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AASA Position Statements
Position Statement 1:
GETTING CHILDREN READY FOR
DEMOCRATIC CITIZENSHIP
a.
All students should be provided with access to multiple
languages, to multicultural studies and to programs that
promote diversity.
b.
AASA recognizes that all students should be prepared to be
successful in a global environment.
c.
AASA resolves to encourage school leaders to recognize
children for their success, especially in light of the expanded
challenges many of them face in today’s culture and
communities. AASA believes children today are role models
worthy of recognition
*
First Adopted: 2005; Re-Adopted July 2006
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
Position Statement 2:
PUBLIC EDUCATION AS THE
CORNERSTONE OF OUR DEMOCRACY
a.
Public education is the cornerstone and heart of our
democracy and AASA will aggressively defend against actions
that would weaken or undermine public education, such as
vouchers, tax credits and charters that are not publicly
accountable.
b.
School districts should be held accountable for student
success. AASA opposes the use of a punitive system that
punishes both schools and students. To set up a system that
ensures that schools are engaging in continuous
improvement, AASA resolves that:
i.
ii.
The disaggregation of student data is important as a
measure of accountability.
This data should include the expectation that states and
the federal government will fulfill all obligations to
ensure that all children are ready to learn.
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iii.
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The application of the state and federal public school
accountability systems should apply to all institutions or
individuals that receive public funding to educate
children.
First Adopted: 2005; Re-Adopted: July 2006
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
Position Statement 3:
GETTING CHILDREN READY FOR
SUCCESS IN SCHOOL
a.
For children to be ready to attend school, steps must be taken
to account for non-school factors that could affect student
achievement. Therefore, AASA strongly supports the
enactment of universal healthcare for all children.
b.
Recognizing the critical role that families and early education
plays in getting students ready for school, AASA resolves that
every child must be provided with quality, comprehensive
early childhood programming so that he/she can enter
kindergarten ready to learn with skills necessary to ensure
success in school.
c.
AASA supports comprehensive services and programs that
encourage children to be healthy.
*
First Adopted: 2005; Re-Adopted: July 2006
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 4:
Licensure for Administrators
Only graduate degrees, licensures or endorsements in educational
administration, supervision and leadership issued by state licensing
agencies through accredited colleges and universities should be
recognized for the preparation, appointment and promotion of school
leaders.
*
First Adopted: 2006; Re-Adopted: July 2006
Scheduled Review: 2009
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Position Statement 5:
GETTING SCHOOLS READY FOR
CHILDREN
a.
Schools that are aligned around systems leadership will
accelerate movement toward universal proficiency. Therefore,
AASA resolves that school administrators should place a
greater emphasis on systems leadership to meet the
challenges of a global society.
b.
The intended focus of No Child Left Behind is laudable but the
current law contains four major conceptual problems
including:
i.
ii.
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iv.
A challenge to federalism,
A flawed organizational change strategy,
A flawed educational change strategy, and
A failure to account for the impact of non-school
factors on student achievement.
AASA resolves that decision making should be made at the
local level to allow local educators, who best understand the
needs of their students, to make decisions and design
educational programs to meet children’s needs.
c.
AASA resolves that all students and families must have access
to the latest technology and be provided opportunities to
learn and develop the intellectual skills necessary for success
in our global society.
d.
AASA resolves that all students and families be provided a
strong support system to include advocacy and advisement.
*
First Adopted: 2005; Re-Adopted: July 2006
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 6:
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
EDUCATION ACT (IDEA)
The education of children with disabilities demonstrates a national
commitment to equal educational opportunity for every child. IDEA
should be fully funded at 40% of the national average per pupil
expenditures (as promised in the 1997 and 2004 reauthorizations of
IDEA).
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AASA strongly supports Congress fulfilling its promise to fully fund
IDEA to the 40 percent level through mandatory funding and allowing
for maximum local flexibility. AASA also urges the Center for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMMS) to reimburse districts for medical
services to Medicaid eligible students.
*
First Adopted: 2003; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
Position Statement 7:
MAKING FEDERAL FUNDING FOR
IDEA MANDATORY
This Position Statement was consolidated into #6 in July 2008.
Position Statement 8:
OPPOSITION TO VOUCHERS
AASA absolutely opposes undermining universal equal educational
opportunity for all, supports the separation of church and state in
public school funding, and opposes increasing the segregation of
America's children by diverting public funds in support of vouchers and
related initiatives.
AASA supports the application of public school academic accountability
standards and regulatory requirements to all non-public schools
receiving public funds.
AASA opposes local, state, and federal financial incentives that reward
private corporations for supporting non-public school entities.
*
First Adopted: 2004; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
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Position Statement 9:
PUBLIC SCHOOL CHOICE AND
CHARTER SCHOOLS
AASA supports public school choice and charter schools that operate
under the auspices of local public school boards. We believe that there
should be a level playing field, including non-discriminatory and
unconditional enrollment for all children. Therefore, the same
regulations and accountability should apply to all schools receiving
public funding. How charter schools are financed must be addressed so
that their creation does not have an adverse effect on the quality of
existing public schools.
*
First Adopted: 1999; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 10:
SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEMS
FOCUSED ON PROFICIENCY FOR ALL
STUDENTS
AASA supports litigation and legislation in states that will result in
schools where the resources match the challenge of bringing every
student to a high level of achievement called proficiency.
AASA supports creating a stable, equitable, and adequate funding
stream for schools based on local, state and federal revenues that will
meet the challenges of universal proficiency and provide the stable
funding base needed to support the changes from a system focused on
access to a system focused on proficiency.
*
First Adopted: 2004; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 11:
VOUCHERS AND TUITION TAX
CREDITS
AASA opposes vouchers and all forms of tuition tax credits for private
or sectarian schools. We believe government financed vouchers divert
funds from public schools.
*
First Adopted: 1999; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
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Position Statement 12:
ADVOCATES FOR CHILDREN
AASA is an advocate for the health and well-being of our nation’s
children. Research demonstrates that learning is enhanced when
children feel safe and have their physical and emotional needs met in a
healthy school environment. This includes access to healthy foods,
opportunities for physical activity, clean air to breathe, access to
preventive care and health services, including mental health.
*
First Adopted: 2006; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 13:
APPROPRIATE EDUCATION
PROGRAMS FOR ALL CHILDREN—
BEGINNING AT AGE 3
A high percentage of a child’s development and learning occurs by age
5. All children should enter school ready to learn, and every adult in
the community must assume a measure of responsibility for the
education, welfare and safety of each child. Therefore, AASA believes
that communities should offer developmentally appropriate educational
programs for all children beginning at age 3. The future success of all
children requires such an investment.
*
First Adopted: 1995; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 14:
EQUITY FOR ALL CHILDREN
AASA supports educational experiences that foster a respect for
diversity and an understanding of individual differences and cultures in
an environment viewed by all as safe and orderly. AASA supports
engaging families and community members to promote student
success with programs that sustain effective collaboration. AASA
promotes equity and excellence for students, educators and
administrators by implementing continuous improvement and
research-supported best practices. AASA advocates for policies that
address the unique needs of persistently underserved and, thus,
underachieving populations of poor, minority, disabled and Englishlanguage learners. AASA endorses collaboration with other educational
organizations and institutions to offer learning experiences designed to
promote innovation, independent initiative, leadership development
and creativity.
* First Adopted: 1996, 1997; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 Completed; Next Review: 2011
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Position Statement 15:
FACILITIES
AASA recognizes the important role of school facilities in creating an
appropriate learning environment for all children. AASA believes that
facilities must not only be conducive to learning, but must also provide
a safe place to learn.
*
First Adopted: 1998; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 16:
LOCAL FUNDING
AASA encourages and endorses the efforts of local administrators and
boards of education to challenge funding systems that result in
inequitable and inadequate funding.
*
First Adopted: 1998; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 17:
UNFUNDED MANDATES
AASA strongly advocates that federal mandates such as IDEA and
ESEA, as well as state mandates, be fully funded in order to establish
stable and equal support for all students.
Based on the literal meaning of Section 9527 (a) of No Child Left
Behind, AASA supports action to obtain required funds to implement
NCLB.
*
First Adopted: 2004; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
Position Statement 18:
PROVIDING SAFE AND NURTURING
ENVIRONMENT FOR CHILDREN
Children have a right to live in a safe and nurturing environment.
Therefore, the opportunity to learn in a safe and nurturing place is a
fundamental right of every child in America. Students cannot learn
without it.
*
First Adopted: 2000; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
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Position Statement 19:
TECHNOLOGY
AASA recognizes the importance that technology must play in the
education of our nation’s youth. We strongly endorse federal, state
and local efforts to provide funding for the support, maintenance and
upgrading of technology to enable each classroom to achieve full
state-of-the-art global connectivity.
*
First Adopted: 1996, 1997; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 20:
STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS
Children live in a highly mobile and globally oriented world; therefore,
AASA recognizes the need for the highest standards for all children.
AASA supports the establishment of standards for student
performance, curriculum content, certification and professional
training. The standards should include the mastery of basic skills and
higher-order thinking skills. AASA supports accountability of students
for these standards and the use of valid and reliable assessment
programs for reporting progress to the students and the general
public.
*
First Adopted: 1997; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 21:
SCHOOL AND DISTRICT
ACCOUNTABILITY
A system of accountability must clearly demonstrate the level of
progress attained by schools or school districts in fulfilling their
mission of increasing student achievement. The responsibility for
student learning demands that measures of success include multiple
indicators and timely interventions which are understood and
acceptable to the many publics served by the schools, especially
students and their families.
*
First Adopted: 2000; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
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Position Statement 22:
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AASA recommends that ESEA move from the 93 disconnected and disjointed
programs added between the original passage of the law in 1965 and the
most recent reauthorization in 2001, toward a more systemic continuum of
services and supports based on poverty, special student populations and
special conditions. We need to return to the original goal of ESEA, which was
to promote equal educational opportunity. ESEA should be revised to provide
a continuum of services and support based on a continuum of need. Need
should be primarily defined by eligibility for free and reduced cost meals
under the federal nutrition program, but should also consider special groups
of students and special circumstances for school districts.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
AASA supports efforts to increase the use of early childhood education
as a way to prepare children for learning at the earliest stages.
*
First Adopted: 2002; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 23:
EQUITY IN ACCOUNTABILITY
AASA supports application of the state public school accountability
system to all who receive state funding including virtual schools,
charter schools and parents who home school their children.
*
First Adopted: 2004; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 24:
NATIONAL TESTING
AASA supports national testing, which samples student performance
such as NAEP, and assessment to promote learning and provide
accountability. AASA supports tests that measure improvement. We
oppose the use of limited federal funds for additional federal tests,
especially those that test all students at given grade levels.
*
First Adopted: 1998; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 25:
ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY
EDUCATION ACT (ESEA)
(replaced the previous Position Statement #25 No Child Left Behind (NCLB))
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AASA believes that a high-quality public education is a basic civil right for all
children. Equal access to educational opportunity is a cornerstone of
American democracy. State and local school system leaders are dedicated to
helping students reach high levels of learning and to preparing students to be
active participants in a global society.
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AASA believes the primary responsibility for determining educational
methods and strategies resides at the state and local level, consistent with
the 1979 U.S. Department of Education Organization Act. States have a
constitutional responsibility to establish, fund and support public education.
Local school districts have a responsibility to ensure student learning in the
context of their state’s constitutional requirements for education.
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AASA believes ESEA should provide coherent goals, assumptions and
methods to improve learning for all students, especially for low-income and
minority students. These goals, assumptions and methods should be based
on evidence gained from research and practice.
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*
AASA believes the role of the federal government in education is to help
ensure equal opportunities to learn for each child by assisting states and
school districts in their efforts to develop capacity, by providing leadership
and by providing resources. The federal government should supplement and
support rather than dictate state efforts in education.
AASA members know that the devastating effects of poverty have a
significant impact on student achievement. While school systems do address
the effects of poverty, they cannot eliminate the causes of poverty. Federal
efforts to improve student achievement should coordinate with other relevant
systems, such as health care, housing and judicial systems, to alleviate the
fundamental inequities that perpetuate poverty.
AASA believes that states and school systems should not be required to
spend state and local funds to implement federal program mandates.
First Adopted: 2008
Scheduled Review: 2011
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Position Statement 26:
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AASA supports the efforts to develop new models designed to identify,
attract, hire, train, support and retain highly-qualified educators and
school leaders from diverse backgrounds.
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PROFESSIONAL COMPENSATION
AASA supports professional compensation for superintendents and
middle management members that is consistent with educational
preparation, performance, position, and responsibility.
*
First Adopted: 1993; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Educational leaders’ effectiveness is enhanced by multi-year contracts
which attract and retain high quality leadership for the public schools.
*
First Adopted: 1994: Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 27:
*
EDUCATOR SHORTAGE-RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION
First Adopted: 2000; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 completed; Next Review: 2011
Position Statement 28:
HEALTH & WELLNESS
The members of the American Association of School Administrators
(AASA) are the leaders of the nation’s schools and should model
behaviors that are important to the health and wellness of their
students, staff, and communities.
*
First Adopted: 1996, 1997; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
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Position Statement 29:
PERSONNEL SHORTAGES
AASA recognizes the impact of critical personnel shortages on the
quality of educational programs and services in America’s public
schools. Attracting and retaining properly certified classroom teachers,
school administrators and central office administrators, including
school superintendents, should become a primary goal for all
stakeholders including our professional organizations, our state
legislators, the federal government and the business community. AASA
also recognizes that without comprehensive intervention by all of these
stakeholders, the emerging shortage will continue to be a crisis in
public education. AASA supports the adoption and use of the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards and the Interstate School
Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) as national standards for school
personnel and endorsement of these standards as a “national
passport.”
*
First Adopted: 2002; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 30:
PORTABILITY OF PROFESSIONAL
CREDENTIALS AND PENSIONS
AASA supports pension portability and licensure reciprocity because
the free flow of professional leadership is necessary for all school
systems to deliver on the new mission of universal proficiency.
Every state ought to provide educators with a means to transfer from
state to state with experience, licensure and pension plan intact.
AASA supports complete mobility within public education for educators
and their families through the creation of national initiatives that ease
the movement between states.
AASA supports states’ rights to establish compensation terms that
align to the unique socio-economic conditions of the respective states.
*
First Adopted: 2004: Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
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Position Statement 31:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Effective professional development programs for school administrators
lead to educational improvement at all levels. AASA encourages a
systemic and coordinated effort among state education agencies and
other professional organizations to support professional development
programs designed to improve the knowledge and skills of teachers,
administrators, and others.
*
First Adopted: 2006: Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 32:
TEACHER SHORTAGES
Attracting and retaining properly certified classroom teachers is a
primary goal for all stakeholders including our professional
organizations, our state legislators, the federal government and the
business community. AASA supports efforts to increase high-quality
alternative certification programs and to provide tax credits for
teachers and principals as incentive to enter high-poverty and lowperforming schools.
*
First Adopted: 2003; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
Position Statement 33:
COMMUNITY COLLABORATION AND
PARTNERSHIPS
Communities are responsible for the health, safety and education of
each child. Schools are but one partner in the arena of public and
private agencies.
AASA urges and supports collaborative, community-wide programs and
the delivery of full service programs to address the needs of all
children.
*
First Adopted: 1994: Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
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Position Statement 34:
COLLABORATION AMONG YOUTH
SERVICES
AASA supports quality community-wide programs and services
designed to break the cycle of poverty and address the readiness
needs of all children.
*
First Adopted: 1993; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 35:
COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY
WITH THE PUBLIC
The future of public education depends on effective communication
and relationship building. Developing long-term relationships with staff
and community based on regular, honest, and open communication
helps build understanding of, advocacy for, and commitment to the
mission of the school district.
*
First Adopted: 2006; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 36:
LEAVING DECISIONS REGARDING
COMMERCIAL AFFILIATIONS WITH
LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS
AASA supports leaving decisions on commercial affiliations to school
districts with local boards of education and opposes state and federal
legislation to limit such arrangements.
AASA urges local school boards to protect student health and wellbeing when establishing commercial partnerships and exclusive sales
agreements.
*
First Adopted: 2004; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2010
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Position Statement 37:
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
AASA supports professional development for superintendents and
boards, standards to hold both administrators and their boards
accountable, and financial incentives to encourage individuals to enter
educational administration.
*
First Adopted: 2002; Re-Adopted: July 2007
Scheduled Review: 2009
Position Statement 38:
HIGH SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
AASA should consider these elements of high school improvement:
*
•
All high school improvement must be rooted in the larger context of
Pre K -16 programming.
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High schools should be judged by the number of students who
graduate, with flexibility to allow more time for those students who
need it. There must be an accurate data system that provides a
common definition of dropouts and includes the flexibility to translate
graduation rates in three, four, five, or six years, similar to data
collected for college graduation.
•
Improvement efforts should focus on high-quality curriculum that is
thorough, rigorous, robust, and relevant to the real world. Equally
important is a focus on the relationships among students and between
students and adults in the school. Indicators of success should not be
limited to state assessments.
•
High schools should develop strategies for teaching literacy, which
includes reading and writing across content areas.
•
Schools should identify and address the varying needs of students as
they transition into and out of high school. Programming at these
junctions should reflect learning beyond minimum standards.
First Adopted: 2007
Scheduled Review: 2008 Completed; Next Review: 2011
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Position Statement 39:
INTEGRATION TO CORRECT
RACIAL AND ECONOMIC
ISOLATION IN SCHOOLS
AASA believes schools and school districts which correct racial and economic
isolation provide the best preparation for participation in America’s multiethnic society and the global society for which we are educating children.
School administrators have a moral and ethical responsibility to provide
affirmative leadership and to advocate for integrated, high- quality schools.
School leaders must work with other organizations and agencies to establish
open, affordable housing, equal employment opportunities, economic security
and full social participation.
We encourage local superintendents to develop solutions that achieve the
goal of an integrated society, and we also encourage nonpublic school
administrators to diversify the student population of their schools.
* First Adopted: 2008
Scheduled Review: 2008
Position Statement #40:
Public Education is a Civil Right
Public education is the cornerstone and heart of our democracy. Without a
viable and effective public education system, the citizens of the United States
will not be able to exercise the rights granted to them by the Constitution of
the United States. Every student has a right to be educated and that right
cannot be infringed by race, religion, ethnicity, disability, economic status or
any other factor.
Therefore, AASA believes that Public Education is a Civil Right.
* First Adopted: 2008
Scheduled Review: 2011
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