HIGHLIGHTS

A LOT AT STAKE FOR STUDENTS IN NEW HOUSE ESEA REAUTHORIZATION BILLS!

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) has released two new draft bills to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) also known as “No Child Left Behind.”  The  Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act are expected to be considered soon by the Committee in a “mark-up” (where they will debate and amend the draft); however, no mark-up has been scheduled.

Under the bills, schools would still test students annually in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school, but the one-size-fits-all “adequate yearly progress” formula would be scrapped.  Achievement data would still be broken down to show how different subgroups of students, such as English-language learners and students with disabilities, are doing relative to their peers.  Students with disabilities would be assessed in a manner deemed appropriate by their IEP teams. 

Any ESEA reauthorization proposal must be judged by how well it focuses on equity, supports educators and struggling schools, and helps ensure that public education thrives.  We must find an appropriate balance of federal and state roles by refocusing on strong state accountability systems while continuing to maintain a sharp federal focus on equity across state and district lines.  We are concerned that the House bills tip the balance too far toward the states by failing to provide for a clear federal role in ensuring equity for students most in need, namely children living in poverty, English language learners, and students with disabilities.  Read NEA's list of pros and cons in the House bills.

In the Senate, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee passed a bill that includes a number of hard-fought victories, including leaving teacher evaluation to the state and local level where it belongs, giving states additional flexibility to help turnaround struggling schools, and ensuring that districts won’t force teachers to transfer to different schools.  But, much more work needs to be done, particularly to reduce the focus on standardized testing.  The Committee held a hearing on the bill for November 8, 2011.  The bill is not expected to go to the Senate floor for debate and vote anytime soon.

Take Action Today: Educators working in schools and classrooms across the country are the best and most effective voices to ensure a good ESEA reauthorization bill. Your experience and expertise are critical to the debates in Congress and policymakers need to hear what you have to say. Contact your Representative today to give your thoughts about what will work best for your students and school.

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES RELIEF FROM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND

President Obama has announced a plan to provide relief to states from many of No Child Left Behind’s more onerous provisions.  States can apply for waivers of Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) timelines and school improvement and accountability requirements; and can also request flexibility in using federal education funds in the way that best meets their needs. 

NEA believes that President Obama has taken a welcome step forward with this plan.  It sets much more realistic goals for schools, while maintaining ESEA’s original commitment to civil rights, high academic standards and success for every student.  Educators have been sounding the alarm on NCLB’s test-label-punish approach for more than 10 years.  Now, there is an opportunity to move forward with real reform, especially for the most disadvantaged students Read NEA’s full press release on the waiver plan.  Learn more about the President’s plan. 

NEA had requested such relief, including through a May 2011 letter to the Department of Education.  The President’s plan includes most of NEA’s asks.