WHEREAS, the United States Department of Education (USDE) was established by Congress in 1979 to play a crucial role in ensuring that the federal government provides consistent and effective support for improving the nation's public education system, as well as expanding high quality early learning opportunities, and
WHEREAS, the USDE is responsible for administering numerous key PreK-12 and higher education programs that collectively provide support for all PreK-12 public school students, teachers, principals and other school leaders, and
WHEREAS, any effort to reorganize or reduce the USDE may affect the core functions and supplemental funding of the nation’s public education system and early learning, and
WHEREAS, reductions to staffing (including union members), and funding, or reorganizing of the USDE will jeopardize its operations and infrastructure that will result in delays in the distribution of funding, causing hardships for students and school communities at all levels, and
WHEREAS, states and local rural and urban school districts rely on historic and proven federal education programs and funding to support low-income students, provide services for students with disabilities, and professional development to uplift teacher quality and school leadership, and
WHEREAS, these federal programs, help ensure that all students, regardless of their background or individual needs, have their fundamental right to equal access to quality education protected, and
WHEREAS, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, are essential for preparing students for the workforce and equipping them with the skills needed for a competitive global economy, and digital citizenship, must also be preserved, and
WHEREAS, the Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A) provide the largest source of federal support for educator professional development, including a special reservation for principals and school leaders, thereby ensuring that all students receive a high quality education no matter their socio-economic status or geographic location, and
WHEREAS, reducing any or all of these federal programs would lead to a significant curtailment of essential services for students and educators across the country that would also cause a financial burden shift from the federal government to state and local governments, leading to either higher taxes or reduced programming or services, and
WHEREAS, collective bargaining is a fundamental right that enables workers to negotiate terms of employment, ensuring fair wages, benefits, working conditions, due process and protections of those agreements, and
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that AFSA will actively continue to urge Congress, the Administration, and local and state leaders to step in, step up and stand firm in their commitment to public education by ensuring that vital federal programmatic resources are fully preserved, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will continue to speak out publicly and inform its members of proposed changes to the USDE and federal policies concerning public education, and public employees, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that AFSA will stand in solidarity with, and consistently and constantly work with our labor partners and PreK-12 association allies to oppose any proposed changes to USDE and policies that it deems harmful to federal employees and school leaders, and take actions to protect the future of our children and the strength of our nation.