Make Sure Every Student Has a Fully Prepared Teacher on Day 1!

from Susan Goodman, NDSC Governmental Affairs Newsline:

The U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee is scheduled to mark-up a bill to reauthorize ESEA (formerly known as No Child Left Behind). At the markup, critical amendments will be offered by Senators that will have a powerful impact to meaningful high quality instruction and to prepared and effective teachers.

Your Senators Need to Hear From You Today!

Please take 5 minutes to contact your U.S. Senators and members of the Senate HELP Committee concerning the following amendments:

1. ASK YOUR SENATOR TO VOTE NO on Isakson Amendment because students with disabilities deserve access to the same education as other students!  The Isakson amendment would remove the limits on how many students with disabilities can be counted as making adequate results or sufficient progress using less challenging systems of standards and assessments.

• This amendment would allow schools to take millions of students with disabilities off track for a regular high school diploma as early as 3rd grade when assessment decisions are made in schools, relegating them to lower career and college expectations - simply because they receive special education services.

2. ASK YOUR SENATORS TO SUPPORT THE AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT) REGARDING THE DEFINITION OF A HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER

• These amendments will call for an end to the practice of congregating the least prepared teachers in the highest need schools by strengthening the definition of a highly qualified teacher.

3. ASK YOUR SENATORS TO OPPOSE THE AMENDMENT THAT WILL BE OFFERED BY SENATOR MICHAEL BENNET (D-CO), TO ADD S. 1250 TO ESEA.

• S. 1250 would water down requirements for teacher preparation programs by creating separate and lower standards for preparation programs that prepare teachers for the neediest students. Oppose this amendment to end the practice of placing the least qualified teachers in the highest-need schools.

Adapted From Action Alert, Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates

Senators on the HELP Committee:

Tom Harkin (IA)(COMMITTEE CHAIR): (202) 224-3254 (DC) (515) 284-4574 (Des Moines); web site contact site: http://harkin.senate.gov/contact_opinion.cfm

Robert P. Casey, Jr. (PA):(866) 802-2833 (DC); (215) 405-9660 (Philadelphia); http://casey.senate.gov/contact/

Jeff Merkley (OR): (202) 224-3753; (503) 326-3386; http://merkley.senate.gov/contact/

Al Franken (MN): (202) 224-5641; (651) 221-1016; http://www.franken.senate.gov/?p=email_al

Barbara Mikulski (MD): (202) 224-4654; (410) 962- 4510; http://mikulski.senate.gov/contact/shareyouropinion.cfm

Sheldon Whitehouse (RI): (202) 224- 2921; (401) 453-5294

Jeff Bingaman (NM): (202) 224-5521 (DC); (505) 346-6601 (NM); senator_bingaman@bingaman.senate.gov

Patty Murray (WA): Phone: (202) 224-2621 (DC); (866) 481-9186 (Seattle); http://murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contactme

Kay Hagan (NC): 202-224-6342; 919-856-4630; http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=contact

Richard Blumenthal (CT): 202-224-2823; 860-258-6940 http://www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/

Michael B. Enzi (WY) (RANKING REPUBLICAN): (888) 250-1879; (307) 739-9507; http://enzi.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-senator-enzi

Mark Kirk (IL): 202-224-2854; 312-886-3506; http://www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=comment_on_legislation

Orrin Hatch (UT): (202) 224-5251; (801) 524-4380; http://hatch.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-orrin

John McCain (AZ): (202) 224-2235; (602) 952-2410; http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Pat Roberts (KS): (202) 224-4774; (785) 295-2745; http://roberts.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EmailPat

Lisa Murkowski (AK): (202) 224-6665; (907) 271- 3735; http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=EMailLisa

Richard Burr(NC): 202-224-3154 http://burr.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Contact.ContactForm

Johnny Isakson (GA): (202) 224-3643; http://isakson.senate.gov/contact.cfm

Obama Administration Sets High Bar for Flexibility from No Child Left Behind

from the U.S. Department of Education:

In an effort to support local and state education reform across America, the White House today outlined how states can get relief from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—or No Child Left Behind (NCLB)—in exchange for serious state-led efforts to close achievement gaps, promote rigorous accountability, and ensure that all students are on track to graduate college- and career-ready.

States can request flexibility from specific NCLB mandates that are stifling reform, but only if they are transitioning students, teachers, and schools to a system aligned with college- and career-ready standards for all students, developing differentiated accountability systems, and undertaking reforms to support effective classroom instruction and school leadership.

"To help states, districts and schools that are ready to move forward with education reform, our administration will provide flexibility from the law in exchange for a real commitment to undertake change. The purpose is not to give states and districts a reprieve from accountability, but rather to unleash energy to improve our schools at the local level," President Obama said.

Release of this package comes nearly a decade after NCLB became law, and four years after it was due to be rewritten by Congress. NCLB shined light on achievement gaps and increased accountability for high-need students, but it also encouraged states to lower standards and narrow curriculum, focused on absolute test scores instead of student growth and gains, and created one-size-fits-all federal mandates.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said, "We want to get out of the way and give states and districts flexibility to develop locally-tailored solutions to their educational challenges while protecting children and holding schools accountable for better preparing young people for college and careers."

In recent months, states have led a "quiet revolution" to move beyond NCLB's vision. States have taken the lead in pursuing reform and innovations, including widespread adoption of college- and career-ready standards, development of new assessments, and other reforms in areas including teacher and principal evaluation and support, and turning around low-performing schools.

The ESEA flexibility package announced today, developed with input from chief state school officers from 45 states, will spur momentum across America to implement a new educational system aligned to college- and career- readiness, even as the more comprehensive reforms outlined in the President's Blueprint for Reform await Congressional reauthorization of the ESEA.

This flexibility package was developed under the waiver authority explicitly granted to the U.S. Department of Education under the ESEA, and has been exercised under the previous Administration. The flexibility will begin to have an impact during the 2011-2012 school year and will have increasing impact in subsequent years.

For a fact sheet on the details of the flexibility announcement click HERE.