Statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on Every Student Succeeds Act
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Statement from State Superintendent Randy Dorn on Every Student Succeeds Act
President Obama signed ESSA into law this morning. Below is a statement from Dorn on this bipartisan effort to do what’s right for kids.
OLYMPIA — December 10, 2015 — When President Barack Obama signed the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) into law this morning, he put states back into the driver’s seat when it comes to education. ESSA replaces No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) enacted in 2002. And it was long overdue. I applaud Senators Patty Murray and Lamar Alexander for their bipartisan efforts to do what’s best for students.
The intent behind NCLB was a good one: to raise standards, hold schools accountable, and eliminate the achievement gap. Most states have come a long way since 2002 as a result of NCLB. But the ultimate goal of NCLB, to get every student performing at grade-level by 2014, was impossible to achieve, in practice.
Under ESSA, states can set their own goals and decide how to intervene in schools that need more support. State plans still must be approved by the Department of Education, but they have been promised more transparency in the process.
That this law was able to make it through the Congress and Senate, and be signed by the President, is a testament to strong leadership and the desire to put the interest of our nation’s students above politics. I hope our state legislators can use this as an example when they come back to Olympia in January to tackle the ongoing lack of full funding for basic education. We need leaders to do what’s right for our state’s kids.
Contact
Kristen Jaudon
OSPI Communications Specialist
360-725-6032
About OSPI
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the primary agency charged with overseeing K–12 education in Washington state. Led by State Superintendent Randy Dorn, OSPI works with the state's 295 school districts and nine educational service districts to administer basic education programs and implement education reform on behalf of more than one million public school students.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to the Equity and Civil Rights Director at 360-725-6162 or P.O. Box 47200, Olympia, WA 98504-7200.