No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) | ESEA
It's Time for a Change.
HIGHLIGHTS
ESEA REAUTHORIZATION COMPLETES CRITICAL STEP IN THE HOUSE
On February 28, the House Education and the Workforce Committee “marked up” and approved H.R. 3989, the Student Success Act and H.R. 3990, the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teaching Act. The bills passed out of committee on a partisan vote of 23 to 16, with all Republicans voting to report the bills out of committee and all Democrats voting against. NEA opposed the bills in part because we believe they walk away from the critical federal role in ensuring equity in education for all students and go too far in prescribing terms of teacher evaluation systems at the federal level – a role more appropriate for states and local school districts. Read NEA’s letter and press release opposing the bills. You can watch an archived version of the mark-up and read Member of Congress statements on the Education and the Workforce Committee website.
Prior to mark-up, NEA had several victories. With the help of pro-public education Republicans on the committee, particularly Representatives Judy Biggert (R-IL) and Todd Platts (R-PA), we were able to secure the removal from the bills of private school voucher language and to add privacy language to ensure the public was not able to access teacher's evaluations. Despite these victories, NEA still opposed the final bill.
It is not clear whether or when the bills will move to the House floor for debate. In the meantime, much work remains to educate Members of Congress about the issues that matter most to students and educators.
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 for States from No Child Left Behind Provisions
On February 9, President Obama and Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced the approval of ten states’ plans to make substantial school reforms in return for temporary regulatory relief from some of No Child Left Behind's mandates. The Administration endorsed plans by Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
The waivers provide relief from Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) timelines and school improvement and accountability requirements; as well as flexibility in using federal education funds in the way that best meets their needs.
NEA is encouraged by efforts to provide relief from No Child Left Behind, but we believe the waivers are only a stopgap measure. NEA will continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive bill that works for students and reflects the important federal role of ensuring equity while working with states and local school districts to support the public education system. Read NEA’s press release on the waivers.
NEA had requested such relief, including through a May 2011 letter to the Department of Education.
Where We Stand
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is the current incarnation of President Lyndon Johnson’s Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), whose purpose was to raise achievement and close achievement gaps. NEA strongly supports these goals and is working to give all children great public schools. But educators know that NCLB as currently written can’t get us there.
NEA has made many proposals for rewriting and improving the law.
Detailed proposals to Congress (May, 2010).
In brief:
- ESEA should promote innovation, high expectations, and encourage development of 21st century skills in public schools.
- ESEA should end the obsession with high-stakes, poor-quality tests by developing high-quality assessment systems that provide multiple ways for students to show what they have learned.
- ESEA should help provide great educators and school leaders for every student.
- ESEA should promote public education as a shared responsibility of parents, communities, educators, and policymakers.
- ESEA should provide increased funding to all states and school districts to meet the growing demand for globally-competitive education of U.S. students.
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SHARE AND DISCUSS
Change NCLB - But How?
The "No Child Left Behind" law was supposed to dramatically reduce achievement gaps and boost achievement. It has done neither. Now NCLB is overdue for reauthorization, which means it will be changed. What changes would you like to see? What provisions should be kept? How can the federal government really help schools close achievement gaps and improve achievement?
Post your ideas on our discussion board and see what your colleagues are saying.
Video
Teri Vest
High School English/Social Studies Teacher
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