Illustration: Paul Vismara
Curious about the Federal 2015 (ESSA)? You could read all 1,061 pages 鈥� or U.S. Secretary of Education could personally impart the basics by challenging you to create a state accountability plan under the new law.
King (Ed.D. 鈥�08), a former high school so颅cial studies teacher, did just that for students in in July. The Secretary headlined the week鈥檚 rock-star instructor lineup, which included and , co-directors of the and leading authorities on school desegregation, affirmative action and serving immigrant students; 麻豆原创 Professor , a prominent national authority on school-finance law and the right to an adequate education; and , Director of the . The Institute鈥檚 Faculty Chair, 麻豆原创 Professor of Law & Education , litigated race-discrimination cases as a civil-rights lawyer at the and served as chief counsel to the . Institute Co-Chair Rhoda Schneider is General Counsel and Senior Associate Commissioner of the and has repeatedly served as the state鈥檚 interim Education Commissioner.
Like No Child Left Behind before it, ESSA commits states to college and career standards and continued close attention to achievement gaps. Yet it also requires use of non-academic indicators such as student engagement or school climate, while scaling back federal control. 鈥淲e鈥檙e putting in civil rights guardrails,鈥� King said, 鈥渂ut states will make decisions about interventions and using federal funds.鈥�
鈥淟eaving it up to the states creates some problems,鈥� King acknowledged. Does inclusive debate simply beget 鈥渇luffy indicators that let schools off the hook鈥�? How will besieged state education departments manage the new measures?
We鈥檙e putting in civil rights guardrails, but the states will make decisions about interventions and using federal funds.鈥�
鈥�John King (Ed.D.'08), U.S. Secretary of Education
Still, it was clear that considerations like school climate matter to King. He closed by recalling losing both his parents as a young boy and later being asked to leave boarding school. He wished the school had offered more options for students in difficulty.
Later, English Education Ph.D. student emailed: 鈥淪ecretary King made me know that he is listening and he is watch颅ing the tragedies and inequities that African-American male youth are suffering from today. I will use his life and words to motivate and transform the minds of New York students, various educators and hopefully, diverse peo颅ple in the world.鈥�
The 2017 School Law Institute runs July 10-14. For information visit .