Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s approval of the CORE districts’ waiver from unattainable provisions of the No Child Left Behind law, exposed some old and some new internecine disputes in California education.
Duncan called it the “right thing to do” for the 1 million students enrolled in the eight districts. Others used different words.
Among policymakers and advocates who commented on the decision, EdSource Today found common themes among differences of opinion.
U.S. Rep. George Miller: The senior Democrat on the House Education and the Workforce Committee, was an architect of No Child Left Behind, but has since acknowledged its flaws and reproached Congress for not fixing through reauthorization.
“The approval of the CORE waiver application will provide the opportunity for more than a million students in California to break away from the most rigid requirements of NCLB that do little to ensure that all children are learning… and I believe this action will provide the whole state an exciting opportunity to pilot new reforms and learn from some of the leading districts in California and the nation.”
U.S. Rep. John Kline: The Minnesota Republican chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee.
“As if state waivers weren’t convoluted enough, the administration has now decided to move forward with district-level waivers. One can only imagine the confusion this creates for families, teachers