States around the country are working on crafting new education policies to align with the federal plan known as the Every Student Succeeds Act. One group has delivered a report to the state Board of Education on what it discovered through a series of public hearings.
The Every Student Succeeds Act replaces the No Child Left Behind Act. It required that states find out what challenges communities face in educating kids.
Suzanne Allen of the coalition Philanthropy Ohio says it held 10 public hearings and heard from 1,500 people. She says ESSA offers the chance to pinpoint the needs of Ohio’s schools.
“When you look at the amount of money that is put into this system it really becomes a huge opportunity to take a look at what some of the education needs are and the community needs.”
The consensus from the meetings was that the biggest challenge schools face is poverty. There was also strong support in investing in more early childhood education.
