Replacement of No Child Left Behind law draws mixed reaction

Congressional action to replace the federal No Child Left Behind Act with new legislation to govern American education has drawn praise from local educators who believe it will turn more classroom control to states and local school districts.

After years of failed efforts, the House passed the Every Student Succeeds Act last week by a vote of 359-64, U.S. Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), however, was among those who voted against the measure.

Smith said, "This bill does not go far enough to get the federal government out of our local school districts. Local school communities and parents have always been the best decision-makers for their children's education. We can do much better to get the federal government out of our school system than a 1,061-page bill which authorizes six brand-new federal education programs."

According to Smith's office, the new federal programs would cost taxpayers an additional $3.9 billion annually. The bill, for example, would create a new federal program to establish presidentially directed teaching academies.

Smith also objects to the measure because it would extend authorization through 2021, eliminating the opportunity for the next president to make changes to the plan.

John Link

In addition, Smith believes parents should be allowed to excuse their children from annual, mandatory academic testing -- a provision in the initial House-passed version but was left out of the compromise measure.

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires testing, but it would end federal efforts to encourage national academic standards such as Common Core.

House and Senate negotiators came up with the compromise bill, which seeks to strike a balance between Republicans' desire for less federal control and Democrats' desire to protect poor and minority students from failing schools. The Senate is scheduled to vote on it early this week, and President Obama is expected to sign it if it passes.

Jackson School District superintendent John Link said, "Anytime we can give local school districts more control, that is a good thing. I like that aspect of the bill."

But Link said he doesn't know how much local control school districts ultimately may have under the bill.

Christa Turner

"I hope all the local control doesn't just rest with the state," he said.

Link said he prefers a locally designed curriculum.

"We are more familiar with what our students need in Southeast Missouri," he said.

School districts need to be able to instruct all types of students, he said, adding one type of instruction doesn't fit everybody.

"We have students who learn at a different pace and instructional level," he said. Link said a major problem with the No Child Left Behind Act was it listed schools as "failing" if any segment of the student body was not meeting academic standards. Some schools listed as high-performing schools in Missouri still could be categorized as "failing" under the federal law, Link said.

He and Christa Turner, interim director of academic services for the Cape Girardeau School District, said they have no problem with the goal of federal legislation to provide high-quality education for all students.

"I do think expectations should be high for all students," Turner said.

Turner, a former principal at Jefferson Elementary School in Cape Girardeau that has a sizable number of minority students, said, "All kids deserve a chance to learn. That's our job in education, to figure out how all kids can be successful."

Link said he and other educators believe in high standards.

"We want to be held accountable. The question is how and why," he said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

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