AACTE Leads Effort to Save Funding for Title II-A of ESSA
On May 10, AACTE was pleased to submit a letter to members of Congress on behalf of 141 organizations and their state affiliates recommending full funding for Title II-A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The letter went to leaders of the education subcommittees working on appropriations in both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives for Fiscal Year 2018, in light of the recommendation in the president’s request to eliminate this $2.295 billion program (see the “skinny budget” released in March, and I’ll have another article soon about the full proposal being issued today).
Eliminating funding for this core formula-grant program would undermine ESSA implementation in every state. Title II-A funds can be used for a number of critical priorities, such as addressing teacher shortages, providing essential professional development, recruiting and preparing new teachers, retaining teachers, achieving more equitable distribution of effective and experienced teachers, and addressing the persistent underrepresentation of teachers of color in the profession.
Because of the numerous opportunities specifically related to educator preparation, AACTE has recommended (and continues to urge) that your programs and state chapters engage with your states as they craft their plans for using ESSA Title II-A funds. (For more information, please see AACTE’s ESEA web page and our archived Federal Update webinars—for members only.)
Want to learn more? Given the late release of the president’s budget request and little other movement in D.C. for the moment on educator preparation, I will not hold a Federal Update webinar this month, but we will certainly discuss funding and ESSA during Washington Week!
Please join me for AACTE’s Day on the Hill—online registration is open until May 29, or you can register on site before orientation begins June 6. Visit our website for details.
Tags: AACTE partner organizations, federal issues, funding, teacher quality
