Statement from Learning Forward: Professional Learning Takes a Major Hit as Title II-A Funds Are Delayed — Students Will Pay the Price

The delay in releasing $2.19 billion in Title II-A Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants is an unacceptable disruption to the professional learning pipeline that sustains our nation’s educators and impacts the students they serve.

Title II-A is the only federal funding stream solely dedicated to professional learning — supporting teachers, principals, and instructional leaders in their efforts to raise student achievement, close academic gaps, and lead effective school improvement. These funds are the foundation of high-quality educator development in every state, enabling school systems to provide job-embedded, evidence-based professional learning programs to improve teaching practice and student outcomes.

With the new school year fast approaching, this funding delay is already undermining critical support for educators at a moment when schools are working to accelerate learning to close achievement gaps. Districts are being forced to contemplate layoffs of key professional learning staff and cancel or postpone professional learning initiatives that directly impact what happens in classrooms — all due to an unnecessary funding holdup.

Research consistently shows that ongoing, high-quality professional learning for teachers leads to better student performance. Teachers cannot be expected to meet rising expectations, especially in under-resourced schools, without continued investment in their growth. And school leaders, particularly principals, depend on Title II-A to strengthen leadership practices that foster a school environment conducive to student learning and improve staff retention during a time of high turnover. For many states and districts, Title II-A represents the only source of professional learning funding available.

Every day these funds remain in limbo puts students at risk. Learning is lost, teacher morale suffers, and the long-term capacity of schools to improve is weakened.

Learning Forward calls on the U.S. Department of Education to immediately release Title II-A funds, as approved by Congress and signed into law. Professional learning is not a luxury — it is an essential driver of student success.

Call your members of Congress to voice your support for high-quality professional learning that leads to student success. Watch for Learning Forward advocacy alerts as we continue to monitor the changing federal policy landscape.