Sunday, April 17, 2016

Foster children need more stability in their education and ESSA can help

"Still, foster care children face too much educational instability." This quote is taken from the 2014 article in the Atlantic, 
However, according to the recently signed bill ESSA, Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, there is language that includes intentions to aid in the stability of education for foster children as described in EWA's website article, Ensuring Educational Stability for Foster Kids.  ESSA intends to ensure that foster kids are able to enroll speedily when switching schools, which is on average happening once or twice a year for a foster kid. This instability leads to loss of advancing and progress in their school year. I can only imagine what moving to a new school, let alone a new family each year would feel like. It would put so much confusion and pressure that focusing on school would be difficult. ESSA includes provisions that will allow foster kids to remain in the same school even if their home is in a different district, as well as transportation, a designated counselor or "point person". It also calls for states to follow the academic progress of these groups of students to ensure their proper support. 

I feel like ESSA is a huge improvement from NCLB. It is going to take time and a whole lot of administration to implement, but I think it is definitely a huge step in the right direction. 
I feel that as a preservice teacher it will help teachers as myself better guide foster kids and other underprivileged populations in getting a more equitable education, and improving their chances of graduation and progress. 

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