A-PLUS for Reforming N.C.L.B.
Posted by Andy on March 16th, 2007
In Minnesota, we’ve got enough problems with our over burdensome education mandates and requirements from the teacher’s union run DFL legislature, that we don’t need special interests in Washington piling more mandates on top of that. Since the passage of No Child Left Behind, we had no choice. If we wanted the Federal funds, we had to play their game.
In earnest, testing for achievement sounds like a great thing, but not at the price you pay by having the DC one size fits all style Department of Education fiasco. Besides, good Republicans don’t believe the Federal Government should even have a Department of Education. Well, at least that’s what our platform says.
M. Abolishing the U.S. Department of Education and all its unfunded mandates and opposing any new state or federal laws which seek to centralize educational authority at the expense of local school boards.
Anyways, some Republicans in Congress are taking the first steps at getting the federal Government off the backs of our local teachers and schools. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R MN6) is among those leading the charge.
Washington, Mar 16 - Congresswoman Michele Bachmann co-authored legislation introduced by Congressman Pete Hoekstra (R-MI) that would significantly impact the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) law, which is up for reauthorization this year. The legislation would allow states more flexibility to improve local education without the red tape and unfunded mandates of NCLB.
“Education is the fundamental building block of our society and we need to make sure we are giving children an opportunity to succeed,” said Bachmann. “Minnesota is a leader in education and we need to keep it that way by ensuring teachers, parents and local school board members have control over the classroom – not bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.”The Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act of 2007 (A-PLUS) provides States and their local communities with maximum freedom and flexibility to determine how to improve academic achievement and implement education reforms. The bill allows states to develop their own unique standards and tailor them to the needs of their students, while still allowing them to receive federal education funding.
Local control is always a great idea, and it is nice to see someone in Washington willing to take away some of the power Congress has accumulated over the years. Let’s hope this is just the beginning of true reform and change in Washington.
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March 16th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
I think this is another case of having to be careful what you wish for. The State platform is certainly correct that local control is best for education (and for as many government services as possible). There are just two problems with this in practice. The first is that there is no such thing as local control when school boards and legislatures are controlled, top to bottom, by the teachers unions. The unions dictate that we will continue to pay higher prices for lower quality, because they have a monopoly and that’s what monopolies do. Which brings us to the second problem, which is that the unions are dead set AGAINST the ultimate in local control — giving vouchers to every parent and letting them actually decide what it kind of an education they want their child.
Just notice that when they start complaining about vouchers, their first statement is something like, “you’ll destroy the public schools!” If you think about it, that is a clear admission that no one would choose public schools if they were given a choice, thereby providing proof positive that the public schools are failing and OUGHT to be destroyed.