Reviewers at the federal education department found the way Connecticut measures the performance of its public schools lacking and its plans to begin tracking the achievement of English learners vague. State officials must now decide whether they want to revise or defend Connecticut’s plan for complying with federal law before U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos officially considers whether to approve or reject it.
No Child Left Behind
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Post NCLB: Connecticut must reject the Common Core
With the end of No Child Left Behind, states will have the flexibility to continue with the controversial Common Core State Standards or not. This is Connecticut’s opportunity to put a good education in place for our students by rejecting the Common Core. The whole approach of the Common Core contradicts the philosophically and academically-sound Connecticut State Standards approach.
Posted inPolitics
Education bill and gun control dominate on Capitol Hill
A new federal education law replacing No Child Left Behind and a stepped-up campaign to bar those on terrorist watch lists from purchasing firearms dominated the discussion on Capitol Hill this week.
Posted inEducation
Congress’ approval of education bill allows CT to overhaul K-12 system
Washington — The Senate voted overwhelmingly to repeal the controversial No Child Left Behind and sent President Obama a bill that will eliminate most federal mandates and give states like Connecticut broad authority to change their K-12 education systems.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut must continue push toward education equity
In recent years, Connecticut’s leaders have taken some much-needed steps towards ensuring every child gets a high-quality public education. As Congress takes up the latest iteration of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), a bipartisan bill named the “Every Student Succeeds Act” that would repeal some provisions in ‘No Child Left Behind,’ we urge the state to continue progress on the policies that can push Connecticut closer to education equity.
Posted inEducation
House overwhelmingly votes to replace No Child Left Behind
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives approved a new federal education bill Wednesday that would replace No Child Left Behind and turn back much authority over K-12 educational policy back to the states.
Posted inEducation
U.S. education bill may spell new clash between Malloy, teachers
WASHINGTON — Since the new federal education bill would end many requirements of No Child Left Behind and give states broad authority to fashion their own education policy, Connecticut’s teachers unions are pressing Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to take advantage of the new freedoms. But Malloy has not indicated whether he would do so.
Posted inNews
Paris attacks, Syrian refugee policy dominate Congress
House and Senate negotiators did manage to finish work on an education bill that will take the place of the “No Child Left Behind Act,” but the week in Washington was dominated by the Paris attacks and debate in Congress and across the country over Syrian refugee policy.
Posted inEducation
Murphy helping Congress scrap ‘No Child Left Behind’
WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is part of a team of House and Senate lawmakers who hope to finish work on a bill this week that would overhaul federal education policy and eliminate the No Child Left Behind law.
Posted inEducation
U.S. Senate votes to leave many education reforms to the states
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate Thursday approved a sweeping overhaul of federal education law that would leave up to Connecticut and other states whether to continue with education reforms including the controversial Common Core standards and linking teacher evaluations to student test scores.
Posted inEducation, Politics
Murphy hopes to amend education bill to address civil rights concerns
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chris Murphy hopes to amend a new federal education bill so that problem schools and under-performing students could be more clearly identified — and given the help they need. The new bill before the Senate would replace the controversial No Child Left Behind Act.
Posted inEducation, Politics
CT lawmakers join other Dems in opposing House education bill
WASHINGTON — A bill that would overhaul federal education law and replace the controversial No Child Left Behind Act was approved in the House of Representatives Thursday without a single Democratic vote. Rep Elizabeth Esty said the bill “guts education funding…and turns our back on our schools, our communities, and our children.”
Posted inEducation, Politics
Achievement gap an issue as Congress considers new ed bill
WASHINGTON – Connecticut elementary students have among the highest reading and math scores in the nation, but a stubborn achievement gap persists between the state’s highest- and lowest-performing schools, said a White House report issued Monday.
Posted inEducation
Evaluation — a dirty word to Connecticut teachers?
The state panel that developed Connecticut’s teacher evaluation system three years ago met Wednesday to find ways to instill confidence in its utility among the state’s teachers. The mission: ensure it is used to improve the profession and learning among students.
Posted inCT Viewpoints
Connecticut’s lawmakers must see through the ‘edu-profiteers’ and testing mania
I can’t begin to tell you how frustrating it is, as a public school employee and practicing school psychologist, to have federal legislation written that continues to allow our students to be assessed by an unproven and invalid standardized test process and also enables the charter school industry to take funds allocated for public school students and divert them to their own private business interests.