ESEA At 50: The Federal Government And Equity in American Education
February 18, 2015
Fifty years ago, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) was first enacted into law as part of the “war against poverty,” bringing the federal government into American education as a force for equity and educational opportunity. Today, thirteen years after its transformation into No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the debates over the reauthorization of ESEA have posed questions that go to the heart of federal government’s role as a force for educational equity. Will Title One funds be diverted from high poverty students and public schools? Will those funds end up in vouchers and other privatization schemes that undermine the public schools serving the students with the greatest needs? Will the failed NCLB accountability regime be replaced with an approach that supports and improves public schools serving students with the greatest needs? Our panel will discuss these questions and more.
Speakers
:Judith Browne Dianis, co-director, Advancement Project
Wade Henderson, president and ceo, Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights.
Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers and Albert Shanker Institute.
Moderator: Michelle Ringuette, assistant to the president, American Federation of Teachers
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