Burr & Gregg Deliver The First Volley
According to the attached press release, Republican Senators Gregg and Burr are today introducing a "comprehensive" NCLB reauthorization bill -- the first of will likely be several volleys from folks who want to push or promote something that's not quite the same as what the committee and leadership staff are up to.
Thursday, July 12, 2007 Contact: Erin Rath (GREGG)
Matt Williams (BURR)
BURR, GREGG INTRODUCE NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND REAUTHORIZATION BILL, MAINTAINS STRONG ACCOUNTABILITY, STRENGTHENS PARENTAL EMPOWERMENT
WASHINGTON– U.S. Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today introduced the first comprehensive reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act to be introduced in the 110th Congress. The proposal maintains strong accountability provisions in the bill and strengthens a number of teacher and parent initiatives.
Senator Gregg, one of the four authors of the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act as then-Ranking Member of the Senate HELP Committee, stated, “The bill we are introducing today preserves the key tenets of the No Child Left Behind Act, while rightly responding to the legitimate concerns we’ve heard from parents, teachers and principals around the country. We maintain the accountability set forth in current law, which has contributed to historic increases in student achievement. In the 5 years since the passage of NCLB, student achievement has increased more than in the 30 years previous years combined. While the bill preserves the NCLB accountability system, it also provides additional flexibility to help schools target resources and interventions to students and schools most in need of assistance
Senator Burr stated, “
The No Child Left Behind Act, passed into law in 2002, constituted the largest education reform in decades, and coupled that reform with historic increases in education funding. The law set a mission of ensuring that every child in our country has the opportunity to get the best education available. It focused on children, parents and the local school districts rather than bureaucratic systems. The Burr-Gregg 2007 NCLB reauthorization bill continues this mission, while making adjustments in some areas as a result of listening to feedback on the law. Please see the attached detailed summary of the Burr-Gregg legislation here.
Comments
"In the 5 years since the passage of NCLB, student achievement has increased more than in the 30 years previous years combined."
This is untrue at best and a lie at worst. When will you challenge this claim?
Posted by: philip kovacs | July 13, 2007 9:20 AM
thanks for your comment, phillip --
yes it's true that there's a lot of disagreement about this statement -- i think i've written about that before (as has the AFT blog and edweek )-- but it's not my claim to refute. they can say whatever they want in a press statement, and it's up to their opponents or the press to call them on it.
Posted by: Alexander | July 13, 2007 9:36 AM