The big activity this week was the State of the Union on
Tuesday, plus all of the analysis and criticism that usually follows it. On the education front, now that the dust is
settling, here’s what has come out from the U.S. Department of Education to
promote the PK-12 priorities:
The first link probably provides the best overview, but what
I find interesting is that there is no call for ESEA (a.k.a. NCLB)
reauthorization despite being 7 years overdue for renewal. Rightly so, it is
nearly impossible to move a large piece of legislation like that through
Congress these days. Instead, we see a page dedicated to ESEA flexibility. 42 states have already been approved for work
arounds to the law.
And in case you missed it, check out the President’s plan to
keep schools safe, Now is the Time. It was released last January and while it is
focused on gun safety generally, pages 10-13 talk about safety in schools.