Experts Responsed to Dept. of Education’s “Supplement Not Supplant” Rules
August 31, 2016
Several education experts responded to the Dept. of Education’s proposed “supplement, not supplant” rules, according to the Washington Post. Many praised the intent of the rule, but some voiced concerns regarding the intention and delivery of the new provisions:
- Chris Minnich, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, argued that the proposed rule “runs counter” to ESSA, which sought to shift “significant authority” from federal education oversight to state and local governments.
- Wade Henderson, president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, called the draft rule “an important step toward improving an intolerable status quo.”
- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, applauded the proposal as a means to establish greater equality in schools. Weingarten, however, expressed concerns with the language of the rule, arguing the provision is another “unfunded mandate from Washington.”
- Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the National Education Association, does not believe that “equalizing expenditures” in schools is sufficient to “ensure equal opportunities.” The NEA called on the Dept. of Education to require schools to release reports on services offered so “parents and policymakers” know when “poor children are not getting what they need and deserve.”