Greater opportunities for students under new education law

Years of political wrangling have finally produced a law which creates greater opportunity for every student in our public schools, regardless of ZIP code, and ends the failures of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).

President Barack Obama recently signed the Every Student Succeeds Act into law. This bipartisan bill reforms the federal law called the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and ushers in a new era in public education for our nation's schools.

The Every Student Succeeds Act empowers educators as trusted professionals to make school and classroom decisions, while keeping the focus on students most in need, for the first time since NCLB was enacted nearly 14 years ago. It moves the decision making power from the federal government to states and local school districts giving educators a voice in the process.

Too often educators have been left out of the discussion when important decisions were made affecting the students in their care. It stands to reason the same professionals who see our students day-in-and-day-out, who know their learning patterns and growth potential be in the conversation at the state and local levels.

The Every Student Succeeds Act acknowledges the harmful emphasis of standardized tests and allows states and school districts to take a hard look at the tests they are using and decide whether or not they are in the best interest of their students.

However, the biggest impact of the new bill is what it means for schools that have unfairly been labeled as failing. No Child Left Behind attempted to measure student and school progress based exclusively on a standardized test score. This test score provided only a narrow glimpse into student and school performance and, even worse, the NCLB regime did not drive additional resources to so-called 'failing” schools. Fourteen years later, the outcome is clear: too often and in too many places, a student's ZIP code dictates the quality of education available.

The Every Student Succeeds Act addresses this issue with a range of school quality indicators, which allows leaders to quantify and track the things that really matter when it comes to student success.

These quality indicators include: What is the student graduation rate? What is the school attendance rate? What are the student-to-teacher ratios? How many National Board certified teachers are in the classroom? Does the school offer quality professional development? Do students have access to modern materials, facilities, technology, books, and libraries? Do students have access to high-quality early education programs and full-day, five day-a-week kindergarten? Do students have access to fine arts, foreign language and daily physical education?

In a new era for public schools, the president and Congress have included those closest to the students - educators, administrators and parents to be in on the important decisions made affecting those in the classrooms. Schools are no longer at the mercy of the federal government and a one-size-fits-all approach. Of course with this freedom comes a new responsibility for stakeholders. We must ensure that the good ideas put forth in the new law are implemented. Simply moving ourselves to local control will not hold our state leaders accountable in making the right decisions. We must be vigilant in making sure those in the driver's seat do what's best for our students.

Keep in mind that after years of NCLB dictating what had to be taught, The Every Student Succeeds Act frees our classrooms to become well-rounded centers of learning again which may include curriculum focus on social studies, art, physical education and even playtime in addition to math and reading. Educators can now direct their attention on ensuring students understand and comprehend a well-rounded curriculum instead of teaching to a test.

We cannot let this freedom go to waste. We must take a deep breath, think about what we would like to do, and implement our great ideas carefully and with a commitment to what is best for Iowa's students.

' Tammy Wawro is a teacher on release from Cedar Rapids and was elected the Iowa State Education Association's (ISEA) president in April 2012 and re-elected to a second term in April 2015 by member delegates who attended the ISEA's annual meeting in Des Moines.