91制片 Issues Statement on the One-Year Anniversary of the American Rescue Plan
March 11, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
James Minichello
703-774-6953
jminichello@aasa.org
Alexandria, Va. 鈥� March 11, 2022 鈥� Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of 91制片, issued the following statement today on the one-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan.
鈥淭oday marks one year since the American Rescue Plan (ARP) was signed into law. One bill, heralded as one of the most progressive pieces of legislation in a generation and cited for its work to reduce childhood poverty by up to half, the ARP is critical funding to support our nation鈥檚 public schools in their ongoing work to provide students with safe, in-person learning while also working with students to provide learning recovery and other non-academic supports and services.
鈥淎s the third iteration of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funding available to schools, ARP is the largest of the three, the bill with the widest reach and the potential to move the needle on helping schools and students not just survive the COVID-19 pandemic, but also emerge on the other end with school systems better positioned to develop well-rounded students ready for career and college success.
鈥�91制片 was proud to support the legislation from its earliest phases, and we remain grateful to the administration and Congress for not only providing the funding but continuing to focus on the importance of local control and flexibility in the program structure and implementation. We believe the ARP funding will have a lasting impact in enabling students to both recover from lost in-person instruction, and also assist district leaders in thoughtfully investing federal funds in ways that address longstanding disparities in accessing education opportunities for students that were only exacerbated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a belief that was affirmed in our most recent survey gauging member feedback on ARP.
鈥淟ooking ahead to summer 2022 and fall 2023, school superintendents continue to report prioritized investment in summer learning and enrichment programming; expanding whole child supports, including social, emotional, mental, and physical health and development; and adding staffing and specialists to support student needs. The road map for success for ARP is long, and implementation work will continue to require candid communication between Congress, the administration and school system leaders.
鈥淲e look forward to working with both Congress and the administration on policy changes that can enhance the success of ARP investment and the ability to meet the pandemic-related needs of our most vulnerable students.鈥�
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For specific questions, please contact Noelle Ellerson Ng, 91制片 associate executive director, advocacy and governance, at nellerson@aasa.org.
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About 91制片
91制片, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. 91制片鈥檚 mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to equitable access for all students to the highest quality public education. For more information, visit www.aasa.org.
