Saturday, December 10, 2016

"Every Student Succeeds Act" ("ESSA")

Anonymous wrote:

"Re:Today's PG editorial http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2016/12/05/Getting-to-work-The-Every-Student-Succeeds-Act-holds-promise/stories/201612310058

" The ESSA replaces the No Child Left Behind Act, the deficiencies of which included the unrealistic _ and unmet _ goal of 100 percent proficiency in reading and math by 2014."

The standard we hold for our children should always be 100 percent " proficiency ".
The culture we set for our children should always be one of high expectations.
To lower our aspirations for our children fails them on every level.

If we fail to meet the highest of standards, expectations, aspirations_____ then we try harder."

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

ESSA, Sounds like another shell game. More consultants lurking in the shadows. Whatever happened to "Race to the Top"? Wasn't that supposed to replace NCLB. Too many goals that were never met. At least NCLB had 14 years to prove it was a failure.
Wasn't NCLB a replacement for the even worse "Goals 2000"? Signed in 1994, it had only 6 years to be a disaster. All of these programs were a scam. The only program that was not was PRISM.
All that did was develop a system of evaluation for teacher performance. Many components are still around in one way or another. All designed to get rid of the ineffective teachers. PPS has gotten rid of most of those older folks from the 70's and early 80's. They have been early exited for a younger and less costly group of teachers. Who, by the way, are still not bring students up to the goals.

PRISM veteran said...

10:07, you are right on all counts.

Yes, ESSA sounds like just another shell game. Just another shell game in a series of shell games.

And yes, PRISM was not a scam. PRISM gave PPS teachers effective tools. And more importantly, PRISM gave teachers the flexibility to apply those tools as the teachers saw fit.

PRISM was the real deal. It empowered classroom teachers, and allowed them to make decisions based on reality. What might work for one class might not work for another. So teachers had the freedom, as PRISM said, to "monitor and adjust".

But everything since PRISM has been just the opposite. Teachers now have no freedom. If a teacher has a way of presenting a topic that's not in the binder, too bad. Better not do it! And if a teacher feels the class needs an extra day on a topic, better not take it!

PPS teachers must do EXACTLY what the binder says, or risk being put on an improvement plan. And as every PPS teacher knows, being put on an improvement plan is just the first step towards being fired.

Anonymous said...

So very true- PRISM permitted teachers to make decisions to assist each student in accomplishing objectives-- It is hard to believe that parents and tax payers wouldnt want these professionals making decisions to accomplish objectives. I see methods such as flexible grouping and other modifications made every day in other districts-- Do not buy the bs that this is national or even state-- this is an on going plot to totally cripple urban education- get out the pricey seasoned teachers, and prepare the city for TFA and a revolving door of newbie teachers.
Look at the words in RISE: on stage/ off stage-- Pgh families have been falling for "emperor's new clothes" since 2006-- now is the time for Dr. Hamlet to allow teachers to teach and stop this nonsense.