Briefing Report
U.S. Department of Education Stakeholder Meetings
October 13, 2009 and October 21, 2009
By Stacey Novelli, Legislative Associate, NCTE Washington Office

The U.S. Department of Education is hosting a series of forums to discuss key issues related to the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Last month, Secretary Arne Duncan commented that that rewrite of ESEA should start now and that the reauthorization cannot wait. Congress reauthorized ESEA most recently in 2002 in what is known as the No Child Left Behind Act. Two forums were held in October.

On October 13, the Department hosted the second of five planned forums on ESEA reauthorization. The topic was “Great Teachers and Leaders.” Dr. Thelma Melendez, Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education, gave opening remarks and spoke of the important role of effective teachers and principals in promoting student achievement. According to Melendez, in order to ensure that all children have access to dedicated and highly-skilled teachers and school leaders we should:

1. Compensate teachers through a redesigned evaluation system informed by multiple measures including classroom observations and evidence of student engagement and learning;
2. Create new pathways to recruit and prepare a new generation of teachers who are supported in their first years in the classroom through mentoring programs;
3. Empower successful school leadership and faculties with the flexibility needed to build their school and create new and innovative programs to meet the needs of their diverse populations; and
4. Reach out to master teachers and leaders and ask them to bring their knowledge and expertise to the schools and communities that need them the most.

Carmel Martin, Assistant Secretary for Planning, Evaluation and Policy Development, summarized the overarching principles regarding teacher quality that will guide the development of a new ESEA bill for the Department. They include:

1. Treating all teachers as professionals by providing high quality pre-service training, professional development, access to timely student data and skilled leadership;
2. Recruiting and preparing talented individuals into the field of education, omitting barriers to high-quality alternative certification programs, and holding all teacher preparation programs accountable;
3. Developing school leaders that make schools work effectively for students and teachers; and
4. Equalizing the distribution of quality teachers and leaders between urban and rural communities. 

On October 21, the Department hosted the third of five forums on ESEA reauthorization. The topic was “Promoting Innovation and Rethinking the Federal Role.” Assistant Secretary Martin noted that the Department looks to develop an ESEA reauthorization package that better leverages federal dollars and makes the law less compliance-driven. Martin commented, “The best solutions are local, done at the classroom level with parents and teachers and other educators.” Jim Shelton, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Innovation and Improvement, echoed these remarks, and noted that the importance of innovation in education reform cannot be understated, but that it is crucial to examine and understand how it happens versus simply trying to replicate so-called innovative programs that are successful.

The NCTE DC Office staff are attending and tracking the information in these Department of Education forums to gather information for the Executive Committee in writing NCTE’s 2010 legislative platform that will guide NCTE’s advocacy regarding changes in ESEA.

For videos from the forums, go to http://www.ed.gov/news/events/forum.html.

Stacey Novelli, Legislative Associate, NCTE Washington Office

Labels: President, TYCA_Representative

President: Gary Enns, Cerro Coso Community College

First Vice President: Sterling Warner, Evergreen Valley College

Second Vice President: Michael Dinielli, Chaffey College

Secretary: Chella Courington, Santa Barbara City College

Treasurer: John Thomas, Diablo Valley College

Immediate Past President: Heidi Ramirez, Hartnell College

Editor of inside english: Sean Stratton, Chaffey College

TYCA Representative: Elissa Carruth, Oxnard College

Historian: Edith Conn, Ventura College

Labels: Editor_of_inside_english, First_and_Second_Vice_Presidents, Historian, Immediate_Past_President, President, TYCA_Representative