Res 1728-2017

By Council Member Dromm Whereas, The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), enacted in 2015, is the most recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), the nation's national education law and longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students; and Whereas, According to the U.S. Department of Education, ESSA builds on key areas of progress in recent years, including lower dropout rates and higher graduation and college-going rates, and provides "a firm foundation for further work to expand educational opportunity and improve student outcomes"; and Whereas, There is currently no requirement in ESSA for consulting with teachers or parents and families on the implementation of the law and monitoring its impact on students; and Whereas, It would be helpful to include the voices of educators, who are responsible for implementing ESSA requirements in identifying needed changes; and Whereas, It would also be helpful to include the voices of parents in analyzing the impact of ESSA on children and families; and Whereas, H.R. 3246, Teachers and Parents at the Table Act ("the Act"), introduced by Congresswoman Kathleen Rice in July 2017, seeks to provide a mechanism for such educator and parent input; and Whereas, The Act amends Title I (Improving the Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to direct the Secretary of Education to establish a Teacher Advisory Committee and a Parents and Families Advisory Committee; and Whereas, The role of the Teacher Advisory Committee would be to bring the perspective of expert teachers to policymakers regarding the implementation and impact of ESSA and to make policy recommendations; and Whereas, The Act requires the Teacher Advisory Committee to be composed of a diverse group of 20 public school classroom teachers who are past or present State Teachers of the Year or nominated from organizations representing teachers and have demonstrated similar evidence of expertise, and have experience working with educational policy; and Whereas, Further, the Act requires the Teacher Advisory Committee to submit to Congress and the Secretary of Education 2 reports per year on not more than 3 topics per year determined by the Committee in consultation with policymakers; and Whereas, The role of the Parents and Families Advisory Committee would be to monitor the effects of this Act on children and families, and review and analyze implementation of State and local parent and family engagement policies, school-parent compacts, and other family engagement activities; and Whereas, The Act requires the Parents and Families Advisory Committee to be composed of a diverse group of 20 parents or family members of children enrolled in a public school who have a demonstrated history of parental involvement and family engagement in schools; and Whereas, Further, the Act requires the Parents and Families Advisory Committee to submit an annual report and quarterly updates on the effects of this Act on parental involvement and family engagement in education and recommendations for strengthening family engagement policy; and Whereas, H.R. 3246 seeks to advance student achievement by providing a mechanism for teachers and parents and families to have greater input in policy decisions that impact students; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the United States Congress to pass and the President to sign H.R. 3246, the Teachers and Parents at the Table Act, which would create an advisory committee of teachers and an advisory committee of parents to advise the Congress and Secretary of Education. LS# 1405 JA 11/27/17