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On December 9th, Congress passed a new education law for grades K-12.
“Included in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bipartisan bill that replaces the widely-criticized No Child Left Behind Act, is a key provision co-authored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD) that will strengthen environmental education programs in schools across the country.
The Reed-Sarbanes bill known as the No Child Left Inside (NCLI) Act authorizes funding to help states create environmental education plans and support outdoor learning programs and integrates environmental literacy activities into other key programs. The Every Student Succeeds Act will allow school districts to integrate environmental education into their programs for well-rounded education as well as their afterschool programs. The measure will support environmental education and hands-on, field-based learning experiences in participating schools nationwide.”
Read the full story here on Senator Jack Reed’s site.
This law is a promising harbinger that the seriously flawed education system will be moving in the right direction. My excitement about this law comes from two perspectives, that of a parent and that of a seasoned teacher. I have witnessed first hand how relying on these high stake tests can destroy the love of learning and the love of teaching. It may seem simple, but if you do not love learning, you will not. If you do not love teaching, you can not. I found myself reflecting upon my own experiences as a student and it made me realize that it is not the love of learning that is lost, it is the hatred of school that is created. How often do children say, “I hate school.” In my opinion, once is too much. Children love to learn and at some point in their educational careers, that love is lost because it is not fostered and nurtured. In turn, parents believe they have a kid who hates learning, but in fact that is not true at all. The education system in place is failing this child, hating school should not be commonplace. It is not that kids hate learning, they learn to hate school because of what it asks and does not ask of them. It asks them to be held accountable to defined standards and it does not consider the interests and strengths of the learners. What do we sacrifice by putting these restraints on children? We sacrifice the ability to create empowered children who seek knowledge and seek to find their individual way in this world. The No Child Left Inside Act, co-authored by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD), is a promising step as the powers that be delve into reforming the broken system.
