NPC21 Set to Highlight Advocacy and Innovation in Education
The 2021 National Principals Conference (NPC) is just over a month away, and leading educators, policymakers, and influencers are headlining some of the featured sessions. It’s not too late to register and join hundreds of your colleagues from around the country for this one-of-a-kind virtual event.
Among dozens of valuable professional development workshops and presentations this year are several sessions with a specific focus on the important role school leaders can play as advocates for their students, staff, and communities:
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The State of American Education
- An annual featured session at NPC, innovation and the willingness of educators to explore new options and change established systems to ensure student success will be a topical focus this year. Attendees will hear from a diverse panel of national, state, and local education leaders who will share their thoughts on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted schooling for years to come, including the future of assessments, accountability, and how we can accelerate learning for students in the upcoming school year. Panelists will explore how federal and state leaders can help schools create time and space for innovation, manage change in a time of uncertainty, and encourage the effective use of technology.
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Creating Supportive and Inclusive Environments for LGBTQ+ Students and Educators
- The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and members of the new national LGBTQ+ School Leaders Network will discuss strategies for engaging LGBTQ+ students in school programs and activities, ensuring they have an empowered voice, and fostering a positive and welcoming culture for LGBTQ+ educators and staff.
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Youth Vaping and Tobacco Use: What Principals Need to Know for a Return to In-Person Schooling
- With a hopeful return to in-person learning in the fall, principals will also need to focus on another familiar health challenge—the use of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, by students. The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids will share the latest data and research around youth tobacco use, the efforts underway to address it, and how principals can get involved.
THIS MONTH’S TOP ADVOCACY ISSUES
President Biden Releases Budget Calling for over $100 billion Investment in Education
On May 28, President Joe Biden released his administration’s proposed FY 2022 budget. NASSP applauded this proposal, as it contains the robust funding that so many federal education programs need. Overall, the president’s FY 2022 budget proposal asks for $102.8 billion for the nation’s K–12 schools during the 2022–23 school year. This includes increases for several programs that are of critical importance to school leaders and the students they serve. This includes:
- The School Leader Recruitment and Support Program (SLRSP): The president’s proposal reinvigorates the SLRSP and recommends that it be funded at $30 million for FY 2022—a huge win for principals and assistant principals. The SLRSP, which NASSP worked to have Congress include in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), provides competitive grants to local education agencies (LEAs), state education agencies (SEAs), and other education entities to improve the recruitment, preparation, placement, support, and retention of effective principals or other school leaders in high-need schools.
- Title II: Title II of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides formula grants to states to increase academic achievement by improving teacher and principal quality. This program also helps districts and schools invest in principal residencies, job-embedded and cohort-based professional learning, and mentorship opportunities for aspiring principals. The Biden administration’s FY 2022 proposal asks for $2.148 billion for Title II, which is a $5 million increase from the FY 2021 allocated level of $2.143 billion.
For a further breakdown of the budget and the impact it will have on the overall budget and appropriations process, visit NASSP’s School of Thought blog.
TWITTER TALK
President Biden's FY 2022 budget dropped today and there are some significant wins for principals! A $5 million increase for #TitleIIA and $30 million for the School Leader Recruitment and Support Program. More info can be found here: https://www2.ed.gov/about/overview...
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This is a huge victory for the millions of students who lack adequate broadband access and connectivity across the country. So many groups, educators, and families advocated over the past year to make this happen. It's a giant step forward in closing the #HomeworkGap.
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Thank you, @usedgov and @SecCardona, for meeting with @NASSP and @NAESP principals to discuss the importance of principal stakeholder engagement regarding the use of American Rescue Plan funds.
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Take Action
Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans are continuing on Capitol Hill around a potential massive national infrastructure improvement package. Public schools must be included in any deal. Send a message to your lawmakers today to support healthy, safe, and productive learning environments for students and educators.
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Other News
Last month, NASSP announced the 2021 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year. Read all about Indio High School (CA) Principal Derrick Lawson and his incredible work for students and schools.
The Department of Education (ED) released guidance in late May for how schools and districts should consider spending their allocated funding from the American Rescue Plan via the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.
On June 9, ED released its new Maintenance of Equity guidance that lays out rules for LEAs and SEAs to ensure that funding and full-time staff are not disproportionally cut from high-need and high-poverty schools and districts in light of the pandemic.
June is Pride Month, and members of a new national network of LGBTQ+ school leaders are sharing their stories and working to support equity and inclusion in all schools. Check out member highlights on the NASSP webpage as they are released throughout the month and over the summer!
ED has released 28 states’ Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief plans on how they will be spending the funds received from the American Rescue Plan Act. Check out the plans if you would like to see how other states are spending these COVID-19 relief funds.
The Federal Communications Commission recently announced that the 45-day application window for the $7.17 billion Emergency Connectivity Fund to promote connectivity for students and educators will begin on June 29. Learn how to get your application.
Help spread the word about The Child Tax Credit this Monday on Child Tax Credit Awareness Day! Your students’ families may qualify for this new tax relief.
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Principal Leadership: In Case You Missed It
Dual enrollment programs can improve access to and completion of college—and students who are low income or underrepresented in higher education enjoy a greater positive boost from dual-enrollment participation. In January's “Advocacy Agenda,” Alex Perry, coordinator of the College in High School Alliance, addressed how to expand equitable access to high-quality programs. Read the column today.
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