House Labor, HHS, Education Appropriations Subcommittee Slashes Education Funding, Could Put a Halt to Student Academic Recovery

Education policy contact: Melinda George, Chief Policy Officer, Learning Forward

Melinda.george@learningforward.org

Media: Gail Paul, gail.paul@learningforward.org

Learning Forward President & CEO Frederick Brown issues a statement on the devastating effects from the proposed FY24 budget bill to Title II-A program, Every Student Succeeds Act 

Frederick Brown, president and CEO of Learning Forward, issued the following statement today, July 13, 2023:

“On behalf of the nation’s children and educators, Learning Forward is shocked and gravely concerned by the drastic cuts to the federal education budget announced today by the House Appropriations Committee of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee.

“These proposed cuts will mean continuing drops in student achievement, as schools and students aim to recover from the pandemic. This will have a devastating and lasting impact on America’s children.

“The decision to eliminate funding for the Title II-A program eviscerates critical investment in high-quality professional learning, which is directly linked to increased educator effectiveness, improved student achievement, and teacher and principal retention.

“By eliminating funding for high-quality professional learning, which we know improves teaching and raises student achievement, the Appropriations Committee is hindering schools’ learning recovery. The devastating impacts will be felt most deeply in the communities that have been hit hardest by the pandemic and where student achievement is lagging the most.

“High-quality professional learning is not an optional add-on to public education; it is a critical and fundamental component of effective teaching and leading. It allows educators to help students reach for the stars and achieve their goals.

“We urge the entire House to fully fund Title II-A and prioritize the investment in high-quality professional learning opportunities for educators. By investing in the growth and development of our teachers and school leaders, we are investing in the future of our students and our nation.

“Eliminating these dollars now guarantees the critical problems we are all trying to solve will get much worse because we will decrease the kinds of supports districts and schools need to support and retain the very teachers and leaders needed to improve our schools. Given the evidence about the positive impact of high-quality educator professional learning on student achievement, this bill represents a reprehensible attack on public education and the nation’s children.”

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Learning Forward is an independent, nonprofit, international membership association of learning educators committed to one vision in K-12 education: Every educator engages in exemplary professional learning so every student excels. To realize that vision, Learning Forward pursues its mission to set the standard for professional learning and build the capacity of educators to equitably serve all students. Information about the organization, its Standards for Professional Learning, its membership, services, and products are all available from www.learningforward.org. Find more advocacy for Title II-A funding here www.poweredbytitleii.com.