Recap: Senate Committee Holds Confirmation Hearing for Next Secretary of Education

January 20, 2017 By Leave a Comment

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee held a confirmation hearing for Betsy DeVos, an education advocate and philanthropist to be the next U.S. Secretary of Education. Members from both sides of the aisle had the opportunity to ask Ms. DeVos questions about her positions and plans for the Department of Education (the Department) should she be nominated.

In a statement regarding the announcement of the confirmation hearing, Laura Bay, President of National PTA stated that “we respect the confirmation process and pending her confirmation, we stand ready to work with Ms. DeVos to ensure that the priorities of National PTA are included in the new administration’s education agenda.”

National PTA also joined with other leading organizations to express concerns regarding several previous education positions of Ms. DeVos in letters to the committee on Jan. 9 and 13, 2017.

During the hearing, many Democrats expressed concern about Ms. DeVos’ previous advocacy efforts on behalf of private school vouchers in addition to her lack of formal experience in the public education sector. Republicans, on the other hand, largely praised Ms. DeVos’ work and were encouraged by the potential opportunity of having a representative outside of the traditional public education sphere to bring different ideas to the Department.

Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Chairman of the HELP Committee is expected to call for a vote on Ms. DeVos’ nomination on Tuesday, Jan. 31. The vote will likely fall along party lines with all Democrats voting against Ms. DeVos’ confirmation and all Republican Senators voting in favor. The vote will ironically coincide a week after National School Choice Week, which now in its seventh year of advocating for education options. National PTA has a longstanding history of opposing any private school choice system—vouchers, tax credits or deductions—that would divert public school resources.

In addition to the diversion of public resources to private schools, National PTA will continue to oppose private school choice systems because many of these programs do not have the same civil rights, protections and services for all students — particularly those with special needs. Furthermore, recent studies confirm that school vouchers do not help students achieve better in school, and in fact, they can lead to lower academic achievement.

Learn more about private school vouchers and follow @NationalPTA on Twitter for federal education updates and advocacy efforts.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the Government Affairs Coordinator for National PTA.

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What This Means: Secretary King Stresses the Necessity of Diversity at #PTAcon16

July 12, 2016 By Leave a Comment

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In a keynote address at the Think BIG… Think PTA! National PTA 2016 Annual Conference, attended by over 1,000 PTA members and advocates, U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King voiced the importance of having diverse schools and classrooms. He urged PTA members to “demand diversity—not just in schools but also in the classrooms within those schools,” and added that “diversity is not a nicety but a necessity. Not just for some students, but for all of our students.”

Research shows that diversity of teachers and students results in better academic and life outcomes for all students. Nearly half of today’s public school students identify as non-white, but only 18% of the teaching force identifies this way, resulting in students rarely identifying culturally and racially with their educators.

Congress is taking steps to address the lack of diversity in schools. Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge (D-OH) will soon be introducing legislation which would offer grants to help districts create and implement strong voluntary, community-developed plans to increase socioeconomic diversity in their schools while improving student achievement.

­Congress cannot tackle this issue alone. Secretary King stressed that PTAs across the country have a unique opportunity to increase diversity within schools. He pressed PTA members to find out if there is a formal outreach effort in place and if not to “start it and lead it.” He went further by stating “if your school is diverse but its PTA doesn’t reflect that diversity, take the time to get to know parents from different backgrounds. Invite them to join you.”

National PTA has a long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion. To further this effort, we recently updated the Diversity and Inclusion Toolkit to help PTA leaders make their PTA more welcoming and inclusive for all children and families by honoring their differences. Be sure to download it for in-depth guidance, but in the meantime, here are a few ways to embrace diversity and multiculturalism in your school community:

  • Make the connection with your community and identify different audiences such as community colleges, hospitals, parks, libraries, etc.
  • Distribute information to staff and families about community resources that serve the cultural, recreational, academic, health, social and other needs of families.
  • Foster student participation in community service and involve community members in school volunteer programs.
  • Disseminate information to the community, including those without school age children, regarding school programs and performance.
  • Collaborate with community agencies to provide family support services and adult learning opportunities, enabling family involvement.

PTA members have an important obligation to ensure that diversity is prioritized in our nation’s schools and to advocate so that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential. Diverse student bodies and teaching forces allow students to learn how to work productively with people whose life experiences are different from their own.

Find more resources and information about diversity and inclusion on PTA.org.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator for National PTA.

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Filed Under: Advocacy

Finally Leaving NCLB behind?

November 24, 2015 By 3 Comments

Congress2We haven’t seen a comprehensive reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)—the primary federal education law—this close to being signed into law since 2002.

Last week, Members of Congress in the House and Senate made a bipartisan agreement on a framework to reauthorize ESEA. The framework will be used to draft a final bill that will then be considered by all members of the House and Senate.

The expected final bill—now called The Every Student Succeeds Act—will be available to the public on Mon., Nov. 30. The House could vote on the final bill as early as Dec. 2, with the Senate to take it up the week of Dec. 7.

Hundreds of PTA members have advocated to include Statewide Family Engagement Centers (SFECs) in the reauthorization and we are pleased to announce that these centers are included in this reauthorization framework.

The SFECs will provide targeted capacity-building and technical assistance for effective family engagement strategies where it’s needed the most. The proposed reauthorization also includes improvements to Title I, Section 1118, which requires school districts to establish family engagement plans and conduct family engagement activities.

If the final bill passes in Congress and is signed into law by President Obama, the new version of ESEA will include programs like preschool development grants and the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, which supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children in high-poverty and low-performing schools.

The reauthorization would also require:

  • States test students in grades 3-8 and once in high school in reading and math
  • Districts and states report assessment data by student subgroups to identify and help close achievement gaps
  • No public or private school portability (No Title I funds will be able to follow the child to the school of their choice) or voucher programs
  • Districts and states provide access to well-rounded educational opportunities for all students by increasing access to STEM education, the arts, and ensuring safe and healthy school environments

National PTA is pleased to see the reauthorization process continue to move forward after years of stagnation. We hope bipartisanship and progress will remain during the final stages of the legislative process. Children, families, teachers and school administrators are depending on congress to reauthorize the outdated No Child Left Behind law.

Follow National PTA on Twitter for the latest news on ESEA reauthorization.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Education News

New Poll Shows Little Appetite for Vouchers but a Craving for Resources

August 28, 2015 By Leave a Comment

 

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This week, PDK and Gallup released the results from the 2015 Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. In the season of presidential campaigning when it feels like Americans are constantly pitted against each other, it is a welcome respite to find widespread agreement on some issues related to public education.

The poll conducted 3,499 interviews via telephone and internet and found that the majority of public school parents are opposed to using public funds to finance private education. In fact, the national opinion on school vouchers is in line with National PTA’s longstanding position of opposing vouchers that divert critical public funds to private or sectarian schools. National PTA has repeatedly opposed vouchers—or public school portability—in the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, which some policymakers continue to advocate for despite a majority of Americans disfavoring them. National PTA also released a statement in response to the poll.

Perhaps the most unsurprising finding from the poll was nearly half of those questioned stated that a lack of financial support was the biggest problem facing American schools. Funding for public education has consistently been at the top of the list of issues impacting schools for the past 10 years. The answers could be in response to the continued cuts to education at the federal, state and local levels, which were exacerbated during the Great Recession.

National PTA—along with dozens of other organizations—routinely advocates to congress for increased investment for education programs. Despite the massive funding cuts, when respondents were asked about schools in their own areas, they were much more likely to have a favorable opinion of their schools compared to schools nationally. This is analogous to voters disapproving of the job congress is doing, but continue to approve of their own members of congress.

The poll also revealed that:

  • 67% of public school parents believe there is too much emphasis on standardized tests in schools in the United States.
  • 65% of public school parents overall said they wouldn’t excuse their own child from exams.
  • African-American and Hispanic parents being less likely to say they would excuse their child from standardized test compared to their white peers.

National PTA’s position on assessing students is supported by the poll results which found that “when asked to select from four approaches that would provide the most accurate picture of a public school student’s academic progress, standardized testing was again at the bottom of the list when compared with three other indicators of progress.” Harvard Graduate School of Education professor Dr. Daniel Koretz, recently told the Christian Science Monitor, “True accountability would include many unstandardized measures of student and teacher performance, everything from portfolios to observations, and that a limited amount of standardized testing then could be part of the oversight system to make sure teachers were applying appropriate standards.”

National PTA believes valid assessment does not consist of a single test score, and that at no time should a single test be considered the sole determinant of a student’s academic or vocational future. Rather, policy alternatives to social promotion and grade retention must be established.

Stay in the loop! Sign-up to get our PTA Takes Action e-newsletter and visit our Takes Action Network for the latest advocacy news and legislative updates.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

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The Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 Senate Passage

July 16, 2015 By Leave a Comment

The Every Child Achieves Act of 2015 (ECAA) was passed by the Senate on a vote of 81-17. National PTA applauds the leadership of Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA) for crafting the historic and bipartisan legislation. We believe that this bill is a solid foundation for the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act—No Child Left Behind (ESEA-NCLB). The Senate bill will soon go to a Conference Committee with the House to work out the differences between its reauthorization bill, the Student Success Act (H.R. 5).

Throughout the consideration of the reauthorization of ESEA-NCLB, National PTA and PTA members across the nation strongly advocated for the inclusion of several provisions to improve family engagement in the bill. Thousands of PTA members and advocates called, emailed and tweeted at Senators voicing their support for amendments to improve family engagement in the bill. Because of this impressive grassroots advocacy by PTA members, the Senate adopted an amendment by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Jack Reed (D-RI) that will provide school districts and schools with the capacity to effectively engage families in their children’s education. The inclusion of this program in the Senate bill is a huge victory for children and families. The House bill (H.R. 5) also includes this program.

Furthermore, in large part to the efforts of local PTA members, the bill contains several other laudable family engagement provisions such as the inclusion of parents in the development of school district plans to support student achievement and promote family engagement strategies in early childhood learning programs. Additionally, through the leadership of Chris Coons (D-DE), Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Jack Reed (D-RI), language was also included to encourage Title I school districts to invest additional resources in family engagement. In total, 178 amendments were introduced, with 65 accepted and 13 rejected. Several accepted amendments included the creation of a student data privacy commission to inform policymakers on updates to current laws governing this issue, addressing student access to digital learning resources at home, and the establishment of a full-service community schools grant program. Other amendments that were adopted include a proposal from Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) allowing certain funds to be spent on mental health awareness programs and one by Sen. Bennet that would require states to limit the total time students spend on tests.

National PTA has long advocated against any proposal that would permit federal dollars to follow a student to another public school or for private school vouchers. The association was pleased that several amendments that attempted to do so were defeated.

Now that both houses of Congress have passed bills to reauthorize the ESEA-NCLB, they must come together to work out the differences between the two bills in conference committees. Once there is agreement, the bill will go back to each chamber of Congress for another vote. The final step is to send the bill to President Obama for his approval. We are excited that this long overdue reauthorization is closer to a reality. National PTA will continue to work to improve educational opportunities and experiences of all children across the United States.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

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The Every Child Achieves Act Makes it Through the First Week of Floor Debates

July 13, 2015 By Leave a Comment

Last week, the U.S. Senate began floor debate on the Every Child Achieves Act (S. 1177)—a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act-No Child Left Behind (ESEA-NCLB). The primary law governing K-12 education at the federal level, ESEA-NCLB is eight years overdue for reauthorization. National PTA has consistently advocated for a bipartisan and comprehensive reauthorization of ESEA-NCLB, and it is a key public policy priority for our association. However, the bipartisan bill is far from perfect and National PTA has been working with U.S. Senate offices for several months to improve the bill for children and their families.

Most notably, National PTA has been working on two amendments that would improve family engagement programs and resources in states and school districts. Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Jack Reed (D-RI) introduced an amendment on July 8 that would authorize Statewide Family Engagement Centers. These centers would give states and school districts the capacity to support effective implementation and enhancement of systemic and effective family engagement policies, programs, and activities that lead to improvements in student development and academic achievement. Additionally, an amendment offered by Sens. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) would allow local education agencies to use more than 1 percent of their district-level Title I funding for family engagement programs. Debate has yet to occur on either of these amendments, but National PTA is following the floor action closely.

Earlier in the week, we were pleased to see an amendment by Sen. Joe Donnelly (D-IN) which National PTA advocated for, was included in the bill to ensure family engagement strategies are allowable activities in the Early Learning Alignments and Improvement grant program. By weeks end, there were more than 130 amendments filed with 19 passed, three rejected and a few amendments tabled for further negotiations. Similar to the House, there were a few proposals introduced that could allow for the portability of Title I funds to public and private schools, which were amongst the amendments that were rejected. National PTA was pleased to see that school voucher programs and Title I portability were not accepted, so far, in the Every Child Achieves Act. We will continue to advocate against methods that take federal funding away from the students that need it the most.

National PTA sent a letter to the Senate outlining our priorities for reauthorizing ESEA-NCLB before the floor debate began and will continue to communicate National PTA priorities to all Senators as debate continues.

There were a number of agreed upon amendments, ranging from ensuring access to STEM subjects for underrepresented students to a crackdown on sexual assaults in schools to authorized studies on tribal schools and student services, amongst others. National PTA was pleased to see the adoption of an amendment that would allow school staff additional means to “certify” that students are homeless and an amendment that encourages states and school districts to integrate school library programs into their plans for improving student academic achievement.

The Every Child Achieves Act will resume consideration on the U.S. Senate floor at 5:30 p.m. EDT today and could be voted on for final passage as early as Thursday, July 16. National PTA continues to work with members of the Senate to provide families the necessary resources to effectively be involved in their children’s education.

Make sure to stay connected with our legislative actions by checking our PTA Takes Action webpage to send letters to your elected officials in support of our federal legislative priorities as well as reading the One Voice blog and following National PTA on social media platforms.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

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Elementary and Secondary Education Act-No Child Left Behind to Be Reauthorized

July 2, 2015 By Leave a Comment

IMG_0150Last week, National PTA joined with nine other education organizations to urge the U.S. Senate to bring the bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act-No Child Left Behind (ESEA-NCLB) to the floor for debate. “We applaud the Senate HELP Committee for their great bipartisan progress, but Congress must put kids first and finish its work before the August recess by bringing the bill to the Senate floor.” said Frances Frost, president of Montgomery County Council PTA (MD) to members of the press.

Frances represented National PTA at the event with leadership from other national organizations, including the National Education Association (NEA), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), The School Superintendents Association (AASA), National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). Comprehensive reauthorization of ESEA-NCLB is National PTA’s top education priority and National PTA believes that the U.S. Senate should put kids first before Congress takes its summer recess by voting on this important legislation. In response to the press conference, Senate leadership announced that the bill is scheduled to be debated on the Senate floor starting July 7.

National PTA is advocating for the inclusion of stronger family engagement provisions in the Senate bill. In particular, National PTA urges Senators to approve two amendments to the bill that will enhance family engagement in states and local districts. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) will offer an amendment to support state and local capacity building through Statewide Family Engagement Centers. These centers will build local capacity to train, coordinate, and develop family and community relationships to support student achievement and family engagement. Senators Christopher Coons (D-DE) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) have a bipartisan amendment that will increase the investment in family engagement for qualifying local education agencies from 1 to 2 percent.

While National PTA seeks improvements to the bill, National PTA is pleased that no public or private school portability or voucher provisions were included. We are also pleased that bill requires states to establish challenging academic standards for all students and create statewide accountability systems to ensure all students graduate from high school ready for college and careers. Additionally, the bill allows for multiple measures of student achievement in state determined accountability systems.

We will need PTA advocates to prepare to encourage their Senators to strengthen family engagement provisions and ensure that every child receives the high-quality education he/she deserves. Stay tuned for more updates on the reauthorization of the ESEA/NCLB through the One Voice blog and by following @NationalPTA on Twitter.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

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Secretary Duncan Announces Parents’ Set of Rights at National PTA Convention

June 30, 2015 By Leave a Comment

arneduncan2015At National PTA’s Convention on Friday, June 26, the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced a set of rights that outline what families should be able to expect for their children’s education. The rights identify three aspects of high-quality educational opportunities that every parent should be able to obtain for their child.

To help prepare every student for success in life, families have a right to:

  • Access high quality preschool
  • A safe, supportive, well-resourced school with challenging academic standards
  • Affordable, quality, post-secondary education or training opportunities

During his remarks, Duncan emphasized that the set of rights take place during three pivotal stages of a student’s life. In addition, they prepare them for success in college and careers as engaged, productive citizens.

National PTA agrees that all parents should have access to high quality early learning opportunities for their children. Research shows that providing effective, targeted support and interventions to children and parents beginning at birth leads to higher levels of long term education and career achievement. Additional studies also point to the enormous benefits of early childhood education such as Head Start. For example, a study found that Head Start participants are about 8.5 percentage points more likely to graduate from high school, 6 percentage points more likely to have attempted at least one year of college, less likely to be unemployed, no longer enrolled in school or in poor health (Deming, 126, 2009). Early childhood education is not just a priority for our children and families; but it is the right investment to make..

National PTA also supports having high standards that demand a lot from students but are also consistent, articulate, and developed collaboratively with educators, parents and students. Yet, parents are acutely aware that their children cannot achieve to their full potential if they do not feel safe and supported at school. Policymakers and schools can and should do more to prevent bullying and school violence and prioritize education funding to provide the necessary resources to support teachers, counselors, and other school and instructional support staff.

Every parent should have the opportunity to ensure their children have acquired the necessary 21st century skills through high standards, access to post-secondary education and/or career training. These skills are critical to ensuring a strong economy and a vibrant future. Today’s workplace requires employees to be able to think on their feet, make decisions and solve problems. As the demand for highly skilled workers continues to increase, it is imperative that America’s youth are prepared with critical thinking and reasoning skills necessary to engage in our complex work environments and compete in our global economy.

Parents are not only an integral part in their children’s lives at home but are crucial to their success in school. Collectively, parents have the power to transform educational opportunity in this country.

National PTA remains committed to working with Secretary Duncan and the Department of Education to ensure every child has access to high-quality educational opportunities throughout their life and the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

Join Secretary Duncan in a Twitter chat to continue the dialogue he started at National PTA’s Convention on family engagement in education on July 1 at 1:30 p.m., ET, using #PTChat.

Lindsay Kubatzky is the government affairs coordinator at National PTA.

Deming, D. (2009). Early Childhood Intervention and Life-Cycle Skill Development: Evidence from Head Start. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 1(3), 111-134.

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Wear Orange: First Annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day

June 4, 2015 By Leave a Comment
National PTA staff members show their support for gun violence prevention by wearing orange apparel on June 2.

National PTA staff members show their support for gun violence prevention by wearing orange apparel on June 2.

Every student deserves to learn and grow in an environment that is safe. Sadly, the threat of violence for students – including gun violence – has grown across the country. To raise awareness of the issue and the importance of preventing and eliminating gun violence in schools and communities, June 2 marked the first annual National Gun Violence Awareness Day. As part of the day, people nationwide were encouraged to “Wear Orange” in support of gun violence prevention.

National PTA is committed to eliminating violence in schools, communities and at home. It is a top priority of the association to bring together parents, teachers, administrators, community leaders and elected officials to make meaningful changes and find the most effective ways to ensure that all students have a safe environment in which to thrive and learn.

To help prevent gun-related incidents, National PTA advocates for:

  • Ensuring gun safety locks and other safety devices are implemented at home;
  • Establishing education programs for teachers, parents and other community members about violence prevention and gun safety;
  • Restricting internet gun sales, including items that enhance and modify firearms;
  • Providing alternative educational settings for youth who have brought a firearm to school, along with appropriate evaluation and counseling;
  • Enforcing state and federal age requirements for handgun purchases;
  • Raising the minimum age to 21 to be allowed to buy a handgun from non-licensed dealers; and
  • Preventing juveniles who commit violent crimes from buying guns as adults.

In addition to the association’s support of National Gun Violence Awareness Day, National PTA has joined other organizations in supporting the ASK (Asking Saves Kids) Campaign. The campaign encourages families to be proactive and ask others if there is an unlocked gun in an area where their children play, which can help reduce the chances of gun-related accidents. Sunday, June 21 has been designated National ASK Day. National PTA urges families nationwide to join the association in spreading the ASK message on Facebook and Twitter.

National PTA also supports public policy solutions that prevent and address childhood exposure to violence and trauma. In the past year, National PTA contributed to the Safe, Healthy and Ready to Learn policy paper, led by Futures Without Violence, which outlined seven goals to help provide children an environment free of violence and trauma. The coalition examined research, consulted with experts across the country and convened a multi-disciplinary working group, of which National PTA participated, to develop a comprehensive set of seven recommendations designed to combat this silent epidemic.

The protection of students is of utmost importance. For ways PTAs can help prevent violence in schools and advocate for school safety click here.

Lindsay Kubatzky is a Government Affairs Coordinator for National PTA.

Filed Under: Advocacy, Health and Safety, Slider