AESA has proudly offered our Business Strategy Framework (BSF) workshops for several years, empowering ESAs with tools for success. Now, we are excited to expand these opportunities with the ESA Innovators’ Circle and additional customized learning options, enabling members to continue their growth and development long after the workshops conclude. 

 

We recognize that each ESA faces unique challenges and opportunities, which is why our services are tailored to provide ongoing support and valuable resources for those who have participated in our programs. Choose from the following options: 

 

Customized Services for Continued Success 

• BSF 1.0 Project Team Coaching: Engage in four 1-hour virtual sessions to help your team effectively implement and execute key strategies. 

• Business Development Coaching: Receive expert guidance to uncover growth opportunities and ensure long-term sustainability for your ESA. 

• BSF 1.0 Workshop Review: Participate in two 90-minute virtual sessions to refine and realign your strategic plans, keeping your organization on course. 

• EPIC Workshop Review: Strengthen your current initiatives with two 90-minute virtual sessions focused on driving innovation and maximizing impact. 

These services are designed to support ESAs in achieving their objectives and building on the foundational strategies introduced in the workshops. 

 

The ESA Innovators’ Circle 

For even more comprehensive support, the ESA Innovators’ Circle offers direct access to expert consultants Doreen Marvin and Andy Pechacek, alongside exclusive resources such as podcast-style interviews, curated articles, annotated book excerpts, and virtual collaboration opportunities. This subscription service ensures members can refine their strategies, foster innovation, and maintain momentum throughout the year. 

 

Additionally, AESA provides flexibility to customize BSF 1.0 and EPIC workshops to address your ESA’s unique needs and priorities, delivering transformative sessions directly to your team. 

 

For more information or to schedule services, contact Sheila King, Chief Strategy Officer. 

 

Use this address for sending invoices, cards, regular mail, or other non-payment correspondence:

      Association of Educational Service Agencies,

      P.O. Box 404,

      Cheshire, CT 06410

It's not too late to join this week's 2025 Virtual Federal Advocacy Committee meeting! Ensure your state's needs are heard and represented as our members collaborate to shape the association's legislative priorities for the year.  

📅 Dates: January 22 & 23, 2025
🕒 Time: 1:00-4:00 PM (ET)
💻 Location: Virtual
💵 Cost: Free for AESA members

 

Let’s work together to advocate for the policies that matter most to ESAs and the communities we serve. 

2025 will usher in significant changes in Washington. However, as some of the oldest and most effective nonpartisan education organizations in the country, AESA and AASA have successfully navigated all combinations of political leadership. The incoming Republican trifecta is no exception. We stand ready to help both Congress and the Trump Administration know better, so they can do better, as it relates to policy and funding that strengthens public schools. Stay informed about the latest developments.

USED shared updated online non-regulatory guidance, Opportunities and Responsibilities for State and Local Report Card Requirements under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The document aims to ensure that parents, families, and education partners have as much information as possible on student outcomes, learning conditions, and other data that can support continued academic recovery.

In April 2024, the Department of Justice published a rule that sets technical requirements for state and local governments including public school districts to follow to make sure that their websites and mobile apps are accessible to people with disabilities. This week, they released a new resource guide which provides a checklist for what school districts and other impacted entities should consider doing to prepare for compliance with the new ADA standard. AESA recommends you take a look at this checklist and begin the process of thinking through compliance as soon as possible.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) released Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report for Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sleep Behaviors: 2013-2023. The report is part of CDC’s Healthy Schools Program to prevent chronic disease among children and adolescents. The latest report underscores the need for more work at all levels to ensure our nation’s youth have the opportunity for better health and well-being. We know that adolescents who engage in physical activity, healthier nutrition and better sleep do better academically and have better mental and physical health. USED published this memo to governors that includes an array of data about the educational status of English learners and recommendations about building multilingual programming in states and school districts. Read more  about this report.

Last week SETDA published The Universal Connectivity Imperative: Sustaining Progress to Close the Digital Access Divide in K-12 Education. The Universal Connectivity Imperative (UCI) provides a comprehensive analysis of the current digital access divide in K-12 education, as outlined in the U.S. Department of Education’s 2024 National Educational Technology Plan. It highlights the progress achieved, identifies emerging challenges, and offers a roadmap of evidence-based strategies and best practices for policymakers and educators to ensure equitable, universal digital access for all learners. Informed by federal, state, and local government leaders, researchers, nonprofit organizations, industry representatives, and K-12 students and teachers, the report emphasizes actionable insights to sustain and advance progress in digital connectivity.

In 2019, the Universal Benefits Consortium (UBC) was established at the request of ESC Region 12 in Waco, Texas, with a mission to design innovative medical plans that provide choice, competitive advantages, and significant cost savings. The results have been remarkable: lower premiums, reduced medical expenses for employees, and a scalable model that has been successfully implemented across the state.

 

UBC offers turnkey medical solutions and customizable options that empower service agencies and school districts to achieve sustainable cost savings while generating new revenue opportunities.

 

Join a live discussion which will be led by UBC Managing Director Mark Woolery and representatives from ESC Region 12.

 

📅 Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025
⏰ Time: 2:00 PM Eastern
📍 Location: Zoom

💲 Cost: Free

 

During the session, you will learn:

• How UBC’s framework is structured and the benefits it provides.
• Steps your agency can take to adopt this model.
• Strategies for reducing costs while increasing revenue.

Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage directly with experts as they share their experiences and insights.

 

Don’t miss this chance to be part of a dynamic, interactive conversation that can transform your approach to employee medical plans.