A Republican bill to revamp No Child Left Behind could make its way to the U.S. House of Representatives as early as next week, but President Obama is already vowing to veto it, according to an Associated Press report. The overhaul of the controversial education legislation seeks to give more power to states and remove much of the federal oversight that exists today. This is a red flag for the current administration that has made it overtly clear through policy and public comments that it believes federal oversight is mandatory to encourage states to perform at their highest when it comes to educating every student fairly.
Specifically, the White House has called the current iteration of NCLB one that “abdicates the historic federal role in elementary and secondary education of ensuring the educational progress of all of America’s students, including students from low-income families, students with disabilities, English learners, and students of color.”
Republicans who support the bill, like House Speaker John Boehner, say that it would give states the rights to customize their educational goals and not be held back by the bureaucracy of Washington.
While handing more educational decision making to the states may seem like a smart way to reach individual student groups more accurately, it lacks the accountability that is needed for the U.S. K-12 education system to operate at its best. Federal oversight is needed to be sure that all students are receiving the same opportunities in their classrooms -- and that the states who do an exceptional job are rewarded through federal funding, not simply entitled to it.
What do you think? Should NCLB be scrapped completely?