Education Funding

NCLB Waiver Rules Will Cost Calif. Billions, Schools Chief Warns

By Fermin Leal, The Orange County Register, Calif. (MCT) — September 27, 2011 2 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

California will need billions in federal aid to overhaul teacher evaluations and adopt new learning standards before it can qualify for a waiver from No Child Left Behind student achievement rules, according to state Superintendent Tom Torlakson.

“I would hope that the administration is prepared to provide the funds necessary to implement these provisions, or provide greater flexibility to California,” Torlakson said.

Torlakson on Friday repeated a previous call he made for the federal government to grant states unconditional waivers while Congress and President Obama work to reauthorize the 2001 law.

Under No Child Left Behind, schools must meet steadily rising achievement benchmarks until 2014, when all students are to be proficient in English and math—a standard educators frequently criticize as impossible. Schools that receive federal funding for at-risk students face sanctions that include having to offer free tutoring, changing leadership, converting to charters or state takeover.

Obama’s waiver offer, made Friday, allows states to avoid sanctions if they fail to achieve passing scores starting in 2012. But, to qualify, states must tie teacher and principal evaluations to student test scores, enact standards to prepare students for college and careers, and adopt national common education standards.

Torlakson said the proposal “would appear to cost billions of dollars to fully implement, at a time when California and many other states remain in financial crisis.”

Bay Area education finance think-tank EdSource estimates the cost at $1.6 billion for California to adopt common core standards ($800 million for new curriculum and texts, $765 million for training teachers and $20 million for training principals, plus assorted minor costs.)

Additionally, the state would have to spend millions to implement new teacher evaluation systems, and programs to prepare students for college and careers.

In recent years, the state actually began moving toward common core standards, including setting money aside for districts to begin purchasing new textbooks and instruction materials.

But the movement stalled due to the ongoing state budget crisis, as education lost billions in funding. The state has since placed a hold on the purchase of new textbooks, allowing districts to use those funds to offset other budget cuts.

“There are enormous costs associated with California moving in this direction,” said Orange County Superintendent William Habermehl. “It’s not just a matter of updating some lesson plans. This will require fundamental changes to the way we teach, how we test our students, and how we measure achievement overall.”

Events

Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Ed-Tech Policy Webinar Artificial Intelligence in Practice: Building a Roadmap for AI Use in Schools
AI in education: game-changer or classroom chaos? Join our webinar & learn how to navigate this evolving tech responsibly.
Education Webinar Developing and Executing Impactful Research Campaigns to Fuel Your Ed Marketing Strategy 
Develop impactful research campaigns to fuel your marketing. Join the EdWeek Research Center for a webinar with actionable take-aways for companies who sell to K-12 districts.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Funding Education Dept. Sees Small Cut in Funding Package That Averted Government Shutdown
The Education Department will see a reduction even as the funding package provides for small increases to key K-12 programs.
3 min read
President Joe Biden delivers a speech about healthcare at an event in Raleigh, N.C., on March 26, 2024.
President Joe Biden delivers a speech about health care at an event in Raleigh, N.C., on March 26. Biden signed a funding package into law over the weekend that keeps the federal government open through September but includes a slight decrease in the Education Department's budget.
Matt Kelley/AP
Education Funding Biden's Budget Proposes Smaller Bump to Education Spending
The president requested increases to Title I and IDEA, and funding to expand preschool access in his 2025 budget proposal.
7 min read
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering prices for American families during an event at the YMCA Allard Center on March 11, 2024, in Goffstown, N.H.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on lowering prices for American families during an event at the YMCA Allard Center on March 11, 2024, in Goffstown, N.H. Biden's administration released its 2025 budget proposal, which includes a modest spending increase for the Education Department.
Evan Vucci/AP
Education Funding States Are Pulling Back on K-12 Spending. How Hard Will Schools Get Hit?
Some states are trimming education investments as financial forecasts suggest boom times may be over.
6 min read
Collage illustration of California state house and U.S. currency background.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
Education Funding Using AI to Guide School Funding: 4 Takeaways
One state is using AI to help guide school funding decisions. Will others follow?
5 min read
 Illustration of a robot hand drawing a graph line leading to budget and finalcial spending.
iStock/Getty