AASA Gains Resounding Support from State Affiliates on "Supplement Not Supplant" Provisions of ESSA

Alexandria, Va. – Today, AASA shared a letter with unanimous national support—signed by all of the state school superintendent associations—expressing their concerns with the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) proposed regulations related to the “Supplement Not Supplant” (SNS) provisions of Title I in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).

As the national organization representing public school superintendents, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, is on record with its commitment to equity in education, strong support for ESSA and efforts to ensure ED’s regulations related to the legislation—including proposed regulations related to the SNS provision in Title I—are consistent with the underlying statute. ESSA is a statute premised on returning education decision making and leadership to the state and local level.

To read the letter, go to www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=40432.

By highlighting widespread concern at the state and local level, the letter shows how ED’s proposed regulations “represent new, far-reaching federal mandates dictating how local school districts spend their state and local funds and are in conflict with the spirit and intent of the underlying statute, which is premised on state and local control.”

“Nearly a year ago, I proudly stood in the White House when President Obama signed ESSA into law. We commended the President and Congress for their hard work, strong support and leadership to see this legislation become reality,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “At a time when a majority of our public school students are living in poverty, we feel ED’s current proposal would force school personnel to make the difficult decision of choosing compliance over meeting the needs of the students they serve. I wish to thank our state affiliates for crafting this letter and forwarding it to Secretary King.”

For more information, read The Leading Edge. For specific questions about ESSA implementation, please contact Noelle Ellerson, AASA associate executive director, policy and advocacy, at [email protected].

Featured

  • UCNJ Launches $30M Modernization of Physical Education Center

    The Union College of Union County (UCNJ) in Cranford, N.J., recently broke ground on a new $30-million modernization project for its Physical Education Center (PECK), according to a news release. The college partnered with DIGroup Architecture for the project’s design, transitioning the existing 42,000-square-foot structure into a campus hub for student athletics and campus life.

  • Photo credit: Elkus Manfredi Architects

    University of Virginia Selects Design-Build Team for New Residential Complex

    The University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., recently announced that it has selected a design-build team for a new upper-class residential development on campus, according to a news release. Capstone Development Partners—in partnership with Elkus Manfredi Architects and the Hoar Construction/Hourigan construction team—will move forward with the three-building, 310,000-square-foot housing facility.

  • Spaces4Learning Launches 2026 Education Design Showcase Awards

    Spaces4Learning has opened submissions for the 2026 Education Design Showcase! The awards program launched in 1999 with the goal of celebrating innovative, practical solutions in the planning, design, and construction of K–12 and higher-education facilities. EDS recognizes new developments that help achieve optimal learning environments, as well as the architecture firms that brought the ideas to life.

  • Abstract tech network data connections with orange, blue glowing dots, lines

    3 Trends for Higher Education to Stay Ahead of in 2026

    As universities enter the new year, the question is no longer whether digital transformation is necessary, but how quickly institutions can convert technological potential into strategic advantage.

Digital Edition