Sequestration Update: NSBA Urges White House to Protect Federal K-12 funding
Congressional Actions on Sequestration
NSBA Seeks Sponsors for Legislation Supporting Local School Boards
Federal Relations Network (FRN) Conference – Hill Feedback Needed, Conference Evaluation, FRN Photos
Center for Public Education: Guide to International Assessments
Sequestration Update: NSBA Urges White House to Protect Federal K-12 Funding
NSBA Executive Director Thomas J. Gentzel participated in a meeting at the White House to discuss ways that the impending federal budget cuts could be halted for education and other domestic programs. The sequester, which is slated to impose across-the-board budget cuts amounting to about 5.1 percent to almost all federal programs, will begin March 1 unless Congress approves a new plan.
During the meeting, Gentzel noted the more than 700 resolutions opposing sequestration that local school boards have adopted and shared with their members of Congress, urging a bipartisan solution to avoid the across-the-board cuts, which would equate to an approximate loss of $3 billion to education programs this fiscal year. Gentzel also noted NSBA’s recent FRN Capitol Hill Lobby Day, in which more than 700 school board members and state association leaders met with their members of Congress and congressional staff to discuss the fiscal impact that sequestration would have on their districts. NSBA has learned from school board members that sequestration would result in larger class sizes, reductions in early education and after school programs, less professional development for teachers, as well as staff reductions that could affect student achievement among the neediest population of students who are already at-risk economically or have special learning needs.
“The long-term impact of cuts to education programs, particularly those for students with disabilities and students from low-income homes, would hurt the quality of education in many school districts,” said Gentzel. “NSBA is committed to working with the White House and members of Congress so that they understand the potential damage these cuts would inflict on our schools and on our nation’s economy.”
The White House meeting was convened by a number of senior officials including Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council; Jeff Zients, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget; and Alan Kruger, chair of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers.
Congressional Actions on Sequestration
This week, Senate Democratic leaders were developing legislation for a short-term sequester replacement bill to avert the total of $85 billion in across-the-board budget cuts for this fiscal year. Reportedly, the bill could be considered on the Senate floor the week of February 25, a few days before the sequester could start hitting budgets at federal agencies on March 1.
Meanwhile, bipartisan support for a “comprehensive” solution to the sequester was stated by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH). The two wrote a letter to Senate leaders Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling for a “balanced, bipartisan deficit reduction solution.” Their letter cites “states and local communities would lose billions in federal education funding for title I, special education State grants, and other programs.”
For more information and to access a sample board resolution and press release, as well as a sample opinion editorial, please visit www.nsba.org/stopsequestration. You can also utilize this webpage to provide information about the impact that sequestration would have on your district by completing the two-question survey. In addition, please view and share a brief video about sequestration that is available online at nsbac.org. NSBA will keep you apprised of these federal developments and others regarding sequestration and continues to lobby Congress to forge a bipartisan solution that protects federal education investments.
NSBA Seeks Sponsors for Legislation Supporting Local School Boards
More than 700 local school board members joined their colleagues on Capitol Hill in urging their members of Congress to support legislation drafted by NSBA, Local Educational Agency Governance, Flexibility and Efficiency Act of 2013. The legislation would recognize the vital role and responsibilities of local school board governance and local school district decision-making in designing, developing and delivering high quality educational services for our nation’s schoolchildren. The legislation also would ensure that the U.S. department of Education fulfills its role as a policy implementer rather than a policy-maker, and performs that role with proper recognition of local governance. NSBA lobbyists are conducting follow up visits with members of Congress, receiving favorable reactions to the draft bill. Local school board members are encouraged to contact their own members of Congress and urge them to sponsor this important legislation. A special Call-to-Action will be sent to FRN members next week.
Federal Relations Network (FRN) Conference – Hill Feedback Needed, Conference Evaluation, FRN Photos
Thank you for participating in the FRN conference last week. Your commitment to lobby on behalf of America’s schoolchildren is essential to NSBA’s success on Capitol Hill and we look forward to working with you throughout the year. More details regarding next steps and your advocacy efforts will be coming shortly. In the meantime, a few items require your immediate attention:
Capitol Hill Visits – Your Feedback Needed ASAP: NSBA needs to hear feedback from your Hill meetings so that our lobbyists can follow-up with the Congressional offices immediately. Please take a few minutes to complete this Congressional Visits survey online or fax the paper copy to 703.548.5613 as soon as possible.
FRN Conference Evaluation: Your feedback about the conference is essential to our future conference planning. Please complete the FRN conference survey by Friday, March 1. Save the date for the next FRN Conference, February 2-4, 2014.
FRN Photo: To view and purchase the FRN photos go here. You can purchase photos from the photographers directly – just follow the directions on their website, or if you would like NSBA to email you an electronic copy of a photo(s), please look at the website and send us the identification number from the photo to Mary McKee at mmckee@nsba.org.
Center for Public Education: Guide to International Assessments
Do other countries only test their best students making international comparisons unfair to the U.S.? Not so says Jim Hull senior policy analyst at NSBA’s Center for Public Education who has written on this subject in the CPE’s guide to international assessments. He found that while at one time it was true that other countries educated and assessed only their best students, over the past couple decades all developed countries have followed the U.S. lead and now educate and assess all students. Yet, there is a misconception that this is still the case which can have negative consequences on our students in the long-run says Hull. You can read more about this misconception of international assessments here.
Sincerely, Kathleen & NSBA’s Advocacy Team
Kathleen Branch, MEd, CAE
Director, National Advocacy Services
Office of Federal Advocacy & Public Policy
National School Boards Association
703.838.6735
www.nsba.org/advocacy
