U.S. Senate Bills to Fix ESEA Leave the Nation's Future Workforce Unprotected

WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A series of Senate bills, introduced by Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Mark Kirk (R-IL), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), and Richard Burr (R-NC), to amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) proclaim that "Better Schools Mean Better Jobs." But as a coalition of leading civil rights and education advocacy organizations, we at Campaign for High School Equity believe the bills abandon the backbone of America's future workforce by rolling back the reforms necessary to ensure that all students, including students of color, Native students, and those from low-income communities have access to a high-quality education.

With the promise of increased local decision-making and flexibility, the proposed legislation hands the reigns back to states to create a patchwork of accountability across the country and requires little in terms of return on federal investment.

Some aspects of the amendments that promote college and career readiness and the continued reporting of disaggregated student data are very encouraging, but the federal government must continue to make sure that all low-performing schools are held accountable for student success. If we only focus on the bottom 5 percent of low-performing schools, we ignore the needs of far too many young people, particularly students of color and English Language Learners—groups who are most likely to attend the many other struggling schools and those in high schools in which 60 percent or fewer students make it to the twelfth grade. These students will make up more than 50 percent of our adult workforce by 2050, but without strong accountability and supports in education, they will be unprepared for the jobs of the future.

A bipartisan and comprehensive review of federal education policy is the best way to address the needs of students, parents, and communities.  Our primary focus should be to ensure that all students have the opportunity to succeed in college, work, and beyond by strengthening academic performance goals and accountability and improving graduation rates.

CHSE is a coalition of leading civil rights organizations representing communities of color that is focused on high school education reform. Members include the National Urban League, National Council of La Raza, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, League of United Latin American Citizens, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund, Alliance for Excellent Education, National Indian Education Association, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center.

CHSE is a special project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

SOURCE Campaign for High School Equity