STATEMENTS

Since the end of February, our chief in residence and executive staff have been providing intensive supports, working with chiefs around the clock to help them develop coronavirus response plans. We are advising our members across the nation and connecting their operations and communications teams to facilitate the sharing of information, protocols, and strategies. Our team is also actively monitoring legislative developments and directives and recommendations from federal and state agencies.

Since the end of February, our chief in residence and executive staff have been providing intensive supports, working with chiefs around the clock to help them develop coronavirus response plans. We are advising our members across the nation and connecting their operations and communications teams to facilitate the sharing of information, protocols, and strategies. Our team is also actively monitoring legislative developments and directives and recommendations from federal and state agencies.

The funding for K-12 education included in the HEROES Act proposed today is urgently needed. Educators across the country are working tirelessly to respond to the pressing challenges of COVID-19 and plan for when schools reopen.

As district and state education leaders from across the United States, we are on the front lines of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, working to protect our school communities, meet students’ basic needs, disseminate critical health information, and provide academic instruction all while responding to breaking developments in real time. Through our bipartisan network, Chiefs for Change, we implore you: Make K-12 schools a centerpiece of the federal trillion-dollar economic stimulus package.

As district and state education leaders from across the United States, we are on the front lines of the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, working to protect our school communities, meet students’ basic needs, disseminate critical health information, and provide academic instruction all while responding to breaking developments in real time. Through our bipartisan network, Chiefs for Change, we implore you: Make K-12 schools a centerpiece of the federal trillion-dollar economic stimulus package.

Since the end of February, our chief in residence and executive staff have been providing intensive supports, working with chiefs around the clock to help them develop coronavirus response plans. We are advising our members across the nation and connecting their operations and communications teams to facilitate the sharing of information, protocols, and strategies. Our team is also actively monitoring legislative developments and directives and recommendations from federal and state agencies.

As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, we support a bipartisan network of state and district leaders who oversee education systems that collectively serve more than 7 million students. Systems led by our members need immediate support to meet the pressing needs of their students during this pandemic. One hundred percent of your donation will go directly to these systems, with no overhead or administrative fees.

Young people are concerned about taking on college student loan debt and want to know if a degree will lead to a meaningful career that pays enough to support a family. These improvements to the College Scorecard serve as an important step in giving students the information they need to make decisions about what to do after high school. We are pleased that the U.S. Department of Education continues to build upon the scorecard so students can see how various colleges, universities, and — as of today — individual degree programs compare to one another. With information about average debt and earnings, students will have a better sense of the potential return on their investment in higher education. We commend the department and hope that it will continue to enhance the scorecard over time by incorporating long-term data on these and other key outcomes. Students need to have a full picture of their options in order to plan their futures.

Now is the time for Congress to come together and approve comprehensive reform that would make a difference in the lives of countless young people all across America.

Today we are calling on policymakers across the nation to end the destructive debates over public charter schools. Proposed caps and moratoriums allow policymakers to abdicate their responsibility to thoughtfully regulate new and innovative public school options: like banning cars rather than mandating seatbelts. They are a false solution to a solvable problem. 

The members of Chiefs for Change — state education chiefs and district superintendents who serve more than 7 million students — have long admired Bob Runcie’s leadership as well as his commitment to provide an excellent education for every child. In a time of great tragedy, Superintendent Runcie’s commitment has remained strong. So has our admiration for his work. We are proud to join all those in Broward County who stand with him. Superintendent Runcie has our utmost respect and unwavering support.

Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of diverse state and district education chiefs, today released a statement outlining a new blueprint for postsecondary success. Recognizing a responsibility to their students that goes beyond high school, the chiefs’ statement advocates for federal and state requirements to track postsecondary outcomes for individual schools, school districts, colleges, and universities; improved college ranking systems; career and technical education programming tied to high-growth, high-demand fields; and a sustained focus on degree completion and successful transition to meaningful work.

As the leaders of some of the nation’s largest K-12 education systems, we have a responsibility to our students that goes beyond the walls of our schools and follows them into young adulthood. No diploma should be a ticket to nowhere. We will redouble our own efforts to guide our students to reliable and affordable postsecondary pathways. And we pledge our partnership to existing institutions of higher education, social entrepreneurs, employers, and all others committed to overcoming this most urgent challenge.

The Federal Commission on School Safety appropriately highlights the importance of a positive, supportive school climate as well as the need for improved access to school-based mental health and counseling services. Federal support and funding is essential; Title IV funds, for example, can and should be used for these purposes.

We believe all children should be free to learn, free from fear, and urge President Trump and Congress to enact comprehensive bipartisan immigration reform.

The federal spending bill approved by Congress and signed into law today by President Trump provides critical funding for schools, teachers, and students. Chiefs for Change, a bipartisan network of diverse state and district education Chiefs, is especially pleased that the measure includes $440 million for the Charter School Program, the highest-ever funding level in the program’s more than 20-year history, as well as significant increases to support disadvantaged children, identify evidence-based education programs, and promote pathways that lead to college and meaningful careers.

We call on lawmakers and leaders across the nation to help us solve this serious and urgent problem. They can and should consider the full range of levers to address it, including improvement in school safety technology and infrastructure, increased support for and better coordination of mental and behavioral health services, and laws that would keep the most dangerous weapons out of the hands of the most dangerous people.

Carissa Moffat Miller is a highly-respected, experienced leader who has been a true champion of state-led progress toward equity and excellence for all students. She is deeply committed to supporting states in their efforts to innovate and create better, fairer education systems, and we’re excited to continue our great partnership with CCSSO under Carissa’s leadership.

While the Supreme Court’s decision today continues temporary judicial relief, DACA recipients who are waiting in limbo deserve nothing short of a permanent solution. We continue to urge Congress to pass a bipartisan legislative solution that will protect Dreamers and provide certainty for students and educators. We will not turn our attention away from this issue until these young Americans are free from fear and free to learn.

The President’s proposed cuts to critical education programs are deeply problematic for state and district leaders working towards equity and excellence for all students. The elimination of funding for key programs such as ESSA Title II-A threatens to undo progress in innovative efforts that support school and teacher leaders. 

Chiefs for Change supports the thrust of the 11 supplemental priorities put forward by the U.S. Department of Education (the Department), such as those that would support better opportunities for historically underserved populations; improvement in science, technology, engineering, and technology (STEM) education; stronger teaching and school leadership; and education as a vehicle for expanded economic opportunities. Particularly, we strongly support the priorities and subpriorities focused on pathways for teachers to lead both in and outside of the classroom and those related to innovation, efficiency, and reducing burden, as we have numerous members who have been leading promising initiatives in those areas.

Chiefs for Change (CFC), a coalition of over two dozen state and district education chiefs, serving 5.3 million students and 330,000 teachers, and dedicated to excellence and equity for all students, urge Congress to fund the Title II, Part A (Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants) at no less than $2.055 billion, the FY 2017 appropriation. As education leaders who have implemented successful education reforms around the country, we believe that Title II-A, the largest Federal resource dedicated specifically for the development of teachers and school leaders, is vital to our efforts.

As a bipartisan group of leaders of state and district education systems, we stand together to urge continued protection for the law-abiding young people known as Dreamers. They have grown up and been educated as Americans; most came here through no choice of their own, and many know no other country. They are working to make our communities richer and stronger. Pushing them into the shadows would hurt our schools and communities. We call for lasting protection for such students under the law, in the form of bipartisan immigration reform, and until that law exists, we in the strongest terms urge the Trump administration to maintain the protections that now exist under the DACA policy.

We believe the U.S. Department of Education (ED) plays an important role in protecting the rights -- and advocating for the needs -- of all of students, especially those who have been historically underserved. ED’s role can, and should, be exercised in various ways, including (1) regulations, (2) non-regulatory guidance, (3) peer review and monitoring, (4) technical assistance, and (5) transparent reporting, research, and communications.

We are deeply disappointed that the House FY18 appropriations bill would eliminate funding for the Title II-A program -- over $2 billion that represents the best hope for innovation in how teachers and principals develop their craft and serve students well. We urge members of Congress to ensure any FY18 spending bill includes robust funding for critical programs, like Title II-A, so that our members can continue to lead the country in using those funds effectively on behalf of the students and educators they serve.

The entire Chiefs for Change community is deeply saddened by the death of our colleague and friend Mitchell Chester. For the past decade, Mitchell has been one of the nation’s boldest and most effective education leaders. We have all learned so much from him about how to lead on behalf of the children and families we serve. Our thoughts are with his wife, Angela, and their family. Rest in peace, Mitchell.

For more than six years, Hanna Skandera has been a bold and innovative leader of New Mexico’s public school system, transforming it from one lagging behind the nation to one that is experiencing remarkable growth across every objective measure of student success. She has also been part of the fabric of Chiefs for Change since its inception, and her vision for a diverse community of education Chiefs has long guided our work. I'm immensely grateful to her and inspired by the work she led in New Mexico. I look forward to continuing to work with her in the future.

Today, President Trump released his proposed federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The President’s budget has some bright spots, such as increased funding to help more students attend quality public charter schools. However, we are deeply disappointed that the Trump Administration has proposed slashing more than $9.2 billion for education programs, including the entire Title II-A program to support high-quality teachers and school leaders.

While the national discourse focuses on the merits of school choice initiatives in their own right and for their own sakes, as leaders of state and local education systems, as educators of diverse regional, political, and professional backgrounds, we believe that these policies are better thought of as means to critical ends, and that the goal of these and other education policies should be, above all else, the enhancement of skills for America's youngest generation and expanded opportunity for children to thrive as adults.

Over a year ago, legislators from both sides of the aisle came together to pass the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), in part to provide state and district leaders with new opportunities and flexibility to support innovative, results-driven practices that address their local needs and ensure all students have the opportunity to attend great schools that will prepare them for college and careers.

Following similar action in the House of Representatives, the United States Senate voted today to pass a resolution under the Congressional Review Act to repeal the final regulations issued by the previous administration regarding implementation of school accountability and improvement systems, data reporting, and consolidated state plans required by the Every Student Succeeds Act, or ESSA.

Congratulations on your recent confirmation as Secretary. As a coalition of state and district education Chiefs dedicated to excellence and equity for America’s students, we look forward to working with you to strengthen our nation’s schools. Our members lead education systems serving 4.3 million students, 288,000 teachers, and 8,200 schools. They are united by the belief that all children have the right to a quality school, and they are designing and implementing plans and policies that set the standard for innovation and boldness in our field. As you make plans for the future of education policy in our country, I encourage you to call on them for guidance.

As leaders of America’s state and local public school systems, we urge the Administration to maintain vital protections for young people currently covered by the DACA policy. These young people are an integral part of our communities. They are students playing productive, positive roles in our schools. They are, by definition, law-abiding, hard-working young people who typically came to this country through no choice of their own. We urge our national leaders to maintain protections for them.

Chiefs for Change represents 24 state and district leaders boldly committed to the 4.1 million students they serve, and all students. We believe unequivocally in bipartisan solutions to America’s significant educational challenges. The 2016 election has only strengthened that belief and made the work more urgent.

Chiefs for Change, the leading organization for results-focused state and district education Chiefs, congratulates Antwan Wilson on his nomination to serve as Chancellor of DC Public Schools in Washington, DC. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser today announced her nomination of Wilson, a Chiefs for Change member who currently serves as Superintendent in Oakland, California.

Chiefs for Change commends the regulations released today that will help ensure students have great teachers, teachers are well prepared for their jobs, and states and future educators have transparent data about the effectiveness of preparation programs. “As a country, we’re better at giving lip service to the importance of teachers than at preparing them to be successful,” said Mike Magee, CEO of Chiefs for Change, a coalition of two dozen results-oriented state education Chiefs and district superintendents. “We are pleased that these regulations incorporate the feedback of states, educators, and advocates who have emphasized the need for teachers who are ready for the classroom on day one.”

Any parent can tell you how important the skills of her child’s teachers and principal are. Yet for too long, our nation has missed enormous opportunities in recruiting, preparing, and supporting the people who do that vital and hard work. New guidance from the U.S. Department of Education could help states and districts change that, by providing specific examples of how they can make use of new flexibility provided under Title II, Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.

The Institute has been assisting Chiefs for Change and a number of their member states and districts in supporting their consideration of applying for the Demonstration Authority. Our work has been informed by a number of nationally recognized experts in assessment design and implementation. After extensive discussions, we offer the following thoughts and a recommendation for your consideration.

On June 20, 2016, Chiefs for Change submitted public comments to the U.S. Department of Education on proposed regulations regarding accountability and state plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). ESSA reflects many of the key priorities of Chiefs for Change, and we are firmly committed to its successful implementation. Chiefs for Change is a network of diverse, bipartisan state and district education Chiefs dedicated to preparing all students for today’s world and tomorrow’s. ESSA empowers Chiefs to take on this work at the state and local levels.

"On behalf of Chiefs for Change, I am writing in support of H.R. 5587, the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act, introduced by Representatives Thompson (R-­PA), Clark (D-­MA), Byrne (R-­AL), Curbelo (R-­FL), Langevin (D-­RI) and Nolan (D-­MN). We are pleased that H.R. 5587 was introduced with bipartisan cosponsors and look forward to working with the Committee on updating the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act (CTE) to help ensure more students enter the workforce with the skills they need to compete for high-­skilled, in demand jobs..."

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) reflects many of the key priorities of Chiefs for Change, and we are firmly committed to its successful implementation. Chiefs for Change is a network of bipartisan state and district education Chiefs dedicated to preparing all students for today’s world and tomorrow’s. We want our members to be equipped to lead the 2.8 million students, 176,000 teachers, and 5,000 schools in their states and districts to success in the age of ESSA.