August 5, 2025

Has your ESA recently welcomed someone new into a leadership role? Let us know so we can update our records and ensure they’re connected to AESA’s professional community.

We’re especially looking to update contacts in the following areas:

• Business Office

• Operations

• Communications

• Human Resources
• Technology

• Special Education

• School Improvement

• Assistant Directors

• Superintendents/CEOs/Executive Directors

Also, remember that your ESA's membership extends to all staff and board members. If there are colleagues in your organization—new or existing—who would benefit from AESA’s programs, services, and communications, please encourage them to connect with us!

📩 Share leadership updates and have staff sign up here: Member Portal Account Form

Together, we can ensure everyone has access to the resources and connections they need.

Each week, we’re spotlighting what’s ahead as we gear up for the launch of our professional networks.

AESA is launching a new national network just for ESA staff who support teaching, learning, and school improvement. If your role includes consulting with schools, coaching educators, delivering professional learning, or leading district partnerships, this network is designed for you.

The Consultants Network offers relevant tools, practical strategies, and a supportive community of peers from across the country. Participants will explore emerging trends, real-world examples, and proven frameworks—all tailored to the unique work of ESA consultants.

2025-26 Virtual Meeting Dates (2:00-3:30 pm ET):

• September 11, 2025 (Kick-off)
• November 7, 2025

• February 12, 2026

• April 23, 2026

Register today and invite your colleagues to join you!

The July 2025 State Examiner reviews key legislation passed this year that affects educational service agencies and their partners. It also highlights emerging policy trends and what to watch as legislatures head into fall 2025 and prepare for the 2026 session.

Before the main conference kicks off, we’re offering a special Pre-Conference Session on September 17, 2025, from 1:00-4:00 pm. This session will focus specifically on state-level advocacy, providing you with essential tools and insights to advocate effectively within your state.

Pre-Conference Highlights:

Session 1: Executive Branch Education Priorities & Working with Governors
Explore how governors are shaping state education agendas and how ESAs can effectively engage with executive branch leaders to advance shared priorities.

Session 2: State Education Policy Trends & Working with State Education Agencies
Gain insights into emerging policy trends across the nation and learn how to partner with state education agencies to influence and implement effective policy.

Session 3: Advocacy Success Stories – A Panel Discussion
Join a lively panel of education leaders sharing firsthand stories of successful advocacy at the state and local level. Panelists represent a range of roles, including ESA leadership, lobbying, association management, and consulting.

Session 4: Advocacy in Action – Monitoring and Influencing State Policy
This session provides a toolkit for advocacy: learn how to monitor legislation, analyze policy implications, and craft strategic responses. Walk away with tangible tools to stay ahead of state policy changes and guide your agency’s advocacy efforts.

To Attend:
When registering for the conference, be sure to add the $100 Pre-Conference Session under the Additional Items section. 

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996—originally enacted to reform the nation’s welfare system—contains provisions that limit immigrants’ access to public benefits. The Trump administration recently announced it will invoke PRWORA to restrict immigrant families from receiving services it classifies as “similar to welfare,” including federally funded early childhood and career and technical education programs.

Another Call to Action!

The HHS notice is open for public comment by August 13 in most states, and by September 3 in states involved in the litigation. AESA has drafted a comment template to help members submit comments in opposition of this ruling. Find the resources here.

On July 31, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (LHHS) bill with bipartisan support. The bill provides small increases for Title I, IDEA and REAP and level funds the most other K12 programs. Find more information here.

On July 30, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) released funds to states that had previously been withheld under Titles I-C, II-A, III-A, and IV-A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as well as the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act. According to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), USED officials indicated that new “guardrails” will be implemented to ensure the funds are used in alignment with administration policies. However, the specifics of these additional guardrails remain unclear.

On July 29, the U.S. Department of Education sent a letter to all SEA leaders inviting them to utilize ESEA waiver processes to reduce statutory and regulatory burdens and be more innovative. The letter outlines the existing flexibilities for states to reduce compliance burdens, the steps necessary in developing waiver requests, and the Department of Education’s review process for waivers. 

This Brookings blog post by Nora Gordon examines the current proposals for block granting federal education funds and both the political and fiscal implications for schools and students.

In this piece, Linda Darling-Hammond and Michael J. Petrilli, who have very different political backgrounds, offer strategies to support teacher improvement and retention by investing in high-quality preparation, mentorship, and principal training to foster strong school cultures.

Find another recent piece on Texas’s use of higher pay to drive strategic retention.

In light of recent natural disasters including flash floods in Texas and Oklahoma, devastating wildfires in the West, and ongoing recovery from Midwest tornadoes, we encourage members to explore the latest newsletter from the National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement. It offers practical guidance for supporting grieving students, resources for families impacted by disasters, and strategies for navigating emotional challenges during back-to-school and seasonal events.