I know, it sounds odd, but Maine's own Tom Allen actually has some good ideas to fix The Horror that is No Child Left Behind. They have a snowball's chance in hell of passing, but the fact that somoeone is actually publically acknowledging the fact that it is ridiculously flawed is pretty damned cool.
"My Plan to Improve No Child Left Behind
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), is due for reauthorization. The House Committee on Education and Labor has been holding hearings and has released a draft reauthorization proposal. Discussions have focused both on the failure to fully fund NCLB, as well as the concerns of many education officials, municipalities, teachers, parents and others about implementation of NCLB, including the law’s one-size-fits-all testing requirements.
I have introduced legislation to make the existing law work better for our kids. H.R. 4305, the Improving Student Testing Act, would allow greater flexibility in testing, allow states to use alternative accountability models (such as growth models), and give states the option to test once in elementary school, once in middle school, and once in high school. My bill would also ensure that student data is kept private and would waive the 2014 deadline for full compliance for each year that Congress does not fund Title I at the level that Congress promised. H.R. 4305 would create transparency during the peer review process and require states to separate graduation rates into subgroups. Finally, my bill would provide grants for states to develop systems to assess students’ performance and success using multiple measures and grants for implementing such systems. Many education groups, including the National Education Association and the Maine Education Association support my proposal. I have encouraged Rep. George Miller, Chairman of the House Committee on Education and Labor, to consider my legislation as he moves forward with the reauthorization of NCLB."
at 3:08 PM :: ~#~
