February 6, 2024

Coming Soon to Pennsylvania: Please sign up this week!

This spring there are three opportunities for your leaders to learn new strategies and truly - a new way of thinking about how to lead your agency to success!

PLUS! AESA members are graciously hosting these events at ESAs around the country to bring the opportunities closer to all members of AESA! Please check out our website for more information and we hope to see you soon, possibly in your area of the country!

Join us this Thursday for the

Small Staff Community of Practice Meeting!

Topic: Best Practices in Strengthening Relationships With Your Board

Date: February 8, 2024, 2 pm Eastern (1 pm Central; 12 noon Mountain; 11 am Pacific; 10 am Alaska) time

Presenter: Valentina (Tina) Viletto, JD

Presentation Description: Strengthening board dynamics is a shared responsibility, one that is built upon trust and communication between the executive director and each board member. This interactive session will focus on practical strategies to promote strong board relationships to ensure well-informed and proficient governance practices that enhance accountability, transparency, and student success. 

If you aren't a member of this community of practice but would like to attend this session, please contact AESA Program Assistant Beth Kabes to register at the rate of $25. 

BOCES and Districts Awarded Grants

The official website of New York State describes Governor Kathy Hochul's approval of $100 million for 50 school districts and BOCES to address pandemic learning loss and provide students with mental health services.

Funding Fate of Iowa AEAs Under Further Review by House Subcommittee
The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports that many opponents of Governor Kim Reynolds’ proposal to modify the states’ area education agencies (AEAs) asked the House subcommittee for more time to study the problems raised by some school districts and a consultant hired by the governor’s office. The members of the House subcommittee heard them, at least for now, but a Senate panel moved forward with the bill.

The Gazette also featured an article on this topic last week.

Michigan Governor Focused on Free 4k for All by 2026

As reported in this Fox 47 News coverage of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's State of the State address, her focus is on free 4K programming for all. Quoted in this newscast, Eaton RESA explains the benefits of early childhood education and the importance of funding.

"Amplifying your Impact:  Mastering Effective State Advocacy”
FREE to AESA Members
One-Hour State Advocacy Webinar
This 60-minute  presentation will delve into the art of effective state advocacy, emphasizing the pivotal role of state-level engagement with legislatures, state agencies, and rulemaking authorities.

March 7, 2024
11 a.m.- 12 Noon EST
Presented by: Craig Burford

Advocacy at the state level can yield substantial policy changes and is often a catalyst for broader national shifts. This session will equip attendees with essential strategies and insights to navigate the complexities of state-level advocacy, helping them make a meaningful impact on the issues they are passionate about. Whether they are an educator, administrator, advocate, lobbyist, or concerned citizen, they will leave with a toolkit to drive change at the state level and beyond. 

FCC’s Wind Down of Affordable Connectivity Could Widen Homework Gap 

This article from K-12 Dive analyzes the potential impact of the February wind down of an FCC program that helps low-income families receive discounted monthly home internet access. Namely, the authors show how the wind down could exacerbate the homework gap and constrain a low-income student's ability to complete homework outside of school unless Congress appropriates additional funds before the deadline.

FutureEd Report on High-Dosage Tutoring

FutureEd's latest report, published in partnership with the National Student Support Accelerator of Stanford University, shows how districts and charter management organizations are scaling and sustaining high-dosage tutoring, and suggests policy shifts that could help sustain this kind of tutoring beyond the end of ESSER. Download the report.

Last week, US Department of Education Secretary Cardona and First Lady Jill Biden held a town hall with school principals to elevate the importance of safe firearms storage and emphasize the role that educational leaders can play in helping prevent gun violence.

In conjunction with this event, the Administration released a new resource that superintendents and principals can use to communicate to parents and families about the importance of safe firearm storage, and encourage more people to take preventive action by safely storing firearms.

Nearly 20 percent of childhood deaths are caused by firearms, and many deaths can be prevented through safe storage of firearms. Through the release of a customizable template on the importance of safely storing weapons, educational leaders have a new resource at their fingertips that allows for clear communication with parents, caregivers, and community members about this important school safety issue that they can modify to address the specific context of their community. 

Guidance on the importance of proper firearm storage comes on the heels of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announcing approximately $50 million in new grants, for states to implement, enhance, and expand the use of school-based health services through Medicaid.

Save the Date!

Leading Through Change: AESA's Summer Leadership Conference

will be July 16-18 in New Haven, Connecticut. More details coming soon.

The Association of Educational Service Agencies offers the weekly AESA Online News just for members!