The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) came out in support of President Obama’s announcement to provide schools relief from adhering to the controversial No Child Left Behind Act, a move the group has urged for several years.
Daniel A. Domenech, executive director of AASA, said the waiver is is long overdue, especially as Congress has yet to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) that funds schools nationwide.
“The administration had refused to do (waive NCLB) on the grounds that they were hoping that ESEA would be reauthorized,” Domenech explained in a statement. “So were we, and we would still prefer the reauthorization of ESEA. Unfortunately, it has become readily apparent that a divided Congress is not about to reach agreement on a new ESEA bill in a timely manner.
“Schools need relief this academic school year as NCLB punishments ramp ever higher.”
The Obama flexibility plan will provide waivers to states that apply for them with assurances that they will meet certain conditions. Domenech added that AASA was “pleased” with the plan’s intent to relieve districts from these regulations. However, AASA continues to object to a waiver process that requires the meeting of specific conditions.
“If we all agree that the regulations that are to be waived are onerous and an impediment to real change in our schools, then they should be waived for all schools, not just the ones in states that apply for and receive the waivers,” said Domenech. “We regret that many schools in the states that do not apply for waivers will still be identified as failing, when they are not. These schools will be forced to spend much-needed dollars on solutions that have not worked and continue to labor under a law that everyone admits is an impediment to progress.”
AASA is continuing its advocacy of relief for schools via regulatory relief, the suspension of adequate yearly progress, or AYP, and upcoming targets in 2014 for 100-percent student proficiency in math and reading. AASA also wants to see states have the ability to design their own accountability system as well as the removal of the 20 percent set-aside for supplemental educational services and choice.
