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National Urban League to Monitor ESEA State Waivers to Insure Better Outcomes for Minority and Low-Income Students
On February 9, 2011, the White House announced approval of ten Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) state waiver applications. “With approval of these 10 state waiver applications, we will monitor all states for strong accountability systems and the progress made towards providing all students a high-quality education,” said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial.
The National Urban League has a long and dedicated history of pushing for equity in education, especially among those communities most in need. “Education is the foundation on which we seek to prepare all of our nation’s youth for jobs of the future,” said Morial.
The waivers will require states to set college and career ready standards for all students, set new targets for improving achievement, identify low-performing schools as either “focus” or “priority” schools targeted for interventions and school improvement. States will also be relieved of the requirement to set aside funding for after school tutoring, in exchange for expanded learning time during the school day in addition to after school.
The National Urban League will work to ensure schools and districts will continue to partner with high-quality community based organizations, such as Urban League affiliates, to continue the provision of much needed out of school time and wraparound supports and learning opportunities through various models, rather than end the partnerships altogether. The first 10 states to receive the waivers are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee.
In September 2011, the Department of Education announced its ESEA State Flexibility package allowing states to seek relief from certain provisions of the federal education law.Throughout the ESEA waiver process, the National Urban League joined other civil rights partners in calling for the approval of waiver applications that maintain strong accountability systems, accountability for graduating more students from high schools ready for college, work and life, while meaningfully engaging community stakeholders in the development and implementation of needed reforms. Of particular concern to the National Urban League and many in thecivil rights community is the creation of “super sub-groups” of students that hold the potential of masking systemic inequities and underperformance within and across schools and districts. “We urge the Department of Education, State School Chiefs and community stakeholders to remain vigilant in the monitoring and oversight of the reforms approved under these waivers,” said Morial
In January of this year, the National Urban League released a plan to Educate, Employ and Empower, a proposal informed by Urban League education and job training programs that calls for education reform efforts that not only raise standards, but also provide an integrated approach that exposes students to needed skills for the future workforce.
“The approval of these ten state waiver applications is a first step – not a last step. We will monitor implementation and make sure families and community leaders – especially those representing low-income and minority students – are part of the reform and innovation process. We will lift up effective models of community engagement for those states that have yet to apply with an eye towards additional accountability and improved outcomes for all students – not just parrot what seemed to be successful in this round of applications,” Morial continued. “This marks an important opportunity for states to begin the real work of implementation and to meaningfully engage community stakeholders in the process,” said Morial.
The National Urban League and its 97 affiliates in 36 states and the District of Columbia has long been involved in education as providers of after school services, youth development and mentoring programs, operators of charter schools, parent education specialists and members of local and state school improvement teams and school boards. At both the federal and state levels, the Urban League movement is an important partner in education reform.
The National Urban League supports the reauthorization of federal education law in Congress, and will continue to support those legislative efforts that include strong accountability for all schools, while also working closely with the first 10 state that received the waivers and those that will be approved in the coming months.
