Welcome to the Issues and Advocacy Section!

Hot Topic: ESEA Reauthorization. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan spent a lot of time on Capitol Hill as he testified before three different congressional panels on the department’s Blueprint for Reauthorization of ESEA and the department’s spending request for FY2011; see summary report. RRCNA and members of the literacy working group are advocating for inclusion of the Literacy for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN Act) in the ESEA legislation.

Hot Topic: FY2011 Federal Appropriations. The administration is proposing a number of dramatic changes in K-12 education authorizing legislation as part of this budget request; see summary report. As part of the administration’s ESEA reauthorization proposal, the FY 2011 ED budget proposes to consolidate 38 K-12 programs into 11 new programs and to eliminate 6 programs. Congress is pushing back, with Rep. David Obey (D-WI), chair of the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee, expressing concern about why the administration isn’t focusing on core funding that goes out by formula and represents federal support that states can rely on. RRCNA and the literacy working group are asking for $500 million to fund a birth through Grade 12 comprehensive literacy initiative for the nation.

Hot Topic: i3 Funding. The USDE has issued its final priorities and the grant application for the $650 million Investing in Innovation Fund (i3); see summary report. Individual school districts or groups of districts can apply for the i3 grants, and nonprofits (including universities) can join with school districts or a consortium of schools to submit applications. A recording of RRCNA’s March 17 conference call on i3 is available.

Hot Topic: K-12 Common Core State Standards. The Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association released the K-12 Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies & Science, as well as for Mathematics. The deadline for further feedback on the draft standards is April 2.

Hot Topic: FY2010 Federal Appropriations Approved. In mid-December, appropriations bills for Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education for the fiscal year that began October 1 were passed by the Senate and House and signed by President Obama. Additional detail on funding totals for selected programs within the Department of Education and Department of Health and Human Services is presented in this table prepared by Washington Partners, LLC.

Hot Topic: The Literacy Education for All, Results for the Nation (LEARN) Act, a bill that proposes funding for comprehensive literacy programs in states across the country. The bill would replace three federal reading programs - Early Reading First, Reading First, and Striving Readers - and authorize $2.35 billion to fund state and local school-based literacy programs that span from birth to Grade 12. Get more information by reading the November 2009 Advocacy Newsletter.

In This Section: Learn more about RRCNA’s positions on important legislative issues.

Interested in Taking Action? Learn how to be an advocate and how to contact your congressional representatives. See It's Advocacy Time Again in 2010.

Our regular Advocacy Updates are at your fingertips in the Federal 411 section.