Left to right: Michael Litke, Dr. Karissa Niehoff, Congressman Jim Himes, Regina Birdsell,
Roxanne Augelli and Victoria Reed

NAESP hosted its annual National Leaders Conference, March 13-15, bringing together nearly 200 principals and leaders from around the country to our nation’s capital to discuss education policy. Through innovative advocacy programming and visits with members of Congress, attendees had much to learn from—and share with—each other and our nation’s lawmakers.

The conference kicked off with an address from deputy assistant secretary for policy and strategic initiatives at the U.S. Department of Education, Ary Amerikaner, who provided an overview of what to expect now that ESSA has passed. She discussed some of the central provisions NAESP had pushed to include that would directly impact principals, such as the option for states to provide 3 percent of Title II funds specifically for principal support activities.

Later, a panel and Q&A session shifted to state and local perspectives on implementing ESSA. Jessah Walker of the Council of Chief State School Officers, Jared Billings of the National Governors Association, and Dr. S. Dallas Dance, Baltimore County Public Schools superintendent, all weighed in on how ESSA will impact principals, and crucially, how principals can impact ESSA implementation at state and local levels.

The CAS delegation met with Connecticut lawmakers on March 15th to discuss their unique and critical perspective on education. They visited all their congressional representatives on Capitol Hill, contributing to spirited discussions about the future of ESSA and what it means to them as school leaders.

ESSA remains to be implemented; and, principals are encouraged to be as involved as possible and communicate their concerns with lawmakers.