July was an eventful policy month as Congress worked to move fiscal year 2024 spending legislation through appropriations committees. The House Appropriations Subcommittee’s majority members approved elimination of the Title IIA program from fiscal year 2024 onward and approved drastic cuts to other education programs, including a $14.7 billion reduction to Title I below the fiscal year 2023 enacted level. Fortunately, the Senate Appropriations Committee’s bill preserved Title IIA at the same funding level as last year.

While the House and Senate continue the appropriations process, Learning Forward is encouraging members and allies to reach out to Congress to express their support for a fully funded Title IIA, which is the backbone program for improving student achievement and educator retention through professional learning.

Learning Forward’s advocacy site at learningforward.org/advocacy/ includes a template letter to Congress that supporters can personalize and send. In the campaign’s first week, more than 1,000 pro-Title IIA messages reached the inboxes of members of Congress from Learning Forward’s advocacy hub. We encourage supporters to attend town halls and request meetings with their representatives while lawmakers are in their home districts in August.

For more information on how to support Title IIA, watch this recording of a special policy briefing Learning Forward hosted that represented the voices of superintendents, principals, teachers, and the U.S. Department of Education on the value of professional learning:  learningforward.org/webinar/professional-learning-is-stronger-schools-title-ii-a-funding-and-the-federal-education-budget/