The Honorable John King
Secretary
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20024
Dear Secretary King:
On behalf of the nation’s governors, we write to provide recommendations regarding the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on accountability and state plans (ED-2016-OESE-0032) under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
Across the country, governors are embracing their new role in ESSA by ensuring that the principals, educators and parents on the ground every day have a voice in the future of their education system. Governors realize that the potential for state and local innovation under ESSA will accelerate meaningful education reform in every state.
In several areas, the Department’s NPRM respects the authority granted to states under ESSA. However, governors have identified key areas where improvements are necessary in order to ensure the promise of flexibility in ESSA becomes a reality in states and classrooms.
Attached are recommendations to ensure an ESSA regulation on accountability and state plans allows a move away from the punitive No Child Left Behind era to an era of state and local solutions. We look forward to working with you to preserve the areas of the NPRM that honor congressional intent and incorporate our recommendations for improvement into a final rule.
Sincerely,
Scott D. Pattison
Executive Director and CEO
