March 31, 2025
Each month, the State Examiner covers five topics including:
- Legislative Issue Monitoring
- Statehouse News: Education Policy (with links to news items)
- State Budget and Finance Monitoring
- National Reports Impacting Education
- Advocacy Tips
Each topic includes a brief introduction. To read the full articles under each headline, click on the "+" sign next to the topic.
Please find the pdf here for readers who prefer to print a version of the March 2025 State Examiner.
Legislative Issue Monitoring
In each edition of the State Examiner, AESA monitors state-level legislation and legislative trends impacting educational service agencies and their client schools and districts. This month’s report for will examine state policies on educators and school staff.
State Budget and Finance Monitoring
AESA monitors state level budget and finance news impacting preschool and primary and secondary education. These curated articles (with links) can provide insights into what is happening in your state and collectively across the U.S. The latest state budget and finance-related news for March 2025 follows below.
Statehouse News: Education Policy
Each month AESA finds representative examples (with links) of news items coming out of the states or impacting the states that may be of interest to ESAs and their client schools and districts:
National Reports Impacting Education
AESA monitors state and national reports highlighting state-level information of interest to ESAs. As always, it is important to view these reports through a critical lens with attention to research design, methodology, data sources and citations, peer review, and publication venue. This month AESA spotlights reports from the American Society of Civil Engineers, and RAND:
Advocacy Tip: Working with State Legislative and Agency Staff
Advocacy is a crucial skill for Educational Service Agency leaders and staff to master in order to influence state education policy and effect positive change for their organizations and client schools and districts. This month’s State Examiner advocacy tip provides guidance on working effectively with state legislative and agency staff, key players in the policymaking process.
Legislative staff often serve as information gatherers and key policy and political advisors to state lawmakers. But most importantly, legislative staff serve as gatekeepers to access and information. This makes these staff members critical connectors in achieving the desired policy outcomes. Importantly, these relationships may also provide advocates with opportunities to assist in drafting legislation, influencing policy discussions, and gaining insights into the current political and policymaking landscape in one’s state. A strong rapport with staff not only increases the likelihood of advancing specific initiatives but also helps advocates position themselves as reliable resources for data and expertise.
Likewise, a positive relationship with agency staff may secure stakeholder/interested party status as enacted statute is implemented through the policy and rule making process. With every law, agencies create administrative rules that facilitate the intent of the statute. Both staff relationships are equally influential as the “sausage is made” and one ignores that influence at their peril.
AESA State Advocacy Resources for ESAs
State-level legislative advocacy plays a crucial role in shaping the educational landscape. While federal policies often set broad educational priorities, state legislatures hold significant power over the funding, governance, and standards that directly impact local schools and districts. AESA supports state-level advocacy by offering training through publications, workshops, and presentations, which can be customized for individual states.
Educational Service Agencies play a critical role in supporting schools and districts, yet their unique needs and challenges often require tailored advocacy approaches. The recently released AESA Advocacy Guide recognizes the distinct position of ESAs and offers targeted strategies to help you navigate the complex landscape of education policy and funding.SHARE YOUR ADVOCACY SUCCESS STORIES
AESA would like to highlight successful state-level advocacy campaigns. Share your triumphs in state advocacy with fellow members! Contribute to our newsletter by submitting your success stories – your experiences can enlighten and inspire others in navigating the often complex landscape of state advocacy. Together, we can amplify our collective knowledge for the benefit of the entire AESA membership. Send your stories to jwade@aesa.us.
STAY CONNECTED & INVOLVED
Have feedback for the AESA State Advocacy Team? Would you like to see a particular issue area addressed in future editions? Send feedback to jwade@aesa.us.