by Jack Jennings | Sep 4, 2018 | academic standards, accountability, education research, federal education policy, federal funding, No Child Left Behind, politics, Race to the Top, school funding, teacher evaluations, teachers, testing
In December 2015, when President Barack Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) — replacing the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 — congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle breathed a deep sigh of relief. Not only had NCLB grown...
by Jack Jennings | Jan 12, 2018 | advocating, politics
To win elections, it is helpful to have a disliked opponent. People are more motivated to vote against someone than they are to vote for someone, according to an old adage. The dreams of Democrats to have such opponents could not be better fulfilled than to...
by Jack Jennings | Nov 11, 2017 | advocating, politics, school funding, teachers
Corporations and the rich will pay less in taxes. Public education will be weakened. Revenge on Democratic-leaning states will be extracted. This trifecta of disastrous results comes from the budget bill passed in late October by the House and by the Senate a...
by Jack Jennings | Jul 11, 2017 | civics education, democratic values, politics
Yesterday, as usual, we talked now and again about President Trump and politics. As much as we try to avoid the topic, it sharply intrudes into our daily lives. We voted against Trump, and are upset about the direction that the country is taking. Living in Washington,...
by Jack Jennings | May 31, 2017 | advocating, federal funding, politics
The country is so politically divided that people increasingly are not tolerant of different views or respectful of others. This is not simply a lack of good manners. It is a blow to a democratic society. After a half century’s involvement in Washington policy-making,...
