A Renewed Call to Abolish the U.S. Department of Education and Its Implications

Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Federal Government, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Resources /

Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) has introduced a seven-page senate bill S. 5384, “A Bill To Abolish the Department of Education, and for Other Purposes,” cited also as “Returning Education to Our States Act.” The bill was referred on November 21st to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP). Although the bill is unlikely […]

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November Federal Policy Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Events, Federal Government, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

What’s Happening in Washington A summary of recent federal policy actions and a look ahead to the coming weeks Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy over November and what’s in store for the month of December. The 2024 Presidential and Congressional Election Results: The next President of the United States will be former President

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IEL Post-Election Message 2024

Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Resources /

November 6, 2024 Dear IEL Community: Now that the 2024 Presidential Election has come to a close, we look toward the future and will continue to pursue excellence in educational opportunity and equity in the new Trump Administration. We anticipate the following policy priorities over the next four years: President-Elect Trump’s vision for education is

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September Federal Policy Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, Federal Government, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

What’s Happening in Washington A summary of recent federal policy actions and a look ahead to the coming weeks It’s back to school for students and teachers and back to work for members of Congress after taking their August Recess. Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy over the summer and what’s in store

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New Grant Award!

IEL Awarded $5.1 Million DOL-ETA Growth Opportunities Grant to Transform Lives of Youth in Communities Affected by Violence and Poverty 

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities /

IEL will invest in the expansion of the Right Turn Career-Focused Transition Initiative to provide jobs, education and training, mentorship, leadership development and supportive services  WASHINGTON D.C. – July 2, 2024 – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is honored to be one of 14 organizations to receive a Growth Opportunities grant from the U.S.

IEL Awarded $5.1 Million DOL-ETA Growth Opportunities Grant to Transform Lives of Youth in Communities Affected by Violence and Poverty  Read More »

Bert Berkley

IEL Honors Legacy of Board Director Emeritus Bert Berkley

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities /

July 16, 2024 (Washington D.C.)  This week, the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) remembers one of its Emeritus Board Directors, Bert Berkley, who passed away this week at the age of 101. A longtime civic leader, Bert came to IEL after collaborating with former IEL President Marty Blank as part of a “kitchen cabinet” working

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community school coordinator, Ms. Latimer with the other school community coordinators from @PSC_Maryland

Institute For Educational Leadership Hosts Largest Ever National Community Schools And Family Engagement Conference in Atlanta

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

June 14, 2024 – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is thrilled to celebrate another successful National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference, hosted this year in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia World Congress Center, May 29-31. Each year, this national, interdisciplinary conference is filled with high-quality professional development experiences, uniting individuals from across the

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Navigating the New FAFSA: A Guide for Students and Educators

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Events, Leading Across Boundaries, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

The White House and the Department of Education hosted a National FAFSA Week of Action last week, April 15-19, 2024, and highlighted it’s new FAFSA website and financial aid application form for prospective college students. It’s crucial for students and educators alike to understand the significance of this system. Building off the FAFSA week of

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Institute for Educational Leadership Announces Fellows for First-Ever Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP)TM: Community Schools Cohort  August 20, 2025 (Washington, DC) – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is proud to announce the Fellows of its inaugural  Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP) TM: Community Schools Cohort, designed to build the capacity of Community Schools leaders

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Advocacy Efforts Pay Off: FY26 Funding Proposal for Full-Service Community Schools Grows from $0 to $135M

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Policy/Legislation /

On July 31st, the Senate released and marked up its version of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Bill (Labor-H) for fiscal year 2026. Total discretionary funding for the Department of Education is set at approximately $79 billion, significantly higher than the White House’s proposed $66.7 billion, preserving critical funding for

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July 2025 Policy by the People Federal Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

*Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government.  Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy in July, and what lies ahead.  The U.S. Congress   The Reconciliation Process Reaches the End: The Reconciliation Bill for FY25, also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill, was passed by

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June 2025 Policy by the People Federal Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Events, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

*Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government.  Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy for the month of June, and what lies ahead.  The White House   The President’s Fiscal Year 2026 Budget: On May 30th, the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released

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Institute for Educational Leadership Announces Board Leadership Transitions

Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Leading Across Boundaries /

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. – June 30, 2025 – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is excited to welcome Michael Sims as our new Chair of the Board of Directors and Tauheedah Jackson as the new Vice Chair. Michael Sims, a seasoned executive and advocate for education-focused leadership, will now serve as IEL’s new

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The President’s FY26 Budget Request Zeroes Out Full-Service Community Schools

Federal Government, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation /

May 30, 2025 (Washington, D.C) – This Friday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Education released its Fiscal Year 2026 proposed budget request. IEL is deeply concerned about the impact of this budget on key programs that have long sustained and supported high-quality education for students across the nation, including Full-Service Community Schools and Promise Neighborhoods.

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Institute for Educational Leadership 119th Congress Federal Policy Agenda

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) changes systems through people and believes in a society in which shared leadership effectively uses all available resources for the betterment of their communities. The following policy principles guide our policy agenda: The three overarching areas for IEL’s 119th Congress Federal Policy Agenda are: Increase Funding for Key Programs

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May 2025 Policy by the People Federal Update

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Events, Federal Government, Leading Across Boundaries, Local/State Government, Policy/Legislation, Preparing Leaders, Resources /

What’s Happening in Washington    *Please note: This update may not include all the changes currently happening in the federal government.  Here’s what’s been happening in federal education policy for the month of May, and what lies ahead. The U.S. Congress   Appropriations Season Continues: The U.S. House of Representatives passed its Reconciliation Bill for FY25 in

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IEL Launches National Action Commission to Improve Schools Through Community Power

Building Pathways to Adulthood, Connecting Families, Schools, & Communities, Preparing Leaders /

May 13, 2025, Washington, DC – The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) announces the launch of a National Action Commission, a new national collaborative designed to improve schools and communities by lifting up hyperlocal solutions and building systemic change, such as place-based, Community Schools, and whole-child strategies. IEL is uniquely positioned to lead the Commission

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