Two Manchester Principals Advocate for Education in Washington DC

Jennifer Mayes, Principal of Klager Elementary School

Shanna Spickard principal of Manchester Middle School

Jennifer Mayes, principal of Luther C. Klager Elementary and Shanna Spickard principal of Manchester Middle School recently joined 200 elementary and middle school educators and leaders from across the country in the nation’s capital for the National Association of Elementary School Principals’ (NAESP) National Leaders Conference (NLC). Mayes and Spickard advocated on behalf of principals, schools, teachers, and students to try to persuade lawmakers to do what they believe is right for American education.

Mayes and Spickard interacted directly with Congressional leaders, who were in the process of debating reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly referred to as "No Child Left Behind". Providing access to early childhood education, opposing high stakes standardized testing, opposing the use of school vouchers, and improving principal training and recruitment were priorities that principals pushed for on Capitol Hill.

“We see such a disconnect from what lawmakers are mandating and what our students need. It was nice to be able to bring a voice of practice to law makers,” stated Spickard. Mayes expressed, “It was an exciting time to be in Washington as lawmakers debated over the details of ESEA. We found that our congressmen and women want to hear the stories of what is happening in our buildings, and they were eager to learn of the negative affects of high-stakes testing on the daily operation of our schools.”

With support from NAESP staff, Mayes and Spickard called on federal lawmakers to oppose Title I “portability” which would allow Title I money to be taken from public schools and given to private schools, support the Principal Recruitment and Training Act of 2015, oppose the House ESEA bill in its current form, and encourage early pre-kindergarten programs and PK-3 alignment - a practice that would ensure preschool curriculum prepares students for what they'll encounter in kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Mayes and Spickard also attended advocacy programming, including a panel discussion and Q&A session with Eleanor Clift - Newsweek and The Daily Beast contributing editor, and Pat Buchanan - columnist and chairman of the American Cause Foundation.

Because of Mayes and Spickard’s involvement with Michigan Elementary and Middle School Principals Association (MEMSPA), no district funds were used for this trip.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.