Learning Forward Advocacy
Thank you for standing up for professional learning!
On December 5, 2023, more than 3300 people stood up for professional learning on advocacy day at the Learning Forward annual conference. This is a stand we must all make every day. Remember to collect and share stories of the impact of professional learning in your school or learning environment. Learning Forward wants to hear from you.
Call to Action - Save Title II-A
Members of Congress will return after Labor Day and appropriations and continued funding to keep the government open are going to be the issues front and center for every member of Congress. Now is not the time to be complacent. We need to remain vigilant in our efforts to save Title II-A. On July 18, Fred Brown issued a call to action to all educators to help save Title II-A. If you are reading this message, please take a moment to send a message to your members of Congress. Press the blue button below to get started.
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For Immediate Release
June 27, 2024
U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee Slashes Federal Education Budget — Republicans Call for Full Elimination of Title II-A in FY 2025
Full Congress Must Save Schools, Students, Educators
Washington, D.C. – The House Republican education budget plan shared today poses a severe threat to the educational needs of America’s children. The plan will be voted on tomorrow by the Labor – Health and Human Services – Education Appropriations Subcommittee.
“House Republicans are recklessly endangering schools, students, and educators by slashing essential K-12 education funding programs in their fiscal year 2025 appropriations process,” said Frederick Brown, president and CEO of Learning Forward. “With COVID-era education funding set to expire later this year, persistent teacher shortages, and ongoing efforts to address achievement gaps worsened by the epidemic, now is not the time for drastic cuts to federal education funding.”
The Republicans’ education budget proposal includes full elimination of Title II-A, the only source of federal funding dedicated to professional learning for teachers and school leaders. If the funding levels being proposed in the House are enacted, the impact would be devastating. Learning Forward is calling on Congress to reject the House proposal and instead fully fund education for America’s students and educators, including providing $2.4 billion in FY 25 for Title II-A, without cuts to other education programs.
For media inquires, contact Gail Paul at media@learningforward.org.
After Congress finally completed work on fiscal year 2024 appropriations in late March, it immediately began work on fiscal year 2025 Appropriations by holding hearings on the President’s budget and developing new funding bills. Learning Forward has also begun ramping up its work in support of Title II-A, which received level funding in the FY 2024 appropriations cycle as well as another request for level funding in the President’s FY 2025 budget. To date, we have met with the chairs and ranking members of the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees and several subcommittee panel members. While we have been informed repeatedly that level funding in a challenging fiscal environment is a “win,” we continue to ask for a 10% increase for Title II-A on the grounds that level funding amounts to a cut given this current higher inflation period. Additionally, we argue that Title II-A merits an increase because it plays a significant role in improving educator practice, stemming educator attrition rates, and attracting new educators to the profession.
Title II-A merits an increase because it plays a significant role in improving educator practice, stemming educator attrition rates, and attracting new educators to the profession. Share on X
With Congress expected to begin marking-up FY 2025 spending bills in the next several weeks, Learning Forward and its Title II-A allies are planning new advocacy efforts to draw attention to the value of Title II-A. Stay tuned for more information on a forthcoming Day of Action and other ways that you can help us inform Congress about how Title II-A has made a difference in your school.
Learning Forward’s Powered by Title II campaign website puts all of the information, tools, and advocacy tutorials in one easy to access online location to enable educator advocates reach their Members of Congress and help convince them to support more Title II funding. On this site, advocates will find:
- The latest news on Title II
- Background facts, stories, research, and data on Title II
- A storytelling tool to assist you in researching and explaining how Title II supports your school district
- Sample letters, talking points, tweets and more to support your advocacy
Evidence, evidence, evidence
Evidence of impact is not optional. From your ESSA plans to Title II to talking with your district superintendent, everyone wants to know when professional development is making an impact and how you know. Learning Forward is here to help. We invite you to join your peers from across the U.S. to share your successes here.
Tell us what Title II funds in your school or district, and most important, what outcomes you see as a result. Outcomes might include improved graduation rates or assessment scores, improvements for specific populations of students, or other indicators that students are experiencing more meaningful learning.
ESSA Toolkits
A New Vision For Professional Learning: A Toolkit to Help
States Use ESSA to Advance Learning and ImprovementSystems. This toolkit helps leaders leverage professional learning as
an essential tool in overcoming systemic inequities and guaranteeing
excellence for all.
Agents for Learning Toolkit: A Guide to Amplifying Teacher
Voice and Stakeholder Engagement. This toolkit suggests ways to cultivate teacher voice and agency in policy decisions and the implementation of professional learning.
This webinar, originally created for our Virtual Advocacy Day, includes advocacy strategies and tips that are applicable to any advocacy effort. Watch to hone your skills, build confidence, and get excited about being an advocate.