Not everyone likes the NCLB rules that the Department of Education proposed last week. The chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee objects to the way the package has become a “slapdash” substitute for legislative actions. Representatives of school groups are balking at the quick timeline from proposal to implementation. You can read about that in my story in the latest issue of Education Week.
But you don’t have to give Washington insiders all of the power in this debate. Whether you’re the mother of a special education student in Massachusetts or a school administrator in Kansas, you can voice your opinion. Education Department officials will hold public hearings in four cities in mid-May. They’ll be in Boston, Seattle, Kansas City, Mo., and Dunwoody, Ga., north of Atlanta. Dates, times, and locations are in this Federal Register notice.
Show up and let them know what you think about uniform graduation rates, “n” sizes, and the rest of the rules that may be in effect for the 2008-09 school year.
Other NCLB-related stories in the April 30, 2008, issue of Education Week:
Young People Drawn to Aid in 2008 Race (See also Alyson Klein’s contribution over at Campaign K-12 about the deafening cheers for Barack Obama’s anti-NCLB rhetoric).
Nebraska Education Sees Policy, Leadership Shifts
Ed. Dept. Again Rejects Utah’s Bid to Use ‘Growth Model’ for NCLB