Federal Advocacy

School’s Out Washington works in close partnership with the Afterschool Alliance on federal advocacy needs and issues. We share their mission of working to ensure that all children have access to affordable, quality afterschool programs. Afterschool programs are critical to children and families today, yet the need for programs is far from being met.  Our e-newsletters announce breaking news coming from Washington DC and the Children's Action Network (CAN) encourages our constituents to take action when necessary at both the state and federal level.

Updated 11/25/2011

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Reauthorization and 21st CCLC (Text adapted from the Afterschool Alliance)

The Senate HELP Committee continued its markup of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). On October 20, 2011 the committee passed the bill, sponsored by Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Ranking Member Mike Enzi (R-WY), with all of the committee's Democrats and three Republicans--Sens. Enzi, Mark Kirk and Lamar Alexander--voting for the measure.
The commitee passed the bill with the following changes to the ESEA reauthorization bill:
  1. Language that prevents a federal preference or priority on which approach (afterschool, summer learning, expanded learning for some students, expanded learning for all students) will be used.
  2. A stronger requirement for partnerships with community based organizations, with only a narrow exception for rural communities for whom the requirement would be a significant hardship.
  3. Clarity of existing language to ensure that either the local education agencies or nonprofit partners can be the lead fiscal agent on 21st CCLC grants.
  4. New language to ensure that effective and innovative approaches to programs can be utilized by grantees.

Concerns remain over the language within the bill that allows 21st CCLC funds to be used for expensive, whole scale school redesign--an initiative that is also funded elsewhere in the bill through School Improvement Grants. More than one thousand parents and friends of afterschool programs contacted their Senators this week to express concern over the proposed changes and in support of the amendments that would strengthen afterschool programs in the ESEA reauthorization bill.

Next Steps: Sen. Harkin has stated that his desire is for the amended ESEA reauthorization bill to go to the Senate floor for further debate, amendments and a final vote before the end of the calendar year. The floor debate represents an additional opportunity to amend the bill and for afterschool advocates to voice their opinion on the bill.  

TO LEARN MORE:

Please visit the Afterschool Alliance's website about federal budget issues and to access their action center where you can contact your Congressional delegation and make the case for supporting funding of school and community based before-school, afterschool and summer learning programs.

School's Out Washington will continue to encourage our Washington delegates to make their voices heard on funding and policy actions that support afterschool and youth development programs.

Photo by vgm8383 from Flickr.