January 7, 2016
President Obama Signs the Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Into Law
On Dec. 10, President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 into law. This landmark legislation—which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the House and Senate—reauthorizes the long overdue Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind (ESEA/NCLB).This new law brings needed improvements to K-12 education in the United States, provides greater responsibility to states to meet the needs of all students and acknowledges the essential role of family engagement to student achievement.
In large part due to the efforts of PTA members across the country, the ESSA contains a Statewide Family Engagement Centers program that will provide states and districts with the capacity to support effective implementation and enhancement of family engagement policies and initiatives.
Read our official statement.
President Obama Signs 2016 Budget Bill
Last month, President Obama also signed into law a spending bill for fiscal year 2016 that would appropriate $1.067 trillion for the next ten months. The spending bill increases funding for the U.S. Department of Education by $1.2 billion dollars along with a $500 million increase to Title I, $415 million increase to the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) and a $570 million increase to the Head Start program.Unfortunately, the Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) grant program was not funded in the proposed spending bill. Although SFECs were included in the Every Student Succeeds Act—the new public law governing the federal role in K-12 education—the program will not go into effect until October 2016.
Recent Poll: Meeting with Members of Congress
A recent poll released by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF), showed that 75% of Legislative Aides and Legislative Directors on average have 1-2 meetings daily with constituents or lobbyists on policy-related matters when not in session and 44% of them have 3-4 meetings a day during session. Want to learn more about how to meet with your federal legislators and their staff? Sign up for a webinar co-hosted with the Congressional Management Foundation and get tips on interacting with Congressional offices.
Upcoming Webinars
Jan. 27, 8 p.m. EST
Feb. 17, 8 p.m. EST
Successful Hill Meetings and Navigating D.C.
Successful Hill Meetings and Navigating D.C.
Mar. 1, 8 p.m. EST
To view the full Advocacy 101 webinar series, visit PTA.org/LegCon.
Advocate of the Month
Last month, Massachusetts State PTA President Stephanie Gray and other members of Massachusetts PTA met with Representative Katherine Clark (D-MA) to discuss Massachusetts PTA’s positions and policy priorities. The discussion ranged from mental health, school vouchers, charter schools and the proposed budget. Learn more about Stephanie and her advocacy work in education and as a parent.
Voter Registration & Engagement Timeline for Your PTA With the 2016 Election cycle in full swing, how will you and your PTA help increase voter registration and engagement? Every year, National PTA and Nonprofit Vote work together to strengthen the democratic process across the country.
This timeline will help your PTA organize itself for its election related community engagement activities for the 2016 Election. Visit PTA.org/ElectionGuides for additional resources on permissible activities and tips on how to engage voters.
U.S. Department of Education Letter on Safe, Respectful, and Non-Discriminatory Learning Environments for All Students
The U.S. Department of Education recently released a Dear Colleague Letter outlining ways in which educational leaders can ensure that “schools and institutions of higher education are learning environments in which students are free from discrimination and harassment based on their race, religion or national origin.”
The Dear Colleague Letter is in response to international and national events resulting in communities facing a range of difficult issues, including how to provide protection and assistance to vulnerable student groups. Along with the letter, the U.S. Department of Education highlighted multiple resources to address bullying and harassment and various student groups.
View the full letter.
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