ESSA represents a significant course correction acknowledging that more than a decade's worth of education reforms based on test-and-sanction policies were a failure, and sends a strong signal to states that these failed policies should not be pursued. This bill:
Maintains funding for the students who need it most;
Prohibits the federal government from mandating teacher evaluations;
Stops the federal government from prescribing high-stakes consequences like school closures and conversions;
Opposes support for private school vouchers, portability or other divisive policies;
Includes more transparency and accountability for charters; and
Maintains certification requirements for paraprofessionals.
While the new bill doesn't solve all problems, it opens the way for states to give teachers the latitude to teach so their kids can reach their potential, and gives us the chance to press the reset button so public schools can be places where teachers want to teach, parents want to send their kids and students are engaged.
1 comment:
There are a lot of good components to the renewal of this bill, but the show stopper is not allowing the portability of a student's funding to go with them to a private or charter school. This was the one escape valve some students had to getting out of a bad environment. It is simply a way of the feds and the state keeping their hands on tax money that has heretofore been spent unwisely, to put it politely. The fact that the states are having to compete with charters to keep students is their own fault. They have kept the vast portion of funding in the administration and not spent it where it does the most good. I will not accept that any school superintendent is worth hundreds of thousands and in some cases, millions of dollars, in salary. I feel the same way about university presidents. This is a travesty to the students and to the taxpayer. These are not CEO's of private companys... who are also not worth millions but are employed by a private company so their shareholders can feed that largesse...; they are state employees. They have built their kingdoms or empires and completely neglected to see the funding gets to where it was intended. They should be charged with fraud! The bill should be sent back. Parents have spoken...they want the option of where they send their child and since its their money they should have that option, not be forced into a government created bad situation. Send the bill back!
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