From: Paul Toner, MTA President
Tim Sullivan, MTA Vice President
We applaud the U.S. Department of Education’s decision to grant Massachusetts a waiver from No Child Left Behind. NCLB’s requirement that all students score “proficient” or higher on the MCAS tests by 2014 is unrealistic and unproductive. More than half of our schools were deemed failing by that standard – including some very highly regarded schools – even though we have the highest performing students in the country.
The negative label and one-size-fits-all sanctions for these schools did not promote thoughtful consideration of the best strategies for improvement or for our students.
We plan to work closely with the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to make sure that the accountability and support systems that replace the NCLB requirements under this waiver advance innovation and excellence, narrow the achievement gap and promote a love of learning in our schools.
1 comment:
It's interesting and amazing how there isn't any NCLB waiver granted until schools in the more affluent districts are having difficulty making the proficiency goals...which indicates how superficial NCLB really is, and how the actual plan is flawed to begin with! It is impossible for certain schools (the haves) who had initially scored very high overall on the MCAS to make the necessary gains percentage-wise and make AYP...and those schools that lack resources and who are struggling to make AYP each year (the have-nots), are generally still doing so. So what has all of this proved in the last 10 years or so? NOTHING...except that it's the same old story between the haves and the have nots. SOOO...why doesn't the government and the states stop the nonsense and simply even the playing field by providing every school with the tools and resources they need to get the job done?! Do away with the "what looks good on paper" data, and ensure that there truly is NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND!!!!
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