On Friday, November 15th, the AACTE and ACSR (Advisory Council of State Representatives) held the Fall 2024 Virtual State Leaders Institute. Representing NJACTE were past president Stacey Leftwich and Executive Board members Brandi Warren, Karen Grove, and Erica Spence-Umstead. Stacey Leftwich is also the Northeast Region Representative to ACSR and a member of their executive committee. Stacey presented one of the breakout sessions, “Organization Models and Issues,” and described our state chapter structure of NJACTE. Other topics on the agenda for the Institute included Federal Updates and State Election Briefings, Impacts of COVID, Advocacy Strategies, and Assessing Candidates.
During the federal update, there was speculation regarding the Department of Education budget. The House FY25 bill includes an overall cut of $11 billion to education programs. However, the Senate FY25 bill maintains funding at the FY24 levels. The Senate bill would be the best-case scenario for education funding. It is expected that Congress will extend the continuing resolutions through March 2025 and may pass a status quo budget for FY25 in order to focus on the new administration’s plans for FY26.
State updates included the loss of some Democratic-held chambers at the state level and veto-proof chambers in several states. Several states rejected ballot measures that would have allowed public funds for private schools.
A few of the predicted “hot topics” in education in the future included chronic absenteeism, the use of expert teachers where they are needed most, and the value of college degrees. Specifically, it was mentioned that future teachers pay the same tuition as other professionals but earn less after graduating.
During the “Impact of COVID” breakout session, it was noted that while there has been some recovery in academic achievement (as measured by standardized tests), scores have not returned to pre-COVID levels. It was also discussed that many parents are unaware that their children have fallen behind because the grades being issued are not aligned with standardized test scores and have actually gone up. COVID recovery funding ended in September 2024, resulting in a loss of $190 billion. These funds are proportional to Title I funding, so the neediest schools are the hardest hit by the loss. Additionally, it was noted that COVID increased major depressive episodes among 12-17-year-olds to 70% in 2020. COVID also impacted teachers’ work environments and mental health more than most other professions. It was discussed that we need to look at the impact of trauma on overall mental health and not just on learning. Also discussed was the idea that part of alleviating the teacher shortage should involve retention of those who remained in the profession after COVID.
During the wrap-up comments, members were encouraged to continue advocacy efforts and to consider attending Washington Week.
Resources shared following the institute:
Pre-K-12 Education Legislation Database
Resource NCSL State Elections 2024
The Road to COVID Recovery | CALDER
The State of the Teacher Workforce | Learning Policy Institute
2024 Leave-Behind with Talking Point Summaries
Respectfully Submitted,
Erica Spence-Umstead
Assistant Dean, College of Education and Human Services
Rider University