Arne Duncan reworks NCLB

by David Safier

Arne Duncan called the requirements of No Child Left Behind a "slow-motion train wreck." He's right, of course. Requiring 100% proficiency in math and reading by 2014 is absurd. States have been low-balling the requirements for years, and now they're facing balloon payments they can't meet.

So Duncan is planning to let states apply for waivers by assuring the Feds they have their own school improvement standards. In other words, buh-bye NCLB.

Bush's program fixed nothing, but fixing things was never its true purpose. Its true purpose was to shame district schools with low scores — "Look at all those failing schools!" — so they could create more charter schools and enact more private school voucher legislation. Nevermind the fact that neither charter schools nor private schools have better achievement records than district schools. If you can say one method is failing, you can push the "anything will be better" idea.

Duncan's "fix" doesn't actually fix anything. It's simply an admission that NCLB hasn't worked.

Folks, education ain't easy, and improving education is very, very tough. It may be impossible to improve education by focusing entirely on schools and ignoring the socio-economic conditions which are the best predictors of school achievement. Pounding your fist on the table and telling people they have to improve reading and math proficiency or else may feel good, but in the end, it's just talk.