Saturday, June 11, 2011

Education secretary working on 'plan B' for U.S. schools | Seattle Times Newspaper

Nation & World | Education secretary working on 'plan B' for U.S. schools | Seattle Times Newspaper

Education secretary working on 'plan B' for U.S. schools

Frustrated by what he called a "slow-motion train wreck" for U.S. schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he will give schools relief from federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind law if Congress drags its feet on the law's long-awaited overhaul and reauthorization.

The Associated Press

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Frustrated by what he called a "slow-motion train wreck" for U.S. schools, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he will give schools relief from federal mandates under the No Child Left Behind law if Congress drags its feet on the law's long-awaited overhaul and reauthorization.

That could mean everything from granting waivers on test score requirements to flexibility on how schools spend federal funding, though Duncan offered few details because he said the department is just beginning to work on its plan.

The Obama administration has called for an overhaul of the 9-year-old federal education law by the fall, but lawmakers have indicated that won't be possible. Duncan told reporters Friday that his first goal is for