I started thinking about the future in regard to the new Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Where will we be with this Act five years from now?
The NEA sent out information about the ESSA yesterday. They seem giddy, and I fear they are out-of-touch. I see no such hope for ESSA. Of course, I hope I am wrong.
Here is what the NEA is saying:
For 14 long years, students and educators have lived under the deeply flawed No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) returns decision making for our nation’s education back where it belongs – in the hands of local educators, parents and communities – while keeping the focus on students most in need.
NCLB was insidious. But I don’t see the Every Student Succeeds Act, which even has a name sounding suspiciously like No Child Left Behind, as being anything more than facilitating more No Child Left Behind shenanigans!
Before ESSA makes its way to the local educators, parents and communities, it must go through the states. How many of us have state Governors and legislators who are pro-public schools, anti-high-stakes testing, and looking for ways to bolster the professional careers of real teachers?
No. I didn’t think so.
Therein is the main problem with ESSA.
Perhaps worse than the state jurisdiction, many urban and even rural local school districts have bought on to draconian school reform. NCLB wasn’t just about the federal government.
The pro-privatization Broad Foundation has worked with local school boards across the country. Of course this raises huge questions as to the meaning of a local constituency when it comes to school decision-making.
Take, for example, the problem in Los Angeles, which could become a mostly all-charter school system. Broad is behind this effort.
We all know the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have pushed their way into local schools too.
In school-budget-depressed Memphis they were welcomed with cheerleaders and marching bands years ago! Is the ESSA curbing their influence on public schools? No.
Memphis, by the way, is now largely a charter school system.
And we certainly can’t forget Bill Gates and his influence with Common Core State Standards and teacher education. Where is the push-back on Common Core with ESSA?
Serious changes are being made across the country and in our universities as to the structure of teacher education. Who’s questioning, for example, the Relay Graduate School of Education?
How does ESSA address this? It really doesn’t. ESSA, I believe, is an extension of NCLB—not a rejection of it.
States are supposed to achieve one indicator surrounding each area. What does that mean? They make it sound like there will be less assessment. Does anyone see that starting to happen? You would think if states were jumping on the ESSA bandwagon, we would already be seeing the reduction of testing.
Remember teen Maddy Drew and her mom’s request that she not be tested due to profound disabilities? The Florida Commissioner of Education Pamela Stewart just rejected her plea! They won’t even readdress testing on students with disabilities!
Also in Florida, they just passed a bill for Competency-Based Education. Two counties this will affect are Lake, Pinellas, Seminole and Palm Beach, which have been good school systems for many years. While this looks rosy on the surface, look for students to get more online instruction and less access to real teachers—and not just in Florida.
That’s where all of this is heading. ESSA is doing nothing to stop it or even question it.
ESSA enthusiasts seem to think the removal of the federal government is a great thing. But the federal government should fill in the gaps when the state and local school districts fall down on the job—for whatever reason. The three branches of government should work together on behalf of public schooling.
But newly appointed Secretary of Education John King, is from the strictly run Uncommon Schools and his wife works for Bellewether Education Partners–a worrisome school reform group looking for more online schooling.
So where will we be in five years with ESSA? It’s a troubling question, and like most of today’s school reforms, it is the teachers, and, more importantly, the students, who will bear the brunt of bad reform—which I’m sorry to say is what I think ESSA is about.
In the meantime the fight for public schools—the students and teachers—goes on….
Nancy, I share your concerns with ESSA. From what I’ve been reading, the new law was basically written by lobbyists who are salivating at the thought of all the “personalized” (aka impersonalized) learning that will be going on, with 1:1 digital devices and copious data mining. I am appalled, but unfortunately not surprised, that the NEA is putting lipstick on another pig.
Agree. Thank you so much, Sheila. You always state things beautifully.
This is a trust issue. Kind of like on a soft level, Flint water, do we trust the government? Tired of the same ole stuff or as commenter said, lipstick on a pig.
That’s an interesting way of putting it, Jim. I think we should be able to trust are elected officials if we choose good ones. Unfortunately, we have a crop of bad ones right now. Thank you.
ESSA embeds into federal law all the shenanigans of the UN, Bill Gates, Broad, Walton, Carnegie etc etc etc. Everything they have done and will do is now federal law. Sorry folks but we woke up about 10 years too late. The solution is to get as many kids out of the public school system as possible. Every parent that still has children in school must do whatever they have to in order to get them out and parents who no longer have children in school must do everything they can to help the working poor get their kids out. Let the system implode then WE make our demands for the NEW system (which is the old pre 1965 system) All children are born equal and have equal opportunity but equal outcomes cannot and should not be the goal. When that becomes the goal we get what we have today. The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America. It is time to STARVE THE BEAST. As long as we give the beast what it needs to survive (our children) it will never die.
Thank you, Karen. I agree with the first part and would say that school reform has been under way for more than 10 years unfortunately.
While I understand parents who home school due to lousy school situations–kids get one chance–I am very much against the second part of what you suggest. We own our public schools and we must work to voice our opposition to those who want to steal them from us. I think there is a grassroots organization to do that.
For example Garfield High School organized and said no to high-stakes testing. I believe parents and teachers working together is what is called for.
Also, in some places there are good public schools still.
I think those who want to privatize public schools WANT parents to leave. My opinion, but thanks again for sharing yours. We both agree about ESSA though.
I so agree with this. Parents and teachers coming together is the only way to stop this insanity. This is our school system and we need to take it back from politicians trying to make money on our children’s education.
Yes I know this has been going on for well over 10 years. My comment was that we are 10 years too late. And I highly disagree. Our first priority is our children, their education and their mental health. While we fight this battle our children left on the battle field will be the only casualties. While we hold on to our honorable loyalty to our public school system we must admit the system is totally broken. I for one am not about to sit back and watch out children destroyed while we fight back. It is like fixing our immigration problem. We need to build the wall then fix the problem. Dr. James Milgram has provided research that says once our children are exposed to the fake math of Common Core for 3-4 years there is no way we can reverse the damage. We already have a generation that started school 4 years ago that are now lost forever. Is this worth keeping our children in this system so we can stand by the public school system? Sorry but our children MUST come first before anything else. This is a global effort and the plan is much bigger than your local school system. Pearson is currently rewriting the international test PISA to align with Common Core. Competency Based Education and Assessments are right around the corner (and already starting is several states). Limited access to teachers and total mind conditioning on the computer is our children’s future in the public school system and they will have no choice. They either obey or they get fired and funds stop flowing from the federal government.
You make some good points about what is wrong with education, and I have written a lot about these issues. So you are in some ways preaching to the choir.
And certainly parents should do what is right for their children.
I just disagree about shutting all the public schools down. Many parents who work rely on them. Many teachers also work hard to shield their students from bad reforms. I believe you can change them from within.
But I am not trying to change your mind. You can believe what you wish.
Not all. I am not foolish enough to think that every child can leave the system. For those children the parents must engage and refuse surveys, high stakes tests and the use of the digital platform. They in their own way STARVE THE BEAST. But for those that can (and there are many) we need to work at saving as many children as we can. I see a 4th grader today and my heart breaks because I know that child has no clue about real math or literature. But they sure know a lot about alternative lifestyles and how bad we are for eating meat. I am not trying to change anyone’s mind either just stating my position. In the end people must do what they feel is right but by not discussing these issues many people won’t even know there is a choice. I have a long list of parents that never thought they would take their kids out but as time goes on and they see what is happening have done what they never thought they would do and I have been told by many it was because of the information I shared on what is happening and about how we need to protect our children first and foremost. This discussion has come to it rightful end. Thanks.
Nancy, I just wrote a couple of articles about Competency Based Education for the Leaders/Educators/Teachers as tied to the ESSA; those big name groups pushing the ESSA on us. NEA is certainly among them. I pointed out that the NEA will begin on 4/3/16 “Springing into ESSA” across the nation in schools. Those of us who know how toxic the ESSA is should be sharing this information. It will be better to be pro-active about informing others about ESSA than re-active, especially where groups like NEA are concerned.
That’s troubling. Thanks for sharing Lynne. I look forward to reading your writings, as always, and very complete list of links.