San Benito County educators are keeping their fingers crossed,
hoping that after three years of existence the federal No Child
Left Behind law will become less rigid and take into account the
individual progress of students.
Hollister – San Benito County educators are keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that after three years of existence the federal No Child Left Behind law will become less rigid and take into account the individual progress of students.
Education Secretary Margaret Spellings pledged last week to take a more sensible approach to enforcing the law, starting with allowing many more children with disabilities to be held to different academic standards. States that cooperate with President Bush’s education law will now be allowed to hold twice as many students with academic disabilities – 2 percent – to different academic standards than they were allowed before.
“We’re glad to hear that the federal government finally granted some flexibility in implementing No Child left behind,” said San Benito County Superintendent of Schools Tim Foley.
But, he said, it is still unsure of what the impact of the new policy will be to students in San Benito County.
“It really depends on just what they mean,” said Principal Bob Hammond at Ladd Lane School, adding that he is hopeful that the federal government will start looking at the progress of students, rather than an “arbitrary” standard.
Spellings made the announcement Thursday at George Washington’s estate in Virginia as a symbolic reminder of a meeting there three years ago, when the state school chiefs celebrated Bush’s new education law.
“States that understand this new way of doing things will be gratified,” Spellings told state school chiefs and other education leaders invited to hear her announcement.
“It makes sense, plain and simple,” she said. “Others looking for loopholes to simply take the federal funds, ignore the intent of the law and have minimal results to show for their millions of dollars in federal funds will think otherwise and be disappointed.”
She will favor states that don’t challenge principal points of the law – yearly testing of students in reading and math in grades three to eight, and public reporting of scores for all major groups of students. She wants proof that states are raising achievement.
And she’s inclined to work with states that do even more than the law requires, including the yearly high school testing that Bush wants in federal law but Congress hasn’t endorsed.
Overall, Spellings is out to garner support from state leaders who have grown restless over Bush’s education law, yet do it without eroding high expectations for all children.
The relationship between the state and federal leaders is important because it affects everything from teaching to testing, influencing the daily education of millions of students.
State leaders contend the law sets unreasonable and rigid standards for many children.
“I am very pleased that the federal government is going to prioritize results for students over bureaucracy,” California Superintendent of Public Education Jack O’Connell said in a press release. “This signal toward a more flexible application of NCLB is a very important step in the right direction, particularly for students with disabilities.”
Educators throughout the county have problems with the application of the law.
“I think NCLB is a wonderful idea, but it has to be realistic,” said Howard Chase Superintendent of the North County Joint Union School District.
The federal education law hits rural schools hard because it requires instructional aides to have associates degrees, which many people who are qualified and want to be aides don’t have, he said.
“If I was the czar,” Foley said, NCLB would be brought, “into conformity with California State Standards, which I think are light-years ahead of the federal standards.”
On Capitol Hill, the top Republican and Democrat on the House education committee said Spellings’ approach could help quell controversy about the law. But in a joint statement, Republican John Boehner of Ohio and Democrat George Miller of California cautioned that the law should be enforced “without favoritism.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Luke Roney covers education and agriculture for the Free Lance. Reach him at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or at [email protected]
