Parent Across America submits proposals for ESEA reauthorization

Parents Across America wrote to Senator Harkin, starting the letter this way:

Dear Senator Harkin,

Your proposed revisions to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act show that you and the HELP Committee have listened to some of the concerns voiced by parents and others about the problems with No Child Left Behind.

The letter was followed by a list of proposals Parents Across America wish to see excluded in the new legislation as well as items that they recommend be included.

Below are three of the listed recommendations for inclusion:

• Less emphasis on standardized testing and more reliable accountability and assessment practices including local, teacher-designed assessments supplemented with teacher and parent surveys and site visits.

• A full range of parent involvement opportunities including a stronger parent voice in decision making at the school, district, state, and national levels.

• The right of parents to opt their children out of standardized tests.

Grumpy Educators hopes that Senator Harkin, the full committee, and the U.S. Congress pays attention to the concerns of parents, community members, and taxpayers.

ESEA legislation: Which way is the wind blowing?

Legislation regarding the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act hit the proverbial fan. Some of the key initiatives promoted by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and other education reformers are being revisited, reduced, diminished, or disappearing. One thing is clear, there is bipartisan support for shifting authority over education away from Washington D.C. and back to the States.

Several articles to help understand these current events can be found here:

Ed Week journalist Alyson Klein says there are over 144 amendments to the recently filed Harkin-Enzi bill, the one to replace NCLB. Klein points to areas to watch for in Wednesday's markup.

Alexander Russo of the Scholastic Administrator notices the absence of ed reformers with the announcement if the Harkin version of new education legislation.

Rick Hess gives his views of the Harkin-Enzi proposal and a follow up on the current legislative events in Harkin-Enzi ESEA Madness.

Shifting Focus by Joy Resmovits in the Huffington Post points to changes in direction on federal mandates regarding teacher evaluation.

And one more about Senator Lamar Alexander's proposal, what he thinks of Harkin-Enzi legislations, and the concerns over a "national school board."