July 6, 2022

Celebrating Our Nation

Happy 4th of July (week)! We hope that you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Perhaps you are still enjoying well-earned R&R! The beginning of July marks a new beginning for many educational agencies and we are looking forward to a great year ahead! We want to take a moment to say thank you for your membership and support of AESA over the years. To those of you who have served in our country's military, we thank and honor you. May the stars and stripes continue to wave proudly over our great country. Happy Independence Day.

Legislative Update

Legislation Improves and Expands Access to Mental Health Services It’s with great excitement we share that the legislation AESA helped write and has introduced was signed into law as part of the bipartisan gun legislation known as the Safer Communities Act. We are thrilled that the policy we have long championed to improve and expand access to mental health services, as well as all healthcare services in schools, will now become a reality. AESA spent the past decade urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) to dramatically revisit their guidance on how school districts claim and bill for Medicaid-reimbursable healthcare services. Frustrated about the inaction by multiple federal administrations, in 2019 AASA issued a report urging Congress to force CMS to issue new guidance on the program that would streamline the paperwork requirements.  In March, President Biden announced his administration would take steps to revise the program and reduce operational barriers to participation. For the last few months, we have been meeting actively with CMS and our conversations with staff led us to believe there was hesitation to make the bold, transformative changes to the school-based Medicaid program that would dramatically streamline the paperwork for districts and reduce the administrative burden on districts.   After the tragedy in Uvalde, we sent a letter to Congress signed by all the major K-12 education groups asking that they address the Medicaid reimbursement issue as a way of tackling the mental health crisis. We are happy to see our specific asks for the revised Medicaid guidance addressed in the law.

READ FULL LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

REMINDERS: There is an AESA Community of Practice for You!

It's easy to join an AESA Community of Practice! Just click the website and complete the registration. It's really that simple! Then start learning and solving your real work challenges with the help of colleagues from around the country! Select from one (or all) of these communities to find a network that will support you and your professional learning.

Small Staff ESA Community of Practice The Small Educational Service Agency (ESA) Community of Practice is your place to network and learn with other ESAs with few employees. This network will invite speakers from other ESAs to lead conversations about their work as practitioners. The community of practice is your think tank to generate ideas on growing your services and expanding your practices. The goal for this community of practice is to learn from ESAs of similar size. High-quality services are delivered from small organizations. Meetings are held all year long. Visit our website for information and registration

Entrepreneurial ESA Community of Practice The purpose of this network is to learn with other Entrepreneurial ESAs as a Community of Practice. Sessions will be held virtually six (6) times per year, 90-minutes each session. Additionally, the network participants will be intentional about meeting at AESA national events. Visit our website for information and registration

Women In Leadership Community of Practice The ESA Women in Leadership Network is a forum for women leaders to strengthen their leadership by networking, problem-solving, and creating their future. This year, ESA Women in Leadership will focus on the following three topics: Leadership Success, Leadership Growth Through Negotiations, and Authentic Leadership for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. The open-guided discussions will include pre-reading of a book to center the discussion. Each cohort will meet virtually for six 90-minute sessions. Registrations are limited to 25 participants per cohort. Visit our website for information and registration

Executive Assistants to the CEOs Community of Practice Supporting the leader of an organization is a unique, rewarding, and sometimes challenging role. Networking with others who serve in the same role can prove to be invaluable both professionally and personally. The Executive Assistant to CEOs Community of Practice is for individuals who directly support the ESA leader and governing board. Visit our website for information and registration!

Join Us All Year for AESA Reading Leaders Book Club!

AESA Reading Leaders Book Club As lifelong readers and leaders, we all know the importance of reading and literacy extends well beyond the pre-k12 classroom where it is often assigned. If you are an avid reader or someone who wants to join in robust and fun conversations about the books we are reading, Dr. Joan Wade, AESA’s Executive Director, and Janelle Bailey, State Director of the Wisconsin Academic Decathlon, invite you to join this virtual book club! Next Book Club Date: July 21, 2022, 7 pm Eastern (6 pm Central; 5 pm Mountain; 4 pm Pacific; 3 pm Alaska)  July Book Choice: The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern

JOIN THE READING LEADERS BOOK CLUB

2022 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Visit the conference website for details and registration.

2022 EDUCATORS' CALL TO ACTION CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE DETAILS REGISTER TODAY!

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