on matters of educator voicemyschoolmyvoice.nea.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/essa... ·...

ESSA requires MY input as an educator*. I am here as an educational professional, someone who works with students every day, I know their names and I know what they need to be successful.

TOPIC Backgrounder: State-Designed Accountability SystemsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ESSA%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20State%20Accountability%20Systems%20121415.pdf

and http://getessaright.org/

• ESSAendstheone-size-fits-allapproach toschoolimprovement. Decisionmakingforschoolimprovement isreturned tothepeople who know schools the best – educators, families, and community groups in the schools.

• Under ESSA, improvement plans will be based on local needs assessments and resource equity audits. This means theplans can truly address the most pressing concerns within a school.

• Educators must reach out to parent organizations, civil rights organizations, disability rights groups, and other communityleaders to make sure policies that affect our students are made by people who know them by name.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners whoshare our commitment to student success to ensure that School improvement plans are designed to advance studentsuccess in my community.

Inmyschool/districtthisisimportant because…(fillintheblanks)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Consider sharing this information with your administration, other educators, students, parents and other community members.Do you have an opportunity to share at a staff, local union, PTA or school board meeting?

As trusted professionals,all educators* are uniquely equipped to help make ESSA implementation decisions that lead to student success.

*Teachers,Paraprofessionals, SpecializedInstructionalSupport Personnel (SISP),Education Support Professionals(ESP),HigherEducation Professionals

Educator Voice in matters ofSchool Improvement


TOPIC Backgrounder: ESSA 101, Paraeducator Voice, and Claiming Our VoiceLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/essa-101/need-know-essa/; http://getessaright.org/for-educators/paraeducator-voice-

opportunity/; http://getessaright.org/for-educators/claiming-voice-local-level-bargaining-advocacy-opportunities-essa/ and http://getessaright.org/

• ESSA is inclusive of all educators. Classroom teachers, paraeducators, specialized instructional support personnel, higher education professionals and administrators are valued for their expertise and contributions to student growth.All educators have a seat at the table to make decisions about schools, teaching and learning, and student growth.

• ESSA presents an opportunity to ensure success for each and every student. This opportunity will only be realized if educators speak up on behalf of students, lead implementation, make their voices heard, and work with stakeholders in their communities to advocate on behalf of students.

• Educators have a right to meaningful input on school improvement, professional learning, and how to best serve students in their school.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who share our commitment to student success. I am here to claim my seat at the table.

Inmyschool/districtthisisimportantbecause…(fillintheblanks)_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Consider sharing this information with your administration, other educators, students, parents and other community members. Do you have an opportunity to share at a staff, local union, PTA or school board meeting?

As trusted professionals, all educators* are uniquely equipped to help make ESSA implementation decisions that lead to student success.

*Teachers,Paraprofessionals,SpecializedInstructionalSupportPersonnel(SISP),EducationSupportProfessionals(ESP),HigherEducationProfessionals

On Matters of Educator Voice

How to use this resource:• Use the information on this card and the linked information to learn more and then take an opportunity to speak

about why this topic is an important component of ensuring student success.• For additional information on this and other ESSA issues, visit http://getessaright.org/ under the RESOURCES tab. • Personalize your message by adding information about your school/district.

Who should deliver this message?

• The opportunity of ESSA will only become real if educators* lead implementation, make their voices heard, andwork with stakeholders in their communities to advocate on behalf of students.

ESSA presents an opportunity to ensure success for each and every student.This opportunity will only be realized if educators speak up on behalf of students.

You have the opportunity to make a difference with ESSA, share with your community what you’re doing and ask them what they’re doing too… (see samples below):

Follow The Conversation on social media - #ESSAJust 3 minutes– I spoke up 4 MY students. We CAN begin 2 achieve equitable education 4 all. Got 3 minutes?http://getessaright.org/ #ESSAI am taking every opportunity I can to share what my students need and what matters most, to make sure we get ESSA right forMYSTUDENTS.Learnwhatyoucandoathttp://getessaright.org Assessingwhatourschoolandstudentsneed–theESSAOpportunityDashboardhelpedfiguringitoutaloteasier. http://getessaright.org/indicators/opportunity-dashboard-indicator/

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about why this topic is an important component of ensuring student success.• For additional information on this and other ESSA issues, visit http://getessaright.org/ under the RESOURCES tab.• Personalize your message by adding information about your school/district.

Who should deliver this message?• The opportunity of ESSA will only become real if educators* lead implementation, make their voices heard, and

work with stakeholders in their communities to advocate on behalf of students.



Follow The Conversation on social media - #ESSAJust 3 minutes– I spoke up 4 MY students. We CAN begin 2 achieve equitable education 4 all. Got 3 minutes http://getessaright.org/ #ESSAI am taking every opportunity I can to share what my students need and what’s matter most, to make sure we get ESSA RightforMYSTUDENTS. Learnwhat youcandoat http://getessaright.org Assessingwhat ourschoolandstudentsneed–theESSAOpportunity Dashboard helpedfiguringitoutaloteasierhttp://getessaright.org/indicators/opportunity-dashboard-indicator/


TOPIC Backgrounder: State-Designed Accountability SystemsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ESSA%20Fact%20Sheet%20-%20State%20Accountability%20Systems%20121415.pdf


• ESSAendstheone-size-fits-allapproachtoschoolimprovement.Decisionmakingforschoolimprovementisreturnedtothepeople who know schools the best – educators, families, and community groups in the schools.

• Under ESSA, improvement plans will be based on local needs assessments and resource equity audits. This means theplans can truly address the most pressing concerns within a school.

• Educators must reach out to parent organizations, civil rights organizations, disability rights groups, and other communityleaders to make sure policies that affect our students are made by people who know them by name.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners whoshare our commitment to student success to ensure that School improvement plans are designed to advance studentsuccess in my community.





Educator Voice in matters of School Improvement


TOPIC Backgrounder: ESSA 101; Paraeducator Voice, and; Claiming Our VoiceLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/essa-101/need-know-essa/; http://getessaright.org/for-educators/paraeducator-voice-

opportunity/; http://getessaright.org/for-educators/claiming-voice-local-level-bargaining-advocacy-opportunities-essa/and http://getessaright.org/

• ESSA is inclusive of all educators. Classroom teachers, paraeducators, specialized instructional support personnel, highereducation professionals and administrators are valued for their expertise and contributions to student growth.All educators have a seat at the table to make decisions about schools, teaching and learning, and student growth.

• ESSA presents an opportunity to ensure success for each and every student. This opportunity will only be realized ifeducators speak up on behalf of students, lead implementation, make their voices heard, and work with stakeholders intheir communities to advocate on behalf of students.

• Teachers have a right to meaningful input on school improvement, professional learning, and how to best serve studentsin their school.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners whoshare our commitment to student success. I am here to claim my seat at the table.





On Matters of Educator Voice








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TOPIC Backgrounder: Winning Professional Development Through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)Learn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/for-educators/winning-professional-development-every-student-succeeds-act-essa/


• ESSA provides opportunities for educators and other stakeholders to be involved in developing and implementing professional development plans at the local education agency level –this is good for educators and students. Taking advantage of these opportunities can ensure that all education professionals who enter our schools are ready to reach, teach, and inspire their students.

• By expanding access to professional development to all school staff in all subjects ESSA can provide the opportunity for schools to focus on providing students with a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music.

• Professional development must be an integral part of school improvement plans to ensure that educators are prepared to support student learning. ESSA provides opportunities for educators and other stakeholders to be involved in the development of programs for low performing schools and students, as well as school-wide programs.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen and build a broad base of support among educators, parents and community members who share our commitment to student success to ensure that professional development activities are both appropriate and useful for educators in my community.





Educator Voice in matters ofProfessional Development


TOPIC Backgrounder: Student + School Safety / Bullying Prevention and School DisciplineLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/for-family-community/student-school-safety-bullying-prevention/; http://getessaright.org/

indicators/school-discipline/ and http://getessaright.org/

• ESSA provides access to funding to improve both academic achievement and student safety. As trusted professionals,educators like me, are uniquely equipped to help make ESSA implementation decisions that lead to student success.

• Educators like me recognize that our voice in development and implementation of these plans will help ensure that weraise student awareness about what constitutes bullying and empower students to report bullying. We need to provideclear expectations to our students with regard to safety and bullying.

• Within ESSA, state and local education agencies must address the overuse of disciplinary practices that removestudents from the classroom bringing an opportunity to end the school-to-prison pipeline and lift up-rather than knockdown the most vulnerable students in our community.

• We must provide the appropriate supports/programs to reduce exclusionary discipline practices. School-widepositive behavioral interventions and supports as well as expanded access to coordinated resources for school-basedcounseling and mental health programs can help reduce the use of these unfair practices.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners whoshare our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as plans for school safety and ending the school-to-prison pipeline are developed and implemented.





Educator Voice in matters of School Climate








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TOPIC Backgrounder: Winning Professional Development Through the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)Learn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/for-educators/winning-professional-development-every-student-succeeds-act-essa/


• ESSA provides opportunities for educators and other stakeholders to be involved in developing and implementing professional development plans at the local education agency level –this is good for educators and students. Taking advantage of these opportunities can ensure that all education professionals who enter our schools are ready to reach, teach, and inspire their students.

• By expanding access to professional development to all school staff in all subjects ESSA can provide the opportunity for schools to focus on providing students with a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music.

• Professional development must be an integral part of school improvement plans to ensure that educators are prepared to support student learning. ESSA provides opportunities for educators and other stakeholders to be involved in the development of programs for low performing schools and students, as well as school-wide programs.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen and build a broad base of support among educators, parents and community members who share our commitment to student success to ensure that professional development activities are both appropriate and useful for educators in my community.





Educator Voice in matters of Professional Development


TOPIC Backgrounder: Student + School Safety / Bullying Prevention and School DisciplineLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/for-family-community/student-school-safety-bullying-prevention/; http://getessaright.org/

indicators/school-discipline/ and http://getessaright.org/

• ESSA provides access to funding to improve both academic achievement and student safety. As trusted professionals, educators like me, are uniquely equipped to help make ESSA implementation decisions that lead to student success.

• Educators like me recognize that our voice in development and implementation of these plans will help ensure that we raise student awareness about what constitutes bullying and empower students to report bullying. We need to provide clear expectations to our students with regard to safety and bullying.

• Within ESSA, state and local education agencies must address the overuse of disciplinary practices that remove students from the classroom bringing an opportunity to end the school-to-prison pipeline and lift up-rather than knock down the most vulnerable students in our community.

• We must provide the appropriate supports/programs to reduce exclusionary discipline practices. School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports as well as expanded access to coordinated resources for school-based counseling and mental health programs can help reduce the use of these unfair practices.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who share our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as plans for school safety and ending the school-to-prison pipeline are developed and implemented.





Educator Voice in matters of School Improvement








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TOPIC Backgrounder: Less Testing = More LearningLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/testing/less-testing-learning/ and http://getessaright.org/

• Students need access to a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music – all of these require time. ESSA allows for caps on the amount of time students spend testing which can help us provide students greater access to a well-rounded education.

• We need to capitalize on the opportunities of reducing testing time within ESSA by auditing our assessments to eliminateduplicative and low quality assessments.

• We need to seek out other opportunities such as the use of nationally recognized tests (like ACT, SAT, or Advanced Placement tests)toreduce thetimehighschoolstudentsspendtesting.

• Educators like me need more time to focus on educating students. A reduction in the number of standardized tests andseparating tests from high-stakes accountability systems can help me focus on my student’s needs.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn.• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners

who share our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as plans for accountability systems are developed and implemented.





Educator Voice in matters of Testing


TOPIC Backgrounder: Opportunity IndicatorsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Backgrounder-Opportunity%20Dashboard%20Indicator.pdf


• We need to measure what matters to kids; it is important that our accountability systems no longer rely solely on test scores. Test scores do not take into account inequities in school resources and we cannot expect that under-resourced schools will have the same outputs as well-resourced schools.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn. Good ESSA implementation will promote opportunity for all students by assessing the resources that are available and closing opportunity gaps where they exist.

• ESSA has the potential to promote opportunity through a new accountability system to ensure that all studentsaregettingwhattheyneed.ThisstartswithanOpportunityDashboardasitscenterpiece–families,educators,and communityleadersshouldallbeinvolvedinidentifyingschoolsthatarenotfulfillingtheirpromisetoallstudents.

• Understanding which opportunity indicators we should include is an important decision. It is important that we, as educators, are included in these conversations and asked for input. Our students have different needs and we can help identify those different needs.

• We should not rely on a single opportunity indicator to determine where differences in resources exist. NEA’s Opportunity Dashboardhelpsusallmakesurepoliticiansandadministratorsareprovidingtheresourcesandservicesallourstudents need, regardless of their ZIP code.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who share our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as opportunity indicators and their metrics are selected.





Educator Voice in matters of Equity








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TOPIC Backgrounder: Less Testing = More LearningLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/testing/less-testing-learning/ and http://getessaright.org/

• Students need access to a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music – all of these require time. ESSA allows for caps on the amount of time students spend testing which can help us provide students greater access to a well-rounded education.

• We need to capitalize on the opportunities of reducing testing time within ESSA by auditing our assessments to eliminate duplicative and low quality assessments.

• We need to seek out other opportunities such as the use of nationally recognized tests (like ACT, SAT, or Advanced Placement tests)toreducethetimehighschoolstudentsspendtesting.

• Educators like me need more time to focus on educating students. A reduction in the number of standardized tests and separating tests from high-stakes accountability systems can help me focus on my student’s needs.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn.• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners

who share our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as plans for accountability systems are developed and implemented.





Educator Voice in matters of Testing


TOPIC Backgrounder: Opportunity IndicatorsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/Backgrounder-Opportunity%20Dashboard%20Indicator.pdf


• We need to measure what matters to kids; it is important that our accountability systems no longer rely solely on test scores. Test scores do not take into account inequities in school resources and we cannot expect that under-resourced schools will have the same outputs as well-resourced schools.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn. Good ESSA implementation will promote opportunity for all students by assessing the resources that are available and closing opportunity gaps where they exist.

• ESSA has the potential to promote opportunity through a new accountability system to ensure that all students aregettingwhattheyneed.ThisstartswithanOpportunityDashboardasitscenterpiece–families,educators,andcommunityleadersshouldallbeinvolvedinidentifyingschoolsthatarenotfulfillingtheirpromisetoallstudents.

• Understanding which opportunity indicators we should include is an important decision. It is important that we, as educators are included in these conversations and asked for input. Our students have different needs and we can help identify those different needs.

• We should not rely on a single opportunity indicator to determine where differences in resources exist. NEA’s Opportunity Dashboardhelpsusallmakesurepoliticiansandadministratorsareprovidingtheresourcesandservicesallourstudentsneed, regardless of their ZIP code.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who share our commitment to student success and take our seat at the table as opportunity indicators and their metrics are selected.





Educator Voice in matters of Equity








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TOPIC Backgrounder: ESSA 101; Claiming Our Voice, and; Families and CommunitiesLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/essa-101/need-know-essa/;

http://getessaright.org/for-educators/claiming-voice-local-level-bargaining-advocacy-opportunities-essa/;http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ESSA%20One%20Pager%20-%20Family%20and%20Communities.pdf


• As educators we must reach out to parent organizations, civil rights organizations, disability rights groups, and other community leaders to make sure policies that affect our students are made by people who know them by name.

• When a stakeholder helps to implement the law, they will feel a sense of ownership and be more likely to support it.People who once felt disconnected to the overall education scene can become more involved.

• By opening the conversation with more community partnerships, opportunities for students and teachers will be multiplied exponentially.

• Engagementat thelocallevelprovides aninsightintothespecificneedsofthat studentpopulation.• Any monies available have a better chance of going to the areas of most need.• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who

share our commitment to student success. I am here to claim my seat at the table.





Educator Voice in matters ofStakeholder Engagement


TOPIC Backgrounder: Teacher EvaluationsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/20152_ESSA%20teacher%20evaluation.pdf


• The use of a wide range of factors in teacher evaluation reduces dependence on a high-stakes test score allowing for inclusion of other measures of student success.

• Students need access to a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music. Focusing evaluation on accountability subjects shifts attention away from these other aspects of a well-rounded education.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn. Sound ESSA implementation including good teacher evaluation systems, will ensure that all education professionals who enter our schools are ready to reach, teach, and inspire their students.





Educator Voice in matters of Teacher Evaluation








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TOPIC Backgrounder: Families and Communities; ESSA 101; and Claiming Our VoiceLearn more, visit: http://getessaright.org/essa-101/need-know-essa/;

http://getessaright.org/for-educators/claiming-voice-local-level-bargaining-advocacy-opportunities-essa/;http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/ESSA%20One%20Pager%20-%20Family%20and%20Communities.pdf


• As educators we must reach out to parent organizations, civil rights organizations, disability rights groups, and other community leaders to make sure policies that affect our students are made by people who know them by name.

• When a stakeholder helps to implement the law, they will feel a sense of ownership and be more likely to support it. People who once felt disconnected to the overall education scene can become more involved.

• By opening the conversation with more community partnerships, opportunities for students and educators will be multiplied exponentially.

• Engagement at the local level provides an insight into the specific needs of the local student population. This increases the odds that any monies available will go to the areas of most need.

• Educators like me will be working to strengthen partnerships and build a broad base of support among partners who share our commitment to student success. I am here to claim my seat at the table.





Educator Voice in matters of Stakeholder Engagement


TOPIC Backgrounder: Teacher EvaluationsLearn more, visit: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/20152_ESSA%20teacher%20evaluation.pdf


• The use of a wide range of factors in teacher evaluation reduces dependence on a high-stakes test score allowing forinclusion of other measures of student success.

• Students need access to a well-rounded education that includes critical thinking and problem-solving skills, reading, math, history, and science, as well as arts, PE, and music. Focusing evaluation on accountability subjects shifts attention away from these other aspects of a well-rounded education.

• As ESSA allows for multiple measures to be included in accountability in addition to academic achievement, allow educational professionals like me to help design evaluation systems.

• All students, regardless of their ZIP code, deserve the support, tools, resources, and time to learn. Sound ESSAimplementation including good teacher evaluation systems, will ensure that all education professionals who enter our schools are ready to reach, teach, and inspire their students.





Educator Voice in matters ofTeacher Evaluation








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