AAU joined ACE and 35 other organizations in urging the House and Senate leaders of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee to make investments in federal government programs intended to address shortages in the educator pipeline and the lack of diversity among educators. The letter urges lawmakers to increase funding in the FY22 appropriations bill for the IDEA Personnel Preparation program; the Teacher Quality Partnership Grants under the Higher Education Act; and the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence. “These programs together have suffered an ongoing diminishment of funds in the last several years, moving steadily downhill as the shortage of educators steadily has grown, exacerbated by the COVID pandemic,” the letter notes.