Aurora forum on new education law Thursday

Kane County area educators, parents and residents will have a chance to provide input on Illinois' draft plan for a new federal education law.

Indian Prairie School District 204 hosts the third statewide listening tour on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan Thursday.

ESSA, passed in 2015, reauthorizes and amends the 50-year-old Elementary and Secondary Education Act and replaces No Child Left Behind.

The Illinois State Board of Education developed the draft ESSA State Plan based on stakeholder feedback received at two previous listening tours and through hundreds of comments submitted online. To view the second draft of the plan, visit isbe.net/essa.

"As we learned from the release of the Illinois Report Card, the majority of the generation of students entrusted to us are not prepared for college or career. Reversing that tide requires participation and collaboration," State Superintendent of Education Tony Smith said. "I encourage parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and leaders from business and our local communities to provide input and come together in charting Illinois' path forward."

Educators say ESSA will better serve all students by taking into account what educating "the whole child" means and designing supports and programming recognizing each student's strengths and needs.

All stakeholders also are encouraged to send comments via email to essa@isbe.net. Comments received to date are at isbe.net/essa/pdf/ESSA-comments-1016.pdf.

The session is 5 to 7 p.m. at the Crouse Education Center, 780 Shoreline Drive, Aurora.

ISBE will submit its finalized plan to the U.S. Department of Education next year.