In this Time article, Susan Neuman, who served as Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education during George W. Bush’s first term, lets us in on her doubts about NCLB and the administration’s missteps. Buried at the bottom of the article is a good reason to keep your eyes on the papers tomorrow:
Neuman still supports school accountability and the much-maligned annual tests mandated by the law. But she now believes that the nation has to look beyond the schoolroom, if it wishes to leave no child behind. Along with 59 other top educators, policymakers and health officials, she’s put her name to a nonpartisan document to be released on Tuesday by the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington think tank. Titled “A Broader, Bolder Approach to Education,” it lays out an expansive vision for leveling the playing field for low-income kids, one that looks toward new policies on child health and support for parents and communities. Neuman says that money she’s seen wasted on current programs should be reallocated accordingly. “Pinning all our hopes on schools will never change the odds for kids.”