I had the opportunity to be a panelist for a congressional briefing on federal education funding hosted by the Committee for Education Funding (CEF). As an advocate for school leaders, I shared with congressional staff these key points that are relevant in K-12 education.

First and foremost, educated and informed citizens are essential to our country’s success and must be a national priority for the federal government. Toward that end, it is important for the U.S. Department of Education to be Cabinet-level agency, and it should strongly support and promote public education as the cornerstone of American democracy.

The Role of the Department of Education

The Department of Education plays three important roles in realizing this goal:

• Access;
• Research, evaluation, and innovation; and
• Achievement.

And to meet this goal, schools need federal funding.

Education happens in schools at the district level and is overseen by the states. But the federal government has a national interest in student academic achievement and supporting state and local efforts to help all students achieve to the best of their abilities.

Working Toward “Full” Funding

The cornerstone of federal support for this effort is Title I funding through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It is the largest federal K-12 program and focuses on helping low-income children get the additional learning supports they need to succeed.

When Title I was enacted in 1965, Congress set a “full funding” amount that is 40 percent of the average per-pupil expenditure, a concept that was also included and more well-known in Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In both cases, Congress has never come close to fully funding either program or to meeting the needs of all the students eligible for Title I.

That is why NAESP supports the Keep Our Promise to America’s Children and Teachers (PACT) Act sponsored by Sen. Chris Van Hollen and Rep. Susie Lee, which sets a 10-year glide path toward Title I full funding that would total $54 billion in fiscal year 2035 when everything is said and done. The bill would also fully fund IDEA.

What does this mean in terms of funding? Title I is currently funded at $18.4 billion, and it needs to get to $54 billion to meet the congressional goal of serving all Title I students.

Prioritizing Professional Development

Other key federal funding programs that support the national mission of boosting student achievement in K-12 schools are:

• Title III English language acquisition grants ($890 million);
• 21st Century Community Learning Centers ($1.3 billion);
• Title IV student support and academic enrichment grants ($1.4 billion); and
• Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants)—one key but often overlooked K-12 program whose federal funding is essential to helping school leaders support educators and students.

The most important in-school factors for student achievement are the effectiveness of the school principal and the classroom teacher, which is why Title II, Part A, is crucial to a robust and effect education system. This $2.19 billion grant program is the largest source of federal funding solely dedicated to supporting educators and improving their professional skills and abilities.

Learning for students is a never-ending journey, and it is the same for the educators who teach them.

The Rapid Integration of AI

A timely example is President Trump’s new executive order on artificial intelligence (AI). AI simply wasn’t a thing in K-12 schools four years ago. Nor was “ChatGPT” ever uttered in a single classroom.

Educators are not only having to learn about AI on the fly, but they are also having to learn how to teach it to students: what it is, how it works, and how students should responsibly use it. At the same time, educators are trying to figure out how they might be able to use AI for their own work.

A large part of the president’s executive order on AI focuses on the professional development of educators that is referenced numerous times:

• “Professional development programs focused on AI education will empower educators to confidently guide students through this complex and evolving field …”
• “Calls for enhancing training for educators by providing professional development for all educators, so they can integrate the fundamentals of AI into all subject areas …”
• “Providing professional development in foundational computer science and AI, preparing educators to effectively teach AI in stand-alone computer science and other relevant courses.”

Title II is tailor-made to help achieve the Trump administration’s goal to support AI and the educator and school leader training needed to make it happen.

Stay Updated With NAESP

NAESP is continuing to be part of the conversation with policymakers to advocate for the continued—and full—funding of these programs that are so critical in ensuring public education is supported and successful. I invite you to stay tuned to NAESP blog series The Principal Advocate for the latest updates and how you can join us in the conversation to advocate for funding and supports.

David Griffith is associate executive director, Policy and Advocacy, at NAESP.