8/9/2019 5 Reasons Why Sen. Alexanders Education Bill Fails Teachers

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1 Center for American Progress | 5 Reasons Why Sen. Alexanders Education Bill Fails Teachers

5 Reasons Why Sen. Alexanders

Education Bill Fails TeachersJanuary 28, 2015

Earlier his monh, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-N) proposed a bill o reauhorize he

Elemenary and Secondary Educaion Ac, or ESEA.1Te bill misses an opporuniy o

emphasize new invesmens focusing on elevaing he eaching profession and fails o push

for policy changes argeed a mainaining and recruiing a diverse, high-achieving work-

force of eachers and leaders. Here are five reasons Sen. Alexanders bill harms eachers:

1. Opens the door to severe budget cuts:Sen. Alexanders bill eliminaes he ESEAs

mainenance of effor provision, which requires disrics ha receive ile I fund-

ingdesigned o help low income and disadvanaged sudenso mainain

approximaely he same spending levels on educaion from year o year. Wihou his

provision, saes and localiies would be free o slash educaion budges, resuling

in layoffs, furlough days, and reducions in coaching and suppor or compensaion

increases.

2. Dilutes targeted funding for teachers and allows it to be used for other purposes:

Sen. Alexanders bill allows saes o redirec ile II funds, which are dedicaed o

supporing eachers and reducing class size, oward oher educaional programming

if hey choose. Tis provision pus a risk he suppor and developmen ha many

eachers rely on for professional growh, including classroom aides.

3. Does little to push for better, fairer, and fewer tests: Alhough Sen. Alexanders bill

proposes wo opions for federally required ess, neiher would reduce he amoun of

ime eachers spend on es preparaion geared oward helping sudens pass fill-in-

he-bubble ess. ESEA reauhorizaion would be a missed opporuniy if i fails o

reduce esing a he sae and disric level, where he majoriy of ess are required.

Te bill ough o require disrics o audi heir esing calendars and remove dupli-

caive, unnecessary ess while also invesing in nex-generaion assessmens ha

measure higher-level criical hinking and problem solving skills.

8/9/2019 5 Reasons Why Sen. Alexanders Education Bill Fails Teachers

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2 Center for American Progress | 5 Reasons Why Sen. Alexanders Education Bill Fails Teachers

4. Misses an opportunity to leverage change:Sen. Alexander should seize his oppor-

uniy o revamp ile IIhe par of he ESEA ha provides for professional

developmen and supporand creae sysemic changes o grow and mainain a

high-achieving, diverse eacher workforce, such as improving eacher preparaion,

providing inensive inducion for new eachers, and supporing job-embedded pro-

fessional developmen, coaching, and innovaive compensaion sysems ha srech

dollars furher.

5. Cuts $163 million of federal spending on Title II, funding designed to support

teachers:2Sen. Alexanders bill decreases funding levels and misses an opporuniy

o increase invesmens o help saes improve he eacher pipeline, increase educa-

or salaries, offer beter raining and professional developmen, and pu he eaching

profession on an overall higher pedesal similar o a docor or lawyer.

Endnotes

1 Every Child Ready for College or Career Act of 2015, forthcom-ing, 114 Cong. 1 sess., available athttp://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/AEG15033.pdf.

2 U.S. Department of Education, Title II Preparing, Training,and Recruiting High Quality Teachers and Principals: PartA Teacher and Principal Training and Recruiting Fund,available at http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg20.html (last accessed January 2015); Every Child Readyfor College or Career Act of 2015.

http://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/AEG15033.pdfhttp://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/AEG15033.pdfhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg20.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg20.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg20.htmlhttp://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg20.htmlhttp://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/AEG15033.pdfhttp://www.help.senate.gov/imo/media/AEG15033.pdf