2. ESSA: Why Should I Care?

3. No Child Left Behind, the misguided federal law that greatly increased standardized testing in our schools, is no longer with us.
It actually expired in 2007 and was kept alive through a system of waivers.
Now it’s gone.

4. What’s Buried with NCLB?
Federal mandates, such as AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress)
Teacher performance measured by test scores
No more one-size-fits-all AYP, no more Race to the Top, no more worrying about waivers, and no more punitive labels slapped on struggling schools.

5. Welcome to School, ESSA! Every Student Succeeds Act replaces NCLB
Brings most policymaking back under state and local control
Today, we have the promise—and the rightful return—of local school decisions being made locally.
We’ll also have a hand in creating new student accountability measures, local school improvement plans, and more educator participation over teaching and learning decisions.

6. Coming Attractions Multiple measures of student growth More control
by educators
A better definition of student success
As you can see from this list of ESSA features, educators and students will be coming out from under unnecessary burdens we’ve carried for too long.

7. ESSA Won’t Work Well Without Us
Much-needed change is coming.
But it won’t be done right without lots of input from front-line educators.
If ESSA changes are to be made well, we need to have some say in plans for areas including teacher evaluation, school discipline and safety, testing, literacy education, and school funding.

8. The Table is Set for Us
ESSA is written to require that a committee of practitioners is part of decision-making at all levels as the new law is implemented.
It’s a new era in educator empowerment and voice—let’s not let it slip by!

9. Off to a Flying Start
Over one-third of the New Business Items at last year’s VEA convention related to ESSA and its implementation.
Delegates to the VEA convention called for students to have full-time access to nurses, social workers and counselors; for better teacher mentoring programs; and for a revamped teacher evaluation system.

10. What’s the State Doing?
Redesigning the School Report Card, looking at SOQ and SOA
Developing recommendations that will likely be presented this fall
The state’s official ESSA plan will probably be announced in late fall or early winter.

11. What Can Our Local Association be Doing?
Creating an implementation team
Determining priorities
Forming a strategy to share our recommendations with our school division
You have an unprecedented opportunity to shape policy.
This is new to everyone, so local Associations can, and should, play a critical role in making ESSA work.

12. What’s VEA Doing on the State Level?
VEA Leadership Implementation
VEA HQ Staff Implementation Team
There will be plenty of backup and help as you move forward.
Don’t hesitate to contact members of these statewide teams.

13. ESSA Resources and Contacts
VEA Toolkit
NEA Resources
U.S. ED Resources
These websites have a lot of additional information about ESSA.
VEA’s response to ESSA is being coordinated through the Office of Teaching and Learning.
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