School districts across Washington State lead a revolt against failed federal policies

[eridani]

http://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2014/08/school-districts-across-washington-state-lead-a-revolt-against-failed-federal-policies.html

At least 28 school districts in Washington State have chosen to fight back against U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan’s demand that they label successful schools as “failures” due to a law backed by George W. Bush. When the state legislature refused to tie teacher evaluations to test scores, Duncan revoked the state’s waiver from Bush’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law. The law requires all students in a school to reach a certain level of performance on a standardized test, and if even a single student doesn’t meet the mark, the entire school is labeled a failure.

Duncan required that school districts send letters to parents explaining that their child’s school was a “failure” according to this extremely narrow and misleading metric. But the 28 school districts have decided to follow Vermont’s lead and send their own letter along with the federally mandated letter, explaining that these schools are not actually failures:

But as those letters go out, many Puget Sound districts – including Tacoma – will also be telling parents that No Child Left Behind is “regressive and punitive,” and that their schools aren’t failing at all….

“Some of our state’s and districts’ most successful and highly recognized schools are now being labeled ‘failing’ by an antiquated law that most educators and elected officials – as well as the U.S. Department of Education – acknowledges isn’t working,” the superintendents’ letter says.

“Our bottom line: Your child’s school district is effectively addressing the needs of all students,” the cover letter reads.

[msongs]

1. good for them. tell the privatization morons behind race to the top to take their $$ & stuff it nt

[Turbineguy]

2. My daughter was a victim of "No Child Left Behind".

Of course, I was an idiot too. I should have hired a college student to write a few of her required papers. That might have helped her pass. They didn't seem to care who did the work, just so it would pass muster.

Like most of the Bush administration's ideas, it was a good idea only if you practiced self-deception.