Bulletin Board: Advocate

NAESP serves as your voice on Capitol Hill, focusing on federal policy priorities that aim to improve schools, support the principal profession, and advance student achievement.

Federal Education Funding

Since COVID-19 hit, NAESP has advocated for increased education funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARP), which dedicated $122 billion to help K–12 schools support safe school reopenings, boost academic recovery, and address student mental health challenges. NAESP continually works to ensure that principals are consulted when decisions are being made about how funding is spent at the federal, state, and district levels.

Early Childhood Education

NAESP has long advocated for a seamless continuum of learning for every child from pre-K through third grade. The fiscal year 2022 budget reconciliation bill would provide an opportunity to bolster federal investment in early education by covering the costs of preschool for all 3- and 4-year-old children.

Mental Health and School Safety

NAESP partners with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide COVID-19 guidance to school leaders as they navigate the challenges of keeping schools open safely. School-based mental health support is also a priority during the pandemic, and NAESP is pushing for funding to address the lack of access to counselors.

Social-Emotional Learning

NAESP works with the U.S. Department of Education to ensure that school culture, climate, and social-emotional development support equity for all students. Social-emotional learning initiatives shouldn’t end with students, though; now more than ever, school leaders and teachers are burned out and need support.

Principal Pipeline

ARP funding enables states and districts to invest in pipelines that strengthen principal preparation and support. Districts receive 90 percent of ARP funds and can use the money to support principal residency programs, job-embedded professional development, mentoring and induction assistance, and one-on-one principal coaching.

Learn more and take action by visiting naesp.org/advocacy.

Take Action With Advocacy Text Alerts

Advocating for the principalship and for education as a whole is a top priority at NAESP, and we can’t do it without you. Your firsthand experience is key to influencing policymakers when it comes to making a difference in education. Fortunately, staying up to date on all things policy and advocacy in education is as easy as 1-2-3:

Text NAESP to 52886 to sign up for advocacy
text alerts;

Click on the link and provide your contact information; and

Message your legislators at the click of a button from your phone when NAESP Action Alerts come in.

Putting ARP Funding to Use in Schools

We reached out to NAESP members to learn more about what American Rescue Plan funding has allowed them to do in their schools. Here’s what they had to say:

“We were able to fund additional summer learning opportunities and increased technology availability
for students.” —Mandy Ellis, Dunlap Grade School,
Dunlap, Illinois

“We were able to feed our students breakfast, lunch, and send them home with dinner.” —Christopher Wooleyhand, Pershing Hill Elementary School, Fort Meade, Maryland

“We have been able to provide tutoring before and after school. We held an engaging summer ‘camp’ focused on literacy, math, and hands-on science for our at-risk learners. We have hired an attendance specialist to support families who are struggling to get their children to school regularly. We have bolstered our building cleaning equipment. Our teachers have been able to attend professional development focused on MTSS for academics, behavior, and SEL.” —Amy Denney, Perry Creek Elementary School, Sioux City, Iowa

“Increased funding has allowed us to hire part-time contract teachers who can assist with interventions. We are also contracting with local musicians to integrate the arts into the core content. The additional personnel will allow us to build more relationships with students and better address any needs that they have academically and social-emotionally.” —Amy Mason, Madison County Elementary School, Gurley, Alabama

“Additional staff to support interventions during the day and afterschool tutoring. Additional social work support and training for staff in SEL and inclusive teaching.” —Jessica Hutchison, Washington Elementary School, Park Ridge, Illinois

NAESP Joins Learn From History Coalition

Resources include talking points on minimizing the backlash to Critical Race Theory

Extensive recent survey research confirms that a broad, bipartisan majority of Americans want students to learn a thorough, accurate, and fact-based account of American history, and that they trust teachers to teach the “hard parts” of history thoughtfully. Principals provide strong leadership in delivering the best possible instruction and support to students while keeping students and staff safe.

However, this tough task is made more difficult by the misinformation spreading in many communities about history and social studies curriculum and instruction. The primary falsehood spread is that schools are teaching critical race theory (CRT), an advanced academic concept taught in some law schools and colleges to explain persistent, stark racial inequities. The term CRT is intentionally being distorted and misused.

NAESP joined the Learn From History Coalition alongside a range of educational organizations to raise public awareness about the dangerous and inaccurate claims being made about school curricula, how they are taught, and the threat those claims pose to the rigor and integrity of our children’s education.

Resources

Access the Learn From History Coalition’s brief guide at bit.ly/2XI2vyT for effective, immediate steps you can take to minimize distraction and disruption while keeping the focus on your students and their needs. If you want to get involved with Learn From History or learn more, text TRUTH to 67076 or visit LearnFromHistory.org.