ESSA: What Every Citizen Needs To Know

ESSA  stands for The Every Student Succeeds Act.

ESSA is the eighth reauthorization of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The architects of the 1965 ESEA designated that the law should be reviewed and updated at least every five to six years.

Due Date for Reauthorization: 2020-2021

What every citizen needs to decide is, does ESSA sufficiently address the problems with, and flaws of, No Child Left Behind?

Does this federal education law serve the intended purposes it did back in the 60’s & 70’s?

Not sure? Read on…

Washington, We Have a Problem

“Most educators and policy experts will agree that NCLB has deep, structural flaws; … and … it actually creates barriers to reform and student progress.”               — Barbara Michelman

Many diehard education activists fought hard against the flaws of NCLB (as past attempts at ITEM actions shows). Numerous reasonable solutions for the “deep, structural flaws” were put forth in bills that died in committee.

Many of those same activists fought to stop ESSA  from becoming law because they felt it did not address the “deep, structural flaws” of NCLB.

Conventional wisdom tells us that it is harder to get a law repealed once it is in place.

But please don’t let that prevent you from taking the actions presented on this website. If you agree that ESSA should be changed on time in 2020/21, take the necessary actions to make it happen.

This is why No Child Left Behind stayed in place, unchanged for 15 years.

Still not sure if the 2020 reauthorization is something you can advocate for? Read more before you turn away.