Thursday, September 22, 2011

Report: Obama, Arne Duncan revamping No Child Left Behind - Tim Mak - POLITICO.com

Report: Obama, Arne Duncan revamping No Child Left Behind - Tim Mak - POLITICO.com:

Report: Obama, Arne Duncan revamping No Child Left Behind

 Student Faith Brown, left, listens as U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan speaks to students during tour the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School in Indianapolis. Duncan says he will announce a new waiver system Aug. 8,  to give schools a break from student testing mandates in the federal No Child Left Behind law. | AP Photo
'[W]e’re getting to the point that this law is holding back innovation,' Arne Duncan said.Close

President Barack Obama is planning to scrap key elements of the No Child Left Behind law, a cornerstone of the Bush administration’s education policy, and substitute new rules reflecting his own vision on education, reports the Washington Post.

Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will detail plans to waive some of No Child Left Behind’s requirements on Friday.

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Obama intends to waive the standard that every student be proficient in math and reading by 2014 - failure of which could mean that their schools would face escalating penalties.

In return for scrapping those requirements, however, states must put in place changes that reflect Obama’s own goals on education policy. The states that will seek waivers - the Washington Post says up to 45 of them might - will be expected to expand charter schools, link teacher evaluation to student performance and upgrade academic standards.

Schools, which have been trying to reach No Child Left Behind’s standards for four years, are currently facing the threat of massive teacher layoffs, principal firings and school closures if students don’t achieve the



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