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State Representative Linda Slocum
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7158
For more information contact: Ted Modrich 651-296-5809
NEWS COLUMN
NCLB WAIVER GREAT NEWS FOR MINNESOTA STUDENTS, SCHOOLS
On Thursday February 9, President Obama and Minnesota Department of Education Commissioner Brenda Casselius announced that Minnesota was one of ten states to receive a federal waiver from the failed “No Child Left Behind" policy. This is fantastic news for our students, schools, and anyone who cares about education in Minnesota.
The waiver will allow Minnesota administrators, teachers, and parents to work together to build a new system of accountability for our schools which will lead to better education for our students.
“No Child Left Behind” has long been criticized by many as being too stringent to implement, due to its “one size fits all” strategy. Minnesota is at the forefront of states requesting and receiving these waivers. 28 other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have signaled that they will also seek the waiver in the future. The number of states seeking the waiver is indicative of the law’s failure to achieve real results. Teachers were forced to “teach to the test,” which doesn’t accurately measure student achievement or school progress.
Furthermore, students have spent too many hours preparing for, practicing, and taking the tests, rather than truly learning and gaining skills. School districts need the flexibility to teach children in the most effective way for each individual child.
In order to qualify for the waiver states were required to submit an alternative plan for:
• preparing students for college readiness,
• evaluating teachers and principals,
• rewarding top performing schools while focusing on improving low performing schools,
• setting goals for student achievement.
Minnesota’s plan was developed using intensive outreach from everyone — from experts and policymakers to educators, parents and students.
With this waiver, Minnesota will be moving forward with a new accountability system based on known best practices and genuine data to identify schools for recognition, accountability and support. Additionally, this system will allow for a stronger focus on those schools most in need of support. All of this will help close achievement gaps and ensure that all of our students are receiving a world class education.
After 10 years of “No Child Left Behind” and little to no progress made, it’s time that we move forward with new, fresh ideas on how to best serve our kids. With receipt of this waiver, Minnesota is showing once again that it is a leader in education policy and reform. I am proud to have worked hard on these efforts and I look forward to ensuring that all of our students have access to opportunities for a successful future.
If you have questions, comments, feedback or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you again for the honor of serving you in the legislature.
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