"Leaders of Valley school boards fear the Obama administration's 'Race to the Top' school-reform program will diminish local control over schools, while several teachers worry it will lead to more student testing, evaluation tools and federal requirements crafted without their input.
Such concerns were raised about a decade ago as congressional lawmakers pieced together what would become the Bush administration's education-overhaul package, the No Child Left Behind Act.
'No Child Left Behind kind of created the same set of fears,' said Janice Palmer, a lobbyist for the Arizona School Boards Association who helped educators, advocates and state officials craft the state's application for a share of the $4 billion program.
'The only difference is that resources are connected to (Race to the Top).'"
Such concerns were raised about a decade ago as congressional lawmakers pieced together what would become the Bush administration's education-overhaul package, the No Child Left Behind Act.
'No Child Left Behind kind of created the same set of fears,' said Janice Palmer, a lobbyist for the Arizona School Boards Association who helped educators, advocates and state officials craft the state's application for a share of the $4 billion program.
'The only difference is that resources are connected to (Race to the Top).'"
