As the National Commission on No Child Left Behind continues to hold hearings (Next stop Madison WI!) the drum beat for major changes or outright repeal of the law get louder and louder (being a drummer I love drum metaphors!)
I have written often in this blog about all the various reports on NCLB including the narrowing of the curriculum, 2 million test being “left behind,” various state exemptions that basically undermine the original guiding principles of the law for comparability of information between states and other issues regarding how, in my view, good intentions have gone wildly awry.
In this spirit I bring forward our latest entry… comments from a letter by the Utah’s State Superintendent of Public Instruction to the Utah Congressional delegation.
Here’s a taste:
Utah's schools chief has some advice for Congress: Dump some or all of No Child Left Behind, or change the rules to resemble the Utah Performance Assessment System for Students and other state initiatives.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Patti Harrington has drafted a position paper on the controversial federal law at the request of Utah's congressional delegation. The congressmen are gearing up for the law's expected reauthorization in 2008 or later, State Associate SuperintendentRay Timothy said.
"I think the best way for them to go is honor what states want," including ongoing assessment,clear standards and immediate help for struggling children, without federal intrusion, and "I hope they'll do more than tinker around the edges," Harrington said.
deseretnews.com | Advice to Congress: Dump part or all of 'No Child Left Behind'
