The Tricky Business of Reauthorizing ESEA
If people agree on anything in Washington, they agree that the widely criticized No Child Left Behind needs to be changed.
But a chorus of civil rights, business and education groups is warning that a dramatic overhaul of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act could shortchange racial minorities, students with disabilities and other historically overlooked groups of students in the process.
The concerns underscore the tricky balance of making the law more flexible without losing accountability measures designed to shine a spotlight on the performance of students whose needs have been too often ignored.
Members of the Congressional Black, Hispanic, and Asian Pacific American Caucuses sent a letter in late March to lawmakers responsible for rewriting the law reminding them about the federal responsibility to require strong accountability for all schools and students.