October 6, 2026

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The September AESA State Examiner looks at the trends ESAs should be watching as states prepare for the next legislative session. Plus, find a new Post-Election Transition Toolkit with practical resources to help your ESA connect with newly elected policymakers and prepare for what’s next.

There’s still time to bring your team to Business Strategy Framework 2.0: Managing Strategic Resources, October 26-27 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

And if it’s been a while since you’ve participated in BSF, this is a great time to come back.

Just like AI and the challenges facing ESAs are constantly evolving, Professor Duncan Simester continues to evolve the BSF content, too. He’s bringing new material, new examples, and new thinking to help ESA leaders tackle today’s questions around where to invest, how to navigate uncertainty, when to partner, and how to organize for what’s next.

It’s not too late to send a team. Learning together gives your team the opportunity to challenge each other’s thinking and return home ready to put the work into action.

The hotel reservation deadline has passed, but we can still help. To secure rooms for your team, please contact Jill Jackson, AESA Director of Meetings and Events, and she’ll work with you on lodging options.

P.S. New to the Business Strategy Framework?

BSF 1.0 will be offered December 4-5 in Orlando, immediately following the AESA Annual Conference & Expo. Learn more and register.

Join Tina Viletto, Esq., on October 13 at 2:00 pm ET to explore how an affiliated nonprofit can support funding, scholarships, professional learning, and special initiatives, including opportunities connected to the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit beginning in 2027.

The AESA Executive Assistant to the CEO Network brings together EAs from across the country to share ideas, learn from one another, and tackle the unique challenges of supporting ESA leadership.

Facilitated by Ann Fiene, AESA Chief of Staff, the network kicks off tomorrow, October 7, at 12:00 pm ET with Not So Scary New Employee Onboarding, a practical look at creating a welcoming, organized onboarding experience from the job posting through an employee’s first days and beyond.

There’s still time to join the network and be part of tomorrow’s conversation!

Gallia-Vinton Educational Service Center recently brought together new mentors from districts and career centers across the region to pilot Ohio’s new High-Impact Mentoring Academy.

The 12-hour training prepares mentors to support the growth and development of Resident Educators. GVESC was among those given the opportunity to pilot the new materials before they are rolled out statewide, with its trainers also providing feedback to help inform implementation. 

This is a great example of an ESA serving as the bridge between state initiatives and local implementation.

AESA is pleased to welcome State Charter Educational Service Agency of Herriman, Utah, as a new member! Led by Executive Director Duke Mossman, State Charter ESA joins a national network of educational service agencies committed to supporting schools, educators, and students.

Welcome to AESA! We’re glad you’re here.

On September 24, the White House sent Congress a rescission package that would cut $810 million of federal funding that was appropriated by Congress for Fiscal Year 2026 but has not yet spent. This action does not impact any of the education funding programs that we track: IDEA, Title I, Title II, Title III, Title IV-A or the Rural Education Achievement Program. Read more information.

The U.S. Department of Education has released new guidance implementing the federal grant payment requirements established under Executive Order 14222, commonly referred to as "Defend the Spend." The initiative requires all agencies to provide additional justification and review before federal grant funds can be drawn down by grantees, with the stated goal of increasing transparency and accountability in federal spending. Read more information.

AASA Academic in Residence Dr. Rachel S. White is co-author of a new EdWorking Paper through the Annenberg Institute, which challenges the long-held assumption that superintendents have little or no effect on student learning. Dr. White finds that districts with repeated superintendent changes trail stable districts in student achievement, that the accumulation of contentious superintendent departures carries roughly twice the achievement penalty of the accumulation of amicable departures, and that high-poverty districts bear the largest costs of superintendent departures. Read the report here.

When school budgets tighten, every dollar has to work harder. Teacher compensation is the largest line item in school budgets, with salaries and benefits making up roughly 80% of spending. It’s also one of the strongest tools states and districts have to shape who enters the profession, where teachers work, and whether they stay. Yet most states’ pay systems still run on autopilot, rewarding years of service and ineffective credentials while doing little to fill shortages or retain the strongest teachers. The National Council on Teacher Quality’s new report identifies three ways leaders can get more impact from the dollars they already spend: meaningful pay for hard-to-staff schools and subjects, additional compensation tied to effectiveness, and a shift away from automatic premiums for credentials that don’t improve student outcomes.