Your Voice Needed: ESSA Plan Open to Public Comment
By Andrea Roethke
After over a year of community meetings and committees, the Minnesota Department of Education has released its draft plan to revamp school accountability and transparency in accordance with the not-so-new federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). Now that the draft plan is public (you can download it here, section by section), MDE is collecting feedback from stakeholders. This is a huge opportunity for parents, educators, and other education stakeholders to weigh in on the ESSA plan, which will shape how the state collects and shares information on school performance over the next several years. We hope you’ll share your perspective!
HOW TO COMMENT ON THE ESSA PLAN
Between now and Aug. 31, MDE is taking public comments on the state plan. You can submit your feedback online here. To learn more about the plan, ask questions, and provide feedback in person, you can also attend one of MDE’s public meetings over the next few weeks.
Below are the dates and details, and here is the link to register. We encourage you to attend the meeting in your community!
- St. Paul: Tuesday, Aug. 15, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at the Wilder Foundation Auditorium
- Rochester: Wednesday, Aug. 16, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at John Marshall High School Auditorium
- Mankato: Thursday, Aug. 17, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at West High School Auditorium
- Moorhead: Monday, Aug. 21, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Moorhead High School Auditorium
- Sartell: Tuesday, Aug. 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Resource Training and Education, First Level Training Rooms
- Duluth: Wednesday, Aug. 23, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Denfeld High School Cafeteria
To contact MDE’s ESSA Team directly with questions, email mde.essa@state.mn.us or call 651.582.8200.
NEXT STEPS
Our team will be reviewing the draft plan in the coming weeks with an eye to equity, transparency, and meaningful accountability to students, families, and communities. I shared some overarching concerns in a recent blog post, which I encourage you to read for our take on the school identification and public reporting process. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks and months as MDE dives into the process of developing a public reporting dashboard—one of the most important elements of accountability. As always, you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest updates.