Kevin Kumashiro – Why Every Student Will NOT Succeed With the New Education Law

Last week, after a seven-year delay, Congress overwhelmingly voted, and the president signed, to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, dubbed No Child Left Behind in 2002, and now called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  This new law fixes some problems but creates others, especially for children who struggle the most. The new law ends the NCLB requirement …

The Democrats May Have Just Aligned Themselves With Test and Punish – We Are Doomed – Steven Singer

Almost every Democrat in the US Senate just voted to keep Test and Punish. But Republicans defeated them. I know. I feel like I just entered a parallel universe, too. But that’s what happened. Some facts: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is a disaster. It took the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) – a federal law designed to ensure all schools get …

An Alternative To Failed Education ‘Reform,’ If We Want One – Jeff Bryant

The movement to boycott standardized testing has caught the media totally by surprise. The mostly parent-led effort started with Facebook pages and neighborhood meetings has grown into a firestorm of resistance. As the Associated Press reported this week, “This ‘opt-out’ movement remains scattered but is growing fast.” The article points to New York – where perhaps as many as 200,000 students recently sat out …