Arne Duncan's 'Plan B' May Leave 'No Child' Behind

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is signaling that he's prepared to give public schools relief from federal mandates under No Child Left Behind if Congress does not pass the law's long-awaited overhaul and re-authorization this year.

"This is absolutely plan B," Duncan told reporters during an embargoed conference call on Friday. "The prospect of doing nothing is what I'm fighting against."

That relief could take the form of granting waivers on test scoring to flexibility on how schools spend federal dollars. "We can't afford to do nothing," he said.

Both Republicans and Democrats agree that the mandate, signed into law in 2002 with bi-partisan support, is dated and flawed. One of the major complaints is that some schools have been labeled failures despite making improvements.

Duncan said he's encouraged by talks with lawmakers in recent weeks that indicate the law may see revisions this year, but he says he wants a backup plan in case that doesn't happen.

The re-authorization of the law is already four years overdue, and the Obama administration has called for the overhaul to conclude by this fall. Lawmakers are indicating this will not be possible, and some are not happy about Duncan's plan.

"It seems premature at this point to take steps outside the legislative process that would address NCLB's problems in a temporary and piecemeal way,' says Senate Education Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2011/06/12/137135625/arne-duncans-plan-b-may-leave-no-child-behind?ft=1&f=1003

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