< Back to blog archive
Posted by Jerry Bender

Urge Your Members of Congress to Support ESEA Reauthorization

The National Association of Secondary School Principals, with collaboration from the National Association of Elementary School Principals, sent out the following statement in support of ESEA Reauthorization. Washington’s senior Senator, Patty Murray, has played a big part in the negotiation and drafting of the new language.

Congress is the closest it has been in seven years to reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), and we need your help to ensure that the law (also known as No Child Left Behind) is fixed this year.

The House and Senate both passed legislation this summer to reauthorize ESEA, and a bipartisan group of representatives and senators has already begun negotiations to resolve the major differences between the two bills.

Now is a critical time to make principals’ voices heard in Congressional offices. Please send an email to your senators and representatives to let them know what needs to be preserved in the final conference report for the ESEA reauthorization bill to meet its intended purpose of providing teachers and principals with the support they need to ensure every student receives a high quality education.

NASSP, in collaboration with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the American Federation of School Administrators, wrote a letter to the Hill detailing priorities for principals in ESEA reauthorization. Our priorities include better principal preparation and professional development programs, elimination of the one-size-fits-all accountability requirements in NCLB, comprehensive literacy programs for children birth through grade 12, digital learning initiatives, early childhood education alignment and professional development for preK–3 educators, and additional supports for students in middle level and high schools.

As a leader in your school and community, your voice is extremely powerful in this debate. Please take a moment to send an email to your senators and representatives and urge them to consider the voice of principals in the reauthorization of ESEA. While a sample letter has been provided for you, we strongly urge you to personalize the letter where possible.

Click here to send a message to your senator or representative.

Thank you for your leadership and advocacy in improving public school education for all children.