The new law is a turnaround from 14 years of federally directed education policy that began with President George W. Bush’s signing of the equally bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act, an effort to raise performance through an emphasis on standards, testing and accountability.
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The bill passed the House 359-64 a week ago and the Senate voted 85-12 to pass the compromise measure.
“This is a big step in the right direction, a true bipartisan effort”, Mr. Obama said at the rare bill-signing ceremony at the White House.
With the new flexibility that the law gives to states and local school districts, Garcia said, policymakers and administrators have the chance to “take a look at making this a respected profession where teachers are allowed to make decisions that they know are in the best interest of students”.
Sheldahl said, the new law won’t change much locally so the school hasn’t taken too much time to talk about how they plan on implementing new educational tactics. The last principle measures the state’s teacher and administrator effectiveness. Under ESSA, exemptions from burdensome proficiency ratings for math and reading will no longer be issued from the federal government.
U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) also added several provisions to the bill including those specifically addressing substance abuse in the home, promoting volunteerism and community service and protecting children from predators.
Congress and the president actually worked together to get something done on education reform. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., also voted in favor of the legislation. In 2001, he and then-Sen.
No Child Left Behind is no more.
Obama says, “The goals of No Child Left Behind, the predecessor of this law, were the right ones”.
“The inclusion of these proposals in the Every Student Succeeds Act will provide greater opportunities for at-risk youth and keep them on a solid track to success”, said Rep. David Cicilline (D-Rhode Island) in a release on Wednesday. “It leaves federal bureaucrats out of the picture”. Jerry Moran, R-Kan.
One parent group from Florida says the rewrite doesn’t do enough to reduce the federal government’s role in education, saying it does not fix some of the core problems plaguing education.
Another “achievement” of one of the worst presidents in history has been sent to the dustbin as it seems that the one thing that Republicans and Democrats can agree on is the need to get rid of No Child Left Behind. The law does ensure states are setting high standards to prepare students for college and a career.
“Many of the policies and requirements of ESSA are already in place in the Washoe County School District”, said Deputy Superintendent Kristen McNeill. But if a school drops into the lowest-performing five percent of all schools, the state will be required to intervene to develop programs to help the school improve.
ESSA gives more power to states than its predecessor. Since 2012, the administration has offered grants through its Race to the Top program for states that adopted strong academic standards for its students.
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“I think this is really a good example of how bipartisanship can work”, said Obama.
