June 30, 2026

The Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to review its E-Rate program, which may risk undercutting the agency's mission to equip children with the technological tools they need in the modern age. 

AESA is proud to collaborate with AASA,  ASBO and NREA as part of our advocacy to support and protect the E-Rate program. Last month,  the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). FCC Chairman Brendan Carr frames his proposal as a review of the program when, in reality, explores sweeping changes that would fundamentally reshape—or even dismantle—this critical source of connectivity for the nation’s schools and libraries. As written in a previous AESA update:

"The NPRM includes a handful of far-reaching, high-stakes proposals including: sunsetting of the program; restricting funding to rural schools, excluding PreK/Head Start, and penalizing or removing funding for CIPA compliance issues. The proposal includes questions on whether to requirements like screen time limits, expanded filtering (including social media bans), and mandatory digital literacy courses. The NPRM also explores a potential effort to redistribute funding in ways that could divide the education community, particularly by shifting resources away from non-rural districts. While expanding support for rural schools is an important goal, it should not come at the expense of other communities that also depend on E-Rate to meet basic connectivity needs. These proposals reflect a notable shift away from the FCC’s traditional focus on connectivity and into areas of education policy and practice that have long been governed at the state and local level."

NEXT STEPS

We were able to extend the comment and reply period for the NPRM. That means your advocacy now is more important than ever in helping the FCC and Congress understand how short-sighted and damaging these changes will be for schools. Here’s what you can do: 

• Save Our E-Rate: Our collaborating partners, AASA, co-chairs the Education and Libraries Network Coalition (EdLiNC) who, along with the Schools Health Library Broadband (SHLB) coalition, is leading the effort to protect E-Rate. Take a moment before the end of July to submit a letter to your full Congressional delegation highlighting the proposed changes, our opposition, and why E-Rate matters to your district. 
• File Comments with the FCC: In August, we will be launching a large scale call to action with step-by-step instructions for how to weigh-in directly with the FCC.

We'll continue to keep you updated on any further developments.  

We've been experimenting with a new way to stay connected: an audio version of the AESA Online News.

Whether you're commuting, walking the dog, or simply prefer listening over reading, the audio newsletter offers another way to catch up on the latest news and updates from AESA.

If you've had a chance to listen, we'd love to hear from you. Was it helpful? Is this a format you'd use regularly? Your feedback will help us decide how we continue to deliver AESA news and resources.

Take a listen, and let us know what you think and if we should continue!

June 30 Edition 

June 23 Edition

June 9 Edition

Today is the deadline to submit nominations for the 2026 AESA National Awards.

Help recognize the outstanding leaders, innovators, and changemakers whose work is strengthening educational service agencies and making a lasting impact across the country.

Award Categories

• Congressional Service Award

• Excellence in Executive Leadership Award

• Exemplary Service and Innovation for Technological Advancement Award

• Outstanding Achievement in ESA Writing and Research Award

• Outstanding Individual Achievement Award

• Women of Inspiration in Leadership Award

Please submit all nomination materials as a single PDF via email to Ann Fiene, AESA Chief of Staff.

Need a little more time?

If you anticipate missing today's deadline, please contact Ann Fiene today to make arrangements.

On June 25, AESA's inaugural Global Coordinator cohort reached an exciting milestone, presenting their capstone portfolio projects to the AESA Global Advisory Council and successfully completing the eight-month professional learning program. 

Throughout the program, participants developed customized implementation plans designed to bring global opportunities to their ESAs and communities. Their final presentations showcased the knowledge, partnerships, and strategies they will use to expand global engagement and prepare students and educators for an increasingly interconnected world.

2025–2026 AESA Global Coordinator Training Cohort:

• Stuart Brown, West 40 ISC #2 (IL)
• William Grimm, ACES (CT)
• Darcy Josephson, Lakes Country Service Cooperative/SWWC Service Cooperative (MN)
• Anne Williamson, Central Regional Education Association (ND)

Congratulations to each participant on this outstanding achievement. We look forward to seeing the impact of your leadership in the months and years ahead.

Interested in joining the next AESA Global Coordinator Training cohort?
Applications are due August 1, 2026. Learn more on the AESA Global webpage or contact AESA Chief Global Officer Jason Hiruo to explore whether the program is right for your ESA.

As districts navigate evolving technology expectations, ESAs play a critical role in providing guidance, professional learning, and implementation support. CITES has released several new resources that can help your agency support local districts.

Ready-to-Use Professional Learning Resources

Support your technology teams with a collection of short videos and companion facilitation guides covering key areas of the CITES Framework, including leadership, infrastructure, teaching, learning, assessment, and MTSS implementation. These ready-to-use resources are designed to spark discussion and support action planning. Explore the videos and guides.

Preparing for ADA Title II
New Title II accessibility requirements are changing expectations for digital learning. CITES offers practical guidance and implementation considerations to help districts create accessible digital environments that support all learners while meeting federal requirements. Learn more about Title II.

New Standards Alignment Guide
See how the CITES Framework aligns with leading national education technology standards, including the National Educational Technology Plan, ISTE Standards for Education Leaders, and the National Standards for Quality Online Learning. The new crosswalk highlights how the framework supports equitable access, participation, and student success. View the alignment guide.

As AI reshapes work, communication, and decision-making, AI literacy is no longer optional – it’s foundational. The AILit Framework is now available, offering a shared, global approach to AI literacy. It organizes AI literacy into four domains – engage, create with, manage, and shape AI – that define the competences students need to thrive in a world influenced by AI. These competences are grounded in the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to AI literacy.

The AILit Framework is a joint initiative of the European Commission and the OECD, developed with support from CodeAI (formerly Code.org) and leading international experts. It contributes to the Innovative Domain of the PISA 2029 Assessment and advances the European Union’s goals for high-quality, inclusive digital education. Building on a draft released in May 2025, the framework has been refined through international consultation to better meet the needs of education stakeholders worldwide. 

Today is the last day to complete Project Unicorn's School System Data Survey. Your participation helps strengthen K–12 data systems nationwide and informs the annual State of the Sector Report.

As schools prepare for the 2026-2027 academic year, district leaders face a rapidly evolving compliance environment. Recent developments involving the U.S. Department of Education, changes in federal enforcement priorities, and ongoing questions about the future of civil rights oversight have created uncertainty. ICS's annual Back-to-School Webinar has helped K-12 leaders and compliance professionals move beyond the headlines and focus on what matters most: the practical steps districts can take to strengthen compliance efforts before students return to campus. Join ICS on August 4 at 11:00 am ET. Register here!

Last week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) approved a waiver for Indiana under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Indiana joins two other States who have been approved for similar waivers, Louisiana and Iowa, but Indiana’s waiver includes the broadest flexibility that ED has approved so far. Read takeaways about this waiver.

AASA's report with ASBO, Rising Premiums, Falling Opportunities: The Budgetary Impact of Health Care Costs on School Districts, which is the first national study of its kind examining how rising healthcare costs are affecting public school district budgets, staffing and operational decisions, and educational opportunities for students. The report contains meaningful data and powerful anecdotes.

This article from EducationWeek dives into how public schools can utilize the federal tax credit launching next year.