(Spoiler Alert: It wasn’t the Apocalypse)
By Devin Boyle, DFER Communications Coordinator & Legislative Liaison
The dust has barely settled on my collection of candy cane earrings, yet we’ve already seen some major developments with respect to education policy and reform.
Since some of our readers may have missed the latest headlines while decompressing from holiday travels with some peppermint schnapps, here’s a recap:
Hot Topics to Start Off 2012
• The Elementary and Secondary Education Act, also known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), had its 10th birthday on January 8th. DFER’s Director of Federal Policy – who was in the delivery room – assessed the impact of the law over the last decade in the Huffington Post, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, and USA Today.
• House Republicans released a draft of their version of NCLB reform calling for – surprise, surprise – less of a federal role in education. The proposal puts accountability and interventions in the hands of states, with the expectation that they maintain high standards (sigh). As Charles Barone mentioned in Ed Week, the language in the bill with regard to accountability, including for narrowing achievement and graduation gaps, is vague, to say the least. The upside is that, as he suggests, “[the draft] is a stage prop rather than a real legislative effort.” Read more here and here.