Michael Litke, Principal, Naubuc School

The following recap of January 2017 developments in Washington, D.C., was prepared by Michael Litke, CAS-NAESP Federal Relations Coordinator.

In Congress

• This week Members of the 115th Congress were sworn in after reconvening on Tuesday. In December, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution to fund the government through April 2017 at current spending levels.

• House and Senate continue to work on legislation to reauthorize the Perkins Career and Technical Education Act. The House education committee unanimously approved a bipartisan reauthorization bill (H.R. 5587) and the full House approved the bill in September.

• President-elect Trump has nominated Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, a well-known school choice advocate from Michigan. At a rally recently held in Michigan, the incoming secretary indicated her priorities will be 1) local control; 2) listening to parents; and 3) school choice. 

The Administration

• The U.S. Department of Education released the public final regulations under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), aimed at promoting equity by targeting widespread disparities in the treatment of students of color with disabilities.
•  The U.S. Department of Education has announced the final accountability rules for ESSA.

NAESP Updates

• To help principals directly engage in the ESSA discussions across states and districts, NAESP will be releasing a comprehensive set of materials in partnership with the American Institutes for Research (AIR) “Principals Action Plan for the Every Student Succeeds Act: Providing all Students with a Well-Rounded and Complete Education”. This policy and action guide will help principals engage in deeper advocacy around ESSA at the state and local level using research and a theory of action surrounding what is needed in schools to provide a well-rounded education for every student.
• NAESP’s National Leaders Conference will be held March 26-29, 2017 in Washington, DC. All state leaders are invited to attend!

Click here to download the full January 2017 policy and politics report.