The Leading Edge: Policy & Advocacy Blog
The Leading Edge, AASA's policy & advocacy blog, provides up-to-date information about activities in Washington, D.C. and Capitol Hill that affect you and your school district.
Topics include new or proposed regulations and federal policies, federal funding updates and opportunities, advocacy resources and more.
Latest Posts
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September 08, 2025
Urges House Appropriations Committee to Reject FY26 ProposalAhead of September 9 hearing on the FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services proposal, sent a letter to the House Appropriations Committee urging members to reject the measure.
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September 05, 2025
USED Plans New Civil Rights Enforcement Disparate Impact RulesIn its Semi-Annual Regulatory Agenda updated this week, the U.S. Department of Education stated it would issue a number of rules aimed at walking back prior civil rights requirements and aligning program enforcement with the President’s priorities.
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September 04, 2025
Urges Senate to Pass Bipartisan FY26 ProposalToday, led a letter—joined by five other K-12 organizations—to the Senate urging them to swiftly pass the bipartisan FY26 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Services proposal that advanced through committee in late July.
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September 04, 2025
ED Opens Beta Testing for 2026-27 FAFSA FormThe U.S. Department of Education is beta testing the 2026–2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form before it goes live to the public by October 1.
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September 02, 2025
Opposes House LHHS Subcommittee FY26 ProposalOn Sunday the House LHHS subcommittee released its proposal for FY26, funding that would be available to schools for the 26-27 school year. released letter in response.
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September 02, 2025
Whitepaper on OBBB Impacts on K-12New whitepaper that outlines the key policy and funding impacts for public schools following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
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September 02, 2025
Constitution Day is September 17: Resources for Your District!Constitutiondayhub.org is a new resource offering educational institutions a one-stop shop for freely-accessible, high-quality, non-partisan, age-appropriate, Constitution-specific lessons.
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August 25, 2025
ED Issues New Guidance on Equitable ServicesThe U.S. Department of Education issued a “Dear Colleague” letter that outlines responsibilities of States and districts in providing services to students and teachers in private schools.
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August 21, 2025
GUEST POST: New UndauntedK12 Resources for Infrastructure InvestmentsThis guest post from UndauntedK12 showcases new resources to help schools make sense of the new federal budget reconciliation bill and implications for clean energy projects at schools.
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August 20, 2025
SchoolSafety.gov Launches 2025 Back-to-School CampaignSchoolSafety.gov has launched the 2025 Back-to-School Campaign.
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August 20, 2025
Files Comments in Response to USED Proposed Priorities and Definitions on Advancing Artificial Intelligence in Educationfiled comments in response to Secretary McMahon’s priorities and definitions on advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
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August 18, 2025
How the One Big Beautiful Bill Impacts Higher EducationThe One Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), signed into law on July 4, made significant changes to higher education that district leaders should be aware of.
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August 18, 2025
Federal Agencies Release Joint Workforce PlanThe U.S. Departments of Education, Labor (DOL), and Commerce released a joint plan last week for workforce development, titled “America’s Talent Strategy: Building the Workforce for the Golden Age.”
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July 31, 2025
Senate Committee Advances FY26 LHHS BillToday, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Fiscal Year 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies bill with bipartisan support.
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July 30, 2025
ED Releases Withheld Funds to Education GranteesToday, ED released the funds to states it had previously withheld under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act Titles I-C, II-A, III-A, and IV-A and the Adult Education Family Literacy Act. Here's what districts need to know.
Latest Advocacy & Policy Resources
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September 02, 2025
One Big Beautiful Bill Act & Its Impact on K-12 EducationType:Report Topics: Advocacy & Policy, Finance & BudgetsA whitepaper outlines the key policy and funding impacts for public schools following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. -
July 16, 2025
School Law Under the Microscope: Outcomes of the U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Affecting K-12 EducationType:Webinar Recording Topics: Advocacy & Policy, Legal MattersInsightful webinar exploring the latest and most significant U.S. Supreme Court cases affecting K-12 public education. -
April 10, 2025
“Low Trust” and “High Trust” Accountability in England and U.S.: Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?Type:Article Topics: Access & Opportunity, Advocacy & Policy, Curriculum & Assessment, Leadership DevelopmentThis article highlights international collaboration on trust-based accountability systems, drawing insights from high-performing U.K. schools to strengthen instructional culture and equity in education.
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