/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.The Leading Edge BlogStudent & Child PrivacyAdvocacy & PolicySchool Safety & CybersecurityImmigrationFinance & BudgetsTechnology & AIAmerican Rescue PlanE-RateDistrict & School OperationsSchool Staff ShortagesAccess & Opportunityurn:uuid:c89b0b17-3275-4ea5-9cff-709b68306148/resources/blog/updates-from-aasa-s-student-and-child-privacy-center-2025-resources-and-activities Student & Child PrivacyThe Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicySchool Safety & CybersecurityToday’s guest blog post comes from Amelia Vance, founder and president of Public Interest Privacy Consulting, LLC. In that role she also staffs the �ܲ�AV��ƵStudent & Child Privacy Center.Tue, 03 Jun 2025 19:09:20 Zurn:uuid:c74b5327-a3cd-437d-bda1-20e02b4358a9/resources/blog/used-budget-summary-proposes-drastic-cuts-to-k12 The Leading Edge BlogToday, the Trump Administration released additional budget materials to Congress for FY26. While not officially the full FY26 budget proposal, this information builds upon the “skinny budget” and provides specific funding requests for programs. Overall, the FY26 Budget Summary calls for a $12 billion cut in funding and presents Congress with a series of proposed trade-offs that reduce federal investment in K-12 education and ultimately harm schools and the students they serve.Sat, 31 May 2025 02:29:06 Zurn:uuid:062b74fd-5a0a-4792-9b38-c42f2d495315/resources/blog/how-else-will-the-big-beautiful-bill-impact-schools The Leading Edge BlogWhile AASA’s advocacy regarding the budget reconciliation package has been laser focused on cuts to Medicaid and the creation of a national school voucher program, we wanted to flag two other issues that could impact school financing and student health and wellness.Wed, 28 May 2025 23:20:18 Zurn:uuid:d7a827fe-6ff4-47e4-b133-58077aa689ea/resources/blog/state-department-pauses-appointments-for-j-visas The Leading Edge BlogImmigrationYesterday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a consular cable to U.S. embassies and consulates to temporarily halt F and J visa appointments, including those for international teachers. Wed, 28 May 2025 23:16:38 Zurn:uuid:2d6d6cf0-8e87-45ef-b4e6-92857acf8161/resources/blog/ed-publishes-new-discretionary-grant-priorities The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyThe U.S. Department of Education (ED) published a set of competitive grant priorities that the agency says it intends to apply to all discretionary grants moving forward.Fri, 23 May 2025 19:46:23 Zurn:uuid:ff82da70-f58a-434b-a034-091f71d40d0b/resources/blog/federal-judge-orders-ed-to-re-hire-workers-subject-to-rif The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyA federal judge issued a preliminary injunction on Thursday ordering the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to reinstate employees who were terminated under the March 11th reduction in force (RIF).Fri, 23 May 2025 19:44:53 Zurn:uuid:7a43b529-3c0b-497e-8c6b-52fd52326fe2/resources/blog/apply-for-u.s.-department-of-justice's-cops-school-violence-prevention-program-(svpp) The Leading Edge BlogSchool Safety & CybersecurityAdvocacy & Policy�ܲ�AV��Ƶis happy to share a news series of detailed training modules for district leaders and their teams on how to apply for the U.S. Department of Justice's COPS program.Thu, 22 May 2025 19:56:24 Zurn:uuid:614c2e22-a1c5-40fe-8d5b-8f912a497fc4/resources/blog/aasa-joins-140-organizations-in-letter-opposing-federal-preemption-of-state-ai-laws The Leading Edge BlogTechnology & AIAdvocacy & PolicyA provision buried in the House Republican reconciliation package would ban states from taking any regulatory or legislative action on artificial intelligence (AI) for ten years. �ܲ�AV��Ƶopposes this federal overreach.Mon, 19 May 2025 15:20:09 Zurn:uuid:e8cc7f20-f4c5-4437-8981-607220cba147/resources/blog/kosa-is-back-with-an-education-provision The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyTechnology & AISenators Blackburn and Blumenthal introduced an updated version of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA).Fri, 16 May 2025 18:43:53 Zurn:uuid:2957cf1c-f558-48f5-88e1-bbaaa047203e/resources/blog/gop-reconciliation-proposal-advances-in-house-vouchers-snap-and-medicaid-implications The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyFinance & BudgetsThis week, three separate House committees met to advance pieces of the Republican reconciliation proposal. This is what superintendents need to know.Thu, 15 May 2025 16:42:03 Zurn:uuid:6f6f2a9d-e004-44b5-87c8-f2bed20858bb/resources/blog/update-senate-votes-to-rollback-hotspots-in-e-rate E-RateThe Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyTechnology & AIOn Thursday, the Senate voted 50-38 on S.J.Res.7, a Continuing Resolution Act (CRA) that would roll back a recent update to the E-Rate program that allows E-Rate dollars to be used to provide hot spots to students and library patrons.Fri, 09 May 2025 20:16:19 Zurn:uuid:8d949492-15e0-443d-a575-e46909978af1/resources/blog/aasa-supports-letter-preserving-tax-exempt-municipal-bond-market The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyDistrict & School OperationsThis week, BASIC sent a letter to Congress supporting the preservation of tax-free municipal bonds. Fri, 09 May 2025 19:45:14 Zurn:uuid:eef26eb4-40d8-4ef4-bdfd-9530a601abc1/resources/blog/aasa-urges-congress-to-protect-k-12-education-funding-for-fy26 The Leading Edge BlogToday, �ܲ�AV��Ƶsent a letter to the members of the Appropriations Subcommittees on LHHS urging them to protect K-12 education funding and prioritize critical formula funding programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Fri, 09 May 2025 17:05:24 Zurn:uuid:6c05e9a2-2db7-4734-9e60-889d7abaa38e/resources/blog/small-rural-school-achievement-(srsa)-program-application-expected-may-14 The Leading Edge BlogFY25 SRSA application will be available on May 14. Wed, 07 May 2025 18:29:46 Zurn:uuid:6b229189-f11d-4f5a-8f7c-12f9f1ca94fe/resources/blog/aasa-submits-comments-in-support-of-pslf The Leading Edge BlogSchool Staff ShortagesThis week, �ܲ�AV��Ƶsubmitted comments to the Department of Education in support of PSLF as a key tool to recruit and retain teachers. Wed, 07 May 2025 18:27:46 Zurn:uuid:c0601b9f-53a0-4040-a2cc-b2b82722723b/resources/blog/aasa-opposes-bill-to-rescind-e-rate-hotspots The Leading Edge BlogE-RateAdvocacy & PolicyDistrict & School OperationsAccess & Opportunity�ܲ�AV��Ƶjoined five other national organizations in a joint letter to the Senate.Tue, 06 May 2025 14:53:29 Zurn:uuid:d6f7e42e-bd79-4235-81b6-ef02428ddb57/resources/blog/president-trump-releases-skinny-fy26-budget-proposal The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyFinance & BudgetsThe proposal is a topline document and proposes significant consolidations and outright cuts to education programs, which we’ve summarized in this blog post.Fri, 02 May 2025 16:58:30 Zurn:uuid:53ca367c-afb4-46f6-ba88-bff977acd28c/resources/blog/update-on-overtime-rule-court-challenges Advocacy & PolicyThe Leading Edge BlogFinance & BudgetsOn April 29, the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit stayed the litigation challenging the Biden-era overtime rule, Texas and Plano Chamber of Commerce v DOL, for 120 days.Fri, 02 May 2025 15:11:02 Zurn:uuid:b02c6bc7-88be-40d0-b8df-01712c96f902/resources/blog/ed-discontinues-mh-grant-awards-for-some-districts The Leading Edge BlogEarlier this week �ܲ�AV��Ƶbecame aware that some of our members received letters from the USED informing them that grants they were awarded to recruit and retain school mental health personnel and to build a pipelines of school based mental health personnel in their communities would be discontinued.Fri, 02 May 2025 12:47:05 Zurn:uuid:7d787900-919b-48e2-bab7-c29e205038cc/resources/blog/the-advocate-may-2025-a-call-to-action The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyThis week House Republicans will begin debate on their tax package that they are moving through a process known as “budget reconciliation.”Thu, 01 May 2025 18:22:36 Zurn:uuid:9299ea2c-b54d-436b-831e-e7176cc3fdb0/resources/blog/idea-full-funding-coalition-sends-fy26-letter-to-the-hill The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyAccess & OpportunityAhead of the FY26 appropriations cycle, the IDEA Full Funding Coalition sent this letter to the appropriations committees with our funding ask and priority.Thu, 24 Apr 2025 15:22:25 Zurn:uuid:34cd275e-35d0-454a-b353-c0f5281e3d04/resources/blog/more-education-eos-issued The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyYesterday, President Trump signed a series of executive orders impacting education. This blog post highlights three that have K12 funding and policy implications.Thu, 24 Apr 2025 13:41:50 Zurn:uuid:b0a9faa9-b22b-4eb5-bba3-a604cd52fdab/resources/blog/ferpa-update The Leading Edge BlogStudent & Child PrivacyAdvocacy & PolicyDistrict & School OperationsIn recent weeks, USED has leveraged the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as a policy tool to incentivize state compliance with other administration policy priorities.Wed, 23 Apr 2025 14:50:05 Zurn:uuid:e50dbe5a-5881-4267-b77e-bd8b24c9ecd4/resources/blog/esser-liquidation-update The Leading Edge BlogAmerican Rescue PlanAdvocacy & PolicyFinance & BudgetsOn 3/28/25, the Department informed SEAs that the Administration has canceled any prior approval for “late liquidation” of remaining funds from a variety of federal pandemic recovery funds.Tue, 15 Apr 2025 18:44:04 Zurn:uuid:5c184c0f-e419-4ac0-b02b-fca381446961/resources/blog/ed-issues-new-dei-directive-for-states The Leading Edge BlogAdvocacy & PolicyToday, the U.S. Department of Education issued a new directive requiring every state education agency (SEA) to certify within 10 days that they are complying with federal civil rights laws.Thu, 03 Apr 2025 22:40:17 Z