Draft regulations for the Every Student Succeeds Act
(ESSA) have been released by the U.S. Department of Education. ESSA, signed
into law last December to take the place of the No Child Left Behind Act,
grants more authority to states and local school districts.
“These regulations give states the opportunity to work
with all stakeholders, including parents and educators, to protect all students’
right to a high-quality education that prepares them for college and careers,
including the most vulnerable students,” said Secretary of Education John B.
King in a report in EdSource. “They also give educators room to reclaim for all of their
students the job and promise of a well-rounded educational experience.”
The new law replaces the more narrow definition of
school success that was part of No Child Left Behind. However, both civil
rights groups and key Republicans on Capitol Hill have been lukewarm to the
new regulations.
“I
am deeply concerned that the department is trying to take us back to the days
when Washington dictated national policy,” said John Kline (R-MN), chair of the
House Education and Workforce Committee. “If this proposal results in a rule
that does not reflect the letter and intent of the law, then we will use every
available tool to ensure this bipartisan law is implemented as Congress
intended.”
