Over 140 state and national organizations have signed on to a letter to urge congressional appropriators to preserve federal funding that helps schools and districts improve teacher and principal quality. President Donald Trump’s budget outline proposed zeroing out the program, known as Title II, Part A.
In the letter, the groups ask lawmakers to keep funding the program at its current level of about $2.3 billion. They note that it also provides funding for professional development and class size reduction efforts.
“Title II-A is the support states need to address these challenges, enabling them to invest in evidence-based strategies such as the development of career ladders that include teacher leadership opportunities, strengthening instructional capacity for the workforce and innovative teacher and leader residency programs and in many cases, help school districts ensure that classrooms have teachers,” the letter said.
The President’s proposal to eliminate the funding “would leave states in a position of being unable to implement the [Every Student Succeeds Act] and unable to effectively meet the needs of the students and the communities they serve,” the groups write.