Make Sure Your Voice is Heard at the Federal Level

By Dr. Pam Deering, CCOSA/OASA Executive Director and Andrea Kunkel, CCOSA General Counsel/ODSS Executive Director

The federal legislative level feels like a world away. It seems like there are few opportunities to make a real impact on school-related issues. However, with the help of our national education associations, they help us connect our state to the federal level with informative advocacy meetings and visits with our Congressional delegation on Capitol Hill.

In July, the Council for Exceptional Children and the Council for Administrators of Special Education, our national Special Services Directors’ association, hosted their annual advocacy summit with great topics on appropriations, educator shortages, and school mental health that will help our Oklahoma leaders be better prepared for new laws, policies, and regulations around special education issues. Our group, led by Andrea Kunkel, ODSS Executive Director and CCOSA General Counsel, and the ODSS 2023 Officers – President Rachelle English, President-Elect Kim Elkington-Baxter, Past President Teresa Golden, and Legislative and Policy Liaison Amy Swartz attended the summit and met with our Oklahoma Congressional representatives or their legislative staff members.

OASA Officers, Dr. Melonie Hau, Newcastle Superintendent and AASA Governing Board Member, Kyle Reynolds, OASA Immediate Past President and CEC Chair, and I met with other AASA members for the annual Legislative Advocacy Conference, held in mid-July in Washington, D.C.

Pictured left to right: Dr. Melonie Hau, Dr. Pam Deering, AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech, Kyle Reynolds

Pictured left to right: Amy Swartz, Jasmine Justus-McDowell, Rachelle English, Kim Elkington-Baxter, Teresa Golden

Their message to our Oklahoma legislative leaders included:

■ Behavioral and mental health interventions provided by well-trained mental health professionals are critical to addressing the impact of children’s traumatic experiences and increased violent incidents in schools.

■ The shortage of special educators and related service personnel available to public schools both nationally and in Oklahoma is at a breaking point.

■ Federal participation is essential to support state and local efforts to create a sustainable system to attract, prepare, and retain personnel in all areas.

■ Congress must put the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act on the first step of a 10-year path to full funding in FY 2023 to enable districts to better support students with disabilities and hire more fully prepared special education personnel.

Topics included:

■ A Time of Crisis for Public Education

■ Education Investment in the Context of ESSER

■ Defining Poverty in Education

■ FY 23 Federal Funding

■ AASA/ASBO Advocacy Update

■ Federal Officials’ Update

■ The Latest from the Supreme Court, OCR, DOJ, the Biden Administration and the State

■ ESSER Updates

■ Attitudes toward Education and the 2022 Election Preview

Our visit to Capitol Hill focused on many of the topics that we are concerned about in our state. Take look at the talking points that we used for our Hill visits.

The topics included:

■ Federal Funding: Budget & Appropriations

■ IDEA Full Funding: Cut and paste this link for the IDEA Invoice Template, Oklahoma is under Template #4, to calculate and share the IDEA shortfall for your state, district and/or classroom: https://aasa.org/2022- idea-full-funding-invoices.aspx

■ ARP: Defending The Investment in Public Education

■ School Connectivity & Educational Technology

■ Child Nutrition

Dr. Hau and Mr. Reynolds responded to questions from the congressional office representatives regarding their use of the ESSER money, state response to their claims for reimbursement, GEER money and use by the Governor’s office, and what they see are needs for Oklahoma students.

In addition to the AASA packet prepared for the attendees, we also prepared an Oklahoma packet that describes CCOSA and our services to members and our association goals. It is a great introduction to who we serve and what we do. This year, we included information regarding the use of federal funds in Oklahoma. Kathy Dunn prepared the information as follows for the packets. Many thanks to the Oklahoma schools that have done a great job in serving students and keeping students safe during the pandemic and beyond.

Impactful Use of Federal Funds in Oklahoma Schools

Many Oklahoma Schools have adopted a philosophy taught in Jason Jedamski’s training for teachers, “Engagement is the first intervention!” Coming out of the pandemic educators are finding that it is difficult to re-engage some students, so the planning for interventions must start with this question, “How can we re-ignite a passion for learning?” These programs are examples of evidence-based interventions that also have a spark for engagement!

After-School Programs

■ Many Oklahoma districts implemented high-dosage tutoring programs using evidence-based practices and intervention materials.

■ The Oklahoma State Department of Education established a statewide Math Tutoring Corp to serve Grade 7-9 students. 500 educators across the state received specialized training to become the Math Tutoring Corp.

Gardening Club is a favorite in many after-school programs including Cleveland where students learned skills from the science of growing food to the art of preparing and serving food.

Colcord Schools developed after-school programs that would entice students to stay for special-interest clubs. One of their most successful was the Small Engine Repair Club, a group of students, mostly boys, who built and drove their own go-cart as a culminating activity.

Cleveland Schools started a Photo-Journalists Club where students studied photography, writing for different purposes, and publishing. The students produced school newsletters and other promotional pieces.

Better Schools

■ With ESSER funds braided with donated community funds, schools have turned what started as “COVID Clinics” into full-service medical clinics on-campus to serve students and their families. Washington Schools started a clinic for COVID testing and contact tracing in the fall of 2021 staffed by one nurse. They will open the doors of a full-service medical clinic on their campus this fall of 2022 with a Physician’s Assistant, a nurse, and an athletic wellness coordinator. The Warrior Wellness Clinic will serve students, staff, and families.

■ HVAC systems that are old and inefficient are being replaced with new energy-efficient systems that reduce the possibility of mold from leaking units and also filter the air much better than older HVAC units. The energy savings is also a benefit of new HVAC systems.

■ New school buses were purchased to reduce the number of children on one route bus. As COVID numbers decrease, the older buses are taken out of the fleet and replaced with the newer, natural gas fueled buses that have a number of new safety features.

Social, Emotional, and Mental Well-Being

■ Counselor Corp Grants from the State Department of Education’s ESSER set-aside allowed schools to hire additional counselors or other mental health professionals to assist with the social, emotional, and mental well-being of staff and students who may have experienced loss of a family member or friend, and all who experienced lost social experiences when schools were closed for short and extended periods of time.

■ The Counselor Corp Grant also allowed schools to contract with mental health professionals when certified school counselors could not be found to fill positions.

Technology

■ Most Oklahoma districts used ESSER and Emergency Connectivity Funds (ECF) to purchase enough devices for the students/ technology ratio to become 1:1.

■ Server upgrades have allowed schools to utilize better systems for tracking attendance and online instruction.

School Cleanliness and Sanitation

■ Bathrooms and hallways have been remodeled to include touchless fixtures and hydration stations for filling water bottles rather than community drinking fountains.

■ Carpet has been replaced by tile for better daily sanitation.

Teaching and Learning

■ Aerospace and aviation programs have been implemented across the state in conjunction with tribal partnerships and ESSER funds.

■ Computer Science courses will be required in every district starting fall of 2022.

■ Concurrent and dual enrollment funding has increased the ability of every students to take advantage of college courses while still under the watchful eye of their public school.

Professional Development

■ Teachers and administrators are using federal funds to seek much needed training in:

■ Distance learning

■ Teaching with technology

■ Teaching in aerospace and aviation programs

■ School culture and climate

■ Parent and family engagement

■ Community Schools

■ Social-emotional learning

■ Engaging the brain for evidencebased instruction and learning

■ Seeing the future with our students in it and teaching to those students

THE CHALLENGE

As ESSER funds become depleted, how can schools continue to offer the programs and sustain the momentum for Oklahoma students? The conversation has already started about how to walk-back as the funding is depleted. In Oklahoma the legislature chose a flat budget for education in spite of wonderful increases in revenue, and with no regard for the devastation of inflation and ESSER funds depleted.

In closing, we appreciate your membership and support for each association. Representing CCOSA at these federal level meetings, gives us the opportunity to share your stories about your district and how you are taking care of students academically and emotionally. They take lots of notes and ask lots of questions. They depend on us to reach out to their state offices as well to keep them informed. Thank you for all that you are doing for our Oklahoma kids! ■