Representatives to AASA’s Delegate Assembly will vote on a record 11 resolutions during this year’s National Conference on Education.

"The number and diversity of topics exceeds that of previous Delegate Assemblies," says David Wolk, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Education and chair of the AASA Resolutions Committee.

The Delegate Assembly, involving 231 members from AASA’s state associations and non-state affiliates, will be held from 8 to 10 a.m. Monday in Room 104.

Among the proposed resolutions is one dealing with school choice. It states that federal and state laws should apply to private schools that receive public funds to ensure equal protection for all children. The resolution states that AASA opposes any public-funded choice program that allows some parents to access educational alternatives while parents of children who are disadvantaged cannot access the same choices.

One resolution expected to generate some discussion involves the superintendent-board relations, roles and responsibilities. The proposal calls on local boards to "provide quality leadership in the policy, rather than the administrative arena. Boards of education should not be involved in the day-to-day operations of school districts."

Another resolution of interest concerns teacher and administrator shortages. The resolution allows for alternative and comprehensive paths to achieve licensure as a teacher/administrator. According to Bruce Hunter, director of public policy at AASA, allowing alternative routes is a change in AASA’s historic position on licensure.

Also expected to raise some interest is a resolution on diversity that states the primary purpose of schools is to empower children to reach their fullest potential. To ensure this purpose schools must offer "learning experiences that value differences in race, ethnicity, gender, physical ability, soci-economic status and sexual orientation."

Wolk said the adoption of the platforms and resolutions "has been a much more open process this year because we published them early and we got feedback at We Care." For the first time, AASA conducted an open forum at We Care to solicit input on its proposals.

Resolutions adopted by AASA’s legislative body are designed to guide the organization’s advocacy efforts throughout the year.

Other proposed resolutions before the Delegate Assembly include calls for:

• Increased state and federal funding, specifically funds for school facilities construction;

• Reform to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to eliminate differential treatment and discipline for special education students; an increase in federal funding from approximately 8 percent to the federal mandate of 40 percent; expedited mandatory mediation between school districts and parents over student placement; and Medicaid reimbursements for school-based health services directly to the schools where the costs were incurred;

• Promotion of a safe and nurturing learning environment for children, including support of the Learning First Alliance’s efforts to promote responsible gun ownership;

• Use of various valid and credible standards and benchmarks to assess student achievement and the quality of learning rather than a single assessment program; and

• A national commitment to break the connection between parents’ income and the achievement of their children.

The AASA Resolutions Committee will hold an open meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Friday at the Marriott’s Salon 1 to review resolutions proposed for submission to the Delegate Assembly.