The Waiver Wire: 5 Must-Have Discussions on Duncan’s Plan

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Rep. George Miller (D-CA) – Photo by Paul Wood

With that in mind, I think it’s more productive to analyze the specific policies within Secretary Duncan’s plan and point out a few areas where the proposal could fumble the ball. Over the next five days (or so), I’ll highlight a different aspect of the waivers as we know them so far and discuss issues for the Department to think about if they want to ensure the waivers succeed in improving school, teacher, and student performance.

In other words, first do no harm. There is a lot to dislike about No Child Left Behind, but it’s important that these waivers be designed and executed so that states are not just let off the accountability hook to continue with the status quo. If done well, the waivers can demonstrate that a remodeled and upgraded ESEA is needed and, more importantly, can work in our nation’s schools. But this will only happen if the waiver process is designed thoughtfully and implemented faithfully; in reality, this means every state that applies should not be able to receive a waiver – only the states that are truly ready to implement a new kind of accountability system for schools, teachers, and students built around college- and career-readiness should move forward.

Stay tuned for more later today…