February 13, 2024

Executive Searches Designed Especially for Educational Service Agencies (ESAs)

Selecting the right CEO for your agency is the board’s most important role. Finding a CEO who will achieve the vision and mission of your ESA and also serve the school districts in your region is an important decision that will impact school districts’ effectiveness and efficiency, and improve student achievement. The AESA Executive Search Service is designed to make hiring a CEO a positive learning experience. We offer a highly-customized service with maximum flexibility in the decision-making process. Contact John Bass, AESA COO, for more information.

From New York: BOCES Outlines Legislative Priorities 
Saratoga TODAY Newspaper reports that members of the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex Board of Cooperative Educational Services (WSWHE BOCES) met with lawmakers to discuss their legislative priorities to assure that all students are supported in the 2024-25 state budget.

From Iowa: Representative Collins Says AEA Bill will not Advance

In the Collins Connection, Iowa State Rep. Collins states that after a subcommittee meeting on the bill it was decided not to advance the bill to the full committee.

He states, "It has become clear that after taking feedback from Iowans, there is not the support in the House to move this bill forward in its current form. I share the Governor’s goal of improving special education outcomes in Iowa, and as I’ve learned more about this topic, it is clear some improvements can be made to our current system."

From Connecticut: Schools, Housing, Taxes Amongst the Major Themes for This Year's Short Legislative Session

In this article from the CT Insider, amidst many initiatives described in this article, one proposed bill concerning school resources is intended to “support the state's public schools.” That bill would both “reallocate funds to be used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades and maintenance by school districts,” and “increase funding to regional education service centers for the purpose of providing training to school districts regarding the use of artificial intelligence in schools.”

This week's Legislative Update addresses three topics as follows:

FY24 Appropriations Update
This update comes from the Committee For Education Funding. AESA is a proud member of the coalition and serves on the CEF Board.

IDEA Full Funding Coalition Sends FY24 Letter to Congress
As Congress moves forward with negotiations to finalize its FY24 appropriations package, the
chairs of the IDEA Full Funding Coalition sent a priority letter supporting protection and
prioritization of investment in IDEA. AESA is proud to co-chair the IDEA Full Funding Coalition through our partnership with AASA.

Guest Post from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN): Class of 2024 Faces FAFSA Hurdles; How Do We Help Them Leap Over?
There’s been a lot of commotion around the FAFSA this academic year, and it hasn’t quite
settled down yet. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an important form required
for receiving federal financial aid like the Pell Grant and federal direct loans. Although the
FAFSA normally opens on October 1, a delayed rollout due to a substantial overhaul pushed
that date until December 31.

Have You Heard?

AESA has so many great Professional Learning opportunities that we decided to dedicate a NEW twice-monthly newsletter just to share:

• What's upcoming
• What's new
• What our partners are offering, and
• What you might want to mark on your calendar!

Why? AESA's Professional Learning opportunities are customized to be relevant to ESA staff. We hope you will watch for it this week Thursday!

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