Breaking News: Charter Resolution Ratified by @NAACP National Board – Cloaking Inequity

Breaking News: Charter Resolution Ratified by @NAACP National Board – Cloaking Inequity:

Breaking News: Charter Resolution Ratified by @NAACP National Board

Statement Regarding the NAACP’s Resolution on a Moratorium on Charter Schools

CINCINNATI – Members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Board of Directors ratified a resolution Saturday adopted by delegates at its 2016 107th National Convention calling for a moratorium on charter school expansion and for the strengthening of oversight in governance and practice.

“The NAACP has been in the forefront of the struggle for and a staunch advocate of free, high-quality, fully and equitably-funded public education for all children,” said Roslyn M. Brock, Chairman of the National NAACP Board of Directors. “We are dedicated to eliminating the severe racial inequities that continue to plague the education system.”

The National Board’s decision to ratify this resolution reaffirms prior resolutions regarding charter schools and the importance of public education, and is one of 47 resolutions adopted today by the Board of Directors. The National Board’s decision to ratify supports its 2014 Resolution, ‘School Privatization Threat to Public Education’, in which the NAACP opposes privatization of public schools and public subsidizing or funding of for-profit or charter schools. Additionally, in 1998 the Association adopted a resolution which unequivocally opposed the establishment and granting of charter schools which are not subject to the same accountability and standardization of qualifications/certification of teachers as public schools and divert already-limited funds from public schools.

We are calling for a moratorium on the expansion of the charter schools at least until such time as:
(1) Charter schools are subject to the same transparency and accountability standards as public schools
(2) Public funds are not diverted to charter schools at the expense of the public school system
(3) Charter schools cease expelling students that public schools have a duty to educate and
(4) Cease to perpetuate de facto segregation of the highest performing children from those whose aspirations may be high but whose talents are not yet as obvious.

Historically the NAACP has been in strong support of public education and has denounced movements toward privatization that divert public funds to support non-public school choices. “We are moving forward to require that charter schools receive the same level of oversight, civil rights protections and provide the same level of transparency, and we require the same of traditional public schools,” Chairman Brock said. “Our decision today is driven by a long held principle and policy of the NAACP that high quality, free, public education should be afforded to all children.”
While we have reservations about charter schools, we recognize that many children attend traditional public schools that are inadequately and inequitably equipped to prepare them for the innovative and competitive environment they will face as adults. Underfunded and under-supported, these traditional public schools have much work to do to transform curriculum, prepare teachers, and give students the resources they need to have thriving careers in a technologically advanced society that is changing every year. There is no time to wait. Our children immediately deserve the best education we can provide.

“Our ultimate goal is that all children receive a quality public education that prepares them to be a contributing and productive citizen,” said Adora Obi Nweze, Chair of the National NAACP Education Committee, President of the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and a former educator whose committee guides educational policy for the Association.

“The NAACP’s resolution is not inspired by ideological opposition to charter schools but by our historical support of public schools – as well as today’s data and the present experience of NAACP branches in nearly every school district in the nation,” said Cornell William Brooks, President and CEO of the NAACP. “Our NAACP members, who as citizen advocates, not professional lobbyists, are those who attend school board meetings, engage with state legislatures and support both parents and teachers.”

“The vote taken by the NAACP is a declaratory statement by this Association that the proliferation of charter schools should be halted as we address the concerns raised in our resolution,” said Chairman Brock.

###

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.

 Breaking News: Charter Resolution Ratified by @NAACP National Board – Cloaking Inequity:

gbrown: "Democracy Now" Award-Winning Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota Authorities on Monday Oct. 17

gbrown: "Democracy Now" Award-Winning Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota Authorities on Monday Oct. 17:

"Democracy Now" Award-Winning Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota Authorities on Monday Oct. 17

"'I will go back to North Dakota to fight this charge. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment,' said Goodman. 'I was doing my job as a journalist, covering a violent attack on Native American protesters.' 

"The charge in State of North Dakota v. Amy Goodman stems from Democracy Now!’s coverage of the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. On Saturday, September 3, Democracy Now! filmed security guards working for the pipeline company attacking protesters. The report showed guards unleashing dogs and using pepper spray and featured people with bite injuries and a dog with blood on its mouth and nose. 

"Democracy Now!’s report went viral online, was viewed more than 14 million times on Facebook and was rebroadcast on many outlets, including CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, MSNBC and the Huffington Post. On September 8, a criminal complaint and warrant was issued for Goodman’s arrest. Ironically, in the state’s criminal complaint, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Lindsey Wohl, referencing the Democracy Now! video report in a sworn affidavit, stated, 'Amy Goodman can be seen on the video identifying herself and interviewing protesters about their involvement in the protest.' 

"This is precisely the point: Goodman was doing the constitutionally protected work of a reporter. 

"The pipeline project has faced months of resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and members of over 200 other tribes from across the U.S., Canada and Latin America. The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that the warrant is 'a transparent attempt to intimidate reporters from covering protests of significant public interest.' 

"Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper gbrown: "Democracy Now" Award-Winning Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota Authorities on Monday Oct. 17:

Democracy Now's Amy Goodman gives a keynote address at the 2013National Conference for Media Reformin Denver, Colorado.

LAUSD’s Huntington Park Considers Charter School Moratorium | deutsch29

LAUSD’s Huntington Park Considers Charter School Moratorium | deutsch29:

LAUSD’s Huntington Park Considers Charter School Moratorium

Los Angeles is the center of a major push by billionaires Eli Broad and the Waltons to expand the charter school sector.

However, a new, potential complication to the billionaire will for charter schools for non-billionaire children is the sensible idea that public servants might choose to officially put a hold on charter expansion until they can study the issue.

In other words, local officials might vote for charter school moratoriums.

Such is the case in Huntington Park, a city located within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), as KPCC reports:

The turf war over the expansion of charter schools in the sprawling Los Angeles Unified School District has found an unlikely new battleground that measures exactly 3.1 miles square: the tiny city of Huntington Park.

On Tuesday, city council members there will vote whether to extend a temporary, city-wide moratorium on building new charter schools through early September 2017 — a “timeout” that would give city planning officials an additional 10 months and 15 days to study whether and how to allow new campuses to locate in a small city already packed with 22 schools.

As one might expect, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) doesn’t like the idea. CCSA is known for fabricated “grass roots” support in favor of charter school expansion– and CCSA is threatening to make a show of their power at the Huntington Park meeting on Tuesday. As KPCC continues:

Mayor Graciela Ortiz said the ordinance does not stem from political opposition to charter schools.

In an interview, she said Huntington Park does not have enough parks, 

LAUSD’s Huntington Park Considers Charter School Moratorium | deutsch29:

October 2016 Information Memoranda - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education)

October 2016 Information Memoranda - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):

October 2016 Information Memoranda

Background information and updates on issues of interest to the State Board Members.

Periodically, the State Board Members may receive information memoranda from State Board staff and the California Department of Education. The information memoranda may include background information, updates on issues of interest to the State Board Members, and reports on a variety of educational topics.

• California High School Exit Examination: State Superintendent of Public Instruction’s Recommendation on the Continuation of the High School Exit Examination and on Alternative Pathways to Satisfy the High School Graduation Requirements (DOC; Posted 14-Oct-2016)
• Every Student Succeeds Act: Update on Request for a Waiver Under Title I, Part A, Section 8401 to Waive Double Testing of Science Requirement (DOC; Posted 14-Oct-2016)
  • Letter from the U.S. Department of Education Regarding the CDE Request for a Federal Waiver Authority to not Double Test or Report Individual Student Scores for the New CA NGSS Summative Assessments While Conducting Pilot Testing and Field Testing (PDF; Posted 14-Oct-2016)
• Update on the English Learner Indicator Work Group (DOC; Posted 14-Oct-2016)
• Introduction to the Development of a New Alternative Accountability System (DOC; Posted 14-Oct-2016)
• State Legislative Update, Including, but not Limited to, Information on the 2015–2016 Legislative Session (DOC;Posted 14-Oct-2016)
• Science Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve, 2016 Revision: Update on the Revision of the Framework (DOC; Posted 14-Oct-2016)

Questions: State Board of Education | 916-319-0827 

October 2016 Information Memoranda - State Board of Education (CA Dept of Education):

DoED settlement: For-profit school must scale back student success claims - CSMonitor.com

DoED settlement: For-profit school must scale back student success claims - CSMonitor.com:

DoED settlement: For-profit school must scale back student success claims

Advertisements for DeVry, a for-profit university, claimed that since 1975, 90 percent of graduates find a job within six months of graduation. The government says that those claims are unsubstantiated. 

The US Department of Education announced a settlement Thursday with DeVry University, a for-profit institution of higher education, over the school’s use of post-graduation employment claims in advertisements to lure new students.

DeVry got in trouble with regulators for widely advertising that since 1975, 90 percent of graduates had found a job in their field within six months of graduating. The school was unable to substantiate that claim, the Department of Education concluded, based on materials it requested from DeVry in August 2015.

“This is yet again another major instance of a for-profit institution running into difficulties with the new regulatory scrutiny,” Kevin Kinser, the head of the department of education policy at Pennsylvania State University, tells The Christian Science Monitor.

Recommended: Back to school: Take the famous schools in literature quiz!

“Students deserve accurate information about where to invest their time and money, and the law is simple and clear: recruitment claims must be backed up by hard data,” US Secretary of Education John B. King, Jr. said in a statement.

Both the Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are working to investigate DeVry. As a result of this week’s settlement, DeVry will be required to post a more than $68 million letter of credit, cease advertising with its "90 percent" statistics, and prominently state on its website that the previous claims were unsubstantiated.

Although it is the latest school to run afoul of federal regulators, DeVry is not alone. In recent years, a number of for-profit chains have come under scrutiny, as evidence grows that attending such institutions often leaves students in debt and poor employment outcomes, a cycle that worsens the ongoing student loan crisis in the United States.

“For-profits are not going away. We’ve had for-profit higher education inDoED settlement: For-profit school must scale back student success claims - CSMonitor.com: 

Big Education Ape: Who Keeps Billions of Taxpayer Dollars Flowing to For-Profit Colleges? These Guys - ProPublica - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/03/who-keeps-billions-of-taxpayer-dollars.html

Big Education Ape: For-Profit Colleges Mislead Students, Report Finds - NYTimes.com - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2010/08/for-profit-colleges-mislead-students.html

Big Education Ape: WTF Education Department Letting For-Profit Schools Off Because They’re ‘Too Big To Fail,’ Report Says - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/02/wtf-education-department-letting-for.html

Big Education Ape: Finally, the feds move to fire an incompetent watchdog over for-profit colleges - LA Times - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2016/06/finally-feds-move-to-fire-incompetent.html

Big Education Ape: Will the Department of Education Crack Down on For-Profit Colleges? | Center for Media and Democracy - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2010/06/will-department-of-education-crack-down.html

Minority students are underrepresented at the nation’s top public schools - MarketWatch

Minority students are underrepresented at the nation’s top public schools - MarketWatch:

Minority students are underrepresented at the nation’s top public schools

More evidence our nation’s top public schools are turning into bastions of wealthy, white students

 Our public higher education system, typically thought of as a great equalizer, isn’t as great an engine of social mobility as we imagine, a new study suggests.

Just 9% of African-American students and 12% of Latino students enrolled in public colleges were at the nation’s top public research universities, according to an analysis of government data released Thursday by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank. But these students were overrepresented at less-selective schools; 40% of black students enrolled at public colleges were in four-year regional schools and 51% were at community and technical colleges, the analysis found. More than 30% of Latino students in public college were enrolled in four-year regional colleges and 56% were at community colleges.

White students fared better; 19% of white students enrolled in public college attended a top public university and the other roughly 80% was split basically evenly between community colleges and less-selective four-year schools.

Students	Share at top public  research universities	Share at four-year  regional colleges	Share at community  and technical college
All	18%	38%	45%
White	19%	40%	41%
Black	9%	40%	51%
Latino	12%	32%	56%

The research adds to the growing body of evidence that black, Latino and less-wealthy students aren’t getting as much out of our nation’s higher education system as their white, wealthier peers. Black students are overrepresented in some of the nation’s lowest-paying majors and underrepresented in the highest paying fields, according to an analysis published earlier this year by Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce. A major reason why: Black students are more likely to be in less-selective and under-resourced schools that don’t have the funds to offer a wide variety of science and technology majors.

“The implications really get down to the returns of a college education,” said Elizabeth Baylor, the director of postsecondary education at CAP and the author of the report published Thursday. “If you attend a top public college you have a wider range of career and academic possibilities in front of you.” That’s in part because students at elite public colleges are more likely to complete school, but also because of the reputation of their degrees. “Even if students complete a community college program, they just have a narrower range of possibilities,” Baylor added.

It’s hard to say exactly why minority students are overrepresented at less-selective schools and underrepresented at top public colleges. Admissions policies may play a role. Though colleges are increasingly reaching out to minority and low-income students, there’s evidence to suggest they’re still not reaching anywhere near all of the nation’s qualified, but underrepresented students.

Controversy over affirmative action has also made it difficult for schools to explicitly target these students. The Supreme Court narrowly upheld the University of Texas’ affirmative-action program a few months ago, but schools still face challenges considering race in admissions. For example, in 2006 Michigan residents voted to ban the use of affirmative action for public sector hiring and education in the state.

State disinvestment in public higher education may also be contributing to the low-level of minority students at the top public colleges, the study noted. Schools feeling the pressure of budget cuts may be inclined to use their aid dollars to lure wealthier, out-of-state students at the expense of low-income and, in some cases, minority students. Research from think tank New America shows that top public colleges are increasingly using out-of-state students who, even with the discount, will still wind up paying more than in-state students. These merit scholarships going to out-of-state students may be taking away from the money available to provide awards to students based on need, New America found.

Without sufficient funding at elite public schools, minority and low-income students may be making the rational choice to minimize their costs and debt loads by attending a cheaper school or one closer to where they’re from so they can live at home and minimize their debt, Baylor said.

“It’s not a perfect system,” she said. “The availability of financial aid that limits student loans really can help minority students and low-income students maximize their academic potential.”Minority students are underrepresented at the nation’s top public schools - MarketWatch:

Read more about inequality in higher education:

• Here’s why women and minorities struggle to get ahead — even with a college degree
• Why big state colleges are increasingly dominated by wealthy students
• These beautiful student apartment buildings will make you envious

Mayor Kenney Blasts School Reform Commissioner’s Approach To Languishing Teacher Contract Talks « CBS Philly

Mayor Kenney Blasts School Reform Commissioner’s Approach To Languishing Teacher Contract Talks « CBS Philly:

Mayor Kenney Blasts School Reform Commissioner’s Approach To Languishing Teacher Contract Talks

 CITY HALL (CBS) — The four-year-old stalemate between the Philadelphia School District and its teachers appears to be fraying nerves, and not just between the union and the district. On Friday the mayor blasted one school reform commission member on the issue.

Mayor Jim Kenney believes his administration may succeed where others have failed since the last teachers contract expired in 2012, and offered the services of his own labor liaison, saying his respectful approach helped settle a contract with city workers– a contrast, he said, with his former council colleague, School Reform Committee member Bill Green’s divulging negotiation details at a public meeting.

“To try to negotiate this in public is really disgraceful,” Kenney said. “This is coming from a guy who’s probably never had a really hard job in his life and doesn’t know what it’s like to be a working person.”

Green said he was just trying to get accurate information to teachers, who he thinks have been misled by union leadership. As for the mayor’s offer of city help, Green is dubious.

“We’ve had a state mediator who was an expert in bringing two sides together and we were not able to get any traction,” Green said. “I’m not convinced that with the mayor’s labor team help we can make any further progress.”

Green said, though, he’s willing to give it a try.Mayor Kenney Blasts School Reform Commissioner’s Approach To Languishing Teacher Contract Talks « CBS Philly:

Tada! Students Soon to Get Trained Dance and Theatre Teachers

Tada! Students Soon to Get Trained Dance and Theatre Teachers:

Tada! Students Soon to Get Trained Dance and Theatre Teachers

TADA! made it through both houses of the legislature, buoyed by the support of the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California Dance Education Association and California Educational Theatre Association. This effort picked up many vocal allies along the way, including actress Annette Bening (shown above), who testified on behalf of the bill in the Senate Education Committee.

California students, living in the arts and entertainment capital of the country, will now be provided education by credentialed Theatre and Dance educators. The Theatre and Dance Act (TADA!), authored by Senator Ben Allen (D – Santa Monica) and supported by a coalition of advocates led by the California Alliance for Arts Education, was signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown today.

“Up until now, dance teachers had to get a PE credential to teach dance in California,” says Jessy Kronenberg, Co-President of California Dance Education Association. “PE dance is beneficial for coordination and team-building, but dance as art fosters the 21st century skills of critical thinking, collaboration, communication and creativity.”

Twice before, legislative efforts to create these credentials were vetoed by the governor at that time.

“This is an issue that has burned in the hearts and minds of arts education advocates since 1970, when dance and theatre credentials were eliminated by the Ryan Act” says California Alliance for Arts Education Executive Director, Joe Landon. “Over a thousand advocates responded to our action alerts and sent messages of support to their elected officials in Sacramento”

But, TADA! made it through both houses of the legislature without a single negative vote, buoyed by the support of the California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, California Dance Education Association and California Educational Theatre Association. This effort picked up many vocal allies along the way, including actress Annette Bening, who testified on behalf of the bill in the Senate Education Committee.

“I think it’s the right thing; it serves students, it dignifies our teachers, and it will uplift our community,” said Ms. Bening.

 “California is the arts and entertainment capital of the world, yet we are one of only two states in the country that does not authorize teaching credentials in theatre or dance,” Allen said.  “I am so pleased that we have finally elevated these two important disciplines to the stature they deserve,” he added.

“The next generation of theatre and dance teachers will be the proud bearers of theatre and dance credentials ensuring that California pre-K-12 students are instructed with sound pedagogy in a standards-based curriculum.,” said CETA President Carol Hovey.

At the same time, the Governor signed Assembly Bill 2862 (O’Donnell) into law enabling California to finally update its Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) content standards incorporate new practices and technologies to arts curriculum, instruction, and instructional materialsTada! Students Soon to Get Trained Dance and Theatre Teachers:

 

Reinvigorating Our Unions: Organizing Ourselves First, to Meet the Changing Times | Alternet

Reinvigorating Our Unions: Organizing Ourselves First, to Meet the Changing Times | Alternet:

Reinvigorating Our Unions: Organizing Ourselves First, to Meet the Changing Times

A union president explains how labor needs to adjust to be relevant today.

This isn’t your father’s labor movement. Back when my dad was a Cleveland bus driver and member of the Amalgamated Transit Union, Americans had a more common lived experience. Everyone in your hometown read the same newspaper and watched the same television shows. The people on your block belonged to the same civic associations and bowling leagues. The chatter around the water cooler, the local diner, or the school lockers covered more or less the same, reliable topics.

Often, our mothers and fathers worked for one of just a handful of major local employers (though if you were African American, your career options were limited and upward mobility was quite rare). Religious faith bonded people to one another; your church or other house of worship provided a unifying community space. Your neighbors knew you and your family (and, if you were a kid, you could be sure they’d tell your parents if they saw you making trouble). There was one local movie theater, and it had one screen—no multiplexes to cater to individual tastes.

To be sure, this experience wasn’t completely universal. There were deep race and class fissures, and I didn’t play Little League with the children of any bank executives or factory owners, who often lived outside of town. But it was a society of joiners, with people attaching themselves to centralized social networks for financial security and cultural identity. These associations became the organizing principles of their lives. It was a society where unionism and solidarity came naturally.

Half a century later, digitally-powered fragmentation and customization are the order of the day. Larger institutions, designed to capture broad swaths of people, are trusted less and less.

People are still joiners, but they’re much more discriminating about what they join and with whom. Rather than sublimating individuality to blend into the institution, they expect institutions to be tailored to their specifications. They are Reinvigorating Our Unions: Organizing Ourselves First, to Meet the Changing Times | Alternet:

Randi Weingarten Response: There is 'Hope That ESSA Will Bring Positive Change To Classrooms' - Larry Ferlazzo

Response: There is 'Hope That ESSA Will Bring Positive Change To Classrooms' - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher:

Response: There is 'Hope That ESSA Will Bring Positive Change To Classrooms

The new "question-of-the-week" is:

What practical impact do you think The Every Student Succeeds Act will really have in the classroom?

The Every Student Succeeds Act is the successor to No Child Left Behind.  Regulations are still being worked out, but many educators - including me - wonder if it really will have any kind of impact on our work in the classroom.

Today, Randi Weingarten, Barnett Berry, Morgan Polikoff, Erik M. Francis, and Jacki Gran off their responses to the question.

You can listen to a ten-minute conversation I had with Barnett and Morgan on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.

I have a few specific concerns of my own about the new law, particularly related to its impact on English Language Learners. I'm concerned that the demand that ELLs be reclassified and moved out of support programs in five years will harm many of our students, a concern highlighted in a brand-new study described elsewhere in Education Week.

You might also find these other resources useful:

The Best Resources For Understanding The Every Student Succeeds Act

The Best Resources For Learning How The Every Student Succeeds Act Affects English Language Learners

The Best Resources For Learning About The Ins & Outs Of Reclassifying ELLs

Now, onto today's guests:

Response From Randi Weingarten

Randi Weingarten is President of the American Federation of Teachers:

This is exactly the right question to ask, and exactly the question that should guide policymakers and administrators as the law is implemented.

That said, what happens in classrooms will depend a lot on whether states and school districts embrace the opportunity ESSA presents to do a real reset and to partner with teachers, parents, and community members to really rethink how we teach, and how we reach, each child.

Though the law is not perfect, the AFT supported its passage, as it tempers the testing fixation, prohibits the federal government from continuing policies that increased high-stakes testing, and maintains the commitment to equity that started with Lyndon Baines Johnson and the first ESEA--deploying $15 billion to help level the playing field for kids in need, so they too can be provided opportunities to be prepared for life, college and career. ESSA turns the page on the broken policies of No Child Left Behind, NCLB waivers and Race to the Top.

The AFT has advocated getting the law right and our membership has demonstrated how important the law is through its advocacy. AFT leaders and members testified in front of Congress and at several congressional district-level town hall meetings; more than

200 rank-and-file members and leadership visited their members of congress in person; more than 20,000 responded called their member of congress, and AFT members took more than 100,000 actions online, including nearly 20,000 comments submitted to Congress.

This union fought, on behalf of our 1.6 million members and the students we serve, for the end of test-and-sanction policies that were suffocating schools, demoralizing teachers and students, and creating anxiety for parents. We are now working to ensure the U.S. Department of Education properly regulates the law and that states, districts and schools implement it in a way that achieves the potential of ESSA: that every public school is a place where parents want to send their kids, where students are engaged, where the curriculum is rich, where joy is taken in teaching and learning--and where, ultimately, all children succeed.

States now have much greater power than they have had under No Child Left Behind. That means they have a chance to fight to maintain the status quo--despite calls from parents, teachers, students, business leaders and community members for change.

But some states, I hope most states, will recognize the law for what it is--an opportunity to strengthen our public schools, to increase equity, to adapt and to innovate; an opportunity to broaden the conception of schooling that has been so narrowed under No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top and waivers, and move toward preparing all students for college, career and citizenship.

But right now, an opportunity is all it is. I really believe in the promise of ESSA as it was conceived - but as we all know, the devil is in the details. Implementation will make or break this law. And for those states that would rather maintain the status quo, we must come together to speak loudly for our students and our schools.

When we talked to AFT members about ESSA in December, we found out that their biggest fear about the new law was that "nothing will change." That's pretty telling - and I can't blame teachers and school staff for feeling that way. But here are a few ways I hope ESSA will help bring positive change to our classrooms:

ESSA can help end the obsession with testing in schools and provide room for a broader, student-centered curriculum that focuses on much more than math and reading. Although the requirement to test students remains the same, states and districts now have the opportunity to rethink accountability and to incorporate assessments as just one type of indicator to help inform instruction and improve schools.

Beyond requirements to test students in English and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school, and science once in each grade span, states and districts have broad flexibility. To help reduce the obsession with standardized tests, ESSA enables states and school districts to use funds to audit state and local assessment systems to eliminate unnecessary tests and improve assessments. It also allows states to set a target limit on the total amount of time that students spend taking assessments for each grade. In fact, an exciting pilot program in which seven states can initially be accepted will allow the use of project- and performance-based assessments in lieu of regular state standardized assessments.

In addition, AFT fought for stronger charter-school accountability and transparency provisions--provisions that will provide much-needed scrutiny and monitoring for the benefit of both students and teachers. The act also contains language designed to help ensure that charters educate the same populations as neighborhood public schools.

ESSA allows states to create support-and-improve accountability systems. ESSA can put an end to test-and-punish accountability for schools and teachers. The act allows states to incorporatemultiple measures of school  success into accountability systems, and to work with districts and schools to actually support and improve schools, rather than simply sort and punish. ESSA also requires more transparency around funding and resources--a critical step to help move us toward a more equitable system for students. Additionally, the federal government will no longer specify sanctions (school closings, teacher firings, forced transfers, etc.) in return for money. Decisions aboutinterventions  now fall to the states. This means that should states choose to reject the status quo, districts can work with schools to tailor interventions to the needs of specific schools and populations. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, educators and families can look at evidence-based strategies such as academic rigor and authentic instruction, smaller class size and greater personalization, and staff capacity building and collaboration

ESSA values practitioner voice and professional judgment. Across its text, the act includes provisions that can elevate the profession and improve conditions for teaching and learning. ESSA requires consultation with educators and other stakeholders, and allows local educational agencies to use funds to develop feedback mechanisms--such as educator surveys--that can improve working conditions. It also provides specific language on growth and leadership, allowing states to use funds for centers on induction, class-size reduction, mentoring, career pathways and recruitment of a diverse teacher workforce.

ESSA ends federally mandated evaluations. The new law stopped the feds from requiring Common Core and from closing neighborhood schools. One of the most important changes was the end of federal test-based teacher evaluations, which creates an opportunity to design and implement teacher evaluation systems that grow and strengthen the profession, instead of sorting and punishing teachers. States can develop and implement systems but are required to cooperate with stakeholders, including teachers, paraprofessionals and their unions.

I want to end with the biggest change we will see in the ESSA era:

States now have much greater power than they have had under No Child Left Behind. That includes the power to listen to - or to tune out - the input of parents, teachers, students, business leaders and community members.

We need all those voices to create a system that will actually work for students and teachers. And this isn't just about making people feel heard. The fact is, if we want robust and innovative accountability measures that really work, and that encompass more than test scores, we need to engage the people on the ground who educate students every day. If we really want to make a difference in the lives of students, we need to hear from them, and their parents, and the professionals who spend so many hours a week with them.

If states harness their power to listen and collaborate, rather than to shut down and shut out, then ESSA can bring about the changes our schools desperately need.      

Response From Barnett BerryResponse: There is 'Hope That ESSA Will Bring Positive Change To Classrooms' - Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo - Education Week Teacher:

Bill Gates' Billions Blocking Him From Enlightenment - Jeff Reifman

Bill Gates' Billions Blocking Him From Enlightenment - Jeff Reifman:

Bill Gates’ Billions Blocking Him From Enlightenment

Citizen Microsoft, Seattle Weekly Cover

Last week, Bill Gates called on political leaders to accelerate innovation. “But innovation starts with government support for the research labs and universities working on new insights,” he said. “The public sector’s investments unlock the private sector’s ingenuity.” His goals are admirable: sustainable energy, curing diseases and a world-class education for all. But his privilege as the wealthiest man in the world keeps him blinded to reality and his own hypocrisy, something he’s made incredibly obvious these past few weeks.

Before I explain, let me say Bill Gates changed my life. Working for Microsoft in the ’90s made me a multi-millionaire. This wealth has given me a level of privilege and independence that has allowed me to write with an independent voice, to pursue my activism vocally without consequence and even to more ably afford life-preserving brain surgery. I only met him a handful of times but one of my favorite memories was a twenty-person meeting where he asked me, “What!! Do you think I’m stupid?” The room went quiet because privilege and authority is intimidating.

But Gates’ privilege blinds him to how things work for real people and his own role in the actual barriers between where we are and the innovation he seeks. Bill, you’re not stupid but there’s a lot you don’t understand and it’s holding you back from becoming a truly enlightened leader.

Gates Has a Legacy of Hypocritical Tax Dodging

I first called out Gates’ hypocrisy in 2004 for advocating for public education funding while simultaneously overseeing Microsoft’s tax dodging in Washington State. And, I’m thankful to public school teacher Peter Greene for pointing out the offensiveness of Gates’ latest innovation effort.

You see, Microsoft has more than $108 billion offshore to prevent the U.S. from taxing its profits. His fellow private sector peers are already so innovative as to have kept $1.3 trillion offshore. I often joke about Gates’ foundation as a way to spend his tax dollars onBill Gates' Billions Blocking Him From Enlightenment - Jeff Reifman: