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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November 10, 2025
Congress Passes Deal to End ShutdownOn Wednesday, Congress passed a deal to reopen the government.
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November 07, 2025
UPDATE: FCC Votes to End Biden-Era Wi-Fi Hot Spot ExpansionMission Telecom, a Wi-Fi on school buses provider, has agreed to allow districts to pay the E-Rate discount cost for this service for the remainder of this program year, thereby avoiding the need to cancel the contract and/or terminate the service.
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October 30, 2025
Wide Array of AI Legislation IntroducedDespite the federal government remaining closed for more than a month now, multiple new bills related to AI and students have been introduced in the past several weeks. This blog post has the breakdown.
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October 29, 2025
Guest Post: Maintaining Strong Foundations for Head Start Programs During the Government ShutdownThe current federal shutdown may be causing disruption and heartache for Head Start partnerships with school systems, including those school systems that are grant recipients. This blog aims to clear up some possible misconceptions and highlight how school systems and Head Start can work together through the shutdown to ensure children and families are prioritized.
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October 29, 2025
UPDATE: Administration Announces Changes to H-1B Visa ProgramIn September, the Trump Administration announced changes to the H-1B visa program, which allows employers to temporarily hire foreign workers for specialty occupation positions. Many school districts use this program to fill critical vacancies, especially in rural areas where staff shortages are more acute.
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October 15, 2025
GUEST POST: AI Changes Everything: New Data Minimization Resource for Urgent ReviewThis blog post comes from Amelia Vance and Morgan Sexton at the Public Interest Privacy Center (PIPC supports AASA’s Student and Child Privacy Center) with a new resource.
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October 13, 2025
UPDATE: Administration Fires ED Staff Important for K-12 ProgramsOn October 10, ED laid off about 450 of its staff as part of a second Reduction in Force (RIF). Most notably for district leaders, the majority of staff in both the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of Special Education have been let go.
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October 03, 2025
ED Issues Guidance on Lobbying with Federal Education FundingThe Dear Colleague letter includes no changes in law, regulation or guidance. Given the new guidance, it would be prudent for grantees to take this opportunity to review their practices and ensure compliance.
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October 02, 2025
The Advocate October 2025: Government Shutdown and FY26 Funding OutlookAs the federal government is officially shut down for an unknown period, we thought now would be a good opportunity to provide an update on what’s happening (and more likely not happening) with federal funding for K-12 education for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.
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October 30, 2025
UPDATE: School Mental Health Grants ReopenedIt is our understanding the new grant competition will continue despite an October 27th ruling that requires the Department of Education to reinstate, for now, the original SBMH and MHSP grants that were discontinued in April.
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October 02, 2025
FCC Votes to End Biden-Era Wi-Fi Hot Spot ExpansionOn Tuesday, the FCC voted 2 to 1 on orders that would make both Wi-Fi on school buses and Wi-Fi hotspots ineligible for E-Rate support. Âܲ·AVÊÓÆµjoined other groups in a press release opposing the vote.
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September 24, 2025
Âܲ·AVÊÓÆµAnnounces Collaboration with League of Women Voters to Support Student VotersÂܲ·AVÊÓÆµis proud to announce a new partnership with the League of Women Voters (LWV) aimed at educating, equipping, and empowering student voters in 2025 and beyond.
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September 24, 2025
Âܲ·AVÊÓÆµJoins EdLiNC, SHLB Coalitions in Letter to FCC Opposing Hotspots/Bus WiFi ReversalAASA, proud co-chair of the EdLiNC coalition, representing the entirety of the beneficiary community for the E-Rate program, was proud to join a letter calling on the FCC to preserve critical E-Rate initiatives that keep students and families connected.
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September 23, 2025
A District Leader’s Guide to a Federal Government ShutdownAs Congress heads toward the funding deadline without a clear path forward, a government shutdown seems increasingly likely. Here’s what district leaders need to know about how they will (and will not) be impacted.
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September 16, 2025
Âܲ·AVÊÓÆµJoins EdLiNC to Submit Comments to Congressional USF Working GroupÂܲ·AVÊÓÆµwas proud to file in coordination with EdLiNC, the Education and Libraries Network Consortium, the premier advocacy coalition representing all beneficiaries of the E-Rate program.

Latest Advocacy & Policy Resources
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April 17, 2026
Flexibility Unlocked: Demystifying Schoolwide Fund ConsolidationType:Webinar Recording Topics: Advocacy & PolicyThis one-hour session broke down the statutory and regulatory framework for schoolwide fund consolidation, clarified what flexibility districts actually gain, and outlined practical steps to determine whether consolidation is right for your district. -
March 26, 2026
PEP Talk Episode 44: The ED Interagency AgreementsType:Podcast Topics: Advocacy & Policy, District & School Operations, Finance & BudgetsOn this episode of PEP Talk: Kat Sturdevant speaks with Tiffany Kessler, partner at The Bruman Group about the Interagency Agreements at ED; what programs are moving, what are the challenges and benefits, and what superintendents need to plan for. -
January 29, 2026
PEP Talk Episode 43: The State of Student Privacy & AIType:Podcast Topics: Advocacy & Policy, School Safety & Cybersecurity, Technology & AIOn this episode of PEP Talk: Kat Sturdevant catches up with Amelia Vance, founder and president of the Public Interest Privacy Center, to discuss recent developments on Capitol Hill related to student and child privacy bills and the role of AI in schools.
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