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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On Thursday, Sept. 26, President Biden signed a three-month continuing resolution (CR) that will fund the government at current funding levels until Dec. 20, 2024. The CR avoids a government shutdown and for members of Congress, allows them to head back to their districts to campaign before the November elections. While there were early attempts to use the government funding bill to drive partisan priorities, the final bill was “clean,” meaning it level funded (no change from 2024) all government programs, including Title IIA until after the elections.
The continuing resolution simply delays the conversation and hard decisions around appropriations. Educators should not feel relieved. There is still work to be done as the stark contrast between the House’s version of the 2025 education appropriations bill which would ZERO out Title IIA and the Senate’s version of the bill which would level fund Title IIA. When a negotiation occurs, this could mean that a final appropriations number could come in somewhere between zero and level funding, ultimately meaning a cut for Title IIA. Watch for alerts from Learning Forward shortly after the election. When we call on you to contact your members of Congress, we hope you will heed the call. Full funding for Title IIA hangs in the balance. This is not a time to be complacent. All educators will need to stand up for professional learning and Title IIA.
Questions? Contact Melinda George at melinda.george@learningforward.org.
On Thursday, August 1, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved on a 25-3 vote its Fiscal Year 2025 Labor HHS Education bill. Significantly, Title IIA, which had been eliminated in the House bill, was level-funded in the Senate bill. The committee’s legislative report that accompanies the bill included this statement: “The committee notes that Title II, part A funds can be targeted toward effective preparation and professional development designs that enable teachers and school leaders to expand their knowledge and skills regarding the science of child and adolescent learning and development, including teaching challenging content, teaching diverse learners, and supporting social-emotional and academic development in culturally and linguistically responsive ways.”
Overall, the Senate appropriations bill represents a significant funding upgrade from the House Appropriations Committee’s version. Where the House bill proposed to cut approximately $11.1 billion from the Department of Education’s budget and eliminate 17 programs, the Senate bill would actually increase the department’s funding by more than $900 million and retain all programs. As in previous years, the Senate focused on making significant additions to the major Title programs – Title I (+$280 million) and IDEA (+$300 million) – while level funding or providing only small increases to other K-12 and higher education programs. Title IIA was level funded. A chart showing the proposed funding for major programs is included below.
Congress is now in recess until September. When it returns, it will have very few days left to legislate before recessing for the election. Thus, it is unlikely that either the full House or the full Senate will consider on the floor their respective version of the FY25 Labor HHS Education Appropriations bill. Instead, it is anticipated that Congress will pass a Continuing Resolution, a temporary budget measure, to keep the government operating from October 1, the beginning of the new fiscal year, until December. Only when the results of the November elections are clear will congress begin negotiating final funding levels for federal education programs.
Below is a breakdown of key K-12 program funding levels in the Senate bill:
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.