Fwd: Reauthorization

[Susan Harman <susanharman@igc.org>]

Begin forwarded message:

  From: James Crawford <jwcrawford@COMPUSERVE.COM>

  Date: Sun Aug 26, 2007 11:11:24 AM US/Pacific

  To: ELLADVOC@ASU.EDU

  Subject: Re: Reauthorization

  Reply-To: James Crawford <jwcrawford@COMPUSERVE.COM>

  I'm told that the House Democrats' proposal on NCLB may be available as early
  as this coming week. The Institute has been asked by the Forum on Educational
  Accountability -- the broad coalition led by FairTest -- to provide advice on
  how the proposal would impact ELLs. FEA plans to be very active in lobbying
  the House Ed & Labor Committee to stress principles that the Institute has
  endorsed, along with 138 other education and civil rights groups. See:
  http://www.edaccountability.org/Joint_Statement.html0000,0000,0000.

  As soon as I receive an electronic copy of the draft bill, I will post it on
  the Institute's web site. I'm hoping I can count on many of you for help in:

  1. analyzing provisions that affect ELLs;

  2. developing proposals for amendments; and

  3. contacting key members of Congress to voice our concerns.

  Bear in mind that we'll need to work quickly because the time window is
  likely to be brief. Chairman George Miller is expected to move forward with a
  committee vote ("markup") within a couple of weeks after Congress returns on
  Sept. 4, with a target date for action by the full House in early October.
  This schedule may be overly optimistic on Miller's part, but it's a real
  possibility.

  Jim

  Yetta Goodman wrote:

  From Ken Goodman

  Representative Raùl Grijalva, a member of the House Education Committee, held
  a briefing on NCLB in Tucson yesterday.

  The most important thing he reported is that NCLB reauthorization will be on
  the front burner when Congress reconvenes in September. They purpose to have
  a draft of the revised NCLB in mid-September and send it to the House in
  early October. He promised to post the reauthorization bill on his website
  for comment and response as soon as it is available.

  He spoke of three F's the committee is considering in revising NCLB:
  Fairness, flexibility and and finances. He indicated that he is part of a
  group of 4-5 Democrats on the committee pushing for serious changes in NCLB.
  He's particularly concerned about bilingual and minority students. He
  mentioned that the appropriations committee has recommended diverting 60% of
  Reading  First money until the mess over mandated materials is cleared up.
  He's also concerned about the impact of NCLB on special ed programs and said
  that IDEA should always supersede NCLB.

  What this means is that the next six weeks will be crucial . It looks like
  the committee wants to make some basic changes particularly around testing,
  punitive aspects of NCLB and flexibility for language learners and special
  education. The possibility still exists that they might just pass a
  continuing resolution which could continue NCLB as is and push the whole
  thing  off until after the Nov 2008 election.  That would be a disaster for
  two more classes of school entrants .

  My recommendations: Congress- particularly members of the House and Senate
  education committees need to be bombarded with email, letters and phone calls
  calling for major changes in NCLB. Be sure to contact your own members of
  Congress.

  Here are the issues I would focus on:

  1. Getting rid of the punitive aspects of NCLB. Making it support schools
  that need help rather punishing them.

  2. Rewarding growth rather than punishing failure.

  3. Providing 4 years of transition for English learners.

  4. Accommodation for special ed students with IDEA having precedence over
  NCLB

  5. Getting rid of "highly" in judging who is a qualified teacher and
  providing funding to support the teacher education necessary to produce
  needed certified teachers.        Emphasizing that certified teachers are
  qualified.

  6. Narrowing of the curriculum under NCLB - bringing arts, phys ed, play back
  into the school day

  6. Getting rid of AYP and using broader criteria for judging success under
  NCLB.

  7. Punishing the crooks who used Reading First to force their own products
  and ideology on states and local districts.

  8. Undoing the damage done by those crooks- Requiring state contracts with
  the Dept of Ed under NCLB to be renegotiated.

  9. Invite your reps to see for themselves the damage done to kids and
  teachers.

  Spread the word. This is the time that we can make a difference.

  I'll provide the information on how to access the language of the proposed
  bill as soon as Grijalva makes it available.

  Ken Goodman

Vote in the National Cheney Impeachment Poll

http://www.usalone.com/blogvoices.php?Cheney%20Impeachment%3F

Add this text to your own email and blog signatures!