U. S . D E P A R T M E N T O F E D U C A T I O N

Built for Teachers

How the Blueprint for Reform 

Empowers Educators
U.S. Department of Education

Arne Duncan

Secretary of Education

Office of Communications and Outreach

Peter Cunningham

Assistant Secretary

August 2010

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Built for Teachers: How the Blueprint for Reform Empowers Educators,Washington, D.C., 2010. 

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U. S. D E P A R T M E N T OF E D U C A T I O N

August 2010

Built for Teachers

How the Blueprint for Reform 

Empowers Educators
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Dear Teaching Colleague:

This is a tough time to be a teacher. You went into teaching with a great heart and a great passion because 

you want to make a difference. You work tirelessly—nights, weekends, summers—to plan lessons, grade 

papers, serve on committees, attend meetings, coach sports, and perform other duties “as assigned,” but too 

often this work goes unrecognized. You spend your own money on your classrooms and students, and many 

of your salaries are frozen or cut in tough economic times. I have no doubt that you get dizzy juggling the 

barrage of mandates in federal, state, district, and school programs, many of which must feel as though they 

disappear as quickly as they emerge.

In recent years, the federal government hasn’t helped solve problems for teachers. The No Child Left Behind

Act created incentives for states to lower standards and measure students’ skills by using low-quality “bubble 

tests.” The law focused on punitive measures when students didn’t reach an absolute standard, yet failed to 

acknowledge growth. 

As I’ve travelled the country, I’ve met with thousands of teachers, and I’ve heard their fears and concerns. 

Teachers are asking: Are these reforms the Next Big Thing, here today but gone tomorrow? Will they focus on testing in a 

way that further narrows the curriculum and denies students the great education that we seek to bring? Could we lose our jobs if 

our students’ scores aren’t high enough? 

In President Obama’s Blueprint for Reform of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) we are addressing 

those concerns and proposing common-sense strategies to move us in the right direction. Many of you have 

expressed great relief that the Blueprint will fix No Child Left Behind. And teachers have been telling me that 

they are encouraged, and even energized, by President Obama’s vision. 
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This brochure provides a summary of some of the reasons that teachers I’ve met tell me they support the 

president’s Blueprint. After reviewing this, I invite you to read the Blueprint and work within your schools 

and states to support reform in our nation’s public schools. With teachers, parents, and schools working 

together, I’m so encouraged by what’s possible. 

Thank you for all you do to support our schools, families, and communities. 

 

Sincerely, 

Arne Duncan 

Secretary of Education
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How the Blueprint for Reform 

Empowers Educators

The Blueprint for Reform is designed to meet the needs of students while accomplishing objectives that 

teachers have been concerned about for a long time.

Respecting Teachers as the Professionals They Are

Our Challenge: We all know that not all teachers are alike, nor should they be. Yet, for too long, many educators 

have been treated like cogs in the system, interchangeably generic employees whose strengths and contributions go 

largely unnoticed. Unlike evaluations in other professions, teacher performance reviews don’t provide meaningful 

feedback, and they have little to no impact on your professional development. Furthermore, the most effective teachers 

are generally not rewarded for doing a great job or for taking on greater responsibilities.

The Blueprint’s New Direction: 

Recognizing the Importance of Teachers. The Blueprint is based on two principles that 

we all know are true: 1) Great teachers matter; and 2) Not all teachers are equally effective. 

Under this plan, teachers are recognized and supported as unique professionals. Principals 

and other school leaders will take the time (and they should be given the training) to evaluate 

teachers comprehensively and fairly based on individual performance. The plan proposes 

that evaluations be based on multiple measures, acknowledge successes, provide meaningful 

feedback, inform staff development and staffing decisions, offer teachers more responsibility, and 

compensate them more reasonably. Teachers deserve to be evaluated fairly and paid for the hard 

work they do. 
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Broadening the Curriculum 

Our Challenge: No Child Left Behind’s focus on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) has put history, the arts, 

and other critical subjects on the back burner. Schools spend far too much time on tests and not enough on lessons 

that foster engagement, critical thinking, and a well-rounded education.

The Blueprint’s New Direction: 

Better Assessments. The Department is investing $350 million in support for states to develop 

better assessments that measure complex skills, ensuring that students are gaining the knowledge 

and skills they need in the real world–not just filling in bubbles. New assessments may include 

performance items, such as portfolios and projects. States are encouraged to work with a coalition 

of state colleges and universities to create standards that are fair and to ensure that students who 

meet them have the skills to succeed in college and careers.

Painting With a Broad Brush. The effect of the Blueprint will be to broaden what teachers 

teach, not limit it. Because most schools will have relief from the relentless emphasis on year-toyear test scores, teachers and principals will be able to focus on ensuring a high-quality education 

for every student, including long-neglected subjects like art and foreign languages. The Blueprint

also will provide funding to support high-quality instruction in these subjects, especially in our 

highest-need schools. Finally, because states will have the flexibility to include a range of academic 

subjects in their accountability systems, teachers of these subjects will no longer feel ignored.
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Using Data the Right Way

Our Challenge: Teachers can speak for hours about the misuse of testing data: requiring all students to be on the 

same level all at once, labeling schools and teachers as failures even if scores are growing, using scores as the sole 

measurement of success, and teaching to the test. 

The Blueprint’s New Direction: 

Focus on Growth. The Blueprint for Reform encourages schools to use data in fundamentally 

different ways. Schools are measured not only by achievement level but also by growth. Under 

this plan, if a teacher helps a fifth-grade student’s reading to move from a second-grade to a 

fourth-grade level, he or she is not labeled as a failure but as a model for others to emulate. And 

progress over time will matter–one bad year will no longer cause a school to be identified as 

“failing” because data from several years are reviewed to determine how a school is doing.
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Empowering Teachers and Schools 

Our Challenge: While NCLB helped schools to focus on specific student groups, its emphasis was more on 

punishing than empowering. An effect of the program was that teachers and school leaders lived in fear of not 

measuring up on a few key tests and of being reprimanded and labeled as failures (or even closed) if students did 

not score well on tests. If they were identified as “failing,” they had no real choices for fixing their plan because the 

federal government prescribed only one track–“one size fits all.”

The Blueprint’s New Direction: 

More Funds to Reach High Goals. The Blueprint takes a much more positive and empowering 

position on student achievement. The plan encourages states to adopt rigorous goals for student 

performance and rewards and provides incentives for accomplishing those goals and for showing 

progress. What’s more, districts interested in reform can compete for additional funding—beyond what 

they currently receive through regular (formula) programs—to achieve their goals through grant programs, 

such as Race to the Top, Promise Neighborhoods, and Investing in Innovation. Our plan will 

maintain funding from regular, core programs such as Title I and the Individuals with Disabilities 

Education Act (IDEA). In fact the president’s budget includes a historic increase in funding for 

K–12 education, of which approximately 80 percent will be for these kinds of existing programs.

Fewer Restrictions About How to Get There. In the past, schools not making AYP were 

required to follow prescribed programs, but the Blueprint strategy is more fluid, offering school 

systems an array of local choices and control. While maintaining a high bar for accountability, it 

recognizes that what works in a rural school, for example, may not work in urban areas or other 

regions. 
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Making a Bold Case for Reform

Our Challenge: There have been so many reforms proposed over the last few decades that teachers may feel at 

times like they are just going through the latest motions, checking off the latest “to do” items on an agenda that 

merely patches problems in education without a clear sense of purpose or direction. 

The Blueprint’s New Direction: 

A World-Class Education. The president’s reform agenda calls on teachers to take even more 

bold and courageous steps to completely transform what we offer students in this country so that 

all have equal access to a quality education. Others may see the goal of preparing every student 

for college or career as pie in the sky, but President Obama believes that education is a great 

equalizer. Skeptics say we must first solve our country’s economic problems, but the president 

knows that we have to educate ourselves into economic security. 

What teachers say they like most about the Blueprint is that it asks them to deeply examine their 

practice and to be willing to improve it to meet the needs of students today. The Blueprint 

challenges us all to live what we believe—that all students can learn and that they are all worth 

our investment.
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Addressing Teachers’ Concerns

This section addresses questions that Secretary Duncan has heard frequently when talking with teachers about 

education reform.

Why does the government seem to blame teachers for problems schools face? That would be 

crazy, like blaming doctors for a flu epidemic. President Obama understands that most teachers 

are doing a very good job and that all of the problems in education can’t be put on the backs 

of teachers. Instead of blaming teachers, he and Secretary Duncan call for teachers and school 

leaders to collaborate with one another to raise achievement so that all students are college- and 

career-ready. If teachers aren’t performing up to that level, they should get the support they need 

and the opportunity to improve.

How is the proposed plan for testing different from what we have had? Assessment is important 

because educators use the data to evaluate student learning and determine what to focus on to 

help each student. Under the Blueprint, student achievement levels should NOT be the sole measure of 

performance. Instead, the Blueprint focuses not on one point in time but on growth and progress 

over time. Schools with low achievement shouldn’t be singled out for the most dramatic 

interventions unless they persistently remain in the bottom 5 percent of all schools and show no 

growth. 
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Since teachers can’t control the environments from which their students come, isn’t it unfair 

to hold all teachers to the same standards for student achievement? No two students are 

alike, and some come to school with baggage that makes them harder to teach than others. The 

Blueprint recognizes this by suggesting state school systems focus on the whole child and reward 

growth, not just on arbitrary achievement levels. The Blueprint also helps teachers to reach 

difficult students by providing resources to help address comprehensive approaches to meeting 

students’ needs.

Why does the plan ask schools to compete for federal dollars? Eighty percent of federal dollars 

for K–12 schools will come through the same funding sources as before—straight to states and 

districts without any competition. The Blueprint includes some new competitive programs to offer 

incentives for school districts and states to develop strategies and plans to improve their students’ 

achievement. These programs will direct resources based not only on the quality of the proposed 

plan but also on the needs of the students who will be served.

Why should teacher pay be determined by test scores? Test scores are not the sole indicator of a 

teacher’s performance, but, if used correctly, they should indicate how well students are learning. 

If done right, it makes some sense that growth in student achievement should be one part of 

a teacher’s evaluation. A comprehensive teacher evaluation system also considers classroom 

observations, peer reviews, professional development, and other contributions that the teacher 

makes to the school.
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How will the Blueprint support and change my teaching? Highly effective teachers could be rewarded 

with more recognition, higher pay, and leadership opportunities, including mentoring others, 

and incentives, such as more money. Some highly effective teachers will be offered additional 

compensation for teaching in high-need schools. Effective teachers should participate in 

professional development that builds on their current skills and improves their practice to make 

them more effective. Struggling teachers could be given more intensive training and mentoring 

and be observed more frequently in efforts to improve their practice. If their performance 

does not improve, they may be counseled to consider taking on a different role at the school or 

choosing another profession.

All teachers will use data to assess students’ progress and to redirect their teaching. With 

the new accountability system’s emphasis on growth, teachers will feel less pressure for all students to 

perform at the same level. Since schools won’t be labeled as “failing” based solely on the results 

of one test on one day, teachers won’t feel the need to focus only on students just below the 

proficiency bar. Instead of mandating a single set of interventions for every school, the Blueprint

gives most schools the flexibility to determine the right strategies to help them improve. Teachers 

will be able to work with school leaders to help determine the changes that will best meet students’ 

needs. Teachers will also be given more time to meet with teams in their schools to evaluate data 

and make plans to address areas of concern as a community. 
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Why does the plan require that teachers be fired? It doesn’t. However, it does focus on dramatically 

reforming the schools whose students’ test scores consistently fall in the bottom 5 percent—schools 

where performance is extremely low and not improving. For these chronically underperforming 

schools, the plan offers districts choices from an array of models. Some of the models would 

involve changes in the staffing of the school, others would keep the teachers in place and focus on 

specific strategies like expanded learning time. Teachers can and should be involved in choosing a 

turnaround model for their school.

Most of the plan is about supporting teachers and leaders in our schools, recognizing and 

rewarding those who are doing a great job. The budget provides a $350 million increase in 

funding for programs that support teachers and leaders, more than has ever been requested.

What about principals? What part do they play in the president’s plan for reform? The plan 

recognizes the need for school leaders who understand what resources and support systems 

teachers need to succeed. States are encouraged to invest in principal development, enhancing 

their training and evaluations, and restructuring their jobs so that they are free to work with 

teachers collaboratively and make authentic assessments. To make this happen, we are proposing 

to increase fivefold the funding for programs that prepare effective teachers and other school 

leaders to be effective principals.
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Does the Blueprint for Reform favor charter schools? Under the new plan, do charter schools 

receive preferential funding? The Blueprint does not favor one form of public school over 

another. As Secretary Duncan says, he is for whatever works well for students. Of the $28 billion 

the president has proposed for the 2011 budget, less than 2 percent is set aside specifically for charter 

and other autonomous public schools.

Do the Obama administration’s competitions favor urban schools over rural populations? 

No. One of the strengths of the plan is that it focuses on need, which we know exists in both 

rural and urban areas. For this reason, the Blueprint offers rural and other high-need communities 

a competitive priority in competitions. Furthermore, the Blueprint’s emphasis on science, 

technology, engineering, and math (STEM) has the potential to improve the technology that rural 

schools can access, offering students a broader range of courses.

What is there in the plan for rural schools? In addition to maintaining a dedicated funding stream 

for rural schools, much in the Blueprint addresses rural needs, including support for rural districts 

that use distance education to provide students with access to a more complete education. It also 

removes barriers that make it difficult for rural schools to recruit and keep the best teachers. And 

it increases funding, cuts the red tape necessary to get it, and allows local communities greater 

spending flexibility. 
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Under this plan, what are families and communities asked to do to contribute to their children’s 

success? Families and communities play absolutely critical roles in student success. Both 

President Obama and Secretary Duncan have listened to parents telling their stories and relaying 

their concerns about the current crisis in education. The Blueprint doubles the federal funding 

required to be set aside for family engagement and encourages school systems to come up with 

innovative and effective approaches, through programs such as Investing in Innovation and 

Promise Neighborhoods, for school systems to tap into these resources. Based on feedback we 

received on the Blueprint, the plan proposes to double funding for parent engagement—from 1 to 

2 percent of Title I dollars–or a total of $270 million. At the same time, states will be allowed to 

reserve an additional 1 percent of Title I dollars for grant programs that support, incentivize, and 

help expand districts’ evidence-based parental involvement practices. 
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More Information

To read the Blueprint for Reform: The Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, visit 

http://www.ed.gov/ESEA Blueprint.

To post a comment, visit http:/www.ed.gov/blog.

To view the U.S. Department of Education’s Teaching Ambassador Fellows discussing the Blueprint for 

Reform, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/used#govg/c/DC2A8F3C75E7BB20.
 The Department of Education’s mission is to promote student achievement 

and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational 

excellence and ensuring equal access.

www.ed.gov