EdCal EdCal v48.25 4/2/18

Education California | The official newspaper of the Association of California School Administrators Volume 47 | Number 25 | April 2, 2018 NASS releases statement on federal budget NASS Executive Director Tom Armelino recently released a statement to his members regarding the recently signed omnibus bill for federal funding and the impact it will have on K-12 schools. Armelino noted that in July 2017, NASS welcomed Congress’ decision to use the Every Student Succeeds Act to restore greater judgment and control to district leaders, while also continuing federal law’s emphasis on encouraging high standards, robust accountability, and promoting trans- parency and community engagement. “Meeting this high bar will require sig- nificant resources, beginning with greater funding for ESSA’s foundational formu- la investments – Title 1 and 2 – while also supporting the law’s other programs, including the versatile Student Support and Academic Enrichment block grant,” Armelino wrote. In the federal funding legislation, Armelino singled out three aspects in par- ticular, the Stop School Violence Act, the Secure Rural Schools Program and the Rural Utility Service Broadband Pilot. On the Stop School Violence Act, he noted that funds may also be used to sup- port physical security upgrades for schools, like metal detectors, locks, lighting, and other deterrent measures. And he noted that Congress provided two years of sup- port for the lapsed Secure Rural Schools program, which offers formula payments to qualified forest counties. In addition, he noted that the Rural Utility Service Broadband Pilot authorizes a $600 million distance learning, telemedicine broadband program. The bill notes that the funding should be prioritized to areas currently lacking access to broadband service, and investments in broadband shall consider any technology that best serves the goals of broadband expansion. “We are strongly encouraged that the voice of members and our association have been heard with the passing of the 2018 federal budget. Yet, our work has only begun with cuts to education once again proposed in President Trump’s 2019 budget. Investment in our schools will continue to lead our NASS advocacy efforts in the com- ing year,” he wrote. More information can be found at https://goo.gl/A5PNww. Leadership magazine themes released ACSA President Lisa Gonzales, left, dialogues with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein during ACSA's lobbying trip to Washington, D.C. D.C. lobbying trip focuses on school safety, funding issues Ahead of the estimated 800,000 students, families and other support- ers who were attracted to Washington, D.C. for the March 24 March for Our Lives, an ACSA leadership delegation brought the school safety message to federal lawmakers. Eyes have been opened following the Feb. 14 campus shooting that took 17 lives at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The admitted shooter was a former stu- dent with apparently known behavior and disciplinary problems. It was the students of Stoneman Douglas who organized the March for Our Lives. Students who spoke at the protest, over and over again, said “enough is enough” and “never again.” The ACSA message, delivered March 18-21, was equally straight- forward: Our students have the right to attend schools and learn in a safe environment without fear of violence. Research consistently shows that learn- ing is enhanced when children feel safe and have their physical and emotional needs met in a healthy school environ- ment. Collectively, we must be aggres- sive in meeting the needs of these children, while moving toward a solu- tion to these issues that plague school safety in order to prevent future school violence. ACSA believes reinstatement of federal funding for competitive grants will thoroughly improve the discus- sion around school safety and school climate. The association’s top prior- ity is to ensure that students feel safe, physically and emotionally, in school. See DC TRIP, page 6 ACSA’s Leadership magazine is pub- lished five times a year and each issue has a particular theme. The new themes are now available online at www.acsa.org/publica- tions. The success of the magazine depends on authors such as our members who are willing to share their expertise. Priority is given to ACSA members, especially those who have not been published before. Email articles to [email protected]. Articles should be 1,200 to 2,500 words, including references and any other materi- al, and should include practical information written in an informal style. Please be sure to include address, phone number and job title with any submitted article. Do not use footnotes; please list references at the end of the article. For more information, con- tact Senior Director of Communications Naj Alikhan at (800) 608-2272. The 2018-19 themes and suggested article topics include: Sept./Oct. •  School Safety – Mental health aware- ness; Arming teachers; Student protest and educator involvement; Crisis communica- tions; School climate; Student voice; Active shooter training; Safe schools planning; Counseling; Parent awareness; Community outreach. Deadline: June 18. Nov./Dec. •  Authentic Engagement – Challenging students to think; motivating students to succeed – student participation; Students as classroom leaders; Peer/team interaction; See LEADERSHIP, page 6 Legislative Action. Don't forget to take part in the upcoming ACSA Legislative Action Day. The event runs April 15-16, and offers an invaluable opportunity for face-to-face meetings with your local legislators. As well as a hospitality tent on the Capitol grounds to offer rest and refreshment between meetings, ACSA will also host a recep- tion after the event. More information is available at www.acsa.org/legaction- day. STEM showcase. The National Science Foundation