echoes of the NCLB dispute reach the west coast
Posted by Brent Finnegan on February 19th, 2007
News of the conflict between the Harrisonburg School Board and the federal Department of Education over NCLB tests made its way into the pages of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer today (Josh noted that this is an AP story, so it may have been picked up by several others as well).
Of course, the federal government refuses to blink first:
U.S. Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said Virginia is “dragging its feet” and called the testing provision, the law’s Standards Clause, a necessary measure to counter “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” In a Feb. 4 letter to The Washington Post, Spellings said: “It’s time to remember that yes, Virginia, there is a Standards Clause.”
The irony of her last name is not lost on this blogger.
Without a doubt, this is a story of national interest, and the media will be waiting to see what the Virginia GA, the H’burg school board, and the federal government does now (barring the tragic death of another ex-model, that is).
-finnegan
Also on CNN.
I guess it’s kind of a safe risk. Either don’t give the test, and maybe lose some money, or give the test, and definitely face sanctions because KIDS WHO DON’T SPEAK ENGLISH CAN’T PASS AN ENGLISH TEST.
That’s why I thought the Ed. Secretary’s name was kinda funny.
Virginia should pull out of nclb. If the Spellings rhetoric is the best this administration can do then stick right up her snout!
The loss of funds is a general wash because of the cost of trying to keep up with testing resources for tests that do nothing to go beyond the testing vasol’s already cover.
nclb has taken the student out of the center of the teaching process and placed a test there. nclb has removed the notion that the process of learning is as important, if not more important, then the final answer.
The federal government has no constitutional right to be in the classroom. There was a reason the framers left the subject of education out of the constitution and it wasn’t because they forgot to mention it. States should be in charge of the plight of education and if the federal government wants to be engaged then they can place the funding in the form of block grants and can keep those grants from states that fail to show progress.
BTW, am I the only person that finds it contradictory to take away funds from failing schools districts that need more resources to succeed? Oh, you aren’t spending enough on education so we are going to take more of it away….
One more thought…has anyone considered that the flagship for nclb is a failing broken down educational system found in Houston, Texas?
They Report. We decide!
Stephen, too bad the Virginia SOL/NCLB blog is dead. You would have loved that one.