RELEASE: Coalition Calls on Arne Duncan to Protect Students through Waiver Renewals

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coalition Calls on Arne Duncan to Protect Students through Waiver Renewals

Washington, DC, October 22nd, 2013 – Democrats for Education Reform joined a coalition of education advocates including the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the National Center for Learning Disabilities urging Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to adopt more rigorous criteria for renewing state waivers under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

“Our worry is that some states may be glossing over or not placing enough importance on the performance of the very students whom federal law is designed to help,” said Charles Barone, policy director for Democrats for Education Reform. “All we’re asking is that the Department of Education scrutinize state plans to ensure schools have the necessary policies in place to provide every child with a high-quality education.”

The coalition also calls on Secretary Duncan to re-implement a consistent method for measuring high school graduation rates, make graduation rates a key component in state accountability systems, and compel states to annually identify schools “priority” or “focus” to receive assistance. It asks, in addition, for greater clarity around how states will transition students with disabilities from alternative assessments to the same assessments administered to other students. It also requests that public reporting on the performance of schools and students be clear, concise, and thorough so as to be easily understood by parents and stakeholders.

Currently, 42 states and the “Core 8” districts in California have received flexibility under the waiver program, with applications pending review in Wyoming, Iowa, and Illinois. Of these, 35 states and the “Core 8” districts will need to obtain an extension prior to the next school year (2014-15) to maintain this flexibility.

Click here to download a PDF of the coalition letter.

About Democrats for Education Reform
Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a political action committee with 13 state offices whose mission is to encourage a more productive dialogue within the Democratic Party on the need to fundamentally reform American public education. DFER operates at all levels of government to educate elected officials and support reform-minded candidates for public office.

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