Democrats for Education Reform has joined more than thirty advocacy, business, civil rights, and think tank organizations to urge Congress and the President to stay strong on key principles regarding state accountability systems in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act/No Child Left Behind Act (ESEA/NCLB).
While we agree with those who believe the 9 year-old ESEA/NCLB law needs to be updated and made more flexible, we also believe strongly that the new ESEA must continue to require, in exchange for federal funding, state and local accountability for the academic achievement of all children, including and especially for racial and ethnic minorities, English language learners, children with disabilities, and children from low-income families.
The signatories stress that such systems must require that states set annual, measurable, and ambitious goals for the academic growth and performance of all students and for closing achievement and graduation gaps between the above four sub-groups and their non-disadvantaged peers.
The following national and state education reform groups have signed on to this letter:
Achievement First
Advance Illinois
Alliance for Excellent Education
Business Roundtable
Center for American Progress Action Fund
Children’s Defense Fund
Civic Builders
ConnCAN
Democracy Prep
Democrats for Education Reform
Education Equality Project
Education Reform Now
The Education Trust
EdVoice
GetSmart Schools
Hope Street Group
League of Education Voters
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
The Mind Trust
MinnCAN
National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
National Council of La Raza
National Women’s Law Center
New Schools Venture Fund
The New Teacher Project
Oklahoma Business and Education Coalition
RI-CAN
Rodel Foundation of Delaware
Stand for Children
Stand for Children – CO
State of Black Connecticut Alliance
Step Up for Students
StudentsFirst
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
50CAN
To see the entire letter, click: here.