Statement by AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine on Proposed Amendment Slashing Federal Education Research Funding
Statement by AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine on Proposed Amendment Slashing Federal Education Research Funding
 
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For Immediate Release
September 7, 2017

Contact:
Tony Pals, tpals@aera.net
(202) 238-3235, (202) 288-9333 (cell)

Jonathan Fera, jfera@aera.net
(202) 238-3233, (414) 610-5661 (cell)

September 7, 2017

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) strongly opposes the Rooney Amendment to the Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (H. R. 3354), currently under consideration in the House of Representatives. The amendment would slash federal funding for the non-partisan Institute of Education Sciences (IES) by one-third, gravely undermining this important agency’s mission of advancing independent scientific evidence, statistics, and data.

The amendment’s call to cut $195 million in critical education research funding will impede the improvement of teaching and learning in our schools. The amendment also contradicts current budgetary support for IES from the House of Representatives, Senate, and the Trump administration.

IES, a premier federal source for education research, evaluation, and statistics, must be fully funded so that educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders can continue to improve outcomes for all students.  

AERA urges all House members to vote NO on Amendment #73. We must preserve education research funding and continue the growth of scientific knowledge throughout our nation.

About AERA
The American Educational Research Association (AERA) is the largest national interdisciplinary research association devoted to the scientific study of education and learning. Founded in 1916, AERA advances knowledge about education, encourages scholarly inquiry related to education, and promotes the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. Find AERA on Facebook and Twitter.

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