NAESP Advocacy Update

May 22, 2018

School Safety

NAESP Organizes National School Safety Meeting, Urges U.S. Dept. of Education Commission on School Safety to Engage Stakeholders

On May 11, NAESP organized a meeting on Capitol Hill with stakeholders from 14 national education groups to discuss strategies to improve school safety. The discussion centered on ways to elevate strategies and policies to enhance school safety and strengthen access to mental health services in schools. The coalition discussed ideas for how the group could work together collaboratively to advance school safety policy priorities and to communicate a common message to states and the federal government.

Following the meeting, the coalition sent a letter to Secretary Devos requesting that the U.S. Department of Education’s Commission on School Safety meaningfully engage principals, school personnel, parents, superintendents and state education chiefs.

  • Key Takeaway: School safety and student well-being issues are complex, but NAESP believes that the nation must find research-based policy solutions that lead to meaningful change.

NAESP Supports Bill to Improve Law Enforcement-School Coordination

On April 25, Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the “Handle With Care Act of 2018.” NAESP supports this legislation because it would boost coordination between law enforcement and school-level personnel to better support students affected by trauma-related events. The legislation would help schools ensure these students receive timely interventions to mitigate the impact of trauma so they can focus on learning.

  • Key Takeaway: The “Handle With Care Act of 2018” aligns with NAESP’s push for a nonpartisan, comprehensive approach to improving school safety and mental health services in schools.

Vouchers

NAESP Opposes Voucher Push on Capitol Hill

Republicans in the House and Senate recently introduced the Military Education Savings Account Act of 2018, which would funnel dollars from the Impact Aid program into a private school voucher program for students with an active-duty parent in the military. Impact Aid provides funding to school districts that have lost local tax revenue due to the presence of federal tax-exempt land, such as military installations, Native American reservations, or national parks. It is expected that bill sponsors in the House will try to offer the legislation as an amendment to the FY19 National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to be considered by the full House of Representatives the week of May 21.

Please visit NAESP’s Legislative Action Center and urge your members of congress to vote NO on this legislation 

TAKE ACTION NOW

A letter from the Military Coalition, which opposes the legislation, can be found here.

  • Key Takeaway: Diverting Impact Aid dollars to private school vouchers would be detrimental to the school districts that rely on Impact Aid funding to support military-connected students.

 Federal Funding

 Another Appropriations Cycle, Another Fight for Title II

Over the past few weeks, NAESP has been advocating on Capitol Hill for robust funding in the FY19 budget (current FY18 funding runs out in late September). As part of this effort, NAESP, along with other educator groups, sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging Title II, Part A be funded at its authorized level of $2.295 billion. The leadership of the Appropriations Committees in the Senate and the House have signaled a desire to complete and pass the FY19 funding bill before the November elections, but this timing remains a tall order.

  • Key Takeaway: Though Title II, Part A fared well in the recent FY18 Omnibus deal, receiving $2.055 billion, we’re not resting on our laurels. Title II, Part A funding is the only dedicated federal investment for principal professional development and support and will remain a priority of NAESP’s advocacy efforts.

 

 

Pulling Back Funding in FY18 Budget Bill?

On May 8, the White House submitted to Congress a “rescission package” that would rescind a total of $15.4 billion from 38 programs that have “unobligated funding” from previous fiscal years. FY18 funding is not included in this proposal, as was previously feared. Congress now has 45 days to pass the package with just a majority vote in each chamber. If Congress does not approve the whole package, the funding remains and cannot be proposed again for rescission.

  • Key Takeaway: While the proposal does not include funding rescissions for the Department of Education, it does reduce funding for a handful of education-related programs that could have big implications for funding in the FY19 Labor-HHS-Education appropriations bill, which funds the Department of Education.