Federal Policy and Legislation
Proposed Bills Supported by AASPA
AASPA gives school personnel administrators the information and resources they need to become influential advocates for their schools, staff and students. Through our advocacy program we have established a presence in Washington, DC for AASPA, and are building our coalition relationships AASPA members will receive quarterly Legislative Briefs and have the opportunity to participate on our Legislative Committee.
Current policy and legislation related to school personnel administrators:
The EDUCATORS for America Act
The bill would address challenges with recruiting, preparing, and supporting education professionals. It focuses on early outreach and career exploration, clinical preparation, financial assistance, faculty development, and capacity building at the state and local levels.
The Respect, Advancement & Increasing Support for Educators (RAISE) Act
The Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators (RAISE) Act of 2022 would provide a refundable tax credit of up to $15,000 to help boost salaries of early childhood, elementary, and secondary educators to reduce the teacher wage gap and ensure a high-quality education for all students.
The Retaining Educators Takes Added Investment Now (RETAIN) ACT
Creates a fully refundable tax credit for teachers, paraprofessionals,
mental health providers, and school leaders in Title I schools, and educators, program providers, and
program directors in head start, early head start, and CCDBG funded ECE programs. The tax credit
increases as these professionals become more experienced to incentivize retention.
The Preparing and Retaining Education Professional (PREP) Act
To increase access to high-quality teacher and leader preparation and address the significant national teacher shortages, the PREP Act streamlines and focuses Title II and Title III of the Higher Education Act on evidence-based programs designed to develop a diverse workforce that is well-prepared to provide the educational opportunities students need to be successful in college and career
The IDEA Full Funding Act
This legislation would finally ensure Congress fulfills its commitment to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In 1975, Congress passed IDEA to ensure that every child with a disability has access to educational opportunity. This law was a historic step forward, but since its passage Congress has failed to provide the funding it promised.
The Teacher Diversity and Retention Act
This bill revises and consolidates certain grant programs intended to (1) recruit, train, and retain diverse candidates into the teaching profession; and (2) develop teacher preparation programs that embed certification in special education and training on social and emotional learning competencies and behavior management practices.