NCLB Sets States on Path to Failure

None by KCPW

States Actually Lose Less $$ If They Comply, But Fail

(KCPW News) The highly-qualified teacher requirement of No Child Left Behind sets up states to fail, according to State Representative Margaret Dayton (R-Orem), who co-chairs the Utah Legislature's Education Interim Committee:

"Right now all 50 states have failed the requirements put out by the Department of Ed for having highly qualified teachers, and it's very realistic to say that there will not be one state [so qualified] by the year 2014 which under No Child Left Behind is the cut off date for all states to have all students at proficiency levels."

Dayton supports scrapping No Child Left Behind, a move that might result in the loss of federal funding. The lawmaker finds that ironic since compliance can still result in a loss of federal funding. She points to the cases of Maine and Nebraska, which the Department of Education says did not meet year-end requirements under No Child Left Behind. As a result, Dayton says, they face the loss of federal funds:

"But what they're cutting is only one-fourth of their funding. So I think the moral here is if you opt out you lose all your federal education money and more, but if you stay in and fail, then you only lose a fourth of your funding."

Tomorrow afternoon the Education Interim Committee will be collecting information and responses from various committee members in order to help the State Office of Education craft a response to the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind. Although the federal legislation will not come up for renewal until late next year, state lawmakers are creating the position statement in response to a request by Congressman Rob Bishop. To hear more from Dayton on No Child Left Behind, click here.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW