Senator Lamar Alexander took great pride in the Every Student Succeeds Act, passed at the end of 2015 to replace the failed and rancid No Child Left Behind law of 2002. ESSA explicitly prohibits the Secretary of Education from telling states what to do to meet their obligations under ESSA. SAlexander was taken aback when he read in the New York Times that Betsy DeVos’ aide Jason Botel had warned Delaware that it was not “ambitious” enough in setting goals. Alexander wondered whether Botel or anyone else at the Department had read the law.
We know that he chastised John King for over-reaching when he was Secretary. We know that Congress wanted to be sure that no Secretary in the future would act as aggressively as Arne Duncan by intervening in the states’ education plans.
Watch to see if he reins in Betsy DeVos.
I am willing to bet $100 that DeVos has never read ESSA. No one would take that bet. She thinks that God has given her a divine mission to put an end to government schools. Why read the law?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
I actually think it’s much more likely DeVos delegated “public schools” to Botel.
Has anyone seen any indication that she’s interested in public schools? Every time she’s asked about K-12 schools she recites the same line about “the money following the child”.
In 7 months I’ve found out one thing she believes- “the money” should follow “the child”
Oh, I almost forgot- she likes “great schools” and she “puts children first”
Most people like terrible schools and put children last, so this bold stance she’s taken is very courageous and innovative.
Botel worked for a KIPP School before working in Trump campaign
He’s the ed reformer who went to the national PTA meeting and promoted private schools.
They can’t even support public schools at a national meeting of public school advocates:
“A senior presidential aide said Wednesday that American families should have various school options for their children, including private schools.
Jason Botel, Donald Trump’s education adviser, told a National PTA conference that some children may not thrive in traditional public or charter schools and should have an opportunity to attend private schools.
“We need an education landscape that offers high quality options to all students and parents,” Botel told the conference.
Botel, who has worked in both traditional public and charter schools, told the story of some of his students who were only able to succeed academically after going to private schools. “We are committed to ensuring that students and parents of all backgrounds for whom public school may not be the best option have access to high quality private schools,” he added.”
We’re paying hundreds of public employees to spend all their time promoting private schools. It’s ludicrous.
As far as I’m concerned these people have made themselves irrelevant to 90% of students and parents in the country.
I hope the PTA booed him.
It’s not a bet if one of the options is outside the realm of possibility.
Oh, it’s a bet, it’s just that one of the bettors is a sucker!
I’ve read most of the responses to state plans, and I’ve found their responses consistent, but i do have concerns. For example, in areas of ESSA that are subjective, they tend to want to make the decision for the state. In completely objective areas (ie. spelled out in law) they ask the states to adhere to the law. The definition of “ambitious goals” is a prime example of the subjective. Who are they to decide what is ambitious? On the flipside, a couple of states, including Louisiana, were told only ELA and Math can be used for the heaviest weight of a school’s achievement. That is the letter of the law.
Sounds like the letter of the law is illegible.
I’d like to see a list of the people the US Department of Education has met with and how many of them are advocates for public schools, public school employees or parents of public school children.
It’s ridiculous that the Trump Administration has absolutely no interest in our schools yet is setting the rules for every public school in the country.
Public school children deserve an advocate to work on rules by which the schools they attend will be measured. There should be someone FOR THEIR SCHOOLS at the table.
They meet with charter advocates. They meet with voucher advocates. Where are the public school advocates?
90% of kids attend public schools, every single one of them will be affected by ESSA, yet no one who represents their interests is even at the table when decisions are made.
It’s outrageous and public school parents shouldn’t put up with it.
You can read up on Botel on any of the ed reform sites:
“Typically a liberal enclave, Maryland is in the midst of a big push to expand school choice, driven largely by Hogan, a Republican, and his appointees on the state education board.
Last week, Hogan announced plans to encourage expansion of charter schools by creating a board to authorize and fund them. The state also has a private school voucher program, approved last year in a surprising vote in the Democrat-controlled legislature.
Earlier this month, Hogan announced a plan to double the voucher program over three years, and Andy Smarick, the state board’s president, has suggested expanding school choice options even further.”
Notice something missing? Here’s a hint: public schools.
That’s your DC team, folks. They don’t graduate from public schools, their kids or grandkids don’t attend public schools and they aren’t much interested in your kid’s “government school”
Botel DOES wants the data, so turn your kid over for annual testing. Report the numbers and you won’t hear another word out of DC ed reform until it’s “testing season” again. My son could show up for 3 weeks in the spring and test and as long as they had his “subgroup” number they could care less if his public school fell off the face of the earth.
The only thing I like so far that Trump has done is an exec order striking down John King’s ‘implementation’ regs for ESSA [where “implementation” = undermining ESSA so it looks more like NCLB]
Yay for Lamar Alexander. Cuz one conservative ideology I like is returning ed power to the local level. Oops! Seems most conservatives were about ‘local’ power only until they got their claws into ‘federal’ power! (Guess it wasn’t an ideology after all..) We may have to count on libertarians & über-TP’rs to hold the line against DeVos power grab…
Back in April, Mercedes Schneider had a post about the peer reviewers that were supposed to read the states’ plans. It’s important to know who these people are and what qualifies them as peers. Anyone seen any information about them?
That information is unavailable to the peeons!
The GOP hypocrisy is palpable.
When we had so-called “big government” – the GOP fought vehemently for: downsizing, deregulation, and states’ rights / local control.
Now that they control all three branches and the president will sign anything that 1) demeans, discredits, and diminishes Obama, 2) fills the pockets of the 1%, and 3) gets hoots and hollers at his nationalist rallies (and exclusive golf course locker rooms with the boys) – they want to use that power to mandate, regulate, and privately finance for profit their version of education reform.
So what to do? Can hear it now:
“No – – We’re in favor of breaking up big government.”
“But wait, we’ve got all this power so we can use the big government to mandate everything we want.”
GOP’ers with some history and integrity stick to the cause like Alexander who wanted to push back on NCLB – RTTT, set up some parameters, and let states figure it out.
Now the hypocrites in GOP who stand for absolutely no principles, on what is best for them in the moment, want to use the power to impose choice, religion in schools, tax write offs, vouchers, etc. – – – and wait until they find out their biggest donors are in the education game – they’ll mandate testing and data collection on steroids
I’m sorry, but am I missing something here? I know you worked for Lamar Alexander, Diane, & you have respect for him, but I’m sorry–he acted as nothing more than a bobble-head at Betsy DeVos’ confirmation hearings, backing her up & standing by her confirmation. Therefore, he is in large part to blame for her confirmation, &, thus, her puppet, Botel.
Oh, & that big news of a week or so ago–about her “surprising” appointment of…a Dem.
Yeah, a DFER.
GOP, Dem–reminds me of that “Sesame Street” segment “Which One of These is not Like the Others?”
Answer: they’re all the same, & rotten to the core.
I am SO thankful that my daughter is an adult, long out of school, had a great education, but I’m sick to death of our nation’s children (yes, “other people’s children,” because I consider that we’re ALL responsible for ALL children in the U.S.) being deprived of the education they deserve.
As expected that everything would now “be up to the states” (& Lord help us in ILL-Annoy, which is why a number of us are speaking out, fighting back), we have to speak out & watch out for our kids more than ever.
David Sirota just Tweeted about the National Nurses’ Assn. digging in their heels about single-payer healthcare.
WHY can’t we–no, make that why DON’T we–show ourselves to be people of the caliber of those nurses?
A natural match for the political realm, nurses and teachers together to stand for the “human” in humanity but getting the “leaders” of the teacher’s association and unions to recognize that match, well, let’s just say it’s less than tenable.
And since both professions are majority women, the struggle has been uphill from the start and continues these days due to the misogynist tendencies so still alive in this country, especially fostered by the religious “right” (actually wrong) forces.
Right again, Senor Swacker.
However, that having been said, I have to look back at some comments made here on some recent posts (one particularly good one by, I believe, Abigail Shure) about teachers not “getting it,” or looking at us (we always informed readers of this blog…because we read this blog & others like it)as if we’d told them something in jabberwockese. As in, “ALEC? Never heard of it. Are you referring to Alec Baldwin? Oh, he’s hilarious!” or “What, me worry?” or (& this for retired teachers), “Why should I have to join a retired teachers group? I’m not worried about receiving my pension!” or, if they do join, “I can’t come to any meetings on that day–I have bridge club!”
And let’s not forget all the GAGAs always saluted, here, by Duane.
And THAT’s why droves of teachers (mind you, I’m not saying all) do not measure up to nurses. Finally, I do not blame misogyny–I am proud of being known for my big mouth.
No excuses.
I’ve contended for quite a while now that teachers are some of the most conservative, hear no, see no evil political ostriches of any group of professionals there are. It’s in most teacher’s mental makeup to NOT CHALLENGE anything at all. They believe they can just close the classroom door and do what’s right by the students.
Well. . . . they’ve been being hornswoggled for so long they don’t/can’t recognize that they are being used like a mark in a two bit con. They can’t/don’t admit that they’ve been taken, and until they do and start to stand up against the many malpractices (some of which they believe in, ay ay ay) that harm all the students we’ll continue to have the edudeformer shysters holding sway.
Almost all teachers live their lives in fear, fear of losing their beloved jobs, so much so that they are willing to sacrifice their students on the altar of self-expediency. Can you say lily-livered chicken shits?
Carl Sagan knew this when he said,
“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
Thanks retired!
Lamar Alexander may have helped us out a bit when he made ESSA, but his Tennessee track record is filled with merit pay ideas and the acceptance that public schools are horrible. He fought with the TEA when he added a week to the school year, and he wanted to do it without having any pay increase. We had to wait for Gov. McWorter, a traditional democrat, for significant pay increases. During the tenure of Gov. Alexander, 66 rural school districts sued the state for inequitable funding of their education. Lamar was elsewhere when a poor deal was made to settle the suit.
Perhaps he does want to return to local control, but in Tennessee that looks like state-sponsored Common Core, testing brought to you by a legislature that oils rather argue about gun carry permits in public places, or writing In God We Trust for free on your license plate.
I appreciate Alexander for his efforts in preserving areas of the eastern mountains, but his support of republicans who would trash the environment elsewhere make this a small gesture.
Yep, Roy–totally agree.
“Three Laws in a Nutshell”
We left them in the weeds
In race to make a buck
And every child succeeds
In being out of luck
Years ago teachers in our school re-branded NCLB as NCLUT: as in No Child Left Un-Tested. Now I’m thinking that ESSA, the Every Student Succeeds Act, might be more honestly labeled if known as the ESSIBOOL. 🙂
Touche again, Some DAM!
I am not terribly sympathetic with Senator Alexander’s belated concern about ESSA and USDE oversight. Botel is a TFA graduate who is arrogant enough to tell some states their ESSA plans do not set sufficiently “ambitious“ goals.
The state plans that USDE is supposed to be approving have been evolving since ESSA was passed, early in 2015.
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) supported ESSA.
The CCSSO thrives on corporate and billionaire foundation money. http://www.ccsso.org/Who_We_Are/Business_and_Industry_Partnerships/Corporate_Partners.html
The CCSSO helped bring you the Common Core.
The CCSSO follows the money and helps state education agencies across the nation do so as well. http://www.ccsso.org/Resources/Programs/Every_Student_Succeeds_Act.htm
About a year before DeVos took office the CCSSO had a “template” for states to follow as they prepared plans for USDE approval. That CCSSO’s template functioned as an interim gift to DeVos who was (is) clueless about ESSA.
In a letter dated March 13, 2017, Devos praised the CCSSO’s original template for a “consolidated state plan,” and offered the following “guidance.”
“I recognize the tremendous work each State, including SEAs and Governors in concert with the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA), already has done in developing its consolidated State plan and want to ensure that each State has the opportunity to submit a consolidated State plan that reflects its needs. Therefore, an SEA (state education agency) may either submit a consolidated State plan using the revised consolidated State plan template or an alternative template that addresses each requirement in the revised template and that is developed by the State working with CCSSO. For any program not included in a consolidated State plan, the SEA must submit individual program State plans that meet the statutory and regulatory requirements of each respective program. An SEA may choose to submit its consolidated State plan or individual program State plans by either April 3, 2017, or September 18, 2017.”
The Department will conduct two peer review processes – one following each submission deadline. To prioritize State flexibility, the Department will engage with chief State school officers and their staffs and with governors and their staffs as State plans proceed through the peer review and Secretarial review process.” https://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/guid/secletter/170313.html
The CCSSO has responded to the letter with a new template for state plans. The power point link below shows exactly how DeVos “guidance” (in the name of flexibility) has morphed the requirements for ESSA state plans.
The CCSSO says: “The new template is the current Administration’s determination of what is “absolutely necessary” to include in a consolidated State plan.” After that introduction, the left-hand side of each power point slide shows language in the pre-DeVos template prepared by the CCSSO to help states work on ESSA-compliant plans. On the right-hand side you can see how DeVos and staff added a lot of micromanaging language deemed “absolutely necessary.” http://www.ccsso.org/Documents/2017/ESSA/CCSSO_Revised_State_Plan_Template_PPT.pdf
I did some spot checks of the language in ESSA, and the CCSSO’s templates for plans before and after the DeVos guidance letter. Here is just one example of these changes:
Long Term Goals and Interim Performance Measures:
Pre-Devos: (Eliminated in the new template)
Description of how State est. long-term goals for academic achievement and timeline, for four-year graduation rate and timeline, and for extended graduation rate, and timeline
Description of procedure for establishing English Language Proficiency (ELP) targets
Description of how State est. goals for increasing % of ELs (English Learners) making annual progress on ELP
Devos: (Changed/Added in New Template).
Description of long-term goals for reading/language arts and math;
Description of interim measures for academic achievement;
Description of how goals will lead to significant progress in closing gaps;
Same descriptions re: four-year cohort graduation rate
If applicable, same descriptions re: extended year graduation rate•
Description of long-term goals, interim measures, and timelines for ELP
I do not know how USDE has selected reviewers of the state plans or whether the CCSSO templates have actually been used in preparing consolidated state plans for ESSA.
I do know that charter-loving Bellwether Education Partners and the Collaborative for Student Success have enticed 30 “independent” reviewers to rate ESSA plans. The organization from which Bellwether selected reviewers are, in the main, enthusiastic about ensuring that tests of college and career readiness dominate policies for public school (So is the CCSSO). Bellwether’s nine criteria and five-point rubrics, can be found here, along with information about the reviewers and the organizations the reviewers work for. https://checkstateplans.org/report/
DeVos, like all cabinet members, has a phalanx of speech writers.
Any written statement was written by someone in her office, certainly not her.
I doubt she has any idea what ESSA is.
For what it’s worth, here’s link to the DOE’s review of Massachusetts’ ESSA submission. Remember, our state department of education is as reformy as can be.
Click to access maprelimdetermltr.pdf