WASHINGTON- Today, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) released its 118th Congress Policy by the People Agenda, outlining specific federal policy priorities IEL will advocate for in the next two years to improve well-being and increase opportunity for children, families, and communities.
IEL’s policy agenda promotes specific federal programs and legislation across three key areas:
- Increase Funding for Key Programs and Initiatives that Promote Equitable Learning and Job Opportunities
- Advance Policies that Address the Foundational Supports Children, Families, and Communities Need to Thrive
- Promote Workforce and Leadership Opportunities for Students, Families, and Teachers in their Schools and Beyond
IEL’s policy agenda reflects direct input from hundreds of communities and leaders across the country with which IEL partners, from youth to family engagement district leaders, Community School Coordinators and system leaders, education leaders at all levels, and professionals who support youth with disabilities. View the agenda here.
“We are thrilled to release our Policy by the People agenda for the 118th Congress,” IEL President Eddie Koen said. “This policy agenda will be our compass the next two years for federal actions we will advocate for to advance equity across education and the workforce so that all individuals can thrive. We also launch this at a crucial time for the FY 2024 appropriations negotiations, so we look forward to working with our valued national, state, and local partners to advocate for this agenda together.”
“Alongside this articulation of our policy priorities through our agenda, we also aim to help leaders at all levels change how policy is made through the vision of a ‘policy by the people’ approach,” said Mary Kingston Roche, Senior Director of Policy. “This vision is about people who are most impacted by policies having the greatest voice in decision-making, especially people who have been historically marginalized in the policymaking process, including youth, people of color, people of low income, and people with disabilities. It is about sharing power and opening up the policymaking process to be more transparent, accessible, and democratic. We are proud and excited to continue to partner with the leaders in our networks along with our national partners toward this ground-up approach.”
For more information or to connect further, please email Mary Kingston Roche, IEL Senior Director of Policy, at policy@iel.org.
The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is dedicated to the vision of a society that uses all of its resources effectively to provide an equal opportunity for all children and youth to learn, develop, and become active participants in our democracy. IEL’s mission is to partner with under-resourced communities to equip leaders to better prepare children, youth, adults, and families for post-secondary education and training, rewarding careers, and civic community engagement.