About 80 educators and community members attended a public forum Thursday night to learn more about the implementation of the new federal education law that replaces No Child Left Behind.
The forum was hosted by representatives from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction at Educational Service District 112. It was one of several regional forums being held around the state.
The new federal education law, Every Student Succeeds Act, became federal law Dec. 10, 2015. It reauthorizes the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 and replaces No Child Left Behind.
Gil Mendoza, deputy superintendent of K-12 education, and Gayle Pauley, assistant superintendent of special programs and federal accountability for OSPI, led the forum. There wasn’t a lot of time for specifics during the fast-paced meeting, during which Mendoza flew through a PowerPoint presentation.
The specifics of the new law — how it will be implemented — is being drafted at the state level. Mendoza said OSPI is charged with developing the state’s ESSA Consolidated Plan. It’s being drafted by a team of people working with thematically based work groups consisting of teachers, principals, a school counselor, paraeducators, a social worker, parents and members of many state organizations plus a large, core group of OSPI staff.
Mendoza said one difference between the old law and the new is it allows for more local control for the state and for the state’s 295 school districts.
He also said that no longer will parents receive letters announcing their child’s school is failing.
“All of the negative, punitive consequences under No Child Left Behind are gone,” Mendoza said.
During the forum, Mendoza asked participants to consider these questions: What school characteristics are most important? How should school success be measured? How do we ensure that every school is successful?
Public comment
When the floor was opened for public comment, several people expressed concern. John Deeder, superintendent of Evergreen Public Schools, asked: “How do we ensure each and every student is successful?”
He said his district has 1,050 students in transition and nearly half of the almost 27,000 students qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch.
“We are still arguing about how to fund our schools,” Deeder said. “When you talk about breaking down barriers, we’ve got to talk about funding. Equity is not cheap.”
Mendoza said the forum was not about school funding, and that the Legislature must address that issue next year.
Edri Geiger, a former school board member for Vancouver Public Schools, said she was concerned about federal and state competitive grants. Large school districts that can afford to have a team of grant writers have a better chance of receiving grant money, she said. It’s tough for smaller districts to compete.
Mendoza agreed: “We need to come up with a better model” than just having the best grant writers.
But he added: “There isn’t enough money to give us what we need.”
Dick Rylander, who ran unsuccessfully for school board for Battle Ground Public Schools on a platform that opposed an emphasis on standardized state tests, observed that the requirement for state tests was a part of the new law.
“I don’t see that ESSA is distinctly different from NCLB,” Rylander said. “How are student outcomes going to be better addressed? In the end, you’re going to have to be able to show that on the face, it’s different.”
‘Some flexibility’
The Vancouver forum was the third so far.
“I’ve heard a lot of impassioned conversation,” Mendoza said.
“Let’s talk about kids as human beings and people,” Mendoza said. “Equity is this: We give each and every student what he or she needs to be successful.”
Under the new federal law, standardized state tests will still be required. However, Mendoza added ESSA allows for “some flexibility in testing” and supports “states and districts in reducing unnecessary, onerous and redundant testing.”
The state’s consolidated plan will need to be approved by the state superintendent of public instruction, the governor and the Legislature. OSPI must submit the state’s consolidated plan to the U.S. Department of Education for approval. That’s tentatively scheduled for November.
ESSA will be implemented in schools nationwide at the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year.
“It’s a very short timeline,” said Mendoza.
