On December 10, 2015, President Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) which has been touted as the long needed “fix” of the No Child Left Behind Act enacted under President George W. Bush.

It is worth noting that the ESSA is extremely lengthy and complex. The law, in its entirety, is linked above for anyone who would like to read it. The positive spin that has accompanied ESSA is that it responds to the public outcry about over-testing, federal overreach and local control. There are many aspects of the ESSA that I could blog about in lengthy detail, but the purpose of this blog to point out what has been wagered and to stress the importance of your involvement.

The U.S. Department of Education is laying a bet that the largely passive and uninvolved population will not be proactive in their roles. Superintendent John White is embarking on a statewide informational tour on ESSA implementation. The language of ESSA is explicit in requiring that ALL stakeholders participate in the development of the State’s accountability plan, including parents. The ruse is that White is delivering the message that our current accountability plan meets the requirements of ESSA, so we will keep it. By definition, it does not. The participation in development is absent. These meetings are only intended to be for Q&A, and nothing said at these meetings will be regarded as input, nor will it effect the outcome of the accountability plan. It is vitally important that we (parents, teachers, community members, board members, etc.) populate these meetings and impress upon Mr. White that we know what is happening, and we won’t stand for it. Below, you will find the location, date and time for each meeting. The link will take you to a Facebook event that you can RSVP to indicate your participation. Please help to spread the word to your friends, family and coworkers.

Lafayette, Tuesday, July 26 @ 9:00am

Lake Charles, Tuesday, July 26 @ 2:00pm

Alexandria, Wednesday, July 27 @ 9:00am

Shreveport, Wednesday, July 27 @ 2:00pm

Monroe, Thursday, July 28 @ 9:00am

Baton Rouge, Friday, July 29 @ 9:00am

Houma, Monday, August 1 @ 10:00am

Mandeville, Tuesday, August 2 @ 10:00am

New Orleans, Tuesday, August 2 @ 2:00pm

1 thought on “ESSA: Beware the narrative!

  1. Thanks for spreading the word re the LADOE ESSA mtgs.
    1) Chiefs for Change collected ESSA resources for supers to utilize, 2) NEA was AT THE TABLE to craft wording of reauth of War on Pov ESEA,
    3) NEA has resources & assistance for implementation, 4) USDOE is NOT counting on no public input – not any less than usual.

    We as education activists need to “hold the mic” for the marginalized and disenfranchised students and families to have input.
    ORGANIZE and ASSIST THEM

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