As mentioned earlier this week, Tennessee, along with 19 other states, have submitted their final Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plans to the U.S. Department of Education and the people at Betsy DeVos, Inc. have 120 days to respond.

In this Chalkbeat Tennessee article, we learn that the Achievement School District (ASD) will remain a thing in Tennessee. Schools performing in the bottom 5% will continue to move from the district’s responsibility to the watchful eye of the state.

So What’s Different?

Apparently, the difference in the work of the ASD under the new federal law will be the creation of a new office at the TNDOE (an even more watchful eye?) that comes with a 10-year expiration date.

“If its schools don’t exit due to sustained improvement, they must be returned to their local districts within 10 years.”

Also, poorly performing schools will be afforded more turnaround time making the state the intervention of last resort. I’ll repeat that — poorly performing schools will be afforded more turnaround time.

Am I the only one who thinks the state is being overly generous with time?

 “The trouble is, you think you have time.” Buddha

Read Tennessee overhauls approach to low-performing schools under plan sent to Secretary DeVos and you be the judge.