AFSA members stormed Capitol Hill last week as part of the first joint Hill Day, in conjunction with the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Approximately 100 school leaders from across the nation traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with their members of Congress and lobby for critical issues that affect school administrators and public education, including:

1)     Federal Education Funding—Urged Congress to fund Title II, Part A at no less than the House-passed level of $2.5 billion: provides funding to increase student achievement by improving teacher and principal quality, allows districts to invest in principal residencies and job-embedded professional development and learning, and mentorship opportunities for aspiring principals.

2)      School Safety and Climate—Urged support for several bills aimed at improving access to school-based mental-health services, including the Mental Health Services for Students Act (S. 1122/H.R. 1109), the Safe Schools Improvement Act (S. 2548/H.R. 2653) and the Trauma-Informed Schools Act (H.R. 4146).

3)     Higher Education Act—Urged Congress to reauthorize HEA to improve recruitment of school leaders, to incentivize educators to work in the nation’s highest-need school districts, and to introduce measures aimed at reducing principal and teacher turnover.

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