Skip Navigation
Teacher with young students

It’s time to deliver Opportunity for Every Student

The Every Student Succeeds Act mandates that the people who know students best—their educators, families, communities—can shape their future. Now it’s time to make sure lawmakers and policy leaders hear us, and help us make our schools exceptional.

Before we passed ESSA, our schools with the greatest needs couldn’t access the funding they deserved. They were punished by standardized tests results used to measure entire school systems. But we know that student success is more than a score. That’s why we fought for a law that would ensure states look at meaningful measures of school success.

Thanks to ESSA, now is the time to raise your voice to help build opportunities for all students! What does your school need to create those opportunities? Who can help meet those needs? How can your school community work towards those goals? How do you measure excellence in your school community?

We’ve created simple but effective tools to help you understand the law, determine your school community’s biggest needs, take action to meet those needs and find funding to implement your plans. Let’s make sure zip codes don’t determine the quality of education. Let’s raise our voices together to bring opportunity to every student.

My School, My Voice

As educators, we know best what will ensure our students have the opportunities they need to be successful. Now, we have to take action—we must define the changes needed to create the schools our students deserve, and insist on policymakers to deliver. Here’s what you can do today.
Driving the Opportunity Checklist

Get Oriented

Understand how to measure success, then match the metrics to your school experience.
Student looking through microscope

Identify Needs

Ready to dive in? Our Opportunity Audit helps educators and allies define specific goals for growth.
Lily Eskelsen Garcia with Community Member

Build Bridges

We achieve more together. Here’s how to build a team and make sure educators’ voices are heard.
Teacher at ESSA Event

Connect With Communities

Families and communities have new rights under ESSA. Learn how you can build strong public schools together.
Current funding: $15.8B

Find Funding

There are millions of dollars for implementing ESSA plans. Browse our database to find grants for your state or district.
RedforEd Rally

Advocate for Change

We bring administrators and educators, parents and partners, together to find the right solutions for our students.
becky
ESSA restores student learning to the center of everything educators do, and we intend on preparing our members to lead this transformation.
Quote by: Becky Pringle, President of NEA
Student looking through microscope

Opportunity Is Here

Do students and educators at your school have everything they need? Use our short checklist to see what your students deserve and where your school can grow.
National Education Association

Great public schools for every student

The National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional employee organization, is committed to advancing the cause of public education. NEA's 3 million members work at every level of education—from pre-school to university graduate programs. NEA has affiliate organizations in every state and in more than 14,000 communities across the United States.