Obama signs ‘No Child Left Behind’ rewrite

The Washoe County School District (WCSD) is praising the passage of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate and signed by President Barack Obama this morning.

The new education law also encourages different states to limit the time for students to spend in testing.

Establish new resources for proven strategies that will incite change and create opportunity and promising results for America’s students. “Now we won’t have to submit a waiver to do good things for kids”, he said.

Politicians on the right and left and countless teachers, students and parents came to disdain No Child’s emphasis on testing.

The Every Student Succeeds Act is billed as different from its predecessor given that it allows state and local decision-makers to have more power over making school improvements.

Controversy surrounded the “No Child Left Behind Act” as teachers and parents argued the federal government had too much control over individual school systems. “It’s impossible to talk to people in Washington, D.C. and see a difference be made”, said Ryan Owens, Co-Executive Director of Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration (CCOSA). Schools will now be judged on other factors including high school graduation rates, helping English language learners reach proficiency, and student access to higher-level coursework, art, music and counselors.

“These goals have always been part of our commitment here at the Washoe County School District, and we welcome this new system of measuring our progress”, said WCSD Superintendent Traci Davis.

McCluskey, who is the associate director of Cato’s Center for Educational Freedom, says the bill states the secretary of education shall not exercise any direction or supervision over state standards.

Despite the revisions to NCLB, children in grades 3 through 8 will still be required to take an annual reading and math test. High school students would have to take one test as well.

Juneau said, “It also doesn’t just on that single test score”. Some states have set high standards for their students.

“I appreciate that this legislation restores the proper balance between the role of states and the federal government in education accountability”, Wise said in a statement.