Failure Foreseen

Boston Herald

Your story noted that NCLB isn't working ('Government grants 7 more waivers from No Child law,' July 20). If we're not careful, the next federal education law won't work either.

The House's NCLB update shortchanges early education. It undermines commitments to close the funding gap between rich and poor school districts, and the performance gap between students in those schools. It eliminates teacher qualification standards and restricts class size reduction efforts. It weakens school accountability.

A strong education plan invests in early education, so kids aren’t already behind on their first day of kindergarten. It insists on attainable standards and delivers the funding to recruit and pay for the best teachers and individualized support to meet each student’s needs. That’s what every parent would want, and it’s what every Massachusetts taxpayer must demand.

The Obama Administration must now ensure that the waiver doesn’t leave some Massachusetts kids behind. But it’s at best a short-term fix, and if Congress don’t insist on improvements, we could be right back here in ten years wondering why the new NCLB law doesn’t work.

Bruce Lesley
President
First Focus Campaign for Children