The process of reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) is in full swing in the nation’s capital. Both the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor and the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) are holding regular hearings on the subject.

U.S. secretary of education speaks

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan appeared before both committees in mid-March and set forth the Obama administration’s overall goal: By 2020, all students will graduate ready to succeed in college and the workplace. To achieve this goal, the administration has organized its plans for reforming the ESEA around three sub-goals:

• Raising standards.
• Rewarding excellence and growth.
• Increasing local control and flexibility while maintaining a focus on equity and closing achievement gaps.

Duncan said that the accountability measures of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Bush administration’s version of ESEA, are insufficient because they allow states to lower standards in order to avoid sanctions. He said NCLB has also encouraged a narrowing of curriculum and forced teachers and schools to focus on test-taking rather than real learning. To that end, the Obama administration’s plans call for new assessments and accountability systems that focus primarily on academic growth.

Duncan also spoke on the importance of teachers and principals, as well as how Obama’s plans call for dedicating a record $3.9 billion to strengthening the teaching profession by improving teacher preparation programs and creating meaningful career ladders that will both reward good educators and help districts retain them.

HELPing education

The HELP Committee met again April 28 and 29 to hear invited testimony from several members of the education community, including Dallas ISD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa. Topics covered ranged from the importance of focusing on special student populations, such as English language learners and special education students, to Race to the Top, national curriculum standards and educator preparation.

Lucinda Hundley, an assistant superintendent in Littleton, Colo., testified about the importance of measuring student growth over time compared to cohort groups, instead of basing achievement on arbitrary targets used to determine Adequate Yearly Progress as called for in NCLB. She also urged the committee to consider providing schools with increased flexibility in educating students with disabilities, as well as supporting quality teacher training and models that provide incentives for teachers pursue traditionally hard-to-staff positions such as special education.

Listening to those involved

Both committees held additional hearings in early May. The focus of the House committee hearing was the importance of quality teachers and leaders in public education. In his opening remarks, Committee Chairman George Miller (D–Calif.) said that of all the factors involved in giving children a good education, none is more important than the quality of their teacher. The committee heard from several witnesses, including the heads of several collegiate education programs and school superintendents, on ways to better prepare, recruit and retain quality educators. The Senate hearing focused on improving secondary schools.

As of press time, an ESEA reauthorization bill had not yet been filed. However, it is expected that a formal bill will be filed soon.

Questions? Contact ATPE Governmental Relations.