Barone and Martinez: 3 Ways Governor Phil Murphy Could Clean Up PARCC High School Testing Mess

Governor Phil Murphy announcing yet another PARCC testing proposal at the Golden Nugget Casino “New Jersey’s testing and high school graduation policies are proving increasingly confusing. Over the years, the state has repeatedly changed the role of PARCC and other assessments in awarding high school diplomas. Current high school testing requirements are so complicated that the state

Robert F. Kennedy – ESEA Author and Progressive Proponent of Assessments and Accountability

by Charles Barone I distinctly remember waking up for school the morning of June 6th, 1968 and finding out that Robert F. Kennedy had been shot in Los Angeles just after midnight. My father was a Republican and my mother a Democrat, but they were both shocked and saddened by the news. I don’t remember

Democrats’ Epic Teacher Pay Proposal: How to Make It a Great Deal for Teachers and Students

by Charles Barone   This week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi announced a new plan to take the tax cuts Congress gave away last year to the top 1% of all earners and repurpose the funds to boost teacher salaries. This is arguably the boldest K-12 education proposal we’ve

My First-Generation Perspective

By Dana Laurens     Last month, I had the privilege of speaking at the annual 1vyG Conference–held at the University of Pennsylvania–on a panel alongside Dr. Sean Vereen, Dr. Laura Perna, and Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab. 1vyG is a weekend-long gathering that provides a unique opportunity for over 500 first-generation, low-income (FGLI) students enrolled in

ESSA’s Financial “Sleeper Provision” Reminds Us ESSA is about Equity

By Dana Laurens   Round two of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) state plan reviews is well underway at the U.S. Department of Education (ED), but one little known provision of the now not-so-new ESSA law has yet to be implemented. Beginning next school year, states are required to publicly report actual per-pupil spending

U.S. Department of Education Failure to Enforce ESSA – Part 3: Three of ESSA “Big Four” Troubled By State Violations of ESSA Statute

By Charles Barone and Dana Laurens   On Capitol Hill and in hip-hop culture, as the saying goes, “word is bond.” Even those not inclined to adhere to this on principle do so simply as a means for survival. A reputation for negotiating in good faith and keeping promises are among one’s most valuable assets

U.S. Department of Education Failure to Enforce ESSA – Part 2: Abandoning Proficiency Benchmarks Takes the “Every” Out of ESSA

By Dana Laurens and Charles Barone Last week, we focused on ED’s failure to enforce ESSA guardrails that quite sensibly require state accountability system indicators be comparable and statewide. A second set of equally sensible and necessary ESSA requirements – that ED has also chosen to ignore – stipulates that all state accountability systems incorporate

ED’s Failure to Enforce ESSA Will Hurt Students – Part 1

by Charles Barone and Dana Laurens As the U.S. Department of Education (ED) undertakes its second round of state plan reviews under the “Every Student Succeeds Act” (ESSA), it’s a good time to reflect on mistakes made in Round 1 and pay close attention to whether ED goes even further afield of its responsibilities under

Democratic Voices on ESSA Accountability

by Dana Laurens The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) provides a great deal of flexibility over the previous federal law when it comes to state design of their school accountability systems. It did, nonetheless, establish clear federal guardrails to help ensure those systems emphasize academic achievement and identify schools that are falling short in providing

Those Talking the ESSA Law Talk Are Not Walking the ESSA Law Walk

by Charles Barone   A high-decibel throng of advocates is trying to make the case that the U.S. Department of Education (ED) has overstepped its role in its reviews of state plans under the Every Student Succeeds Act. But look closely and you’ll find that many of those talking the ESSA law talk are not