August 3, 2015
ESEA-NCLB Reauthorization Update
The U.S. House of Representatives passed the Student Success Act of 2015 (H.R.5) July 8. National PTA sent a letter to the House of Representatives that outlined the association’s position on certain provisions in the bill and potential amendments. The House considered a total of 14 amendments before final passage—adopting five, rejecting eight and withdrawing one.
The Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (S. 1177) was passed by the Senate on July 16. National PTA joined nine other education organizations to urge leadership in congress to move quickly to appoint conferees and start the next step in the process for reauthorization.
Our National PTA advocacy by our members and leaders contributed to three major legislative victories during the Senate floor debate of S.1177. All three amendments we advocated for were adopted into the final legislation. These amendments will improve family engagement provisions for states, local education agencies and early childhood learning programs.
New Parent Checklist Empowers Families
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The parent checklist includes questions and resources that parents and caregivers can use to help ensure their children are getting the education they deserve. The checklist also offers key questions, tips for educational success and resources for parents.
It was created in collaboration with U.S. Department of Education, America Achieves, National Council of La Raza and the United Negro College Fund. Read the Parent Checklist.
Senate Committee Passes JJDPA Bill
The Senate Judiciary Committee recently passed a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), which has protected the care and treatment of children and youth in the justice system for over 40 years.
The JJDPA was last reauthorized in 2002.
Read National PTA’s press release supporting the Senate Judiciary Committee’s passage of the JJDPA and our One Voice Blog for more information on the bill and the specific provisions that National PTA supports.
Webinar: Every Kid in a Park Initiative
The Every Kid in a Park initiative was announced in early 2015 by the Obama administration to give all 4th grade students and their families free admission to their federal lands and waters for a full year. Join us for a webinar to learn more about this exciting initiative. Speakers will introduce the various program developments and discuss how you can participate.
The webinar will be held three times this month:
To participate, use this conference call info: (888) 455-3079, Passcode: 8445870.
The webinar will be recorded and available after the final webinar session.
GLSEN Report Spotlights Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts
A recent report by Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) entitled “From Statehouse to Schoolhouse:
Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in the U.S. States and School Districts” shows that “there are still many school districts in the U.S. that have failed to institute policy protections, even in states which require them by law.”
Anti-Bullying Policy Efforts in the U.S. States and School Districts” shows that “there are still many school districts in the U.S. that have failed to institute policy protections, even in states which require them by law.” National PTA has supported the bipartisan Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2015, which would effectively mandate the implementation of anti-bullying policies in every school district along with other safe school climate policies in schools. This piece of legislation makes certain that students are better protected under the law.
New Cosponsors for the Family Engagement in Education Act
Representative Mark Takano (D-CA) was added as a cosponsor to the Family Engagement in Education Act.
Thank you for your continued efforts to add cosponsors to the bill. Please continue to ask your Members to cosponsor the Family Engagement in Education Act.
At The White House: School Discipline Conference
In June, Executive Director Nathan Monell participated in the Rethink Discipline Conference, which was a joint event between the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice.
The day-long conference at the White House sought to advance the national conversation to reduce the overuse of unnecessary out-of-school suspensions and expulsions and provide alternatives that keep students in school and engaged in learning.
Federal Appropriations Process at a Standstill
Congress is at a standstill in passing appropriation bills to keep the government running. The Senate and House of Representatives need to find a bipartisan, bicameral compromise to fund the government, or pass a continuing resolution (CR)—a measure that would keep funding the government at its current levels with no changes.
The Congress has until September 30—the last day of the federal fiscal year—to choose a CR or a bipartisan, bicameral compromise to avoid a government shutdown.
National PTA wants to keep the government running to fund the programs that support our children's education and well-being.
Parental Resources on Student Data and Learning
National PTA recently signed on to a letter expressing support for increased protections in student data privacy and the need for effective data usage in the SAFE KIDS Act. This bill is the Senate companion bill to the House bipartisan Student Digital Privacy and Parental Rights Act of 2015, which National PTA has also endorsed. To see the types of data that can come together to form a full picture of student learning, check out the video and infographic produced by Data Quality Campaign (DQC). National PTA has previously worked with DQC to create an Empowering Parents with Data Fact Sheet.
In addition to looking at data about a student’s performance, families need to understand where their child should be academically at each grade level.
Watch this collection of videos aimed at helping parents understand grade-level expectations in grades K-5. Produced by Great Kids, this free resource is available in English and Spanish.Advocates of the Month
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National PTA recognizes Colorado Federal Legislative Chair Mike Sullivan and Colorado PTA as Advocates of the Month. Mike, along with other members of Colorado PTA such as former Colorado PTA board member and state Senator Evie Hudak (D-19), and Colorado PTA President Cindy Daisley, were instrumental in getting Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) to sponsor the Statewide Family Engagement Centers amendment.
They began the advocacy process months ago at National PTA’s Legislative Conference in March when they met with the Senator and members of his staff and convinced Senator Bennet on the need for stronger family engagement provisions in ESEA-NCLB.
Mike and Colorado PTA persistently and effectively advocated for improved family engagement language in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015. Because of their efforts along with many other PTA advocates around the country, the amendment was passed by a voice vote on the Senate floor.
National PTA would like to thank and congratulate Mike and the PTA members and advocates who made this legislative victory possible.
(Photo Caption) Pictured left to right: Former Colorado PTA board member and state Senator Evie Hudak, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO), Colorado PTA Federal Legislative Chair Mike Sullivan, and Colorado PTA President Cindy Daisley.
Advocacy Toolkit Spotlight:
Colorado PTA was effective in advocating for family engagement provisions in the Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 through their Twitter and Facebook accounts. This can be an effective tool to engage PTA advocates and get the attention of policymakers through highly visible and timely posts.
Social Media Tip: To effectively use and leverage social media, think critically about how you can make your content short, compelling and relevant.
Experiment with different types of posts, sometimes sharing links to videos or blogs and using images and video to get a better idea of what resonates with your audience. It’s all about creating engagement and conversation.
You want to get people’s attention around a certain issue. Make sure your message is clear when they tune in. For more info on how to use social media, visit National PTA's social media guide.
Got ideas? Email us at GovtAffairs@pta.org and share your feedback and suggestions on topics we should address.
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