The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announced today the 2011-2012 CCSSO Board of Directors. Elections took place during the 2011 Annual Policy Forum and Business Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona. Tom Luna, Superintendent of Public Instruction in Idaho was sworn in as CCSSO president and Mitchell Chester, Commissioner of Education in Massachusetts was named president-elect.
Several states will submit applications to the U.S. Department of Education on November 14 seeking waivers of certain provisions of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). These waivers will allow states the flexibility to develop stronger accountability and teacher evaluation systems, and provide relief from current provisions preventing states moving forward with reform.
Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna told members of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Tuesday that he supports the current legislation to reauthorize No Child Left Behind because it finds the right balance between the state’s responsibility and the federal government’s role.
On October 11, Chairman Tom Harkin (D-IA), in collaboration with Senator Michael Enzi (R-WY) released a draft of comprehensive legislation to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). CCSSO sent the following letter outlining recommendations to Chairman Tom Harkin and Senator Michael Enzi.
Hanna Skandera, Secretary for the New Mexico Public Education Department testified today before the House Education and Workforce Committee about the measures used to hold schools accountable in New Mexico’s education reform efforts. Skandera’s testimony highlighted New Mexico’s education reform efforts focused on the achievement of students, the quality of teachers, and the measures used to hold schools accountable.
CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit issued the following statement today in response to Secretary Arne Duncan’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Education will consider state waiver proposals under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
The Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) announces that 41 states have agreed to work together to dramatically improve student achievement through the development and implementation of improved state accountability systems.
CCSSO Executive Director Gene Wilhoit testified today before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and Workforce about federal reporting regulations and the significant state and local burdens that result. Wilhoit’s testimony focused on the importance of streamlining federal data collections; moving away from outdated models of measuring teacher quality; and improving federal program monitoring and funding audits.
Chief State School Officers from across the nation wrote to Congress about the pending reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and what needs to be done to reinvent ESEA and address several shortcomings in the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). CCSSO welcomes the President’s State of the Union call for Congress to reauthorize ESEA in a manner that supports state-led reform, and we look forward to working with the Congress to craft such a law. CCSSO views this as an important moment that presents real opportunities for progress.
CCSSO submitted a formal response to the U.S. Department of Education (ED)’s Notice of Proposed Priorities (NPP) for future discretionary grant programs, expressing support for ED’s decision to outline a comprehensive reform agenda designed to better allocate limited federal resources.
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