Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

Urging Federal Officials "Level Up," Not Shift Away Education Resources

Tue, 11/15/2016 - 4:45pm
The signatures of more than 5,100 AFT members across the country concerned over implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) last week were delivered to the federal education department. They accompanied a letter from our national union president regarding proposed "supplement-not-supplant" regulations that threaten to "wreak havoc on thousands of schools" and the students they serve.
 
Click here for the language of the petition.
 

New Federal Testing Proposals: Praise, Caution & Action

Mon, 07/18/2016 - 5:30pm
The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) earlier this month proposed rules regarding student testing under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the nation's new law governing public education. Included in the July 7 announcement were plans for a pilot program that states will likely be able to apply for in the coming school year. The news drew both caution and praise from union leaders -- along with a renewed call to action ensuring that the law's promise as a "reset" of federal education policy continues.
 

Every Student Succeeds Act Ushers in Sweeping Changes

Fri, 12/11/2015 - 4:30pm
President Barack Obama yesterday signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law, enacting the most positive changes in nearly two decades to Pre-K through college public education policy. The new law, which reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Elementary Education Act (ESEA), marks the end to the top-down accountability in place since the passage of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
 
Click here for more on how the new law impacts states and local districts.
 

No Child Left Behind Overhaul Advances

Fri, 07/17/2015 - 3:00pm
After multiple hearings, a long markup and a week of floor debate, the U.S. Senate yesterday resoundingly approved a bill that could help vanquish the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In a bipartisan vote senators overwhelmingly approved the Every Child Achieves Act, a bill to replace NCLB and restore the historic mission of the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA); equity in our nation's public schools.
 
Click here for press coverage on the bill's passage.
 

Bipartisan ESEA Bill: A Step Forward

Thu, 04/09/2015 - 5:00pm
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization proposal announced this week shows that, even in the current climate, it's possible to find common ground by listening to teachers, parents and other voices in education. U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) -- the chair and the ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee -- on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan bill reauthorizing the law, known in its current form as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
 
Click here for a bill summary from the HELP Committee.
 

Teachers Union Leaders Team Up on ESEA

Mon, 03/30/2015 - 12:00pm
The presidents of the nation's two largest teachers unions last week offered a shared vision for reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) at a Washington, D.C., meeting with state policy chiefs. A day later they reiterated their commitment in a joint keynote address to a nationwide audience of educators participating in Share My Lesson's third annual virtual conference.
 
Click here to watch the joint keynote presentation.
 

Educators' Voices Heard on ESEA Reauthorization

Tue, 03/17/2015 - 12:00pm
From grass-roots lobbying on Capitol Hill to a national telephone town hall to in-district meetings with elected officials, AFT members from across the country have focused on the all-important reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). AFT Connecticut-affiliated union members last week traveled to Washington, DC and met with U.S. Senator Chris Murphy in New Haven to press for a return to the original mission of the keystone federal law for K-12 education: equity.
 
Click here for photos of the meeting with Sen. Murphy.
 

Career Technical Education: Leading by Example

Mon, 03/02/2015 - 1:00pm
Excellent career and technical education (CTE) programs are an irreplaceable bridge from high school to productive middle-class lives for many students, and Congress must recognize that fact by placing excellent CTE at the heart of its overall strategy for schools. That is the message an AFT Connecticut union leader delivered last week to a U.S. Senate panel in Washington, D.C.
 

The Federal Government, Equity and Civil Rights

Thu, 02/26/2015 - 6:00pm
AFT and the Albert Shanker Institute last week sponsored a conversation in Washington, D.C. about the stakes involved in reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). There panelists discussed what it will mean for the millions of students who look to their schools for a fair shake and a chance to reach their dreams.
 
Click here to watch the "ESEA at 50" forum's introduction.
 

Renewing the Call to Reduce High-Stakes Tests

Mon, 02/23/2015 - 6:00pm
Our allies in the Connecticut Education Association (CEA) today announced a proposal that builds on long-running, collaborative efforts to lessen the burden of tests on students in our state's schools. At a press conference an ad campaign and petition drive were launched with the goal of urging lawmakers to take action during the 2015 legislative session to reduce excessive testing.
 
Click here to add your name to the online petition.
 
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