided a government shutdown by passing another continuing resolution before November 21. This is the second time that Congress has needed extra time to broker a budget deal for FY 2020, which officially began on October 1, and it’s possible that it may not be the last.

As it relates to federal education funding in FY 2020, both parties are far apart on negotiations for the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (LHHS-Ed) appropriations bill. The debate around funding for President Trump’s proposed border wall also continues to stymie negotiation. House Democrats are demanding that Republicans agree to a higher overall investment for the LHHS-Ed bill that is closer to the amount they set aside for the nation’s largest nondefense discretionary bill earlier this year. Without increased investment, many of the education programs will be flat funded and won’t receive increases that NASSP and school leaders strongly support. For their part, Republicans are refusing to back down on any cuts to potential funding for the border wall, a nonstarter with Democratic lawmakers.

Congress now has until December 20 to broker a deal, but this is still a time crunch for appropriators to come to agreements on expenditures for programs. It’s possible we will see another continuing resolution that could delay a decision on the final FY 2020 appropriations bills until late January or February of 2020.

The ongoing impeachment proceedings also continue to add uncertainty to the mix. The proceedings have the potential to distract members’ attention from completing FY 2020 funding negotiations, and the contentious nature of the proceedings could further complicate a process that’s already marred by sharp division between the parties. If the House does vote to impeach the president, the Senate will begin hearing the case in 2020. Senate proceedings could last for weeks or months, potentially delaying their ability to negotiate on a budget deal if an agreement isn’t reached ahead of time. If a deal is eventually reached, it will still need to be signed by President Trump. His willingness to sign a budget compromise would also certainly be tested pending the ongoing impeachment developments.

Continue to check in with the NASSP Policy & Advocacy Center for more information on this situation as it develops, and help ensure that school leaders cut through the noise during budget negotiations by sending a message to your representative and senators to advocate for an increase in funding for Title II of the Every Student Succeeds Act in FY 2020.

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

@akarhuse
Thank you, Sen. @ChrisMurphyCT & @RepMarciaFudge for introducing the Strength in Diversity Act - @NASSP is proud to support this bill! #StudentDiversityMatters
@zachscott33
@NASSP joins @EdTrust and other national education organizations opposing the @usedgov's proposed changes to Civil Rights Data Collection
@GWaples
Legislation that would address the vaping epidemic in schools is gaining momentum in both the House and the Senate... help us get these bills passed by using this campaign to send a message to your members of Congress▶️https://p2a.co/flr5VjO #vaping
@NASSP
"We've done a lot with awareness and yet we still have students vaping," NASSP Board member @pfanuele told @educationweek on Monday. "It's just concerning." Trump's policy reversal to ban flavored vapes does not help this problem. http://bit.ly/342reMm @MarkALieberman

For more advocacy tweets, join us on social media by following NASSP and the advocacy staff on Twitter:

NASSP @nassp
Amanda Karhuse @akarhuse
Zachary Scott @zachscott33
Greg Waples @GWaples

Take Action

Legislation that would help combat the vaping epidemic in schools is on the move in both the House and Senate! Lawmakers need to hear from principals and educators this week as they consider these bills. Use this NASSP action alert to send an important message to your officials with just a few clicks.

Other News

The NASSP Board of Directors has stated their intent to adopt three new position statements on critical issues impacting today’s schools: Trauma-Informed Schools, Poverty and Its Impact on Children’s Education, and School Resource Officers and Law Enforcement in Schools. The position statements are open for a public comment period, but the deadline is approaching on December 15. Help inform NASSP’s new policy recommendations and make a positive impact on education by reaching out to Amanda Karhuse ([email protected]), NASSP director of advocacy, with any feedback.


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.


December 10 marked the fourth anniversary of the historic passage of the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). NASSP, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), and leading education organizations sent a letter to congressional leadership to mark the occasion and reflect on what ESSA has meant for public education in our country.


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.


The 2018 PISA results were released this month, showing a continued need for the U.S. education system to catch up to other nations.

In This Month’s Principal Leadership

This month’s “Advocacy Agenda” in Principal Leadership looks at tools and strategies to increase career and technical education (CTE) in rural areas. Read the column to find out more about the efforts being made to build a rural CTE teacher pipeline.


Missed an issue of the Policy & Advocacy newsletter? Archived issues are available online here.