Groups call for improvements on law’s 6th anniversary
Groups call for improvements on law’s 6th anniversary
By Frank Wolfe
Tuesday marked the sixth anniversary of the enactment of NCLB, and education stakeholders of both political persuasions are calling for improvements to President Bush’s signature domestic achievement in a looming reauthorization of the law this spring.
Rep. Buck McKeon, R-Calif., ranking member of the House Education and Labor Commit tee, said Republicans did not agree with many provisions of the House draft reauthorization bill by Chairman George Miller, D-Calif.
“Although great progress has been made, the draft legislation in its current form has not met the standard established at the outset of this process — a bill that strengthens and refines NCLB while maintaining its core principles of accountability, flexibility and parental choice,” McKeon said. “Anything that falls short of that expectation would turn back the clock on education reform and hinder future efforts to ensure all children can learn and succeed.”
Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, he hoped to reintroduce a reauthorization bill in early spring and said legislators have learned much in the last six years about NCLB reforms that have worked and those that have not.
“We owe it to children, parents and schools to get it right,” Kennedy said of the reauthorization bill.
The American Federation of Teachers was harshly critical of NCLB. AFT said the law is “fun damentally flawed” and that teachers believe NCLB has only accomplished “tests, tests and more tests.”
“Teachers and students need a law that supports good teaching, gives credit to schools when students are making progress, and offers real help — not unproven mandates — for struggling schools,” AFT said.
The National Association of Secondary School Principals said it is disappointed NCLB reau thorization has stalled and that legislators must fully fund NCLB mandates.
The organization is pleased that reauthorization drafts have included provisions for mandatory professional development for school leaders, growth models, multiple measures and addition al time to graduate for students who need it.
Legislators should now “address the needs of all students, including low-performing middle level students and those with and those with developmental disabilities,” NASSP said.
