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July 21, 2004
States' NCLB grumbling quiets downAs BoardBuzz readers know, there has been quite a bit of chest thumping from states, and school districts, that are understandably unhappy with some of the mandates and the funding levels of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). Rebellion. Backlash. Revolt. All words used to describe what was happening just a few short months ago, initiated in many cases by Republican-controlled legislatures. But today, things are considerably quieter, as this nice summary from Stateline.org notes:
"At the height of this year's backlash against President Bush's signature domestic policy initiative, 27 state legislatures drafted 54 bills to protest the costs, penalties and unprecedented federal oversight of school policy under the 2002 act. U.S. Education Secretary Rod Paige and his deputies crisscrossed the country on scores of trips to smooth over differences with state legislators and educators. In the end, only the Democratic governor of Maine and the Republican governors of Utah and Vermont signed bills critical of the act, which is staunchly defended by the Republican Bush administration."
The article notes that while some states have backed away from their harshest criticisms, they are negotiating with the feds for more flexibility in the law. NSBA has some ideas on that topic and how to improve the law overall. Check them out, here and here (this one's brief). Change is going to have to come. The question is what changes, and how soon.
Posted July 21, 2004 12:00 AM
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