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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Before concluding the 117th Congress, federal lawmakers passed a $1.7 trillion fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending bill, which included significant increases for all major K-12 education programs. Learning Forward is pleased that Title II-A continued on its upward funding trajectory by receiving a $20 million boost in that final bill, but disappointed that the increase fell short of the increases recommended by both the House and Senate appropriations committees and the $100 million increase for which Learning Forward advocated. Other key teacher and learning programs fared a bit better than Title II-A, including Title I, which received an $850 million increase, special education (+$934 million), and Title IV-A (+$100 million).
The 118th Congress opened last week. While the Senate, which remains in the hands of Democrats, reelected the same leadership, the new but narrow Republican House majority struggled mightily to select its leaders. After four days and 15 roll-call votes, Republican Kevin McCarthy of California was elected speaker. This week the House plans to complete organizing by considering and passing a package of chamber rules that reportedly includes a controversial plan to balance the federal budget in 10 years by returning to and freezing spending at fiscal year 2022 levels. If this plan were to become law federal education programs, defense programs, and most domestic programs would see major cuts.
Aside from deciding on leadership posts, Congress is still working out who will lead major committees. In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will be chaired by Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., with Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., serving as the committee’s highest ranking Republican. While former education committee Chair Patty Murray, D-Wash., will run the full Appropriations Committee, the Senate will not decide until later this month whether Murray will also chair the education appropriations subcommittee and which Republican will serve as her counterpart.
The House hopes to settle on its committee leadership this week. There is a major contest to chair the Education & Labor Committee between Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., former chair and ranking member, and Tim Walberg, R-Mich., a long-serving committee member. Last term’s chair, Republican Bobby Scott of Virginia will remain as ranking member. As for appropriations, it is not yet clear whether Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., will switch positions in this Congress, becoming, respectively, chair and ranking member of the Labor HHS Education Appropriations Subcommittee, or whether other members will ascend to those roles.
Learning Forward will continue its advocacy leadership to ensure that new congressional leaders and members have a strong grasp on the value of professional learning. Click To Tweet
Although some congressional committee assignments remain undetermined and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee’s priorities are uncertain, it seems clear that the House Labor and Education Committee will pursue an aggressive oversight agenda, focusing on many hot-button issues, including how school districts have spent federal COVID dollars. Learning Forward will continue its advocacy leadership to ensure that new congressional leaders and members have a strong grasp on the value of professional learning and the need for the federal government to continue to provide robust federal support for it through annual Title II-A appropriations.
On Tuesday, Dec. 20, lawmakers released their highly anticipated $1.7 trillion government funding package for fiscal year 2023. Both chambers must act fast to pass the omnibus to avert a government shutdown on Friday, with the Senate expected to consider the package as early as Wednesday and the House to follow suit quickly thereafter.
Significantly for Learning Forward, Title II-A received a $20 million boost, a much smaller increase than what was recommended by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees and the $100 million increase Learning Forward was advocating for.
The bill’s legislative report retained some of the positive language for school leaders seen in the Senate’s version earlier this year. The report language urges the Department of Education to issue guidance on best practices for strengthening the school leader pipeline with the use of federal funds.
The Department of Education is set to receive $79.6 billion, representing a $3.2 billion increase from FY22, but a sizable decrease from President Biden’s budget request and the appropriations committees’ recommendations. However, several Biden Administration priorities received notable increases from FY22, including Title I, which will get a $850 million boost, and special education which will get a $934 million increase. Other major Title programs – Title III (+$59 million), Impact Aid (+$61 million), Title IV-A (+$100 million), CTE Grants (+$75 million), and Title II-A (+$20 million) – are all set to receive increases in the FY23 omnibus. The Charter School program is one of the notable programs that will be flat funded, which is consistent with Democrats’ continued crackdown on the program.
Below is a list of key K-12 funding levels:
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.